Canterbury cruise past powerless Parramatta

30,687 fans have witnessed an action-packed, drama charged Round 6 encounter at ANZ Stadium tonight, won 34-14 by the Canterbury Bulldogs.

It wouldn't be a Parramatta-Canterbury encounter without some drama and tonight's match provided it by the truckload, with four players sin-binned and Jarryd Hayne scoring two tries and then being placed on report - and that was just the first half.

Hayne started proceedings in the fifth minute, with a sublime piece of individual brilliance, after chiming into an Eels backline movement. Standing at second-receiver, Hayne received the ball off five-eighth Daniel Mortimer, before placing the ball down just inside the deadball line, despite Bulldogs winger Steve Turner's best efforts. 20 minutes later, Hayne was at it again, sparking an amazing final 15 minutes of the first half. Again, standing at second-receiver, Hayne mesmerised the Bulldogs defence, stepping off his left-foot twice and scoring untouched underneath the posts. Hayne would become the villain just four minutes later. Taking on the Bulldogs defence, the Eels fullback was felled by a swinging arm from Bulldogs interchange forward Corey Payne.

Unfortunately for the Eels, the superstar fullback appeared to headbutt Payne, before a melee ensued and the referees had no hesitation in sending Hayne to the sin-bin, closely followed by Payne. The drama wasn't finished there; however, with Nathan Hindmarsh and Michael Ennis both sin-binned in the 31st minute, after Hindmarsh reacted to something that was said by the Bulldogs hooker. From that moment, the final portion of the first half was a blue-and-white tidal wave of possession. Bulldogs winger Steve Turner latched onto a sweeping backline movement which saw Gold Coast-bound centre Jamal Idris in space. The towering centre drew the defenders before sending Turner over in the corner. The final five minutes of the first half saw the Bulldogs pocket dynamo, Ben Barba in his element, scoring two tries in as many minutes. The first was a jinking effort, taking advantage of an 11-man defensive line, before the second, in the shadows of halftime was purely amazing. Lining up on the wing, Idris delivered another pass to his fullback, who dived for the corner and managed to plant the ball in the very corner of the tryline, up against the western touchline, while the rest of his body was in the air. A purely amazing effort that saw the Bulldogs and Eels somehow go to the break locked at 14-all.

From that moment on, it would be a blue-and-white tidal wave of points, as the Eels, in just their first possession of the second half knocked the ball on through centre Jacob Loko. Gold Coast-bound Bulldog centre Jamal Idris put his side's nose in front from the ensuing set of six and from that point, they never looked back. Bryson Goodwin extended the lead past a converted try in the 57th minute, after Michael Ennis was ruled to have had the ball stripped in a two-man tackle. Fullback Ben Barba completed his hat-trick in the 67th minute, as he sliced through some tired Eels defence, to score untouched out wide. Idris put an exclamation point on the result, when he scored his second try of the night, which was converted by Goodwin from out near the eastern touchline, to send the heavy contingent of Bulldogs fans home delirious.

Next week, the Eels will look to bounce back against the Gold Coast

Titans next Sunday afternoon, while Canterbury host South Sydney on Saturday night.

Match Details
Parramatta Eels 14 were defeated by Canterbury Bulldogs 34
National Rugby League - Round 6 - Friday April 15, 2011 7:30pm
Venue: ANZ Stadium
Referee: Ashley Klein and Gerard Sutton
Video Referee: Steve Clark
Touch Judges: Steve Carrall and Luke Potter
Crowd: 30687
Halftime: Parramatta Eels 14 Canterbury Bulldogs 14

Leagueunlimited.com players of the match:
3 Points - Ben Barba (3 Tries)
2 Points - Jamal Idris (2 Tries)
1 Point - Kris Keating

PARRAMATTA EELS (14)
Tries: Jarryd Hayne (2)
Conversions: Luke Burt (2/2)
Penalty Goals: Luke Burt (1/1)

CANTERBURY BULLDOGS (34)
Tries: Steve Turner, Ben Barba (3), Jamal Idris (2)
Conversions: Bryson Goodwin (4/6)
Penalty Goals: Bryson Goodwin (1/1)

