Match Centre

That brings us to full time. Thank you for joining us tonight. The Tigers tested the Bulldogs more than most thought and were a genuine chance to win for 70 minutes. Stay tuned for a match report.

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 32-22

Chaos in front of goal leads to Graham putting in a grubber kick. The play is good for the Dogs though because Brooks is forced to hit the ball dead. Just 90 seconds left and the Bulldogs will get the ball back.

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 26-22

The Bulldogs look spent energy wise. Reynolds kicks for touch on fifth and surprising Rankin allows the ball to go over the sideline. Tigers get a scrum with 90m to go to score.

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 26-22

Addo-Carr takes it upon himself to chip kick and chase from running along the sideline. Hopoate fields the kick on the bounce just metres from the chasing Addo-Carr.

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 26-22

An average set from the Dogs is ended by a Reynolds kick that goes straight to Addo-Carr. Kasiano pins Simona to the gronud, that gets the crowd excited.

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 26-22

The Tigers stay stuck in their half and the Dogs are able come 30m away from their line.

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 26-22

Kasiano dies with the ball on fifth tackle. He was asked to create something with no notice and it was too much. Tigers get a play the ball from 5m out. Somehow the Bulldogs aren't able to score points even though they've already put on 26 of them.

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 26-22

The pressure keeps mounting. Reynolds chip kicks to the same corner from just 15m out. Addo-Carr rushes back, fields the ball and is put dead by Perrrett. Kasiano is back on the field to finish the game.

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 26-22

The Bulldogs find themselves 25m out on fifth tackle. They decide to pass out to the right edge and Perrett kicks low to the corner. Rankin fields just 1m into the field of play and 1m from the sideline and its easily put into touch. The Bulldogs earn another set.

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 26-22

Wests put in a tough set, Brooks doesn't get the fifth tackle kick right, it trickles over the dead ball line by just one metre but it's very costly.

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 26-22

Rankin goes dangerously close to knocking on. A low and slow bouncing kick comes off his leg and almost comes off his hands. Bulldogs players were there to pick up the ball if it were to be loose.

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 26-22

The Tigers do recover for now. This big Bulldogs pack might ware them down sooner rather than later.

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 26-22

The Bulldogs through Reynolds kick deep and get multiple defenders on the Wests wingers trying to take hit ups.

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 26-22

Play is stopped because Lichaa has an issue with his fingers/wrist. It bent awkwardly. We're back underway.

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 26-22

On the next play Brett Morris gets an opportunity to score on the wing. Naiqama gets to Morris and prevents a try. The bunker is checking the call and they rule Morris is held up in goal.

Wests Tigers 22-16

PENALTY BULLDOGS. From about 30m out. Quick tap for the Bulldogs and we're away.

Wests Tigers 22-16

Great response from the Tigers. On fourth Brooks chips the ball into the corner of Perrett. Perrett has to run backwards for the ball and is cleaned up in goal. Goal line dropout coming up.

Wests Tigers 22-16

The Bulldogs were all flat footed on fifth tackle 40m out. Mbye avoids kicking and passes to Reynolds. Reynolds runs through the middle, breaks the line, is ankle tapped 5m out and flicks the ball back. Browne kicks the ball and the bounce favours Tolman. The bunker reviews the play, the on field ref said no try for offside on the kick chase and the call stands. PENALTY TIGERS.

Wests Tigers 22-16

Kasiano off for Canterbury.

Wests Tigers 22-16

Graham has lifted his work rate in the last five minutes. He has been appearing in everything the Dogs are doing.

Wests Tigers 22-16

The Bulldogs took too long to get to the Tigers 20m zone. On fifth tackle Mbye's kick rolls along the grass straight to Rankin at the posts and uncontested which is a disappointing finish because they had numbers on the left edge.

Wests Tigers 22-16

The errors are starting to come for the Tigers. After none in the first half, Lawrence commits the Tigers' second error in the space of five minutes. The Dogs get a scrum feed at halfway.

Wests Tigers 22-16

The play was rather slow but Mbye gets a high long pass to Brett Morris, Brett passes to Josh who runs around him and gets close to the line. Josh's pass back in field is knocked by the Tigers over the dead ball line and is a goal line dropout.

Wests Tigers 22-16

An average set from the Tigers should give another attacking opportunity to the Bulldogs at the end of their set.

Wests Tigers 22-16

The Dogs get Mbye the opportunity to put up a bomb on fifth tackle from 40m out but the Tigers take it comfortably.

Wests Tigers 22-16

PENALTY TIGERS. Lichaa is ruled to have stripped the ball from Addo-Carr while playing the ball. That was blatant.

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PENALTY TIGERS. Mbye tries to walk over the play the ball and is penalised.

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Lichaa makes 20m from dummy half around some slow Tigers forwards. Addo-Carr gets leveled by Mbye on the return just 10m from his line.

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Both teams are back on the field. The Tigers will kick the second half off.

