Bulldogs romp to big win over Wests Tigers

A fortnight after the departure of Michael Maguire, the Wests Tigers showed no resilience in the result with injuries to Alex Twal (head knock) and Starford To'a (ankle) compounding the loss. 

The return of Adam Doueihi from a knee injury was one positive out of an otherwise disappointing day for the Wests Tigers, who now have a fortnight off to assess their season before the final run home. 

Match snapshot

• Wests Tigers suffered an early blow in the match with Alex Twal leaving the field for a head injury assessment - which he failed - just two minutes into the match.
• Departing Bulldogs hooker Jeremy Marshall-King got the Bulldogs on the board in the 14th minute with his fourth try of the season. 
• Wests Tigers hit back through a miraculous effort from David Nofoaluma, who beat Josh Addo-Carr to the line before planting the ball down
• A double to to Jake Averillo before and after half-time broke the game wide open to set up a 12-point lead.
• The points continued to flow when Jacob Kiraz weaved his way to the line for the third try of his NRL career. 
• Bulldogs debutant Kurtis Morrin, who supported the club as a child, had a dream start to his career, scoring 12 minutes into his maiden game via a pass from Addo-Carr. 
• An intercept try to Aaron Schoupp, who raced 90 metres to the line, added more points for the Bulldogs and helped them record their biggest win of the season. 
• Morrin's afternoon ended prematurely with a shoulder injury forcing him from the field late in the game. 
• Wests Tigers skipper James Tamou crossed late in the match to flatter the scoreboard. 
• Canterbury enjoyed 63% possession for the match while they completed at 83% for the match. 

Play of the game

It was a special moment for Kurtis Morrin, the nephew of former NRL player Brad Morrin, with a second half effort to finish off a Josh Addo-Carr pass just one of the many highlights in a fun afternoon for the Bulldogs.

What they said

"The players are working really hard to make our attack better and every week are coming up with something a little bit different and it’s enjoyable to watch. It’s probably the players themselves I think have realised there’s more in them and they want to play a little bit more and I think they’re just expanding out and they’re trying a few things and it’s working for us. I’m really happy for them and to have that many points in a couple of games and it’s great for everyone. But we’re still down the bottom and we’re not getting carried away with ourselves but winning just solves a lot of problems and makes everyone at the club feel really good.” -  Bulldogs interim coach Michael Potter.

"We certainly need to stay united. It’s a difficult time for the club at the moment. As I said to the men, I thought we tried reasonably hard but trying in this competition sometimes doesn’t allow you to be good enough. Trying your best and having a crack gets you in to the competition but you need to be able to add more to that and do it for better and longer than the opposition in some regard. It’s about trying to get that weight of position back to fifty, fifty if we can. We need to learn how to be a really tough, defensive team." - Wests Tigers interim coach Brett Kimmorley.

What's next

The Bulldogs and Wests Tigers will each have a week off with representative round to take place next week. 

Both side's will have several representatives playing in matches next week including Bulldogs powerhouse Tevita Pangai jnr, who will play for Tonga.