Match Details
Match Date	9th Jul, 2016
Opponent	Wests Tigers
Result	Win 32-22
Coach	Des Hasler
Captain	James Graham
Venue	Homebush (ANZ Stadium)
Crowd	16,212
Referee	Ashley Klein Chris James

Two weeks ago Brett Morris virtually turned down any chance of playing the third State of Origin match, a dead rubber, and the $30,000 which would have come with it.

On Saturday night, he proved he is worth so much more to the Bulldogs, with the former Australia and NSW flyer maintaining his sizzling tryscoring spree as the top-four aspirants wore down the gutsy Tigers.

Morris scored twice – and was denied another two by the video referee – to rack up his sixth and seventh tries in just three games back as the antithesis of the rugby league mercenary continued to dazzle after a long-term knee problem.

At this rate, Morris could conceivably end up near the top of the NRL’s try-scoring charts despite missing more than half the season.

It is no coincidence the winger’s return has partly triggered the Bulldogs’ best run all year – four straight wins – as Des Hasler’s side, backed up by powerhouse displays by skipper James Graham and Sam Kasiano, shored up their top-four status with a 32-22 win.

Mitchell Moses’ faultless goalkicking had the Tigers in touch – and in fact leading for long periods – but the Bulldogs always looked likely in a pulsating clash despite trailing by 10 points early.

The Tigers’ hooking circus took another twist with teenager Jacob Liddle scoring in his NRL debut to further cloud coach Jason Taylor’s thinking at No.9.

Missing Robbie Farah (State of Origin) as well as injured pair Matt Ballin and Manaia Cherrington, Liddle’s opportunistic second-half try vaulted the Tigers to the lead before the Bulldogs class shone through in the end.

For a game missing a slew of Origin representatives – including the Tigers’ record trio – the first half was anything but the stale affair a sparsely populated ANZ Stadium might have expected.

Kevin Naiqama scored and then saved one early on, grounding a deft Moses grubber and then hauling Brett Morris into touch with the try line beckoning.

But you can’t keep the Bulldogs ace down for long. He set up Moses Mbye for the hosts’ first and then profited from a bizarre exchange where a failed Naiqama intercept and David Nofoaluma tap back had the ball eventually find his way.

It wasn’t even close to the most dramatic passage of the opening 40 minutes. That belonged to Melbourne-bound Tigers winger Josh Addo-Carr, who skinned the Bulldogs defence and burst 90 metres for a slashing individual try.

The competition’s most lethal impact player Kasiano hauled the Bulldogs in front for the first time when his pass released Josh Reynolds for Will Hopoate to score.

A Moses’ long-range penalty goal on the siren levelled the scores at half-time. It didn’t stay that way for long. Liddle, in any other week caught in the logjam of No.9s at Concord, was in the right place at the right time in more ways than one when a fifth-tackle scramble had the ball shovelled back his way.

James Tedesco’s replacement at No.1, Jordan Rankin, should have extended the lead, but his fumble of a Tim Simona kick with the stripe beckoning proved costly.

Contentiously denied by the video referee for a second time, Brett Morris wouldn’t be denied two tackles later when he scooted over having been set up by his twin Josh.

It was enough to give the Bulldogs a sniff and Curtis Rona provided the hammer blow, angling back on the inside after a Hopoate pass and brushing off some feeble Tigers resistance.

Source: The Sun Herald

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