Kiraz injured as Bulldogs secure top-four spot

Canterbury should consider themselves lucky that Penrith were missing 16 players.

The Bulldogs triumphed 28-4 against a second-string Panthers outfit at Accor Stadium on Thursday night, securing their first top-four finish since 2012.

But the blowout most people were expecting didn’t eventuate.

The Dogs should have run up a cricket score considering the amount of first-grade talent that was being rested. The premiers’ superstars were all sitting in the stands at Accor Stadium, while Nathan Cleary took a seat inside the coach’s box to watch one of rugby league’s true David versus Goliath battles.

The Panthers, who featured six club debutants, and only one player from last weekend’s loss to Canberra – Brad Schneider was in Mudgee, but never took the field against the Raiders – were never going to win, but they certainly had a dig.

Arguably, the best moment of the game was a bullet-like cutout pass from off-contract fullback Daine Laurie for Paul Alamoti to score in the second half.

While Penrith coach Ivan Cleary said he was proud, his counterpart Cameron Ciraldo was glad with the first 60 minutes, and grateful his team coped with mass expectation.

“In terms of having to deal with pressure on us, it was a great experience for us – there’s not much more pressure on you when you’re coming into a game with the whole first-grade team missing [from the opposition],” Ciraldo said.

“There was a lot of expectation, and I thought the boys dealt with it great.

“I was really happy with a lot of it for 60 minutes, our attitude was exactly where it needed to be; I thought the last 20 minutes got a bit sloppy.”

There were concerns for Jacob Kiraz who limped off in the final ten minutes, but there are hopes he can still return for the finals.

“It’s a bit swollen, it doesn’t look great, but hopefully it’s just a rolled ankle – he’ll get a scan tomorrow,” Ciraldo said.

The Dogs came up with some poor last-tackle options, and were too eager to go wide rather than through the middle, especially in the first half.

A lot of the supporters made it known they were unhappy with some of the decisions being made by Lachlan Galvin. The same fans cheered Toby Sexton, the playmaker Galvin replaced midway through the year, when his face was beamed onto the big screen.

Galvin scored the first try of the night, while Jacob Preston scored the first of his three for the night just before half-time.

One of the Dogs’ best on ground was back-rower Sitili Tupouniua, who twice could have scored in the first half.

Canterbury will play against Cronulla next Saturday, and their consistency throughout the season has earned them that all-important second chance in September.

Penrith will trot out the bulk of their big names next week against St George Illawarra, then have to win four weeks in a row in the finals if they are to make it five straight titles.

“We’ve got a plan, we’ll see how it goes,” a smiling Cleary said.

Canterbury should consider themselves lucky that Penrith were missing 16 players.

The Bulldogs triumphed 28-4 against a second-string Panthers outfit at Accor Stadium on Thursday night, securing their first top-four finish since 2012.

But the blowout most people were expecting didn’t eventuate.

The Dogs should have run up a cricket score considering the amount of first-grade talent that was being rested. The premiers’ superstars were all sitting in the stands at Accor Stadium, while Nathan Cleary took a seat inside the coach’s box to watch one of rugby league’s true David versus Goliath battles.

The Panthers, who featured six club debutants, and only one player from last weekend’s loss to Canberra – Brad Schneider was in Mudgee, but never took the field against the Raiders – were never going to win, but they certainly had a dig.

Arguably, the best moment of the game was a bullet-like cutout pass from off-contract fullback Daine Laurie for Paul Alamoti to score in the second half.

While Penrith coach Ivan Cleary said he was proud, his counterpart Cameron Ciraldo was glad with the first 60 minutes, and grateful his team coped with mass expectation.

“In terms of having to deal with pressure on us, it was a great experience for us – there’s not much more pressure on you when you’re coming into a game with the whole first-grade team missing [from the opposition],” Ciraldo said.

“There was a lot of expectation, and I thought the boys dealt with it great.

“I was really happy with a lot of it for 60 minutes, our attitude was exactly where it needed to be; I thought the last 20 minutes got a bit sloppy.”

There were concerns for Jacob Kiraz who limped off in the final ten minutes, but there are hopes he can still return for the finals.

“It’s a bit swollen, it doesn’t look great, but hopefully it’s just a rolled ankle – he’ll get a scan tomorrow,” Ciraldo said.

The Dogs came up with some poor last-tackle options, and were too eager to go wide rather than through the middle, especially in the first half.

A lot of the supporters made it known they were unhappy with some of the decisions being made by Lachlan Galvin. The same fans cheered Toby Sexton, the playmaker Galvin replaced midway through the year, when his face was beamed onto the big screen.

Galvin scored the first try of the night, while Jacob Preston scored the first of his three for the night just before half-time.

One of the Dogs’ best on ground was back-rower Sitili Tupouniua, who twice could have scored in the first half.

Canterbury will play against Cronulla next Saturday, and their consistency throughout the season has earned them that all-important second chance in September.

Penrith will trot out the bulk of their big names next week against St George Illawarra, then have to win four weeks in a row in the finals if they are to make it five straight titles.

“We’ve got a plan, we’ll see how it goes,” a smiling Cleary said.

The Dogs have recorded a 28-4 win, and are now guaranteed a top-four finish. That’s the good bit. The not-so-good stuff is the way they’ve played in the second half and also the ankle injury suffered by key winger Jacob Kiraz. They’ll take the two points, but a lot of hard work remains. Bulldogs win 28-4

Things aren’t looking any good for Bulldogs winger Jacob Kiraz. He left the field with a lower leg injury and is now being seen to by club medical staff. It was simple as Kiraz rolling his ankle when landing after fielding a kick. With the finals just around the corner, the Dogs are their army of fans face an anxious wait. The big winger is a crucial part of the way they play. Bulldogs lead 28-8 after 72 minutes

Daine Laurie just produced the moment of the game with a lethal cut-out ball for Paul Alamoti to score for the Panthers.

It was a ball that Nathan Cleary would have been happy to throw.

Laurie is without a deal, which prompted Andrew Johns in the commentary box to ask how he does not have a contract, and suggested he would look good in “red and blue” of Newcastle.