NRL: Dogs hang on to edge Roosters

Frank Pritchard of the Bulldogs is tackled. Photo / Getty Images

Canterbury held on against a spirited Sydney Roosters outfit forced to play the last 10 minutes of Sunday's NRL clash with 12 men, notching a 24-20 victory at ANZ Stadium.

With no interchanges left when winger Sam Perrett suffered a suspected broken ankle in the 70th minute, the Roosters threw everything at the Bulldogs before ultimately falling short in a brutal encounter played in front of 23,723 fans.

Dogs fullback Ben Barba and Roosters centre Shaun Kenny-Dowall bagged doubles but it was goalkicking that proved the difference in the four tries apiece affair.

Canterbury's Bryson Goodwin booted four from five, while Roosters skipper Braith Anasta could only manage two from four.

The Bulldogs led 18-14 after a see-sawing first half they had led 12-0 after 13 minutes.

They extended their lead by two with a 46th minute Goodwin penalty goal and clung to their lead when Trent Hodkinson amazingly prevented Roosters winger BJ Leilua grounding the scraps of a Todd Carney kick three minutes later.

Barba got his second in the 51st minute after Hodkinson had made the bust and it was 24-14.

But it was game-on when Kenny-Dowall got his second in the 63rd minute at 24-20.

The home side's early lead had come courtesy of tries to Michael Ennis and Jamal Idris.

Ennis capitalised on some clever ball-playing from Frank Pritchard in a ninth-minute, 80m effort before Idris flew like Tony Lockett four minutes later to gather in a Hodkinson bomb and score.

The Roosters hit back in the 18th minute on the back of three consecutive penalties, Braith Anasta shrugging off an Idris tackle and sending Todd Carney over in the left corner.

They struck again when Kenny-Dowall grubbered and touched down in the 31st minute before Jake Friend went over three minutes later for the Roosters' first lead of the match at 14-12.

But a minute before the siren, Dogs fullback Ben Barba latched onto a superb offload from forward Corey Payne and Canterbury went to the break ahead.

- AAP