The Bulldogs finished their 2019 campaign with a 16-point win against the finals-bound Broncos at ANZ Stadium.
MATCH DETAILS
The Bulldogs ended their season with a resounding win over the Brisbane Broncos in front of 9,807 people at ANZ Stadium.
Fullback Nick Meaney was in great touch all game. He crossed for a hat-trick and was one of the best for the home side.
His tally of 22 points was the highest from a Dogs player against the Broncos in the club’s history.
A star to watch in the future.
Dean Pay’s men charged home to win five of their last six matches, beating teams above them such as the Panthers, Wests Tigers, Rabbitohs, the Eels and the Broncos. This will give the Bulldogs faithful something to cheer about going into the off-season.
A Lachlan Lewis cut-out ball to Meaney opened the scoring for the night as he dived over in the corner. The Broncos were ill-disciplined to start off the game and it cost them two points as Meaney successfully converted a penalty goal from 20 metres out directly in front. Josh Jackson crashed over after a bomb from Kieran Foran to add to the early misery for the Broncos.
A back-and-forth contest ensued until Kotoni Staggs crashed over to erase the deficit to eight points. Staggs added another try as he brilliantly out-jumped Will Hopoate from a Jake Turpin bomb to make the score 12-10 late in the second half.
The second half saw the Bulldogs assert their authority, which saw Meaney crash over for another two tries followed by centre Reimis Smith in the 70th minute to seal the win.
Now the Bulldogs move into the off-season while the Broncos will travel to Bankwest Stadium to face the Parramatta Eels on Sunday afternoon at 4pm. Anthony Seibold will have his hands full dealing with the Eels, who have been one of the best attacking teams in 2019.
FOUR POINTERS
Good Finish to the Season by the Dogs
Winning seven of their last ten games of the season saw the Bulldogs finish in twelfth position with ten wins and fourteen losses. Plenty to look forward to in 2020 for Dogs supporters.
Do or Die Now for the Broncos
The Broncos have limped into the finals and now face the Eels who they beat in Golden Point only a few weeks ago at Suncorp Stadium. Next week they will be playing in front of a hostile Parramatta crowd at Bankwest Stadium.
Meaney’s Best of the Season
Twenty-two points, three tries, one hundred and forty-seven metres and two line breaks saw Meaney recognised as one of the better players for the Dogs. His future is at fullback and you wouldn’t be surprised if come round one next season he is wearing the number one jumper.
Payne Haas is Some Sort of Player
The 19-year old front rower played a lone hand for the visitors, running for 226 metres plus 6 tackle busts. Going into the finals his teammates will need to help him out as the Broncos won’t do much in the next few weeks if it’s a one-man band.
THE RESULT
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 30
Tries: Nick Meaney (3), Josh Jackson, Reimis Smith
Goals: Meaney 5/7
Brisbane Broncos 14
Tries: Kotoni Staggs (2), Anthony Milford
Goals: Jamayne Isaako 1/3
SQUADS
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs: 1. Will Hopoate 2. Nick Meaney 3. Morgan Harper 4. Reimis Smith 5. Jayden Okunbor 6. Kieran Foran 7. Lachlan Lewis 8. Aiden Tolman 9. Jeremy Marshall-King 10. Dylan Napa 11. Josh Jackson 12. Corey Harawira-Naera 13. Adam Elliott INTERCHANGE 14. Jack Cogger 15. Renouf To’omaga 16. Raymond Faitala-Mariner 17. Chris Smith
Brisbane Broncos: 1. Anthony Milford 5. Jamayne Isaako 3. Kotoni Staggs 4. Alex Glenn 2. Corey Oates 6. Darius Boyd 7. Jake Turpin 8. Matthew Lodge 9. Andrew McCullough 10. Payne Haas 11. David Fifita 12. Matt Gillett 13. Patty Carrigan INTERCHANGE 14. James Segeyaro 15. Thomas Flegler 16. Izaia Perese 17. Rhys Kennedy
