Canterbury has overcome two players being stretchered off the field to overrun Parramatta 22-18 in front of 45,000 fans at Stadium Australia.
The Bulldogs scored two tries in the final 12 minutes to secure the victory and move into the top eight despite the loss of Josh Curran (concussion) and Jacob Preston (broken ankle) on Monday afternoon.
Curran's injury produced a heartening act of sportsmanship from rival Eel Joe Ofahengaue, who rolled the Bulldog into the recovery position and did not leave his side until help came.
A 74th-minute winner from Blake Wilson in front of a 45,496-strong crowd — a record for a Bulldogs–Eels regular season match — sparked delirium among Canterbury's long-suffering fans in the stands.
It took the Bulldogs all of the 2023 season to scratch their way to seven wins but already in 2024 they have matched that mark in round 14 to indicate their improvement under Cameron Ciraldo. The Dogs moved up to seventh spot with the win.
it was Parramatta who struck first when winger Blaize Talagi, filling in for Maika Sivo, crossed on the right flank after six minutes.
Canterbury hit back through captain Stephen Crichton, who strolled over for his own try before sending in pint-sized winger Wilson with a one-handed, no-look pass five minutes later.
Mitchell Moses began to come into his own and the Eels' No.7 showed his quality when he ran at a retreating Dogs' defence on the fifth tackle before the ball made its way to Will Penisini to finish in the corner.
Canterbury were also hurting after losing prop Josh Curran and lock Bailey Hayward to concussion.
Moses converted both of Parramatta's first-half tries to give his side a 12-10 half-time lead.
Bulldog Matt Burton had a second-half try rubbed off for an obstruction and Bronson Xerri had another denied for a forward pass.
When Eels forward Kelma Tuilagi crashed in to make it 18-10 and Mann was sin-binned for a crusher tackle, it seemed as if nothing would fall the Dogs' way.
Crichton gave them hope with a try 12 minutes out from full-time, cutting the Eels' lead to just two points.
With five minutes left, fullback Connor Tracey veered across the field to find Wilson in the corner to clinch a valuable victory.
Re-live all the action in our blog below.
Key events
- That is all for the blog tonight
- Jacob Preston to have scans tonight
- Bulldogs praised by coach and club legend
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Live updates
Pinned
Update
By Michael Doyle
Key Event
That is all for the blog tonight
By Michael Doyle
Marathon blogging effort this long weekend Michael. Happy to read it as long as you keep writing it and the footy hasn’t been half bad either.
- KB
How good was the past week of footy?
Two State of Origins, a bumper round of exciting games and impressive performances.
Footy on a Monday! Terrific.
Great news, ABC Sport is going to do it all again in round 15.
I hope you join us then.
Goodnight.
Key Event
Jacob Preston to have scans tonight
By Michael Doyle
We have no official word on what injury Jacob Preston has suffered.
He was stretchered off the field with a lower leg injury.
Cameron Ciraldo says the forward will be going for scans tonight.
Hard work is paying off the Canterbury
By Michael Doyle
Coach Cameron Ciraldo was asked about how pleased he was his side was able to overcome three injuries and a sin-bin in this afternoon's victory.
Ciraldo says his side regularly trains players in different positions to be prepared for when things go wrong on the footy field.
It has guided them to seventh on the ladder at the mid-way point of the season.
"It was just good to see all the work we've been doing, under adversity, is paying off,"Ciraldo says.
"We've put ourselves in a decent position after 14 rounds."
Key Event
Bulldogs praised by coach and club legend
By Michael Doyle
Bulldogs players praised by coach and club legend Terry Lamb.
"I thought last week was gutsy, but I thought tonight took a little more than that," coach Cameron Ciraldo tells the media conference.
"We just had Terry Lamb in there who just addressed the boys and said that's the gutsiest one he's seen in a long time."
Key Event
Barrett says J'maine Hopgood should not have played
By Michael Doyle
Parramatta forwardJ'maine Hopgood did not play many minutes, backing up from State of Origin for Queensland.
Trent Barrett says in hindsight Hopgood should not have played as the Maroon was nursing a nerve issue in his back.
What do the Eels need to work on in key moments?