LeagueUnlimited.com Live Commentary And a very good evening and welcome to ANZ Stadium in Sydney for tonight's Round 6 encounter between the Parramatta Eels and Canterbury Bulldogs. In team news, Parramatta winger Jordan Atkins is out, and he will be replaced by Etu Uaisele, while Carl Webb drops off the interchange bench and is replaced by Ben Smith. For Canterbury, Chris Armit drops off the interchange bench and Michael Hodgson takes his place. Kick off is scheduled for a little after 7.40pm. Join me then!
In the Toyota Cup curtain raiser, Parramatta have run out surprising 28-26 victors over the Canterbury side, registering just their second win of the season.
1 min: And we're underway in front of a surprisingly big crowd here at ANZ! The Eels will have first use of the ball.
2 min: The Eels get through their first set in possession and will now try to force a Bulldog error.
2 min: Keating puts boot to ball just outside the 40m line and a slightly disappointing kick goes into touch 30m out from the Eels line.
4 min: Mortimer's kick on the last tackle is safely defused by Goodwin. 20m restart Bulldogs.
4 min: Lafai tries a "Gidley flick" to send Goodwin away, but the winger couldn't get a handle on the ball and it trickled into touch. Eels scrum 40m out from Bulldogs line.
5 min: VIDEO REFEREE: Possible Eels try.
5 min: TRY Media Mantarays
TRY Parramatta Eels
Scored by Jarryd Hayne. Conversion attempt by Luke Burt successful.
Hayne gets the Eels underway here tonight! A sweeping second man play involved five-eighth Mortimer who got the pass to Hayne who dummied, before slicing through the Bulldogs defence. 'Dogs winger Steve Turner looked to knock the ball out of the fullback's grasp, but luckily for the Eels, he held on. Burt's conversion hits the upright and goes across.
Parramatta Eels 6-0
8 min: Mortimer's cross-field kick is knocked on by Goodwin! Eels six again.
9 min: Hayne's cut-out pass to Uaisele is not handled by the winger, as Goodwin makes amends for his error and bundles the Eels winger into touch.
10 min: Another disappointing kick by the Bulldogs on the last tackle gives the Eels good field position to mount another attacking raid.
11 min: Hayne's kick back towards the posts just trickles across the deadball line. 20m restart Bulldogs.
12 min: Keating's kick towards the posts is safely defused by Reddy. 20m restart Eels.
13 min: Ryan puts the pass down after not expecting to receive the ball off Stagg. Eels scrum.
15 min: Robson's kick on the last tackle is disappointing and Barba is untroubled taking the bomb successfully. Bulldogs 20m restart.
16 min: Mortimer dummies and slices through the Bulldogs defence, but unfortunately his pass to Hayne is ruled to have been knocked on.
18 min: Hodkinson's kick towards the corner stands on its point, but Idris can't bat the ball back into the field of play. 20m restart Eels.
19 min: PENALTY Eels. Bulldogs trying to slow the play-the-ball down.
20 min: A brilliant try-saving tackle by Idris and Barba prevents the Eels through Horo extending their lead.
22 min: Ennis puts the ball down and gives the Eels more possession in good field position.
23 min: Robson's grubber in behind the line for himself is batted over the deadball line by Keating. Goal-line dropout Bulldogs.
24 min: TRY Media Mantarays
TRY Parramatta Eels
Scored by Jarryd Hayne. Conversion attempt by Luke Burt successful.
Hayne is in again! On the fifth tackle, the Eels run the ball and Hayne, standing at second receiver, dummies outside, before stepping off his left foot twice before crossing untouched.
Parramatta Eels 12-0
26 min: The Eels complete their set after scoring points and Robson's kick finds touch 20m out from the Bulldogs line.
27 min: The Bulldogs again can't get through their set, with Goodwin's pass knocked on.
28 min: SIN BIN
Jarryd Hayne is sent to the sin bin.
Hayne is sin-binned for an altercation between himself and Corey Payne. Hayne was hit by a swinging arm by Payne, before a melee ensued.
28 min: SIN BIN
Corey Payne is sent to the sin bin.
Payne has been sin-binned for a swinging arm on Hayne, but the Parramatta fullback then reacted with what looks to be a headbutt.
28 min: PENALTY GOAL
PENALTY GOAL Parramatta Eels
Penalty goal attempt by Luke Burt successful.
Burt adds the successful pentalty goal after the referees ruled the Payne swinging arm was the first offence.
Parramatta Eels 14-0
31 min: In backplay, half a dozen or so players are trading blows. It wouldn't be a Parramatta-Canterbury game without a bit of feeling!
31 min: SIN BIN
Nathan Hindmarsh is sent to the sin bin.
Hindmarsh has been sent to the sin-bin now after an altercation with Michael Ennis.
