BULLDOGS 12 SOUTH SYDNEY 17
George Burgess charges to the tryline to score the first points for the Rabbitohs. Photo: Anthony Johnson
South Sydney confirmed themselves as genuine premiership contenders on a day of NRL records, but the best game of 2013 so far was overshadowed by an ugly spear tackle from Krisnan Inu.
The decision by match officials not to send off Inu, after failing to dismiss his Canterbury teammate James Graham for biting in last year's grand final, ensured a controversial finish to a gripping contest between two of this season's heavyweights.
Ben Barba scored a try for the Bulldogs in the final minute. Photo: Anthony Johnson
Inu was placed on report and is certain to be charged by the NRL match-review committee after putting his hands between the legs of Rabbitohs ace Greg Inglis and tipping him on his head in the 68th minute.
Inglis got up rubbing his head but was otherwise uninjured and stayed on as Souths recorded their fourth win from the opening four rounds for the first time since they last won the premiership in 1971.
The match was played in front of the biggest regular-season crowd in NRL history, while Rabbitohs winger Nathan Merritt also equalled a record when he joined South Sydney's Benny Wearing as the 10th-highest try-scorer in premiership history.
Merritt achieved the feat by crossing for his 144th try in the second half off a perfectly weighted Adam Reynolds kick that put Souths ahead midway through the second half.
The move, which capitalised on the rushing defence of the Bulldogs' outside-backs, looked to be planned by coach Michael Maguire, who made the bold decision to drop captain Michael Crocker before kick-off.
However, not everything went to plan for Souths, with forward Sam Burgess limping from the field at full-time with an ankle problem, while the Bulldogs lost skipper Michael Ennis just before half-time with concussion.
Compared to the mistake-riddled Manly-Wests Tigers match on Thursday night, the Bulldogs and Rabbitohs played almost perfect football in the good afternoon conditions at ANZ Stadium. The opening half was played at a frantic pace but each side made only one handling error.
As bizarre as it may seem, Canterbury's early tactics seemed to be to target one of Souths' best players in Merritt with kicks in-goal and they came up with back-to-back repeat sets that led to the opening try.
Winger Mitch Brown scored in the Bulldogs' left corner after Merritt put down a cross-field bomb from Josh Reynolds and Inu stood in a tackle to offload before the ball was swung to the opposite side of the field.
Star recruit Tony Williams had his most significant moment in Canterbury colours so far when he sent a perfectly executed pass just before hitting the ground in a tackle for Brown to cross in the corner.
It took 19 minutes for Souths to reply and it was probably no coincidence that George Burgess pushed off Williams and Dave Klemmer to win a battle of the giants and score while Ennis was down in back play.
The Bulldogs skipper, who had been steamrolled by Roy Asotasi in the previous tackle, was still his side's top tackler at half-time with 23, despite having come from the field five minutes earlier.
In his absence, the Rabbitohs took control of the second half and proved too strong after Merritt crossed for his seventh try of the season in the 56th minute and then put Bryson Goodwin over 10 minutes before full-time.
SOUTH SYDNEY 17 (G Burgess B Goodwin N Merritt tries A Reynolds 2 goals A Reynolds field goal) bt BULLDOGS 12 (B Barba M Brown tries K Inu 2 goals) at ANZ Stadium. Referee: Shayne Hayne, Alan Shortall. Crowd: 51,686.
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