The Holden Cup side have this afternoon been defeated by the Roosters 43-30 at Allianz Stadium.
It was six tries to five throughout the 80 minutes with the Bulldogs letting go a 18-16 lead at the break.
There was just one change to the side that was named earlier in the week with Jaelen Feeney dropping off the interchange bench and Josh Vaartjes being included.
The opening period of the match was played in the centre of the park with each side making errors at vital stages, just as they looked to be making in-roads.
It was the Roosters who opened the scoring and went back to back with tries through Jack Goodsell and Taane Milne. Some penalties at key areas of the playing field cost the Bulldogs and the Roosters took their opportunities. One of those tries was converted by centre Brendan Elliot to give the home side a 10-nil lead after 18 minutes.
The next period of play was all the Bulldogs with three tries being scored and the young pups jumping out to a lead. It was front rower Herman Eseese who barged his way over in the 20th minute next to the left hand upright and Patrick Templeman easily converted.
The second try was scored by his front row partner Lloyd Perrett against his former team-mates when he also showed brute strength to crash over. It made it easy for Templeman to convert and put the Bulldogs in front 12-10 after 24 minutes.
It was the next try that brought to small crowd to their feet. It started from the back with Templeman taking it safely and a swift swivel saw him with open space in front of him and as he approached the cover defence he got the ball inside to Ryan Wilson who quickly tipped it on to Moses Mbye who used his pace to run the remaining 25m to score under the uprights. Templeman made it three from three for him off the boot to extend the lead to 18-10 after 32 minutes.
Just five minutes before the half-time siren the Roosters answered back with their third try of the afternoon. It was scored by fullback Dylan Wells who trailed well and received the ball running 20m untouched to score. Elliot converted to close the gap to two points, 18-16, which it remained until the break.
The second half saw the Bulldogs open the scoring through Dylan Rintoul, with the try being converted by Templeman but after that it was the all the Roosters and they scored three tries between the 52nd and 60th minute to go into the lead 32-24.
The next 10 minutes were played with the fans being treated to some open footy but it was Mbye who was next to go over in the 70th minute to close the gap. Templeman converted to make it a two point deficit, 32-30.
The final 10 minutes saw the Bulldogs try every trick in the book but as they looked to get into open space they were their own worst enemy and made an error.
On the stroke of full-time the Bulldogs gave away a penalty for stripping and Elliot converted to give the Roosters a 34-30 victory.
ROOSTERS 34 (Goodsell 2, Milne, Wells, Martin, Meehan Tries; Elliot 5 Goals)
Def.
BULLDOGS 30 (Eseese, Perrett, Mbye 2, Rintoul Tries; Templeman 5 Goals)
At: Allianz Stadium
It was six tries to five throughout the 80 minutes with the Bulldogs letting go a 18-16 lead at the break.
There was just one change to the side that was named earlier in the week with Jaelen Feeney dropping off the interchange bench and Josh Vaartjes being included.
The opening period of the match was played in the centre of the park with each side making errors at vital stages, just as they looked to be making in-roads.
It was the Roosters who opened the scoring and went back to back with tries through Jack Goodsell and Taane Milne. Some penalties at key areas of the playing field cost the Bulldogs and the Roosters took their opportunities. One of those tries was converted by centre Brendan Elliot to give the home side a 10-nil lead after 18 minutes.
The next period of play was all the Bulldogs with three tries being scored and the young pups jumping out to a lead. It was front rower Herman Eseese who barged his way over in the 20th minute next to the left hand upright and Patrick Templeman easily converted.
The second try was scored by his front row partner Lloyd Perrett against his former team-mates when he also showed brute strength to crash over. It made it easy for Templeman to convert and put the Bulldogs in front 12-10 after 24 minutes.
It was the next try that brought to small crowd to their feet. It started from the back with Templeman taking it safely and a swift swivel saw him with open space in front of him and as he approached the cover defence he got the ball inside to Ryan Wilson who quickly tipped it on to Moses Mbye who used his pace to run the remaining 25m to score under the uprights. Templeman made it three from three for him off the boot to extend the lead to 18-10 after 32 minutes.
Just five minutes before the half-time siren the Roosters answered back with their third try of the afternoon. It was scored by fullback Dylan Wells who trailed well and received the ball running 20m untouched to score. Elliot converted to close the gap to two points, 18-16, which it remained until the break.
The second half saw the Bulldogs open the scoring through Dylan Rintoul, with the try being converted by Templeman but after that it was the all the Roosters and they scored three tries between the 52nd and 60th minute to go into the lead 32-24.
The next 10 minutes were played with the fans being treated to some open footy but it was Mbye who was next to go over in the 70th minute to close the gap. Templeman converted to make it a two point deficit, 32-30.
The final 10 minutes saw the Bulldogs try every trick in the book but as they looked to get into open space they were their own worst enemy and made an error.
On the stroke of full-time the Bulldogs gave away a penalty for stripping and Elliot converted to give the Roosters a 34-30 victory.
ROOSTERS 34 (Goodsell 2, Milne, Wells, Martin, Meehan Tries; Elliot 5 Goals)
Def.
BULLDOGS 30 (Eseese, Perrett, Mbye 2, Rintoul Tries; Templeman 5 Goals)
At: Allianz Stadium
