Match Details
Match Date	18th Apr, 2014
Opponent	South Sydney
Result	Win 15-14
Coach	Des Hasler
Captain	Michael Ennis
Venue	Homebush (ANZ Stadium)
Crowd	43,255
Referee	Shayne Hayne Ben Cummins

The Bulldogs became the first club in history to win three consecutive one point games after a dramatic come-from-behind win over South Sydney on Friday at ANZ Stadium.

After beating the Warriors and the Roosters with field goals in recent weeks, the Bulldogs added South Sydney to that list when Trent Hodkinson kicked a 21-metre one-pointer in the 78th minute to break the deadlock. Hodkinson described it as ‘‘deja vu’’ after kicking a penalty goal and field goal in successive weeks to claim victory.

‘‘It was very similar to last week,’’ Hodkinson said. ‘‘I have been more focused on my goal-kicking. I’ve had a fair record [with drop kicks], and hopefully they keep going through.

‘‘The kicks going over helps with the confidence. I was saying in my head to do exactly what I did last week.’’

Adam Reynolds and Nathan Merritt had field-goal attempts for Souths but it was left to Hodkinson to secure victory after his side trailed 14-6 with 15 minutes remaining. It capped a remarkable turnaround for Hodkinson who came close to retiring after shoulder and knee injuries crippled his 2012 season, restricting him to six matches. ‘‘I questioned myself if I’d be back playing and if I had confidence in my body,’’ Hodkinson said. ‘‘A full preseason helps. The doctors never said that [I couldn’t play on]. It was the demons in the back of my mind.

‘‘They were confident I could come back to full fitness but I didn’t really believe them at first.’’

An injury-ravaged South Sydney might have finished the first half without any replacements but they carried an eight-point lead at half-time in front of 43,255 people.

Greg Inglis sent a shudder through the Rabbitohs camp when he looked to have aggravated a lower-back injury in the second half, but he played on.

While a try after the siren created headlines last week, it was the obstruction rule that reared its ugly head on Friday night. Opposing coaches Des Hasler and Michael Maguire had differing interpretations of two rulings that resulted in Corey Thompson crossing the try line. The Bulldogs winger was denied a try after 10 minutes when Josh Morris was ruled to have run behind a teammate before firing a 30m spiral cut-out pass to Thompson, who crossed in the corner.

The other was a decisive moment, when Thompson scored for Canterbury to get within two points of Souths in the 68th minute. Maguire was filthy that lead runner Josh Jackson made contact with captain John Sutton, before Sutton raced to the corner to attempt to deny Thompson from scoring.

‘‘I felt like I got impeded,’’ Sutton said of the video referee’s decision. ‘‘If I didn’t get impeded I would’ve got out and the boys would’ve been more comfortable. [The referee] said it was sweet.’’

Maguire added: ‘‘I’m not sure how they are interpreting the obstruction rule. Sutton got impeded, and he was the person standing where the try is scored. He probably stops it.’’

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald

LINE UP