Bulldogs 28
South Sydney 19
Teenager Tim Lafai scored the crucial try on his NRL debut to get Canterbury home 28-19 over South Sydney at ANZ Stadium today.
Lafai, called up to replace injured representative centre Josh Morris, latched onto a Ben Barba pass with eight minutes remaining after the Rabbitohs had been reduced to 12 men with the sinbinning of fullback Rhys Wesser.
The 19-year-old crossed after Wesser had made a trysaving tackle on Bulldogs winger Steve Turner before being marched for hanging on too long.
For the second time in two weeks Souths led by a point - this time 19-18 - before being run down.
They led 8-0 early and then 18-12 ten minutes into the second half but were unable to prevent Dogs revivals on both occasions.
The Dogs' surprise 12-8 lead at the break had come courtesy of two tries in the last four minutes of the first half.
Souths had looked in control for most of the first 40 minutes and led 8-0 after a 22nd minute try to Wesser laid on by Greg Inglis and a conversion and penalty goal from Chris Sandow.
But Jamal Idris got on the outside of Inglis in the 36th minute and strolled over before Bryson Goodwin outlept Wesser to cross a minute before halftime.
Souths got back onto equal terms just three minutes after the break when Nathan Merritt was awarded a benefit of the doubt try by video referee Tim Mander when it was unclear whether the winger had applied downward pressure when Goodwin spilled a Sandow kick.
Merritt was over again five minutes later as Souths went out to an 18-12 lead when Michael Crocker was first to a John Sutton bomb and the ball was spread wide.
It was back level at 18-18 when Wesser horribly missed a one-on-one tackle on Kris Keating in the 56th minute.
Sandow gave Souths a one-point buffer with a 67th minute field goal before Idris sent Turner away, eventually leading to the Lafai try.
Dogs skipper Andrew Ryan bagged a late four-pointer to compound the Rabbitohs' misery.
BULLDOGS 28 (B Goodwin J Idris K Keating T Lafai A Ryan tries B Goodwin 4 goals) bt SOUTH SYDNEY 19 (N Merritt 2 R Wesser tries C Sandow 3 goals C Sandow field goal) at ANZ Stadium. Referee: Gavin Badger, Brett Suttor.
- AAP
