Costly Napa sin-bin keeps Bulldogs anchored to bottom of NRL ladder
Canterbury have fallen agonisingly short of their second win of the season as a controversial Dylan Napa sin-binning came back to bite Trent Barrett’s side.
Trailing 18-10 early in the second half, Napa was the latest victim of the NRL’s crackdown on head-high contact.
The Titans moved to a crucial 14-point lead just minutes after Dylan Napa was sent to the sin bin.Credit:Getty
Shots of Barrett staring stony-faced into the distance told the tale as Canterbury had been right in this contest.
Perhaps that’s because Barrett knew if that the lacklustre Bulldogs attack was going to trouble any competitive team in the NRL, it was Gold Coast.
The Titans’ defence has been their Achilles heel all season. They entered the match having conceded more points than any other top-eight side.
That’s exactly how the first half played out.
Canterbury’s pack provided plenty of punch and created enough go-forward to allow the Bulldogs’ right edge to thrive.
Brimson, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and Phillip Sami all scored to give the home side an 18-10 lead at the break but the Bulldogs’ best players stood up.
Jake Averillo and Will Hopoate combined to put Nick Cotric away and he found Chris Smith for the visitors’ first four-pointer.
Averillo, Hopoate and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak then combined to put Cotric in.
Whenever Canterbury went to their right edge, they put the Titans under pressure.
But that pressure was released when Napa hit Wallace high.
Napa then put his side on the back foot when play resumed.
After Wallace barged over for a try two minutes later, he pointed in Napa’s direction as part of his celebration.
The Bulldogs had their own chance to attack with a one-man advantage almost immediately after Napa’s return.
Beau Fermor hit Averillo high and was given a 10-minute spell.
One set later, Brandon Wakeham spotted space on the left edge and threw a double cut-out to Meaney, who scored to leave the visitors with a 24-14 deficit with 20 minutes to play.
Thompson, who was once again one of Canterbury’s best, then set up a grandstand finish.
But Brimson ensured the Titans would win another shootout and left the Bulldogs languishing at the bottom of the NRL ladder boasting just the solitary win over Cronulla to date in 2021.
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