Round 18: Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs vs Melbourne Storm

[DIEHARD]

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs vs Melbourne Storm
Saturday July 10, 2010 Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (SA)

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
Luke Patten, Tim Winitana, Josh Morris, Shane Neumann, Bryson Goodwin, Ben Barba, Brett Kimmorley, Ben Hannant, Michael Ennis, Ryan Tandy, Jamal Idris, Andrew Ryan [c], David Stagg.

Subs: Mickey Paea, Michael Hodgson, Blake Green, Gary Warburton, Dene Halatau (one to be omitted).

Melbourne Storm
Billy Slater, Matt Duffie, Dane Nielsen, Greg Inglis, Justin O'Neill, Brett Finch, Cooper Cronk, Bryan Norrie, Cam Smith [c], Brett White, Adam Blair, Sika Manu, Kevin Proctor.

Subs: Ryan Hinchcliffe, Todd Lowrie, Aiden Tolman, Jeff Lima.

Date: Sat July 10 2010, 7:00PM ACST GMT+9 [Sat July 10 2010, 8:00PM AEST GMT+10]

[DIEHARD]

Hope to see a great crowd at this game in Adelaide. And a Storm win maybe...

[DIEHARD]

Patten's head games win it for Bulldogs
STEVE MASCORD

Bulldogs 20 Storm 18

CANTERBURY fullback Luke Patten was so concussed after pulling off a match-saving tackle with his head that he asked Terry Lamb if the long-retired Bulldogs great had played alongside him in the narrow win against Melbourne last night.

The Dogs kept their season alive by edging out the Storm at Adelaide Oval. But while veteran Patten, 30, can remember playing in the City Of Churches back when it had a team, he will have little recollection of what may be his final visit to the picturesque venue.

With Storm winger Matt Duffie looking certain to to score off a Billy Slater pass with 14 minutes left and Canterbury leading by just six, Patten came across in cover and knocked Duffie through the corner post - with his forehead. Left in a heap on the turf by the collision, he was helped from the field and played no more part in the contest.

Lamb, who played for the Dogs between 1984 and 1996, is now an assistant coach and told the Sun-Herald: "We were sitting on the bench and I asked him how he was. He said, 'were you playing with me out there?' I said 'yes', straight away. Then he said 'oh, bull****'. It was quite funny. It was a pretty hard crash."

Depending on other round 18 results, the Belmore boys could leapfrog Newcastle and Parramatta after putting together three consecutive wins for the first time this year.

Second-rower Jamal Idris - close to his team's best last night - said of Patten's heroics: "That just shows you how desperate we are, you know what I mean? A lot of fullbacks wouldn't put their body on the line like that. He didn't care whether he [Duffie] was already out or who was around him. He just thought, 'I've got to jump at him'. That's desperation, that's courage and commitment."

Melbourne scored first last night in front of an encouraging 10,350 fans when five-eighth Brett Finch chased halfback Cooper Cronk's kick into the in-goal.

The Dogs hit back when winger Bryson Goodwin crossed in the corner and converted from the sideline, before Slater became the next beneficiary of a Cronk kick and centre-cum-second-rower Idris flew high to make it 12-12 for half-time.

Idris starred again when he lobbed an overhead pass for centre Shane Neumann to score midway through the second session. Goodwin converted and after Patten's head games, added a penalty goal.

But with four minutes to go, after Melbourne forward Sika Manu bullocked over and Cameron Smith's conversion almost came too quickly for the linesmen, there was a grandstand finish.

And it unravelled in the most innocuous fashion, Melbourne forwards rushing in to pack a scrum with three seconds left. When the makeshift lock, Slater, lifted his head from between the second-rowers' behinds, "time on" was waved and the game was over.

Captain Smith was forthright when asked about the Storm's prospects with no points to play for and two months left in the regular season.

"We came up against a side that was playing for their season here," he said. "We didn't have anything to play for.''

