League: Bulldogs put bite on pointless Roosters

Bulldogs 25 Roosters 0

The high-flying Bulldogs, runaway favourites to beat a struggling Roosters side, bit down too deep for the Sydney citysiders.

The Bondi outfit had got back to winning ways last week but facing the power pack of the Dogs is never an enjoyable prospect.

Those this side of the ditch would be hoping the Bulldogs could prevent the Roosters from gaining any ground over the Warriors, who sit out this weekend with the bye.

Andrew Emelio's move from the Canterbury wing to centre paid an early dividend as he was the first over the tryline.

His try came just minutes after Hazem El Masri had put the first points on the board with a penalty goal for the Bulldogs. El Masri was to strike time and again following that try as the Roosters gave away yet more penalties in the ruck.

Willie Tonga could have put Canterbury further ahead but was unable to hold on to the ball.

The Dogs had the run of Telstra Stadium in the first half, while Sydney were fortunate to keep all their players on the park.

The Roosters pinged more times than a microwave at a busy service station and were lucky to trail only by 10 points at halftime.

Nate Myles must have wondered if the ink was still dry on his contract as he makes the move from the Bulldogs to Bondi next season.

Sonny Bill Williams ensured things kept going the way the Warriors wanted in the second half.

Tonga looked to have blown a try scoring opportunity with his lone ranger routine. But Kiwi lock Williams was there at the next tackle to power the ball over and down.

El Masri's boot once again proved its efficiency with another conversion on his way to a 12-point haul.

The Bulldogs continued to dominate field possession. Andrew Ryan effectively killed off any chance for the Roosters as the Doggies added more points over a disorientated looking Sydney side.

It was proving only a matter of time before a Rooster was sent from the field and Adrian Morley was the unsurprising villain.

No stranger to dishing out the rough stuff, he was sent to the bin for kneeing Corey Hughes in a place that had many male spectators wincing.

Given his past record, the British second rower is likely to be in plenty of trouble for his brain explosion. There could be no excuse for his actions this time.

With El Masri continuing to keep the penalty goals ticking over, the Dogs' confidence was high.

Brent Sherwin slotted the ball between the posts from 30 metres out for the final point of the game.

The Roosters celebrate their centenary in 2007 but their 99th year is proving anything but vintage.

The Bulldogs held them to zero in a commanding performance during which the Canterbury defence was as good as any seen this season.

The result keeps the Roosters below the Warriors in 14th, while the Bulldogs closed the gap to leaders Melbourne to six points. The Storm maintained their handy lead thanks to a 28-12 win over the Sharks on Friday.

Bulldogs 25 (A. Emelio, S.B. Williams, A. Ryan tries, H. El Masri 6 gls, B. Sherwin fg)
HT: 10-0