Match Details
Match Date	19th Jun, 2005
Opponent	Canberra
Result	Win 28-10
Coach	Steven Folkes
Captain	Andrew Ryan
Venue	Sydney Showground Homebush
Crowd	8,496
Referee	Steve Clark

The Bulldogs have kept their finals hopes alive with an uninspiring 28-10 win over the Canberra Raiders in their round 15 National Rugby League clash at the Sydney Showground.

The reigning premiers scored five tries to one to register only their sixth victory of the season, giving their supporters hope that they may be able to defend their title come the NRL grand final on October 2.

Matt Utai, Corey Hughes, Luke Patten, captain Andrew Ryan and Braith Anasta scored the Bulldogs' tries while Hazem El Masri landed three conversions and one penalty goal.

El Masri's eight-point haul moves him past Daryl Halligan as the Bulldogs' highest ever pointscorer, a tremendous achievement for the 29-year-old who made his first grade debut in 1996.

Lincoln Withers scored Canberra's only try and Clinton Schifcofske kicked one conversion and two penalty goals.

Tony Grimaldi led the Bulldogs' tackle count with 36 while Ryan also shared the workload with 26.

Mark O'Meley, in his first match back from a leg injury, performed admirably for the Bulldogs to record 22 tackles and 19 hit-ups.

The Kangaroos prop has not played in eight weeks since Australia's Test victory over New Zealand in Brisbane in Apri,l and he would have done his chances of a call-up to the New South Wales squad for State of Origin III next month no harm with his hard-working performance.

For the Raiders, Ian Hindmarsh worked hard to post 34 tackles in addition to his 18 hit-ups.

Utai opened the scoring in the match when he crossed for an unconverted try in the ninth minute.

Canberra levelled the score courtesy of back-to-back penalty goals to Schifcofske before the Bulldogs regained the lead when Hughes scored his try in the 23rd minute and El Masri kicked his first conversion.

The Raiders refused to lie down however and Withers' try and Schifcofske's conversion meant the score was deadlocked at 10-10 at half-time.

The Bulldogs came out in the second half the hungrier of the two sides and this was illustrated on the scoreboard.

The Raiders were kept scoreless as the home side proceeded to pile on 18 unanswered points.

Patten, Ryan and Anasta scored second-half tries and El Masri kicked two conversions and one penalty goal.

The loss leaves Canberra in ninth place on the NRL ladder with the Bulldogs breathing down the neck of the top eight in 10th position.

Source: www.abc.net.au

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