Barba usurps top try scorer title as Dogs down Raiders

THE Canterbury Bulldogs have pulled off their second consecutive come from behind victory to defeat the Canberra Raiders 36-22 in front of a 16,206 crowd at ANZ Stadium this afternoon.

It was the Bulldogs who drew first after getting to a dream stat courtesy of an Alan Tongue knock on in the opening minute.

The Bulldogs did not squander the opportunity with Josh Morris scoring early in the set after the Bulldogs spread it out wide. Steve Turner failed to add the extras.

Both sides were given great field position over the next passages but neither side could take advantage of their opportunities.

The visitors went over the try line in the 16th minute when Josh McCrone sliced through the Bulldogs' defence to score. Jarrod Crocker to give the Raiders the lead.

Some good defence by the Raiders helped them trap the Bulldogs in their own half and create plent of opportunities for the visitors to go back to back, however, disjointed attack and a string of knocks ons.

As the Raiders butchered their opportunities the home side created their own, running it on the last from their own half before Ben Barba kicked for himself to score.

The Bulldogs almost scored back to back tries with only a minute left in the half, however the Phil Cooley ruled the Steven Wright had grounded the ball on the side line and not in the in goal.

To add insult to injury for the home side Cooley gave the Jarrod Crocker the green light only seconds later to give the Raiders the lead on the stroke of half time. Crocker converted his own try.

Both sides got off to slow starts in the second half as they fumbled their way through the opening ten minutes. Points finally came in the 50th minute when McCrone scored his double courtesy of a clever kick from his halves partner. Crocker added the extras again to extend his side's lead to ten.

McCrone went from hero to villain in the next set when he kicked the ball out on the full from his own 40. The Bulldogs scored off the next set, with Ben Barba grounding a Kris Keating grubber to claim his double. 

Barba claimed his hat trick in the following set after Josh Morris made a 30 meter break down the field before offloading to his full back.

Retiring skipper Andrew Ryan was scored a try in his final match in the 65th minute when he finished off a solid team try. Turner added the extras to give the Bulldogs a ten-point lead with less than fifteen minutes to go.

Reece Robinson reignited the match in the 71st minute when he crossed the try line courtesy after the Raiders spread it wide. 

However the Bulldogs laid to rest any hopes of late Raiders' comeback in the 76th minute when Ben Barba scored his fourth try of the match to overtake Nathan Merritt as the leading try scorer for the season.

The Bulldogs put the final nail in the Raiders' coffin in the 79th minute, when Josh Morris took an intercept a meter out from his own line and raced the length of the field to score. Ryan was given kicking responsibilities and capped off his career with a goal.

Match Details
Canterbury Bulldogs 36 defeated Canberra Raiders 22
National Rugby League - Round 26 - Sunday September 4, 2011 2:00pm
Venue: ANZ Stadium
Referee: Steve Lyons and Tony De Las Heras
Video Referee: Phil Cooley
Touch Judges: Jason Walsh and Brendan Wood
Crowd: 16,206
Halftime: Canterbury Bulldogs 8 Canberra Raiders 12

Leagueunlimited.com players of the match:
3 Points - Ben Barba (4 Tries)
2 Points - Josh Morris (2 Tries)
1 Point - Jarrod Croker (1 Try, 3 Conversions)

CANTERBURY BULLDOGS (36)
Tries: Andrew Ryan, Ben Barba (4), Josh Morris (2)
Conversions: Andrew Ryan (1/2), Steve Turner (2/4), Kris Keating (1/1)

CANBERRA RAIDERS (22)
Tries: Reece Robinson, Jarrod Croker, Josh McCrone (2)
Conversions: Jarrod Croker (3/4)

LeagueUnlimited.com Live Commentary Good afternoon folks and welcome to ANZ Stadium where the Canterbury Bulldogs take on the Canberra Raiders.
We have beautiful weather conditions at Homebush at the moment, where the Bulldogs Toyota Cup side have defeated the Raiders 38-28.

