In a match where defence was thrown out the window, the young pups were able to record a 52-18 win over the Knights at Hunter Stadium this afternoon.
It was 10 tries to four after 80 minutes with the side recording their ninth win of the season.
There was just one change to the side named earlier in the week by Coach Scott Murray with Reubenn Rennie coming in for Jayden Okunbor.
The young pups went to the half-time break leading 20-4 after four tries were scored throughout the opening 40 minutes.
The 13th minute saw centre Michael Morgan open the account and Keighran converted to put the side in front 6-nil.
The home side answered back seven minutes later through halfback Jack Cogger but it couldn’t be converted with the visitors now behind on the scoreboard by just two, 6-4.
It was the final 10 minutes of the half where the young pups drove the nail in with three tries being scored. Five-eighth Bronson Garlick crossed first, with Royce Hunt barging over soon after and Renouf To’omaga made it a trifecta when he scored as the half-time siren sounded. Keighran converted just one of the tries, giving the side a 20-4 lead at the break.
The second stanza started in the same fashion as the first finished with three tries being score in the opening six minutes of play. Keighran split the Knights up the middle and ran 40m basically untouched to score, winger Reimis Smith crossed off the back of a sweeping play that went from one side to the other and Harry Pondekas ended up with the ball after a break was made from inside their own half. Keighran converted two of the tries, putting the young pups in front 36-4.
Defence wasn’t on the agenda in this match with the tries just continuing to be scored by both sides. The Knights grabbed the next one through hooker Jack Kelly that was then converted by Bryce Donovan before Harry Pondekas crossed for his first of the afternoon. Guy Hamilton took over the kicking duties and converted to leave the scoreboard reading 42-10 after 55 minutes.
A try to the Knights Ken Tofilau was quickly cancelled out by two tries to the Bulldogs, with Pondekas bagging his second and Smith doing the same in the south-west corner. Josh Bergamin took over the kicking duties and knocked it over smartly from the sideline to put the visitors lead out to 52-14 after 66 minutes.
Just four minutes later the tackles again weren’t being made with Knights centre Braden Robson going over after a mid-field bust. Donovan missed the conversion with the scoreboard looking just a little bit more respectable, 52-18.
That’s how the scoreboard stayed until the final siren sounded, with sides struggling to hold the ball and a number of penalties being awarded to both teams.
BULLDOGS 52 (Smith 2, Pondekas 2, Morgan, Garlick, Hunt, To’omaga, Rennie Tries; Cogger, Kelly, Tofilau, Robson Tries; Keighran 4, Hamilton 1, Bergamin 1 Goals)
Def.
Knights 18 (Cogger, Kelly, Tofilau, Robson Tries; Donovan 1 Goal)
At: Hunter Stadium, Newcastle
