Mazzone Hat-Trick Not Enough as Bulldogs Hold On
Game Summary
The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs held off a spirited South Sydney Rabbitohs fightback to win 24-18 in a thrilling Round 24 clash in the Knock-On Effect NSW Cup, keeping their finals hopes firmly alive.
The Bulldogs could not have asked for a better start. Inside the opening minute, when Jonah Glover's kick was charged-down which gifted Logan Spinks the simplest of finishes, and the skipper coolly added the conversion himself for a 6-nil lead before the Rabbitohs had even settled.
South Sydney hit back through a double from the electric Jordi Mazzone, who exploited broken play and a clever cut-out ball from Matthew Humphries to score either side of half-time, briefly threatening to seize control of the contest. Humphries' boot kept the Rabbitohs in touch, but the Bulldogs' line-break through Sean O'Sullivan and Spinks restored their buffer.
Further tries to O'Sullivan and Jed Reardon stretched the lead, and the Bulldogs went into the half-time break well on top, 18-8, having controlled possession and field position for long stretches through Kade Dykes' calm footwork out of the in-goal and a dominant middle-third from Jack Underhill.
The second half began with the Rabbitohs unable to find the try-line for almost 25 minutes as the Bulldogs' defence, led by young forward Kaawyn Patterson, stood firm. Alex Conti eventually broke the deadlock, finishing a slick backline move started by O'Sullivan and Finau Latu, and the Bulldogs pushed the margin out to 24-8.
Just as the contest looked settled, Mazzone completed his hat-trick with a searing individual burst to bring the Rabbitohs back within ten points, and Bayleigh Bentley-Hape crossed soon after to make it 24-18 with six minutes remaining.
The Rabbitohs threw everything at the Bulldogs' line in the closing stages, but the home side's defence refused to break, and the Bulldogs closed out a hard-fought 24-18 victory to move above the Rabbitohs on the ladder with three rounds remaining.
Talking Points
- Jordi Mazzone's hat-trick was the individual highlight of the night, and his ability to find space out wide kept the Rabbitohs alive despite a slow start.
- The Bulldogs' discipline in the tackle-break area and around the ruck was the difference in the first half, with the Bulldogs forwards dominating the middle.
- Kaawyn Patterson's performance off the interchange bench, capped by the Player of the Match award, underlined the depth building in the Bulldogs' squad.
Key Moment
Alex Conti's try to open the second-half scoring, finished off a slick O'Sullivan-to-Latu build-up, snapped a 25-minute scoring drought and pushed the Bulldogs' lead out to 16 points, effectively ending the Rabbitohs' chances of a comeback.
What's next?
Both sides return in Round 25 still fighting for a top-five finish, with the Bulldogs looking to build on this win against the Dragons and the Rabbitohs needing a response to keep their finals hopes alive against the Warriors.
