Bulldogs rout toothless Sharks

Canterbury have got their first win of 2014 in a Monday night rout over the hapless Cronulla Sharks who succumbed 42 points 4 to the home side in front of 12,057 fans at ANZ Stadium. 

It was the battle of the first up losers once again on a calm Autumn night at ANZ Stadium. Canterbury looking to heap more misery on the injury ravaged Sharks who had three players (Fifita, Lichaa and Manumalealii) debuting tonight. They earnt three early penalties allowing them to get in position and a cross-field bomb found Frank Pritchard who opened the scoring.

The opening try opened the floodgates for the home side who sensed blood in the water. Michael Ennis produced a solo effort with a grubber that bounced over Michael Gordon for the hooker to collect. Chase Stanley scored his first two tries for his new side before the whistle for half-time, both constructed by Josh Reynolds who opened up Sydney Heads for the centre to run through. 

Once they were in the ascendancy Canterbury didn't let up on the Sharks who were ill-disciplined in conceding penalties and errors galore. It allowed Trent Hodkinson to drag himself over the try-line. The Sharks defense resembling more a flimsy rubber band that had been snapped one too many times.

The attack wasn't offering much more hope with the Sharks camped on the Bulldogs line for ten minutes straight being repelled each time and after five repeat sets, the final play was a grubber that ended limply in the hands of a Bulldog.

When the Bulldogs quelled the faint Sharks resistance - they continued to pile on the misery with Corey Thompson and Josh Morris claiming the last two tries for the blue and white side to rack up 42 points certainly a relief after going down to the Broncos in the first round. 

Cronulla finally got on the board though in the final minute when a set play worked out for Jonathan Wright to cross in the corner to finish the game off with a scoreline of 42 points to 4. For Canterbury - next up is a trip to Penrith to face the 1-1 Panthers while Cronulla head home for the local derby against neighbours St George Illawarra.

Match Details
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 42 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 4
Venue: ANZ Stadium
Crowd: 12057
Halftime Score: Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 24 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 0

LeagueUnlimited.com Players of the Match:
3 points - Josh Reynolds
2 points - Trent Hodkinson
1 point - Chase Stanley

CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS (42)
Tries: Frank Pritchard, Trent Hodkinson, Michael Ennis, Chase Stanley (2), Corey Thompson, Josh Morris
Field Goals:
Conversions: Trent Hodkinson (7/7)
Penalty Goals:

CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS (4)
Tries: Jonathan Wright
Field Goals:
Conversions: Michael Gordon (0/1)
Penalty Goals:

LeagueUnlimited.com Live Commentary

TEAMS are in for tonight - for the home side Canterbury it is nice and easy, they are one through to seventeen. Cronulla on the other hand have more changes than a model in a fashion show. Let's start with the big ones Todd Carney, Andrew Fifita and Isaac De Gois are out! They are replaced by Penani Manumalealii, Tupou Sopoaga and Michael Lichaa respectively also Matt Prior goes to the bench for Sam Tagataese. The bench is now Prior, David Fifita, Michael Lichaa and Chris Heighington.

Welcome to ANZ Stadium for tonight's contest of two first up losers. Will the huge Canterbury pack run rampant or will the youthful Sharks bring the much needed spring to their attack.

Here come the Sharks with a stroll onto the field here at ANZ Stadium. They take residency in the southern end of ANZ Stadium awaiting kick-off and the home side. Speaking of here they come! Canterbury to a dull roar from the small but passionate crowd here at the ground.

1: KICK-OFF! Cronulla will have first use of the ball.

2: Corey Thompson might be off to Bangladesh with a classic catch like that. He earns the Bulldogs the first PENALTY for chasers being offside.

4: Now a PENALTY for Cronulla - crowding..

5: Three sets, three PENALTIES. Put the whistle away boys..

6: VIDEO REFEREE for the first time tonight.. Frank Pritchard claiming it.

7: TRY CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Scored by Frank Pritchard. Kick to come.
GREEN LIGHTS...TRY! Referee judged Brown touched the ball back to Pritchard who strolled over - pinpoint kick from Hodkinson as well.

7: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Conversion attempt by Trent Hodkinson successful.
Hodkinson puts his first attempt right down the middle.

19: NO TRY.. Bulldogs ball here.

20: That was more the Bulldogs of 203 with the forwards linking to send O'Hanlon through before he gave it Reynolds who trapped Sharks in-goal.

22: TRY CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Scored by Michael Ennis. Kick to come.
That was some good spur of the moment thinking by Michael Ennis. Somehow Sam Perrett ended ip with it on last, gave it to Ennis who grubbered for himself, watched it bounce over Michael Gordon allowing the hooker to dive over.

23: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Conversion attempt by Trent Hodkinson successful.
Hodkinson makes it 2/2 from besides the posts.

25: UNFORCED ERROR CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS
Michael Gordon makes an unforced error.
Michael Gordon trying to spark something for the Sharks spills it under the tackle of Chase Stanley.

26: UNFORCED ERROR CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Tony Williams makes an unforced error.
Tony Williams spills it in the Bulldogs attacking area.