31 min: SIN BIN
Michael Ennis is sent to the sin bin.
Ennis has been sin-binned too! It's all happening here at ANZ Stadium.
31 min: PENALTY Bulldogs. The Bulldogs now will have their first chance to score points.
32 min: TRY
TRY Canterbury Bulldogs
Scored by Steve Turner. Conversion attempt by Bryson Goodwin unsuccessful.
Turner crosses out wide to register first points for the Bulldogs in the corner! A sweeping backline movement by the Canterbury side saw Idris with plenty of room to move, before he delivered the pass to Turner.
Parramatta Eels 14-4
35 min: TRY
TRY Canterbury Bulldogs
Scored by Ben Barba. Conversion attempt by Bryson Goodwin successful.
Barba closes the gap even further! The little pocket dynamo takes full advantage with the 10-man defensive line and stretches out to score out wide.
Parramatta Eels 14-10
39 min: VIDEO REFEREE: Possible Bulldogs try.
39 min: TRY
TRY Canterbury Bulldogs
Scored by Ben Barba. Conversion attempt by Bryson Goodwin unsuccessful.
Barba has scored a sensational try in the corner! With his body out of the field of play, the little fullback, at full-stretch, has banged the ball down a millimetre in from the western touchline.
14 all
40 min: Halftime here at ANZ Stadium in an action-packed half of football where the Eels and the Dogs are locked at 14-all.
41 min: And we're underway in the second half. Bulldogs will have first use of the ball.
41 min: The Bulldogs get a kick into the corner from Hodkinson and will now look to force an Eels error.
42 min: The Eels lose the ball on the first tackle off the scrum!
43 min: TRY
TRY Canterbury Bulldogs
Scored by Jamal Idris. Conversion attempt by Bryson Goodwin successful.
Idris puts the Bulldogs in front for the first time tonight! Some enterprising play sees halfback Hodkinson throw a pass out the back, before Keating dummies several times, before finding a bullocking Idris who was never going to be stopped.
Canterbury Bulldogs 20-14
45 min: PENALTY Bulldogs. Eels offside. The Bulldogs have all the running here.
46 min: The Bulldogs are thrown into touch through winger Steve Turner. Eels scrum.
48 min: Hayne's towering bomb is knocked back by Idris.
48 min: PENALTY Bulldogs. Mannah with the leg-pull.
49 min: Idris knocks the ball on, after trying to shrug off several Eels defenders.
50 min: Mortimer's kick on the last tackle is very disappointing and Turner has no trouble swallowing it up.
53 min: PENALTY Eels. Hodkinson hanging around too long in the ruck.
54 min: The Bulldogs let Hayne's bomb bounce, but fortunately the last pass is ruled to have gone forward.
57 min: PENALTY Bulldogs. Ennis is ruled to have had the ball stripped in a two-man tackle.
57 min: PENALTY GOAL
PENALTY GOAL Canterbury Bulldogs
Penalty goal attempt by Bryson Goodwin successful.
Goodwin takes advantage of a possible tough call on the Eels after replays suggested Ennis lost the ball and extends the lead past a converted try
Canterbury Bulldogs 22-14
60 min: Hodkinson puts a chip kick towards the posts, but Hayne cleans up.
64 min: Robson's kick on the last tackle sails out on the full. Bulldogs with a chance to kill the game off here.
65 min: Keating's grubber kick into the in-goal takes a deflection off a Parramatta defender and rolls over the deadball line. Dropout Eels.
67 min: TRY
TRY Canterbury Bulldogs
Scored by Ben Barba. Conversion attempt by Bryson Goodwin successful.
Barba completes his hat-trick and ensures the Bulldogs will come away from ANZ Stadium tonight with the two competition points. Chiming into the backline, Barba latched onto a Keating pass, before slicing through a tired Eels defensive line and scores untouched.
Canterbury Bulldogs 28-14
69 min: PENALTY Eels. Ennis gets Hayne with a grapple.
70 min: PENALTY Eels. Tolman laying too long over the tackled player.
71 min: Scrambling Bulldogs defence prevents Uaisele from scoring in the corner.
74 min: Ennis kicks on the second tackle for Pritchard, but the kick is too long and goes over the deadball line.
75 min: Millington's tackle forces the error. Bulldogs scrum.
76 min: TRY
TRY Canterbury Bulldogs
Scored by Jamal Idris. Conversion attempt by Bryson Goodwin successful.
Idris puts an exclamation point on a fantastic Canterbury victory, as the towering youngster crosses out wide. Lock forward David Stagg appeared certain to score, before being grabbed by the jumper and passing to Idris who then went and celebrated with the Bulldogs fans at the northern end of ANZ Stadium.
Canterbury Bulldogs 34-14
80 min: Fulltime here at ANZ Stadium where the Canterbury Bulldogs have run out comfortable 34-14 victors.