Match Details
Match Date	8th Jun, 2002
Opponent	Penrith
Result	Win 38-24
Coach	Steven Folkes
Captain	Braith Anasta
Venue	Penrith Park (Penrith Stadium)
Crowd	13,876
Referee	Sean Hampstead

Bulldogs and NSW prop Mark O'Meley was in Nepean Hospital with a broken jaw before his team had completed a club-record 10 successive wins with a runaway victory against Penrith last night.

O'Meley was forced off the field midway through the first half and club officials said the medical opinion was that he would be out for at least six weeks. They were trying to organise an operation for him as soon as possible.

While the injury puts O'Meley out of business for the series-deciding third State of Origin game against Queensland at Stadium Australia on June 26, truth is he was going to be struggling to hold his spot in the Blues' side anyway.

St George Illawarra prop Jason Ryles, back from suspension, was tipped to replace O'Meley and that should become a formality now as long as Ryles stays fit and out of trouble.

The Bulldogs were never headed and led 16-10 at half-time, but the Panthers pulled back to 16-16 early in the second half. The Bulldogs were up to the challenge, though, pulling away again and cruising home.

Their previous record of nine successive wins was set in 1994, a year in which they made the grand final and lost to Canberra.

Penrith fell behind early after a costly error. Winger Chris Hicks was penalised for an incorrect play-the-ball close to his own line and the Bulldogs took the tap, scoring several tackles later through lock Travis Norton, who barged over from dummy-half. Winger Hazem El Masri failed to convert but the Bulldogs were on their way.

Almost as if he was trying to compete with the best soccer players in World Cup month, Bulldogs halfback Brent Sherwin stretched the lead to 8-0 with a try that featured three kicks in the 20th minute.

Sherwin chipped and chased, then kicked the ball off the ground and into Penrith fullback Rhys Wesser. The ball rebounded and Sherwin kicked it off the ground again before regathering to score.

El Masri converted for a 10-0 lead but Penrith cut it back to four points through a try from prop Colin Ward, converted by Hicks, in the 24th minute.

Referee Sean Hampstead called upon video referee Ian Parnaby to judge that time, since it appeared Ward had dropped the ball over the line. But replays showed Bulldogs hooker Corey Hughes had stripped the ball in the tackle - eliminating any possibility of a knock-on. Ward had only to fall on the ball, forcing it, which he did.

Norton's second try, in the 30th minute, was a carbon copy of his first. Again he went from dummy-half close to the Panthers' line and again he crossed in a two-man tackle.

Bulldogs fullback Luke Patten was sin-binned two minutes from half-time after delaying the play-the-ball with Penrith deep in attack and the Bulldogs scrambling to get defenders back after a break by Panthers lock Scott Sattler.

Source: www.smh.com.au

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