NRL: Panthers down Bulldogs

Penrith winger Michael Gordon had a personal haul of 22 points against the Bulldogs. Photo / Getty Images

SYDNEY - Penrith flyer Michael Gordon bagged a hat-trick to help his side to a convincing 31-16 Monday night victory over Canterbury, who remain anchored to the wrong end of the National Rugby League (NRL) table.

Gordon scored twice in the final five minutes of the first half before nailing the Panthers' victory by backing up a Michael Jennings bust in the 68th, also booting five from five for a personal haul of 22 points.

Missing NSW representatives Brett Kimmorley, Michael Ennis and Jamal Idris, the Bulldogs faced an uphill battle to turn their spluttering season around.

The Panthers were without three big names of their own in Origin reps Petero Civoniceva, Trent Waterhouse and Luke Lewis but their replacement forwards muscled up while the Dogs' replacement playmakers, including whiz kid Ben Barba, struggled.

The Bulldogs, who finished equal first last year, are now stuck on just three wins with Cronulla and North Queensland after 10 games.

The Panthers, who have now won six of their past seven games, join St George Illawarra and Gold Coast at the top of the ladder.

Penrith led 18-4 at halftime and scored five tries to three in front of 11,278 fans.

Three of their tries came from Luke Walsh kicks and it was the halfback's pinpoint bomb seven minutes after the break that allowed Shane Elford to help their score out to 24-4.

The Dogs mounted something of a comeback when skipper Andrew Ryan charged over on an angled run in the 60th minute but when Jennings picked up the scraps of a Canterbury attack gone wrong and offloaded to Gordon it was 30-10.

Jennings' run brought him into a direct contest with opposing star centre Josh Morris who surprisingly chased the Panther down on his 60m run.

Morris had been denied twice by video referee Tim Mander, once when he miraculously got a ball down but had re-entered the field from beyond the dead ball line and the other when he dropped a one-handed put-down.

The Bulldogs didn't give up and Shane Neumann's 75th minute try would have alarmed Panthers coach Matt Elliott as his side dropped intensity, while Walsh added a 76th minute field goal to complete the scoring.

PENRITH 31 (M Gordon 3 S Elford T Grant tries M Gordon 5 goals L Walsh field goal) bt BULLDOGS 16 (S Neumann A Ryan S Turner tries B Goodwin 2 goals) at CUA Stadium. Referee: Matt Cecchin, Ben Cummins. Crowd: 11,278.

- AAP