Solomona gets a Hat Trick as Warriors Crush Dogs

The New Zealand Warriors have tonight run out convincing 40-22 victors over the Canterbury Bulldogs at ANZ Stadium in Sydney.

The Warriors showed some razzle dazzle that piled points on the Bulldogs in the first half to lead 30-6 at the break.

Poor Bulldogs defence and a series of penalties delivered the Warriors three tries in the opening 13 minutes to see the visitors post and handy 16-0 lead.

It was 20-nil before the Bulldogs got on the score board after Hazem El Masri dived on a kick from Daniel Holdsworth that struck the upright, video referee Russell Smith giving it close to a dozen looks before awarding benefit of the doubt to the try scorer.

The Warriors got two more tries before the break including a try to Malo Solomona, one of three he scored tonight, off great lead up work from Brent Tate, a inside ball from Tate to Solomona who had plenty of work to do to beat two Bulldogs defenders to have the Warriors leading 30-6 at half time.

The Bulldogs started the second half well getting plenty of ball and scoring the opening points with winger Heka Nanai crossing to make it 30-10.

The next 18 minutes was mistake ridden by both sides before the Dogs got another try, El Masri crossing for his second after Corey Hughes threw a dummy and went down the short side to find El Masri unmarked to score. El Masri converted his own try and the Warriors lead was cut to 14.

The Dogs looked a different side to the one that was on the ANZ Stadium turf as Reni Maitua scored with no less than five Warriors defenders on him, and still managed to get the ball down one handed. The successful conversion put the home side behind by eight points with eight minutes remaining.

But the Warriors ended the Bulldogs late run as favourite son and former Bulldog Steve Price crashed over. To rub salt in the wounds Solomona got his third try right on full time to give the Warriors an 18 point victory.

Best for the Warriors were Lance Hohaia (1 try, 4 goals), Brent Tate, Simon Mannering and Malo Solomona (3 tries). Hohaia was in great form at fullback, his kick returns were strong and very seldom did he not beat the first tackle. Tate was in everything making two line breaks and involved in most of the Warriors attack. Mannering was strong in attack and defence making some great runs and Solomona in only his third NRL game scored three tries and was always in the right position at the right time.

For the Bulldogs, they really missed Sonny-Bill Williams and looked lost without him in the first half. Hazem El Masri, Daniel Holdsworth and Corey Hughes were their best. Hughes suffered a rib injury late in the game and would be in some doubt for game against the Dragons next Monday night.

Match Details New Zealand Warriors 40 def Canterbury Bulldogs 22 Round 19 - Saturday July 19th, 2008 7:30pm Venue: ANZ Stadium Referee: Tony De Las Heras Touch Judges: Mohamad Fajajo, Brett Suttor Video Referee: Russell Smith Half time: Warriors 30-6 Crowd: 12,973

Canterbury Bulldogs 22 Tries: Hazem El Masri (2), Heka Nanai, Reni Maitua Goals: Hazem El Masri (3/4) New Zealand Warriors 40 Tries: Sonny Fai, Lance Hohaia, Aiden Kirk, Malo Solomona (3), Sam Rapira, Steve Price Goals: Lance Hohaia (4/8)

LeagueUnlimited.com Player of the Match 3 Points: Lance Hohaia (Warriors) 2 Points: Brent Tate (Warriors) 1 Point: Simon Mannering (Warriors)

LeagueUnlimited.com Live Commentary

BULLDOGS: 1. Brent Crisp 2. Hazem El Masri 3. Daryl Millard 4. Tim Winitana 5. Heka Nanai 6. Daniel Holdsworth 7. Arana Taumata 8. Jarrad Hickey 9. Corey Hughes 10. Fred Briggs 11. Sonny Bill Williams 12. Andrew Ryan (c) 13. Reni Maitua Interchange: 14. Chris Armit 15. Lee Te Maari 16. John Kite 17. Ben Roberts WARRIORS: 1. Lance Hohaia 2. Malo Solomona 3. Brent Tate 4. Sonny Fai 5. Aiden Kirk 6. Nathan Fien 7. Grant Rovelli 8. Ruben Wiki 9. Ian Henderson 10. Steve Price (c) 11. Simon Mannering 12. Logan Swann 13. Micheal Luck Interchange: 14. Jerome Ropati 15. Evarn Tuimavave 16. Sam Rapira 17. Ben Matulino

Good evening and welcome to the League unlimited live update service for the NRL Round 19 match between The Bulldogs and The Warriors.

