The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs defeated the North Queensland Cowboys 32-16 at Stockland Stadium Townsville in the first game of the 1995 Winfield Cup.
The Bulldogs entered the new season following a grand final appearance against the Canberra Raiders and the opening game of 1995 was the first year the North Queensland Cowboys entered the competition.
The Bulldogs victory was built on superior skill and experience. They converted most of their scoring opportunities into points and made the Cowboys pay for their mistakes.
The Cowboys showed they had the talent ad the ticker to be competitive in the Winfield Cup, but they lacked the cohesion of their opponents.
In team news John Timu made his first appearance for the club in the fullback position, Brett Dallas started on the wing, Mitch Newton partnered Darren Britt in the front-row following the departure of Martin Bella who lined up for the new look Cowboys against his former teammates.
Canterbury led 20-8 at half time, before finishing the match with five tries to two, including a Jarrod McCracken double with Daryl Halligan kicking six goals to give the Bulldogs a 16-point win to open their 1995 campaign.
The match also saw Jason Smith and Adrian Vowles both sent from the field because of head high tackles.
Vowles received a two-week suspension, while Smith spent four weeks on the sideline.
BULLDOGS TEAM:
1. John Timu - Sponsored by Miramax
2. Brett Dallas - Sponsored by Canterbury League Club
3. Jarrod McCracken- Sponsored by Daily Press
4. Matthew Ryan - Sponsored by Sydney Freezers
5. Daryl Halligan - Sponsored by Remondis
6. Jim Dymock - Sponsored by Reliable Food Distributors
7. Terry Lamb (C) - Sponsored by Greenacre Dental
8. Mitch Newton - Sponsored by Hy-Tec
9. Ben Gillies - Sponsored by Workforce
10. Darren Britt - Sponsored by TLH Group
11. Dean Pay - Sponsored by Guardian Venue Management
12. Robert Relf - Sponsored by Dental on Evaline
13. Jason Smith - Sponsored by Your Property People
14. Jason Williams - Sponsored by M&J Chickens
15. Simon Gillies - Sponsored by Ultimate Security
16. Darrien Doherty - Sponsored by CPE
17. Craig Polla-Mounter - Sponsored by Hitachi Cooling & Heating
Round 1 Moment of the Match 1995 - Vowles and Smith sent from the field for high tackles