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That's an action packed first half complete. Forget a blowout, this game has the potential to be tight until full time. The Bulldogs seemed to pick their spots for when to apply effort and scored when they wanted to. The Tigers gave a strong effort for the entire half and were able to challenge the Dogs. Stay tuned for the second half in about 15 mins time.

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PENALTY TIGERS. Graham hits Moses late after the kick is away on fifth tackle. The penalty is effective from where the ball lands and the Tigers elect for a penalty goal from 40m out.

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 16-14

The Wests Tigers scramble and the Dogs didn't look good enough to score points this set. A grubber kick on fifth tackle goes into a defenders leg and the Tigers get the ball.

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 16-14

PENALTY BULLDOGS. Within a minute the Bulldogs are now entrenched in the Tigers 20m zone, with a full set.

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 16-14

Sue is back on the field.

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 16-14

Tim Grant barges over a defender and is instantly in the clear. Over halfway he got taken by Hopoate. Brooks then kicks deep into the in goal and the team forces the Dogs into a line drop out.

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 16-14

The Bulldogs are still causing chaos for the Tigers. Tony Williams breaks the Wests left edge but Addo-Carr is able to catching him and spike the ball out, forcing the knock on just 15m from the try line.

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 16-14

The Bulldogs muscle up in defence and limit the Tigers to inside their 30m zone before the kick. Sam Kasiano is now on the field, normally the game changes when he enters.

Wests Tigers 14-4

Bulldogs respond with 47m and tackle Rankin on his 10m line, good response.

Wests Tigers 8-4

47m were made from the Tigers first set after points. Brooks kicks long and all of a sudden they are the dominant side in this game.

Wests Tigers 8-4

Sue has a laceration on his leg. Medical staff are working hard to get him right and back onto the field tonight but no guarantees.

Wests Tigers 8-4

PENALTY TIGERS. Fine's second conceded penalty of the day, he held Lawrence down too long. They decide to take a penalty kick.

Wests Tigers 6-4

PENALTY TIGERS. Brooks takes on the line strongly, almost breaks through. Bulldogs are charged for raking the ball out.

Wests Tigers 6-4

PENALTY BULLDOGS. 30m out from the line Reynolds taps and runs, he scoots over to the right edge and loses control of the ball onto his knee when attempting to pass. Wests Tigers will get a scrum feed.

Wests Tigers 6-4

The forwards of the Bulldogs dominated the Tigers on this set. Wests couldn't make it past their own 30m line before kicking long.

Wests Tigers 6-4

Basic set from the Dogs after points. They finish on halfway and trap Rankin in his left corner of the field.

Wests Tigers 6-4

The Tigers go the length of the field on the resulting seven tackle set and Brooks' grubber from 15m out trickles over the dead ball line.

Wests Tigers 6-0

The Bulldogs spread the ball from right to left and it gets Brett Morris space to dash at the corner post. He's hurt his shoulder diving for the line. He plants the ball down on the line, the referee sends the decision to the bunker with the signal of try. Replays show Nofoaluma pushes him over the sideline, hence no try.

Wests Tigers 6-0

PENALTY BULLDOGS. The defenders hold down on Reynolds too long. Didn't seem worthy of a sin bin.

Wests Tigers 6-0

The Tigers rush up on the Bulldogs left edge at 40m out. The defenders miss their targets and Reynolds passes to fine who hits a gap and runs 30m, Reynolds receives a pass and is taken down by Nofoaluma just metres short of the try line.

Wests Tigers 6-0

The rain is continuing and will be forcing future unforced errors. Hopoate makes a strong return up to the 40m line from the Tigers kick.

Wests Tigers 6-0

PENALTY BULLDOGS. Instantly gets them 40m out from the Tigers line. Sue in back play has gone straight up the tunnel with an injury. The way he walked off it looked serious for the young man.

Wests Tigers 6-0

Offloads from the Wests Tigers in their own half are allowing them to gain plenty of metres. Must be a tactic from coach Jason Taylor. Moses on fifth kicks a bomb that comes down on the 20m line and gathered by Rona.

Wests Tigers 6-0

PENALTY TIGERS. A Bulldogs forward penalised for having his hands in the ruck.

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Sloppy start for the Dogs, forwards can't get the home side out of their own half.

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Great set from the Tigers, nothing fancy but Brooks kicks high on fourth tackle just 40m out from the Bulldogs line.

Tigers receive the kick off.

Bulldogs are coming out to the home crowd, led by James Graham. It looks like a rather good crowd for the game. We're all ready for kick off.

The Wests Tigers are running onto ANZ Stadium now. Rain around Sydney in the last five minutes has made the playing surface slippery.

Welcome Wests Tigers and Bulldogs fans. Only the dedicated follow their team through split round football and teams without origin stars. It's for these reasons the Bulldogs are heavily favoured to win tonight. It's a big and experienced Bulldogs side that if they take the game seriously, should be able to do as they will with the Tigers. Although Tigers fans the Bulldogs too often are inconsistent and the outside backs could tire the Canterbury forwards. Kick off not too far away.