Wests Tigers suffered a 40-4 loss to Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs at ANZ Stadium tonight in round 8 of the Telstra Premiership.
Last years Grand Finalists were boosted by the return of giant props Sam Kasiano and James Graham while Wests Tigers welcomed half-back Benji Marshall back from a toe injury and winger Marika Koroibete from a foot injury.
Wests Tigers went into the match missing 7 established first grade players through injury.
The Bulldogs opened the scoring in the eighth minute when second-rower Tony Williams was put through a gap by five-eighth Josh Reynolds. Half-back Trent Hodkinson converted for a 6-0 lead.
The video referee was called upon in the 16th minute to rule whether winger Matt Utai had grounded the ball cleanly. Referee Matt Cecchin ruled no try to which it was agreed to by the video referee.
Canterbury-Bankstown went to a 10-0 lead when the video referee ruled a try to hooker Mick Ennis off a Hodkinson bomb. Hodkinson converted for a 12-0 lead.
It became 16-0 when winger Sam Perrett finished off an attacking raid to score in the right corner. Hodkinson converted for an 18-0 lead after 36 minutes.
The Bulldogs stretched their lead to 22-0 with 35 seconds remaining in the first half when centre Tim Lafai dived over in the right corner. Hodkinson failed to convert the try.
2nd Half
Five-eighth Josh Reynolds scored an individual try when he beat four players from 10 metres out to cross under t posts. Hodkinson converted for a 28-0 lead to the Bulldogs after 53 minutes.
Perrett grabbed his second try in the 63rd minute when he dived over out wide after Williams brushed off a defender to set up his support men out wide. Hodkinson converted from inside the sideline for a 34-0 lead.
Wests Tigers got on the board when captain Robbie Farah made a break up the middle before giving an inside ball for full-back James Tedesco to race 25 metres to score next to the posts. Sironen failed to convert the try to leave Wests Tigers trailing 34-4 after 70 minutes.
The Bulldogs went to a 38-4 lead when winger Mitch Brown dived over in the left corner after lead up work by Dene Halatau and Josh Morris. Hodkinson converted from the sideline for a 40-4 lead.
Wests Tigers team
1 James Tedesco, 2 Marika Koroibete, 3 Joel Reddy, 4 Bodene Thompson, 5 Matt Utai, 6 Curtis Sironen, 21 Benji Marshall, 8 Aaron Woods, 9 Robbie Farah (c), 10 Jack Buchanan, 11 Liam Fulton, 12 Adam Blair, 13 Shaun Spence; interchange: 14 Ben Murdoch-Masila, 15 Eddy Pettybourne, 16 Sauaso Sue, 17 Tim Simona.
Last years Grand Finalists were boosted by the return of giant props Sam Kasiano and James Graham while Wests Tigers welcomed half-back Benji Marshall back from a toe injury and winger Marika Koroibete from a foot injury.
Wests Tigers went into the match missing 7 established first grade players through injury.
The Bulldogs opened the scoring in the eighth minute when second-rower Tony Williams was put through a gap by five-eighth Josh Reynolds. Half-back Trent Hodkinson converted for a 6-0 lead.
The video referee was called upon in the 16th minute to rule whether winger Matt Utai had grounded the ball cleanly. Referee Matt Cecchin ruled no try to which it was agreed to by the video referee.
Canterbury-Bankstown went to a 10-0 lead when the video referee ruled a try to hooker Mick Ennis off a Hodkinson bomb. Hodkinson converted for a 12-0 lead.
It became 16-0 when winger Sam Perrett finished off an attacking raid to score in the right corner. Hodkinson converted for an 18-0 lead after 36 minutes.
The Bulldogs stretched their lead to 22-0 with 35 seconds remaining in the first half when centre Tim Lafai dived over in the right corner. Hodkinson failed to convert the try.
2nd Half
Five-eighth Josh Reynolds scored an individual try when he beat four players from 10 metres out to cross under t posts. Hodkinson converted for a 28-0 lead to the Bulldogs after 53 minutes.
Perrett grabbed his second try in the 63rd minute when he dived over out wide after Williams brushed off a defender to set up his support men out wide. Hodkinson converted from inside the sideline for a 34-0 lead.
Wests Tigers got on the board when captain Robbie Farah made a break up the middle before giving an inside ball for full-back James Tedesco to race 25 metres to score next to the posts. Sironen failed to convert the try to leave Wests Tigers trailing 34-4 after 70 minutes.
The Bulldogs went to a 38-4 lead when winger Mitch Brown dived over in the left corner after lead up work by Dene Halatau and Josh Morris. Hodkinson converted from the sideline for a 40-4 lead.
Wests Tigers team
1 James Tedesco, 2 Marika Koroibete, 3 Joel Reddy, 4 Bodene Thompson, 5 Matt Utai, 6 Curtis Sironen, 21 Benji Marshall, 8 Aaron Woods, 9 Robbie Farah (c), 10 Jack Buchanan, 11 Liam Fulton, 12 Adam Blair, 13 Shaun Spence; interchange: 14 Ben Murdoch-Masila, 15 Eddy Pettybourne, 16 Sauaso Sue, 17 Tim Simona.
