Match Details
Match Date	17th Jul, 2015
Opponent	Parramatta
Result	Win 28-4
Coach	Des Hasler
Captain	James Graham
Venue	Homebush (ANZ Stadium)
Crowd	17,082
Referee	Ben Cummins Chris James

What Brad Arthur would do for Des Hasler’s type of halves problem. Bulldogs young gun Moses Mbye watched on as Josh Reynolds and Trent Hodkinson reprised their old club and state combination to lead Canterbury to a 28-4 win against Parramatta at ANZ Stadium on Friday night.

Hodkinson and Reynolds laid on a try each in a polished performance, while their opposites Chris Sandow and Luke Kelly struggled. It may have been Sandow’s last outing in Eels colours as he continues to agitate for a release to join English Super League club Warrington. The five-tries-to-one loss will likely see Parramatta fall four points outside the top eight by the end of the weekend, while the Bulldogs kept their faint top-four hopes alive.

‘‘Now the Origin period is over, you get everybody back on deck; you get a bit of continuity,’’ Hasler said. ‘‘[You] have to be happy with a 24-0 effort in the second half. I thought Josh Jackson was really good. He was supported by Brett Morris at the back and James [Graham] gets another game under his belt. It’s coming together slowly. [But] we need to be better than that going forward.’’

Of his halves, Hasler said: ‘‘They were OK tonight. They steered us around. The first half it was sputtering. We couldn’t get onto a roll.’’

Hodkinson will leave Belmore to join Newcastle at the end of the season, with Mbye anointed as the Bulldogs’ long-term No.7. The the 21-year-old has carried a heavy load over the Origin period with Hodkinson away on NSW duty, and Hasler said he had been given a well-deserved rest.

‘‘[It was wear and tear with Moses,’’ Hasler said. ‘‘We have to be careful with young players we’re bringing through. He has had a couple of big weeks. It’s a situation we can accord to [rest] and manage him. And make sure we protect him going forward. He’ll certainly apply pressure.’’

To compound the Eels’ woes, Corey Norman – who has been their best player this year – limped off midway through the second half with a possible damaged posterior cruciate ligament, while Arthur indicated Danny Wicks’s season is over, with the prop needing a shoulder operation. Anthony Watmough also left the field late.

‘‘There are still seven games to go,’’ Arthur said. ‘‘We got a few injuries out of it which might hurt. I thought we tried really hard. We were just outclassed.’’

Bulldogs forward Frank Pritchard scored two tries for the second time this year, while winger Curtis Rona and Parramatta opposite Semi Radradra traded four pointers in their battle to top the tryscorers’ standings. An 80-metre kick return from Brett Morris after 63 minutes put the result beyond the Eels’ reach.

Parramatta’s David Gower was placed on report for a crusher tackle while Reynolds could come under scrutiny for a trip on Sandow.

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald

LINE UP