NRL: Bulldogs walk off winners as Benji crocked

The Bulldogs ended the Dragons' season with a golden-point victory. Photo / Getty

Bulldogs 11
Dragons 10

Josh Reynolds played the hero for the Bulldogs in a dramatic victory over the Dragons, kicking a drop goal to win the game in golden point.

Tonight's match was a dogged affair, before a dramatic finish. A 74th Gareth Widdop penalty - after some cynical foul play from the Bulldogs - looked enough to secure an unexpected victory before Shaun Lane's try with just three minutes left on the clock.

However another Widdop goal, in the last minute, took the game to golden point when Reynolds ensured the Bulldogs walked off as winners and ended the Dragons season.

And it ended without Benji Marshall after the Kiwi sustained a nasty looking injury to cast serious doubt on his prospects for the end of year Kiwis tour.

Marshall left the field in the 50th minute, after twisting his ankle awkwardly in a Greg Eastwood tackle. At best it was a clumsy effort from Eastwood, at worst it highlighted a rule that the NRL needs to urgently review.

After he had tackled Marshall, Eastwood used his leg to bring the former Kiwis captain to the ground, forcing Marshall's leg to double over.

It a rule that makes no sense - and has no upside - as the potential for injury is high. Whether Marshall would make Stephen Kearney's final squad was a moot point, but last night's incident has probably cut Kearney's options.

Marshall had been one of the best players on the field before the injury. He was at the centre of most of Dragons best attacks and was unlucky to have a try ruled out after a brilliant individual run.

Earlier, the Bulldogs started like a bullet train. They were all pace, purpose and power, with the Morris twins wreaking havoc out wide while the pack dominated their opposites.

The Dragons, who had only won one of the last seven encounters between the two teams, struggled to get a foothold in the match. The Bulldogs opened the scoring through Brett Morris in the 11th minute. Morris, who scored 112 tries during nine fruitful seasons at Kogarah, has been one of the buys of the year. His try came from a classic Canterbury move - Reynolds and James Graham combining before Morris ran the perfect line.

Sam Kasiano made his first appearance soon afterwards, heading a Bulldogs bench with an average weight of 115kg

It was hard to see the Dragons coming back into the match, but they have defied the doubters all season. Their seven game losing streak during the middle of the year was meant to be the end of their season, but they bounced back to scrape into the finals.

Off the back of some Bulldogs errors, they found some Marshall inspired momentum. After sustained pressure in the second half, they finally levelled through a miraculous Eto Nabuli 70th minute try, the winger carrying four defenders across the line.

Bulldogs 11 (B. Morris, S. Lane tries, M. Mybe goal, J. Reynolds field goal)
Dragons 10 (Eto Nabuli try, G. Widdop 3 goals)
Halftime 6-0