Both coaches have just announced their late changes for the match. For the home side Joe Romelo is out, Kris Keating comes off the bench and into the starting five-eighth position to replace him, with Ben Roberts joining the bench. For the Raiders, Sam Williams will start on the bench with Michael Picker starting in the halves.
1 min: Brett White takes it forward for the Raiders to start off the match.
1 min: Tongue loses the ball on the fourth only 40 out from his own try line. The Bulldogs will go right on the attack.
3 min: TRY
The Bulldogs spread it out wide on the last and Josh Morris strides over the try line to score in the left corner. Steve Turner's conversion attempt is unsuccessful.
Canterbury Bulldogs 4-0
5 min: Good set by the Dogs to back up the try but a poor kick on the last tackle finds Robinson on the full 30 out from his own line.
6 min: The Raiders run it on the last from 40 meters out before Robinson puts in a grubber from 15 out all the chasers is there but Barba is able to shadow the ball over the dead ball line.
7 min: Dogs will get a piggyback up the field after Fensom is penalised for being off side.
8 min: Wright loses the ball 30 out from the Raiders tryline and the visitors are off the hook.
9 min: The Canberra attack is looking real disjointed at the moment, they're all over the place.
11 min: Canberra will get a penalty only 10 meters out from their own line after the Bulldogs are penalised for interference in the play the ball.
13 min: Canberra will get a line dropout after Ferguson tackles Wright into his own in goal.
14 min: Terrible set by the Raiders, Harrison throws a loose pass on the third and Morris pounces on the loose ball.
15 min: Wright knocks on 20 meters out from his own line and the Raiders will get another chance.
17 min: TRY
Jarrod McCrone shrugs off two defenders to slice through the Bulldogs' defence and stroll over to score. Crocker nails the conversion.
Canberra Raiders 6-4
18 min: Good set by the Raiders, before Williams drills the ball down field.
19 min: Hodkinson's kick finds touch 20 out from the Raiders line to give the visitors a scrum 20 out from their own line.
20 min: Williams put up a bomb from 40 out and Crocker and Barba jump up for it but neither is able to take the kick but Hodkinson is there to take it.
22 min: Raiders are right on the attack here.
23 min: Dugan loses the ball only 10 out from the Bulldogs try line and the Dogs are off the hook.
24 min: The Bulldogs get a penalty late in the tackle count and will go right on the attack.
25 min: Bulldogs are penalised in attack and the Raiders are off the hook.
26 min: Wright knocks on a McCrone bomb a meter put from the Dogs' line and Crocker gets the ball and the Raiders are on the attack.
27 min: Crocker throws a loose pass and Reynolds is there to take the ball for the Dogs and then send Barba away down the touch line, however the touch judge has found a knock on from Reynolds and the Raiders will get a scrum 20 out from the try line.
28 min: Raiders are caught with the ball on the last and the Dogs are off the hook.
31 min: The Bulldogs will have to work it out from their try line after McCrone's kicks bounces out a meter out from the try line.
34 min: TRY
Bulldogs run it on the last 40 meters out from their own line, Barba goes for chip and chase and regathers the ball 30 out, the fullback then puts on a step to beat two Raiders' defenders to score. Turner fails to add the two again.
Canterbury Bulldogs 8-6
36 min: The Raiders' defence are really muscling up here, the Bulldogs are trapped in their own ten on the third.
36 min: Robinson fields Hodkinson's kick on his own 40 before running it back to halfway for the Raiders.
38 min: Dugan may have scored a try for the Raiders here.
38 min: No try! Dugan lost the ball trying to ground it.
39 min: McCrone attempts an intercept on halfway but knocks the ball on.
40 min: Possible try to Wright here.
40 min: No try!The ball was grounded on the side line.
40 min: Possible try to the Raider right on half time. Just checking a knock on.
40 min: TRY
Try! Cooley gives the Raiders the green light. Williams put a kick up on the last and Ferguson leaps above Barba but can't control the ball, it comes off Ferguson and into the arms of Crocker who grounds the ball. Crocker adds the extras.
Canberra Raiders 12-8
41 min: The second half is now under way!
41 min: Roberts attempts a 40/20 on the last but Ferguson is there to stop the ball from going over the side line.
42 min: Dugan kicks from his forty but it goes straight down Turner's throat 10 out from his own line. Turner runs it back to the 30 before being tackled.
43 min: Bulldogs get a penalty on the third and will go right on the attack here.
44 min: Bulldogs will get six again after Josh Papalii jumps on a loose ball from an offside position.
45 min: Roberts loses the ball a meter from the try line and the Raiders are off the hook.
46 min: Morris attempts an intercept 40 out but knocks the ball on and Canberra will get a scrum feed 40 out from their own line.
51 min: TRY
Williams goes to the air from ten out on the last and his halves partner McCrone comes down with the ball in the goal and scores for the Raiders. Crocker's conversion attempt is successful.
Canberra Raiders 18-8
52 min: McCrone kicks it out on the full 40 out from his own line.
54 min: TRY
Keating stabs the ball into the in goal from a meter out on the last and Barba is there to score for the Dogs. Turner adds the two points for the first time this afternoon.
Canberra Raiders 16-14
57 min: TRY
Morris makes a break down the left touchline and offloads to Barba who races away to score his hat-trick. Turner adds the extras to give his side the lead.
Canterbury Bulldogs 20-18
59 min: The Bulldogs get a penalty and should be on the attack at the end of their set.
61 min: Tongues is pinned for a forward pass on his own 40.
62 min: Crocker attempts an intercept 40 out from his own line and it goes forward.
64 min: The Bulldogs will get a line drop out, after Robinson is forced to bad a Hodkinson kick dead.
66 min: TRY
Andrew Ryan caps off a team try for the Bulldogs, courtesy of some good offloads. Turner's conversion attempt is successful.
Canterbury Bulldogs 26-18
71 min: Barba is pinned for a knock on a few meters out from his own line and the Raiders will get another shot.
73 min: TRY
Reece Robinsons scores in the left corner after the Raiders spread it out wide. Crocker's conversion attempt is unsuccessful.
Canterbury Bulldogs 26-22
74 min: Ferguson makes a break down the right touch line and the Raiders should be on the attack at the end of the set.
77 min: TRY
The Bulldogs run it on the last from their own half and Idris makes a break down the right touch line before passing it to Ben Barba who scores his fourth try of the match. Andrew Ryan fails to convert the try.
Canterbury Bulldogs 30-22
80 min: TRY
Josh Morris takes an intercept only a few meters from his own line and runs the length of the field to score. Ryan kicks the conversion.
Canterbury Bulldogs 36-22