Dogs consider left-field option to replace Burton after star duo goes down
With the mercury pushing 35 degrees at kick-off, the Bulldogs took just one set to get into their groove while the Gold Coast floundered and Hasler left million-dollar forward David Fifita on the bench for 48 minutes.
The blue and white faithful at Belmore.Credit: Getty Images
A sold-out crowd of 17,892 was in full voice as Canterbury’s dominance started with defence and the Titans being driven backwards in the opening few tackles of the game.
The locals were louder still when Reed Mahoney charged down a desperate clearing kick at the end of the set. They were singing in the stands by the time some quick hands down the left put Marcelo Montoya over in the corner.
The Bulldogs raced the clock with a 22-0 lead in as many minutes. Soft tries to Jaeman Salmon and Josh Curran were matched by an offloading, swerving, swinging team try to Mahoney.
Burton’s knee injury, coming when he was caught awkwardly in a tackle on Jojo Fifita, briefly took the wind out of both Canterbury and the crowd.
The Gold Coast quickly seized upon the backline upheaval to run in a pair of tries to Alofiana Khan-Pereira.
Matt Burton is helped off the field at Belmore Oval.Credit: Getty Images
But after going to the break leading 22-12, the Bulldogs took less than a minute to strike again as Khan-Periera fumbled his first touch of the second half and Jacob Preston capitalised.
Tries were traded throughout the second stanza and Fifita finally saw action, but the Titans never truly threatened a comeback to rain on Canterbury’s Belmore homecoming.
“At that stage it was a matter of getting him into the game with the interchanges,” Hasler said, lamenting the Titans early defensive lapses and handling errors.
“He came on and provided impact but when you’re chasing points it’s not always going to be easy. Also he’s coming off a disrupted off-season so he’ll get better.”
Aside from Burton and Kikau, the Bulldogs will be watching Monday’s charge sheet after Mahoney (contact on the kicker) and Montoya (shoulder charge) were placed on report ahead of next Sunday’s Eels clash.
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