Dogs stay top, sink Knights in best start for 32 years
Second-half tries from Josh Curran, Jack Todd and Kurt Mann got the Bulldogs home at Accor Stadium on Sunday where an impressive crowd of 24,113 was on hand to witness the 'Dogs go 5-0 to start the season.
Not since 1993, a year in which they won the minor premiership, have Canterbury started a season so strongly.
Sitting in first spot, they will enjoy a bye ahead of a bumper Good Friday clash with South Sydney in which five-eighth Matt Burton and barnstorming back-rower Viliame Kikau are both expected to return.
The milestone Mann! 👏#NRLBulldogsKnights Telstra Moment of the Match pic.twitter.com/EyLHJhrZKN
— NRL (@NRL) April 6, 2025
Many would have expected the Bulldogs to endure a dip when Burton and Kikau limped out of their round two clash with Gold Coast, but it is to their credit that they have barely missed a beat.
It didn't help Newcastle's hopes of ending Canterbury's unbeaten start that they lost two men inside the opening two minutes.
Winger James Schiller failed a head injury assessment after a head clash with Bulldogs front-rower Daniel Suluka-Fifita before Knights prop Jacob Saifiti limped off 30 seconds later with a suspected calf injury.
It left Newcastle coach Adam O'Brien with just 15 fit bodies to see out the next 78 minutes.
But what they lacked in fluidity they made up for in spirit and effort with Bradman Best leading the charge in a back-and-forth battle with Canterbury captain Stephen Crichton.
There was a collective gasp when Crichton lay down for treatment for a shoulder injury midway through the first half but after a lengthy delay the Bulldogs skipper was back on his feet.
Crichton's fourth-minute penalty goal - the result of an illegal Tyson Frizell strip on Max King - was all that separated the two sides at the interval.
2nd NRL Game, 1st NRL Try 🥺 pic.twitter.com/hlBdoWMMcd
— Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs (@NRL_Bulldogs) April 6, 2025
It took until the 42nd minute for Canterbury to find a way through with Jacob Kiraz batting back a Toby Sexton kick, which Curran patted down to finish.
Soon after Newcastle hooker Phoenix Crossland was sin-binned for a trip, interchange prop Todd grabbed his first NRL try by hitting a short line against a retreating defence.
To add to the Knights' woes, prop Jack Hetherington succumbed to a shoulder injury and while they hung in the fight, Mann's 70th-minute barge-over in his 200th NRL game condemned them to defeat.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
5 hours ago
- USA Today
ESPN names 4 Georgia Bulldogs as preseason All-Americans
The Georgia Bulldogs have had four players named as ESPN preseason All-Americans before the 2025 college football season. Three of Georgia's four All-Americans are defenders. One plays at each level of the Georgia defense and all three defenders made the second-team. Georgia defensive lineman Christen Miller, linebacker CJ Allen, safety KJ Bolden and punter Brett Thorson are the four Bulldogs named as All-Americans. Thorson, who is recovering from a knee injury, is Georgia's only first-team All-American. Thorson has resumed some punting and is on schedule, but it is unclear if he'll be ready in time for Georgia's Week 1 game against Marshall on Aug. 30. In 2024, Thorson averaged 47.6 yards per punt on 42 punts. His long was 60 yards and 22 of his punts went inside the 20 yard line. Linebacker CJ Allen is probably Georgia's most worthy player of being a first-team selection. Allen is the No. 1 ranked LB in the 2026 NFL draft and is expected to be Georgia's next great linebacker. Allen recorded 76 tackles and one interception last season. All of Georgia's four ESPN All-American selections also earned first-team All-SEC honors. Both KJ Bolden and Christen Miller are expected to have big seasons for the Georgia defense. Bolden and Miller both stood out in Georgia's most recent scrimmage. Bolden, a sophomore, is a former five-star recruit and is coming off a strong freshman season. Last year, Bolden recorded 59 tackles, one forced fumble, one sack and one interception. Miller posted 27 tackles and one and 1/2 sacks last season, but is set to take on a much larger role after over 75% off Georgia's sack production left this offseason. Georgia's four preseason ESPN All-Americans Follow UGAWire on Instagram or Threads for more Georgia Bulldogs coverage!
USA Today
10 hours ago
- USA Today
Third Georgia defensive back shuts down his recruitment
Another Georgia Bulldogs recruit has announced he's staying with Georgia. Class of 2026 four-star safety commit Zech Fort shut down his recruitment. This news is hardly shocking. Fort has been beating the drum for other recruits, such as Breck Kojolay, Preston Carey, and Zykie Helton, to come to the Georgia Bulldogs. Fort is teammates with Preston Carey at IMG Academy and Georgia has had a long list of IMG Academy alumni that played for the Bulldogs such as Nolan Smith Jr. and Ellis Robinson IV. Fort was one of the first recruits to commit to Georgia, committing in January, and now he's taken a step to cement his spot on Georgia's roster in 2026. Fort is the No. 11 safety prospect and No. 133 recruit in the nation. He was on the Polynesian Bowl roster and Under Armour All-American Game roster. While there, he was probably persuading many recruits to commit to Georgia. Georgia has the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation and the biggest part of their 2026 recruiting class is their secondary. Georgia has seven commits in the secondary, with five four-stars and two three-stars. Defensive backs Justice Fitzpatrick and Jordan Smith have already shut down their recruitment too. Follow UGAWire on Instagram or Threads!
Washington Post
10 hours ago
- Washington Post
Bull riding? Wrestling? Maryland's new AD is hardly a traditional hire.
Before Maryland introduced Jim Smith as its new athletic director this spring, the person leading the Terrapins had been a senior associate in College Park, the athletic director at Georgia, an assistant in the Bulldogs' athletic department, an assistant in the SEC offices and the compliance director at Missouri. At one time, that would have been an ideal résumé to run a college athletics operation. That time is not 2025.
