Canterbury have fought back for a 22-14 NRL defeat of Wests Tigers, who finished the game with 11 men after a fiery melee.
Jackson Topine’s commencement of legal proceedings against his former club and Phil Gould’s on-air rant at the NRL’s “stupid” rules captured the headlines in the lead-up to the Bulldogs’ first game since their bye.
But Canterbury weren’t to be distracted, completely suffocating the Tigers after half-time in Saturday’s match at Accor Stadium to claim their first back-to-back wins in more than a year.
It was a disappointing afternoon for the Tigers, who again struggled for spark with the football after rushing out to a 14-6 half-time lead.
Prop forward Josh Curran scored from a Drew Hutchison grubber kick only minutes after the break to signal the start of a dominant second half from the hosts.
The Tigers’ frustrations threatened to boil over as they battled for ascendancy, with referee Kasey Badger cautioning stand-in captain John Bateman about the language his players were using towards the match officials.
The levee broke in the final 10 minutes when firebrand prop David Klemmer went to the sin bin for dissent.
Alex Seyfarth followed him but could have been sent off altogether after appearing to headbutt Bulldogs hooker Reed Mahoney during the fracas that ensued.
The Tigers were fortunate not to have lost Aidan Sezer to the sin bin earlier in the second half after the veteran halfback laid a horror hip-drop tackle on Curran.
Sezer was put on report and permitted to remain on the field but it was rival playmaker Matt Burton who set up the next try.
The Bulldogs five-eighth dummied past Sezer and opened up the Tigers’ right edge before finding a flying Bronson Xerri on his outside.
Earlier, Jahream Bula had looked the Tigers’ most dangerous player. His burst of speed and basketball pass to Brent Naden helped Charlie Staines open the scoring in the 15th minute.
Fonua Pole crashed through stand-in fullback Blake Taaffe for the Tigers’ second, but the most threatening players in attack after the break – Burton, Viliame Kikau and Stephen Crichton – were all in blue and white.
Naden went on report for a crusher tackle on Xerri in the first half and Mahoney could join him in attracting scrutiny for up-ending Solomon Alaimano.