NRL round 26: Bulldogs upset Sea Eagles
The Bulldogs were able to pull off an upset on the road over the Sea Eagles in Brookvale Oval over the weekend.
The Bulldogs managed to upset the Sea Eagles in their final game of the season on Sunday. Both teams were very evenly matched in the first half as the Bulldogs only managed a two-point advantage at the break. In the second stanza, the two sides remained close. However, the Bulldogs were able to do enough to hold onto a 30-24 victory.
Recap
The Sea Eagles got on the board first with a try from Steve Matai in the seventh minute, giving the home side a quick 4-0 lead.
The Bulldogs did not wait around however, as Ryan Tandy muscled his way over the whitewash in the 17th minute and Bryson Goodwin kicked the conversion to give the visitors a 6-4 lead.
The Sea Eagles came back in the 20th minute with a try courtesy of Ben Farar. Jamie Lyon hammered through his first conversion of the game allowing the home team to regain the lead at 10-6.
The Bulldogs responded in the 24th minute with a try from Brad Morrin and a second conversion from Goodwin getting the lead back again at 12-10.
The see-sawing continued with a third Sea Eagles try from Chris Bailey in the 28th minute. Lyon put through his second conversion to take the lead back for the home side at 16-12.
However, the Bulldogs would be the last to score in the first half with a try in the 39th minute from Andrew Ryan. Goodwin continued his impressive day from the tee with another conversion, allowing the visitors to take an 18-16 lead into half-time.
After the break, the back and forth continued between the two sides. Ben Barba and Josh Morris scored for the Bulldogs before the 50 minute mark, while Goodwin added a conversion to make the lead 28-16.
However, the Sea Eagles answered back with two tries of their own courtesy of Matai in the 54th minute and Lyon in the 64th minute. Unfortunately, Lyon was not able to hit both conversions and the Eagles were down 28-24.
Goodwin would add a penalty in the 71st minute to cap off an exciting 30-24 victory for the Bulldogs.
Analysis
The Bulldogs were playing the role of the spoilers as they finished the year with only nine wins, while finishing in 13th.
Meanwhile the Sea Eagles were lucky that the teams below them were unable to come away with victories this week allowing them to maintain their eighth place spot. The final play-off position will see the Eagles take on the Dragons in the first round.
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