Bulldogs count cost of victory over Titans as two stars suffer knee injuries

We’ll wrap things up here for now.

Another big weekend of NRL footy, that really shook up what we expected.

Here’s how the table looks after two rounds.

Thanks for being with us.

We’ll catch you again next week, starting with a thrilling-looking contest between the Storm and the Panthers on Thursday night in Melbourne.

Should be a cracker, looking forward to seeing you then.

Toby Sexton is speaking on Fox Sports.

“Yeah, it’s obviously a pretty weird game, a bit emotional going up against all my mates,” he says about playing against the Titans.

He says it will be difficult without the injured Matt Burton, but there will be other players step up within the squad.

“No idea, we’ve got to wait and see what’s up with Matty,” he says of who will play six next week.

“Stephen Crichton can do a job there…

“There’s plenty of other halves playing well in reserve grade.”

It’s a question the Bulldogs will need to answer.

The Bulldogs sent their fans at Belmore happy with a dominant 40-24 victory over the Gold Coast Titans.

The Bulldogs came out firing, scoring within two minutes through Marcelo Montoya.

Jaeman Salmon, Reed Mahoney and Josh Curran all scored and the Dogs were cruising at 22-0 after 20 minutes.

However, an MCL injury suffered by five-eighth Matt Burton saw the Titans regain some composure and get themselves back into the game with two tries to Alofiana Khan-Pereira.

A Jacob Preston score soon after the restart, followed by a Kurt Mann score regained the initiative for the hosts, despite the Titans hitting back with tries to Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and Jojo Fifita.

Connor Tracey finished the scoring for the Bulldogs, but that was not the end of the drama, with Viliame Kikau also forced from the field with another suspected MCL injury.

Another nasty one for the Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs suspect another MCL injury to go alongside that suffered by Matt Burton earlier in the game.

A shocking error from Alofiana Khan-Pereira
who dropped the ball cold.

Stephen Crichton scoops the ball up, releases Blake Wilson down the left, who passes inside to Connor Tracey who dives over despite the chasing Titans.

Another very, very good score from the Bulldogs.

Stephen Crichton kicks the extras.

The score is 40-24.

This is not good for the Bulldogs.

They’ve already lost one play to a knee injury and now Viliame Kikau is down holding his right knee!

It just got twisted under him there and this is not good news.

He is just about limping off the field with support.

That’s a great crowd at Belmore, one of the last great suburban grounds.

Bailey Hayward is just about held up over the line on the last.

That’s a key tackle for the Titans, who are still in this game.

Meanwhile Brock Gray, the veteran of the second tier, is on to make his NRL debut for the Titans aged 28. There’s loads of his fans here, and in the slightly subdued atmosphere (everything is relative) you can hear every cheer.

That’s sensational from Keano Kini!

He’s made the linebreak from deep inside his own half, ducking under tackles and weaving backwards and forwards.

He flicks a sublime pass inside to Jojo Fifita who crosses for the score.

That’s a great try.

The kick is good and the gap is now just 10, Bulldogs lead 34-24.

A bonafide way to ruin a perfect game is to talk about a perfect game.

He will go for scans tomorrow.

The Bulldogs have said already that it expects Burton to miss at least four weeks.

Solid charges from David Fifita, who is getting his first minutes of the match.

Then Tino Fa’asuamaleaui
smashes into the line at serious pace from about eight metres out and flattens two would be tacklers to crash over and score.

Good power running from this powerful Titans pack.

Is it still game on?

The Bulldogs lead 34-18.

Reed Mahoney made contact with the leg of Jayden Campbell
as he kicked and the Bulldogs hooker has been placed on report for it.

He did make contact with the leg, which is dangerous.

Penalty in a good position for the Titans.

This is another one to look out for, Reed Mahoney is limping about in back play.

He looks OK so perhaps just a knock but one to watch.

Kurt Mann bulldozes over!

Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and Beau Fermor were in the wrong spot as a long pass out of dummy half cause chaos in the middle of the Titans defence.

It’s a simple finish in the end and more poor defence from the Titans, whose momentum has evaporated.

The kick from Crichton is good, it’s 34-12.

That’s a massive kick from the former Titan.

It was called as a 40-20 on field, but the Bunker rightly saw that there was a toe of Sexton’s boot on the line and it’s been overruled.

A great effort though.

Slow start from the Titans and they pay for it.

Toby Sexton sends up the big bomb, Alofiana Khan-Pereira drops it fold, straight into the hands of Harry Hayes who offloads into the hands of Jacob Preston who scores.

A brilliant chase from the Bulldogs, real intent to wrestle the control back in the contest.

Stephen
Crichton
takes over kicking duties and it’s through the sticks.

Bulldogs lead 28-12.

The lights at Belmore are starting to take effect.

But it’s still warm out there.

Saturday

• Western Clydesdales 8-44 Norths Devils
• Sunshine Coast Falcons 28-6 PNG Hunters
• Northern Pride 16-20 Tweed Seagulls

Sunday

• Brisbane Tigers 26-26 Central Queensland Capras
• Wynnum Manly Seagulls 36-24 Burleigh Bears 
• Souths Logan Magpies 22-36 Redcliffe Dolphins
• Townsville Blackhawks 27-20 Mackay Cutters