27: PENALTY Bulldogs - Mitch Brown earns the whistle.

28: TRY CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Scored by Chase Stanley. Kick to come.
It's just too easy.. Josh Reynolds shifted sideways until he found a hole, offloaded and Stanley was in.

29: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Conversion attempt by Trent Hodkinson successful.
Perfect record continues for Hodkinson tonight. 3/3 now.

31: PENALTY Cronulla - offside. This will relieve some of the pressure on them.

32: UNFORCED ERROR CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS
Tupou Sopoaga makes an unforced error.
Simple ball at the line for Sopoaga and he spills it.

35: UNFORCED ERROR CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS
Penani Manumalealii makes an unforced error.
Manumalealii had wide open spaces but spilled it.

36: TRY CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Scored by Chase Stanley. Kick to come.
Once again it was a simple effort from Josh Reynolds who drew in the defenders and sent Chase Stanley in for the double!

39: That effort just sums up the difference between the two sides. Gordon tries to allow the ball to roll out but he;s caught and dragged in-goal by Morris and co.

40: HALFTIME - Canterbury rampant here with a 24-0 lead.

41: We're back for the second stanza here at ANZ Stadium. Cronulla kick-off and we're back underway.

45: UNFORCED ERROR CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Corey Thompson makes an unforced error.
A stroke of fortune for the Sharks, as a raking kick from Holdsworth is spilled by Thompson.

46: UNFORCED ERROR CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS
Sosaia Feki makes an unforced error.
Cronulla were probing without threat before trying some quick hands that resulted in a Feki knock on.

47: PENALTY Dogs - strip on T-Rex.

48: VIDEO REFEREE: Trent Hodkinson might have dived in after a T-Rex assist. Checking grounding.

48: TRY CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Scored by Trent Hodkinson. Kick to come.
GREEN LIGHTS..TRY! Hodkinson got the ball down and it is 28-0 now.

49: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Conversion attempt by Trent Hodkinson successful.
Hodkinson aiming to make it 5/5 does so.

50: All starting to click for Canterbury down the wing before it is spilled by Thompson.

52: UNFORCED ERROR CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Sam Perrett makes an unforced error.
Manumalealii puts up a nice bomb that landed right on the line and was spilled by Perrett.

52: PENALTY Sharks - inside the ten.

53: Another PENALTY - markers not straight.

55: More pressure coming here.. but the Sharks really aren't throwing much at Canterbury.

56: PENALTIES galore but Cronulla has the pentration of a wet tissue atm.

57: Well done to Canterbury defending five sets in a row granted the attack was nothing more than listless.

57: PENALTY Bulldogs and quick tap from Josh Morris.

59: Feki was well covered there after the bomb was spilled backwards. Another set of six coming for Canterbury.

59: Well. Daniel Holdsworth with some ingenuity using the short drop-out, it was recovered by Graham who knocked it on.

60: VIDEO REFEREE: Corey Thompson claiming a TRY.. checking grounding.

60: TRY CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Scored by Corey Thompson. Kick to come.
GREEN LIGHTS..TRY! Corey Thompson using the go-go Gadget arm to get the ball down! The misery continues for Cronulla.

62: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Conversion attempt by Trent Hodkinson successful.
This will be Hodkinson's toughest assignment tonight.. from the sideline after the Thompson try. He starts it right down the middle and it stays there.

63: PENALTY Bulldogs - Matt Prior pinged for a high tackle.

66: Sam Perrett goes for the safe option there as Michael Gordon grubbered one through. Repeat set coming again.

68: UNFORCED ERROR CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS
Ricky Leutele makes an unforced error.
Cronulla finally got a kick on point and it was spilled by Leutele!

69: TRY CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Scored by Josh Morris. Kick to come.
Flat pass from Hodkinson, Morris hit the hole well enough to get past Holdsworth for the TRY.

71: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Conversion attempt by Trent Hodkinson successful.
It's like a broken record atm - Hodkinson conversion attempt and put right through the sticks.

73: PENALTY Cronulla - high tackle on Bryce Gibbs.

37: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Conversion attempt by Trent Hodkinson successful.
Hodkinson once again pilots it through the sticks.

74: RED LIGHTS.. NO TRY! Unlucky.. it was a great effort from Reynolds and Morris but the latter was slightly offside.

76: UNFORCED ERROR CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Tony Williams makes an unforced error.
Frank Pritchard with a nice knock down for himself from the last tackle kick but he knocked it on.

77: PENALTY Bulldogs - Can they put another try on before the end?

78: INTERCEPT by Mnaumalealii! He is swarmed upon by the Bulldogs defence though.

79: Cronulla will get a final set here in the game to see if they can break the duck egg.

80: PENALTY Sharks - offside. Josh Jackson is unwell here.

80: TRY CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS
Scored by Jonathan Wright. Kick to come.
A nice move into the corner to put Wright over for a consolation try.

80: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS
Conversion attempt by Michael Gordon unsuccessful.
Michael Gordon misses. FULLTIME.