BULLDOGS 20 (B Goodwin J Idris S Neumann tries B Goodwin 4 goals) bt MELBOURNE 18 (B Finch S Manu B Slater tries C Smith 2 G Inglis goals) at Adelaide Oval. Referee: Matt Cecchin, Tony De Las Heras. Crowd: 10,350.

Source: http://www.leaguehq.com.au

[DIEHARD]

Young gun Jamal Idris stars as Bulldogs edge Melbourne Storm at Adelaide Oval

Imposing centre Jamal Idris scored a try and set up two more to help Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs pip Melbourne Storm 20-18 at Adelaide Oval.

The Bulldogs posted their third consecutive win before 10,350 spectators at Adelaide Oval to continue their push up the ladder.

Idris was influential in the Bulldogs' sixth win of the season in a nominal home game in the South Australian capital.

The 20-year-old created and delivered during a damaging display which consigned Melbourne to their second loss in a row.

The Storm struck first when Brett Finch snuck around Bulldogs fullback Luke Patten in the 12th minute for an opportunistic try.

Finch's desperate dive was on target as Patten drifted over and past a chase from a Cooper Cronk kick.

The Bulldogs responded rapidly, thanks to runs of intent from Idris, who gained turf for his side in a phase which led to a try to Bryson Goodwin.

But Melbourne fullback Billy Slater, who was creative and prominent throughout, hit back four minutes later when he pounced on another Cronk through kick for a try.

Idris' imprint on proceedings magnified when he ran with the flight of a floated Brett Kimmorley kick, leapt and surely grabbed a high ball for a spectacular try.

That squared scores at 12 all and Idris again was influential, but this time costly for his club, when the 20-year-old was penalised for illegal holding as teammate Tim Winitana crossed for a disallowed try.

The Bulldogs opened strongly in the second half, twice trapping Slater in his in zone during a period of sustained pressure.

The Storm eventually cracked, with Idris again the catalyst by setting up a Shane Neumann try.

Idris crashed through two tacklers and flicked overhanded to Neumann, who was in rare wide space and crossed in comfort.

The Bulldogs' six-point lead was then challenged as the Storm launched their own attacking raids, which ultimately returned nothing against Canterbury's stingy defence withstood.

Melbourne were repeatedly held up within sight of scoring, with Patten paying the price in the 67th minute.

Patten courageously launched at Matt Duffie as he eyed a try scoring dive, and succeeded in knocking the Melbournian out of play, and knocking himself out.

Patten did not return but his team soon increased their lead when Goodwin converted an offside penalty in the 72nd minute to give the Bulldogs a 20-12 advantage.

However Melbourne reduced the deficit four minutes later when Sika Manu scored, with Cameron Smith converting to creep within two points.

Bulldogs coach Kevin Moore was rapt with the win, but attempted to keep the third triumph in a row in perspective.

"When all is said and done, it's still only three (wins) of our last nine so we are not going to get carried away,'' Moore said.

"I am really confident that our best footy is ahead of us.''

Moore praised Idris and a defensive cohesion which was crucial to hanging on late in the match.

"We had to do a lot of work defensively,'' he said.

"They are a great side, the Storm, they are going through a difficult situation at the moment but they turned up to play, they had all their stars there.

"The spirit in our side, particularly defensively, in the last two or three weeks, is starting to build.''

Melbourne captain Cameron Smith lamented basic skill errors, but said the Storm's desire could not be questioned.

"The thing that let us down in the end was our execution, not our effort,'' he said.

"We were going against a side that was playing for their season - we didn't have anything to play for, and we got beaten by two points.

"It shows that we are all putting in plenty of effort.''

Source: http://www.foxsports.com.au

[Sydney Titans Fanatic]

This was such a close game melbourne just couldnt get that final try....and i suppose playing on a bloody cricket pitch would hurt alot, was there any reason they didnt play at hindmarsh stadium???

[DIEHARD]

I think Adelaide Oval have a deal with the Bulldogs and Hindmarsh with the Sharks or something.