By Michael Doyle
Parra coach Trent Barrett was asked what the Eels need to focus on when the game is there to be won.
"We need to be more controlled and stick to what we're doing," he says.
"And that's between the ears … and everyone knowing what their role is and what the team needs."
Sin-bin was a missed opportunity for the Eels
By Michael Doyle
The Eels were in the box seat, up 18-10, when Bulldog Kurt Mann was sent to the sin-bin.
But during those 10 minutes the Bulldogs created the better chances.
It is a moment of the game Trent Barrett says his side needed to perform better and ice the game.
"We should have been creating the chances for ourselves," he says.
"You get an opportunity there, to put them away, and we didn't.
"That's where we let ourselves down today."
Trent Barrett and Clint Gutherson are speaking to media now
By Michael Doyle
Interim coach Trent Barrett says his side had chances to put the Bulldogs away, but didn't.
Key Event
We will bring you post-game press conferences live
By Michael Doyle
There was plenty of talking points coming out of the Bulldogs' four-point win over the Eels.
We will bring you the press conference of Bulldogs coachCameron Ciraldo and Eels interim coach Trent Barrett live.
A great finish to a terrific round of footy
By Michael Doyle
Great result for the Dogs and hope their injured players are ok.
- KB
We know that Josh Curran was up an about on the bench.
No word yet on the ankle of Jacob Preston.
Dylan Brown calls Eel errors 'pretty embarrassing'
By Michael Doyle
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Key Event
Connor Tracey hails 'gritty win'
By Michael Doyle
Canterbury Bulldogs fullback Connor Tracey has joined ABC Sport after defeating Parramatta.
"One of the best wins I've been a part of. Super gritty win," he says.
There were more than 45,000 fans at Stadium Australia, mostly barracking for the Bulldogs.
"That was unreal. It felt like a finals game," Tracey says.
Key Event
FULL-TIME: Canterbury Bulldogs 22 def. Parramatta Eels 18
By Michael Doyle
The Bulldogs have comeback and won.
Two tries in the final 12 minutes has moved them into the top-eight with a memorable win over the Parramatta Eels.
Key Event
76' TRY: BULLDOGS SCORE. BULLDOGS LEAD
By Michael Doyle
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Has Connor Tracey produced a match-winning performance?
The fullback — just like eight minutes earlier — has used his pace to get on the outside of Daejarn Asi.
Tracey draws in Gutherson, passes out to Blake Wilson. TRY.
Canterbury has a four-point lead with four minutes to play.
Key Event
71' Jacob Preston is down and writhing in pain
By Michael Doyle
The injury list for the Bulldogs is growing.
Jacob Preston is down after being tackled off the ball.
Parramatta centre Daejarn Asi made contact with Preston, and it looks like Asi has stepped on Preston's ankle.
Preston has been stretchered off the field.
Certainly a penalty for tackling a player off the ball, but the action which has caused Preston's injury is a complete accident.
Key Event
68' TRY: Chrichton scores. THE DOGS ARE BACK
By Michael Doyle
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Stephen Chrichton is over and the Bulldogs are within striking distance.
Connor Tracey creates the linebreak and gives the inside pass to his star centre.
Burton kicks the goal and the Bulldogs reduce the deficit to two points.
GAME ON.
66' Kurt Mann returns as Parra hold on
By Michael Doyle
The Bulldogs have had plenty of chances, despite being down to 12 men.
Kurt Mann is back on the field.
Can the Bulldogs finally get the try they richly deserve and set up a grandstand finish?
59' NO TRY: Bulldogs ground the ball on the dead-ball line
By Michael Doyle
Jacob Preston has come so close to scoring.
Preston never gave up on a grubber kick to the in-goal and he got to the ball first.
But he could only ground it on the dead-ball line.
It was the best he could do. Great effort goes un-rewarded.
Key Event
56' SIN-BIN: Kurt Mann off for a crusher tackle
By Michael Doyle
Kurt Mann has been sent to the sin-bin for a crusher tackle.
It was a bad tackle.
Mann had the back of his opponent, liften him up, then drove him into the ground.
Mann lost his feet.
It is an obvious crusher tackle.
He is off for 10 minutes. Fair decision, Mann's actions were deliberate.
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