Dragons suffer fresh blows in defeat against Bulldogs

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Dragons suffer fresh blows in defeat against Bulldogs

St George Illawarra look set to expedite their pursuit of Wests Tigers prop David Klemmer after the Dragons’ front-row stocks took a further hit in their 28-20 loss to Canterbury.

Middle forward Ryan Couchman limped off Kogarah Oval on Saturday with a suspected anterior cruciate ligament injury and Emre Guler was placed on report for a hip-drop tackle on Jacob Preston.

The Dragons are already without Queensland State of Origin prop Francis Molo, who has taken a leave of absence from the club, but the Red V expect Blake Lawrie to recover from a hamstring injury to face South Sydney next week.

With the Saints down on middles, Canterbury interchange duo Sitili Tupouniua and Harry Hayes swung the game in the Bulldogs’ favour with impressive stints off the bench.

Tupouniua scored two tries in his first game since leaving the Roosters.

The only concern for Canterbury was the fact that captain Stephen Crichton failed to finish the game with a lower leg injury and was also placed on report in the first half.

The Dogs drew first blood in the 13th minute when the Dragons were penalised for failing to pack a midfield scrum before the shot clock sounded.

Canterbury spread the ball to the left, with winger Marcelo Montoya breezing through a Clint Gutherson challenge to bring up his 50th NRL try.

But Montoya went from hero to zero very quickly as Damien Cook jolted the ball from the winger’s grasp as he made an exit carry on the next set.

The Dragons were quick to hit back as Valentine Holmes sent Christian Tuipulotu in on the left flank for a 16th-minute equaliser.

As Tuipulotu slid in to score, Crichton appeared to lead with his knees, and the Dragons were awarded a penalty try as the Bulldogs skipper was placed on report.

Crichton was already unpopular at Kogarah after he accused Kyle Flanagan of biting him in the same clash last season, and Tuipulotu’s animated response to the Canterbury centre whipped up the crowd.

What followed was a chaotic 15-minute ******* where Preston was placed on report for a bell-ringer on Holmes, Moses Suli ragdolled Canterbury five-eighth Matt Burton into touch, and Flanagan and Crichton renewed their simmering feud.

In that same *******, Jack de Belin went off for a head injury assessment – which he later passed – and Ryan Couchman came on and then went off with a suspected anterior cruciate ligament injury.

But Canterbury were able to rise above the chaos and hit the Dragons twice before the halftime break through Blake Wilson and Connor Tracey to lead 16-6 at the end of the half.

The game was slipping from the Dragons’ grasp and neither Lachlan Ilias nor Flanagan were creative enough to drag them back into the game.

Tupouniua grabbed two short-range tries in the 45th and 51st minutes to pull Canterbury clear.

A stunning Jacob Liddle run and Tuipulotu’s third in the final quarter of an hour cut the deficit, but the Dragons had left their comeback too late.

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