LeagueNews.co | Nick Loken
The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs showcased commendable spirit despite a tight 20-14 loss to the Melbourne Storm at a packed AAMI Park, reported by bulldogs.com.au.
The match commenced with an electrifying atmosphere as the Bulldogs made their presence felt early on. Marcelo Montoya, back from injury, played a pivotal role by pressuring the Storm into an error, leading to captain Stephen Crichton finding space down the edge off a scrum.
Although the Bulldogs started strongly, it was the Storm who struck first. A valiant defensive effort from fullback Connor Tracey wasn't enough to stop Eli Katoa from scoring. Nine minutes later, Ryan Papenhuyzen added to the Storm's tally with a clever try, converted by Nick Meaney, extending the lead to 12-0.
The Bulldogs needed to score first in the second half, and they did with Bailey Hayward breaking through from dummy-half. Crichton converted, bringing the score to 12-6.
As the game progressed, the Storm faced setbacks with two players off the field within a minute; Tui Kamikamica suffered a head injury, and Harry Grant was sin-binned for a shoulder charge. The Bulldogs attempted to take advantage of the one-player deficit, but a potential try by Jacob Kiraz was disallowed due to a knock-on.