Head to head- Played-23, Bulldogs-12, Warriors 9 with 2 draws. At ANZ Stadium, played-3 , Bulldogs 2, Warriors 0 and 1 draw.

Team changes- Bulldogs- Sonny-Bill Williams is out, 15. Lee Te Maari will start and 19. Nick Koupraitsas has been added to the bench. Warriors- No Changes.

A good crowd in at ANZ Stadium with the Bulldogs giving free entry to anybody holding a NZ or Pacific Islands passport.

The Bulldogs kickoff and it's game on.

2 min: Video ref call on a possible Warriors try, looks good to me.

2 min: TRY New Zealand Warriors Warriors score 1st, bulldogs yet to touch the ball. A repeat set sees the Warriors spin it wide for Fai to score, he just got it down inside the touch in goal. Coversion from the side line. Conversion attempt by Lance Hohaia successful. New Zealand Warriors 6-0

4 min: PENALTY to the Warriors, too slow in the play the ball and the Dogs give the Warriors another chance to put on points.

5 min: Dropout by Bulldogs, great set of six by the Warriors ends with El Masri having to knock the ball dead.

6 min: All the Warriors so far, Dogs have only touched the ball from the 2 kick offs and a dropout.

6 min: Forward pass by Nathan Fien back on the inside, SCRUM Bulldogs, they will finally get the ball.

8 min: PENALTY to the WARRIORS again, they will tap it 25mtrs out from the Dogs line.

9 min: Rubin Wiki knocks on, SCRUM Bulldogs.

9 min: PENALTY Bulldogs, they will get the ball inside the Warriors half.

10 min: Bulldogs lose the ball, gathered by Tate for the Warriors.

11 min: TRY New Zealand Warriors TRY, Hohaia finishes off some good 2nd phase play and runs in behind a defender and scores next to the posts. Warriors on fire! Conversion attempt by Lance Hohaia successful. New Zealand Warriors 12-0

13 min: TRY New Zealand Warriors Another TRY to the Warriors, a break down the right, from the next play the spin it to the left and Rovelli kicks for the winger Kirk to grab it beat one and score out wide. The Dogs are rattled. Conversion attempt by Lance Hohaia unsuccessful. New Zealand Warriors 16-0

17 min: Warriors lose the ball in a tackle, SCRUM Bulldogs 30mtrs from the Warriors line, they need points now.

19 min: DROPOUT Warriors, no the ref has changed his mind and it's a change over for a Dogs knock on on the last tackle. Which is the right call after the video ref tipped him off.

22 min: Both teams have made thier 1st interchanges.

23 min: PENALTY Warriors, for obstruction. Harsh call i think.

24 min: PENALTY Warriors, Dogs defenders where around the head of Price. Warriors have the ball inside the Dogs red zone.

25 min: TRY New Zealand Warriors Good play from Lance Hohaia who is having some game tonight, draws defenders, Tate runs a dummy run and draws 2 defenders for Hohaia to pass to Solomona to score his 1st NRL try. Conversion attempt by Lance Hohaia unsuccessful. New Zealand Warriors 20-0

27 min: Dogs have missed 17 tackles already in this game.

28 min: PENALTY Bulldogs, Crisp is tackled whilst in mid-air attempting to catch a bomb.

29 min: Dogs have the ball down the Warriors end but are tackled on the last, needed a kick there to try for a repeat set to build some pressure.

30 min: PENALTY Bulldogs, they'll tap 30mtrs from the Warriors line, they need points here.

32 min: Video Ref call on a possiable Bulldogs try from a kick that hit the upright padding.

32 min: TRY Canterbury Bulldogs TRY, benefit of the doubt. I didn't think it existed?. Looked to me that the Warriors grounded ball before El Masri got his hand on it, but Russell Smith gives it, which wouldn't worry me if they used the benefit of the doubt more often but it is very rarely used. Conversion attempt by Hazem El Masri successful. New Zealand Warriors 20-6

35 min: TRY New Zealand Warriors Poor defence from the Dogs there, Mannering just brushed 2 defenders away and found Rapira in support to score under the posts. Conversion attempt by Lance Hohaia successful. New Zealand Warriors 26-6

37 min: Interception by the Bulldogs, they have a chance to get more points on the board before the break.

38 min: Kick from Holdsworth is high to the wing of El Masri but is taken by Kirk.

39 min: TRY New Zealand Warriors Great try scored by Solomona from a Tate inside ball, he had plenty of work to do and beat 2 defenders and twisted over to get the ball down. Conversion attempt by Lance Hohaia unsuccessful. New Zealand Warriors 30-6

Half Time. It's all the Warriors in this one, The Dogs have given the Warriors too many chances to score through penalties and poor defence. Warriors 30 Bulldogs 6

If the Dogs don't come out in a better mood in the 2nd half then this score line could be anything. The Warriors are back to the razzle dazzle they used to play under Daniel Anderson.

