Bulldogs emerge from NRL time warp on verge of finals

Canterbury are daring to dream of their first series finals in eight years after the NRL entered a time warp at Belmore and the Bulldogs emerged with a 22-18 win over Canberra.

On a day of throwbacks, the Bulldogs drew their second-biggest crowd at Belmore since the Super League war before holding on for a see-sawing victory.

In scenes reminiscent of the last century, a melee at one stage spilled over the sideline while Bulldogs No.7 Toby Sexton earlier successfully kicked for touch from an optional restart.

Canterbury have also found themselves their most inspirational captain in decades, with Stephen Crichton standing tall and playing a role in three of the Bulldogs’ four tries.

But the biggest throwback of all was the result, and what it means for the ladder.

One of the NRL’s most disappointing teams for the past eight years, the Bulldogs are now fifth with five rounds to play.

Cameron Ciraldo’s men look more likely to make the top four then miss the finals, with one more victory from their final five games possibly enough to cement their return.

In contrast, Canberra found themselves stuck in 10th, only one win behind the eighth-placed St George Illawarra but with the most difficult run home in the NRL.

Still, it didn’t come easy for the Bulldogs on Sunday.

Crichton pushed off a poor attempted tackle from Sebastian Kris to open the scoring, he celebrated to a rapturous crowd of 18,110 who looked ready to party.

The Bulldogs center came to the fore again early in the second half, breaking a 6-6 deadlock when he kicked for himself to score just before the dead-ball line.

Canterbury then led 16-6 but time and time again Canberra refused to go away.

Diminutive fullback Kaeo Weekes produced one of the try-saving tackles of the year on a ramping Viliame Kikau, stripping the ball out of the Fijian international’s hands.

Jamal Fogarty got it back to 16-12 for Canberra when he grubber-kicked for Matt Timoko, briefly silencing the Belmore crowd.

Then it was time for Crichton to stand up again, leaping high to bat back a Matt Burton bomb and helping Josh Addo-Carr score his second try.

Still, there was more left in the Raiders, when Jordan Rapana crossed out wide and made it a four-point game with seven minutes left.

But Crichton had one last star move, pulling down Kris on the final play of a set and forcing an errant pass to ruin Canberra’s last good attacking raid.

And with that, the Bulldogs had beaten Canberra for the first time in 10 attempts and completed the final big throwback of the day.