In a stunning turn of events at Suncorp Stadium, the undefeated Canterbury Bulldogs faced a significant setback, enduring a 24-point defeat at the hands of the Brisbane Broncos. The Bulldogs, aiming to achieve a historic 7-0 start to their season, struggled to find their footing as they rapidly fell behind.
The match started off poorly for the Bulldogs, conceding 12 points within just 10 minutes, including two penalties, which left them down to 12 men on the field. A series of contentious decisions regarding player discipline amplified their woes, with Sitili Tupouniua and Marcelo Montoya both spending time in the sin bin for high contact.
Commentators Cameron Smith and Brad Fittler were critical of these decisions, suggesting they were not justified. For instance, Tupouniua received scrutiny for a high tackle on Brendan Piakura, deemed an unfortunate result of a leading shoulder in the tackle. Smith argued that the tackling technique was standard in rugby league, and Fittler echoed his disbelief at the sin bin entries.
Despite being down to 12 players, the Bulldogs momentarily rallied, with Jacob Preston, Bronson Xerri, and Montoya crossing for tries to narrow the gap. However, a sin bin infraction for Selwyn Cobbo late in the match had little effect on the Broncos, who scored again through Billy Walters right before full-time.
The Broncos capitalised on early errors from the Bulldogs, with Xavier Willison scoring the first try following a mistake from Jacob Preston. A strategic 40/20 kick by Walters kept the visitors under pressure, leading to further Broncos scores. Even as the Bulldogs attempted to regroup, they were hindered by poor discipline and missed opportunities, highlighted by a high shot from Josh Curran, which resulted in a penalty.
The night was not without further setbacks for the Bulldogs; star five-eighth Matt Burton was pulled from the match for an independent head injury assessment, compounding their struggles. Meanwhile, the Broncos’ scoring rampage continued as Deine Mariner and Gehamat Shibasaki found the try line multiple times, culminating in a dominating halftime lead of 32-0.
With the Bulldogs appearing stunned and unable to respond effectively, the match ended in an emphatic loss, marking a significant blow to their perfect season aspirations. The reigning sense of disbelief among their camp echoed in the commentary, as analysts reflected on a performance that was far from the Bulldogs’ usual standard.