Warriors to kick off in the 2nd half, and away we go.

42 min: SCRUM Bulldogs right on halfway , forward pass by the Warriors.

43 min: SCRUM Bulldogs, Mannering knocked the ball on while attempting a strip.

44 min: PENALTY Bulldogs, 10mtrs from the Warriors line, they have to score here.

45 min: DROPOUT Warriors, poor set really from the Dogs there and a high kick on the last is batted dead by Solomona.

46 min: PENALTY Bulldogs, for a grapple tackle, 10mtrs from the Warriors line.

47 min: TRY Canterbury Bulldogs They finally score, they spun it wide, Holdsworth double pumps and finds Crisp who draws in the winger and sends Nanai over in the corner. El Masri's kick hits the posts. Conversion attempt by Hazem El Masri unsuccessful. New Zealand Warriors 30-10

49 min: SCRUM Warriors, Kite drops the ball as he gets up to play it 30mtrs out from his own line.

51 min: SCRUM Warriors, Nice kick from Crisp finds touch 10mtrs from the Warriors line.

53 min: SCRUM Bulldogs, Warriors knock on near half way.

54 min: PENALTY Warriors for a Forward pass by the Dogs, haven't seen a penalty for that for some time, infact years.

55 min: SCRUM Bulldogs, Warriors ended a good attacking raid poorly with a bad pass out wide.

57 min: SCRUM Bulldogs, Fai knocks on now, mistakes from both teams increasing and the game has slowed to a walk.

58 min: PENALTY Warriors, Tate tackled in mid-air taking a bomb.

59 min: Warriors have now gone 19mins without scoring, not through improved Dogs defence but due to their own poor handling.

61 min: PENALTY Warriors, for a strip with 2 in the tackle, dumb play that.

65 min: PENALTY Bulldogs, A player was obstructed chasing a kick. Hohaia doesn't like they way he was tackled after taking the bomb and a small melee brakes out.

66 min: TRY Canterbury Bulldogs Hughes throws the dummy left goes right where the Warriors are short and a good pass sends El Masri over in the corner. Conversion attempt by Hazem El Masri successful. New Zealand Warriors 30-16

The Dogs lead the 2nd half 10-0, but don't have enough time to steal this one, the Warriors have gone to sleep a little.

69 min: SCRUM Warriors, Taumata drops the ball as he played it and the Warriors get a chance to get some 2nd half points.

70 min: Mannering intercepts a offload from Andrew Ryan.

71 min: PENALTY Bulldogs, Henderson tried the play the ball too quick and didn't get to his feet on tackle 5 on the Dogs 30mtr line.

72 min: Video Ref call on a possiable Bulldogs try to Maitua, looks good to me.

72 min: TRY Canterbury Bulldogs Good work from Maitua with as many as 5 Warriors on him and some how got the ball in one hand and got it down, Can the Dogs steal this one? Conversion attempt by Hazem El Masri successful. New Zealand Warriors 30-22

Very lazy 2nd half from the Warriors, the Dogs are coming home strong here, can they get 2 tries and win this one?

76 min: SCRUM Warriors, pass was too high for Kite and he knocks it on, Dogs will need something special now.

77 min: Video Ref call on a possiable try to Steve Price, will be given.

77 min: TRY New Zealand Warriors Good strong run from Price and crashes over for a well earned 4 pointer. They have the game won now. Conversion attempt by Lance Hohaia successful. New Zealand Warriors 36-22

79 min: SCRUM Bulldogs, short kick off from the Dogs and the bat back went forward from a Warriors player.

79 min: SCRUM Warriors, pass goes over El Masri's head and into touch.

80 min: TRY New Zealand Warriors Great run from Brent Tate, gets a flick pass back infield as he was going into touch, Swann then found Fai who drew the fullback and passed to Solomona to get a hat trick. Conversion attempt by Lance Hohaia unsuccessful. New Zealand Warriors 40-22

FULL TIME WARRIORS 40 BULLDOGS 22

A tale of 2 halves there, the Warriors could do now wrong in the 1st half and the Dogs defence was poor. The 2nd half saw the Dogs improve in all areas but really missed the go forward and attacking flair of SBW. Warriors Coach Ivan Cleary will be disapointed with the 2nd half, they had a chance to go on with it and put ona big score but really clocked off.

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