Dragons downed by Bulldogs in Indigenous Round

It was Moses Suli who stormed his way over down the left corridor to draw first blood for the Red V off a well-timed cut-out from skipper Ben Hunt.

Lomax was able to add the extra two to make it 6-0 the way of the visitors 15 minutes into proceedings before Sele was taken from the field in the aftermath with a right shoulder complaint.

The Bulldogs threatened to hit back down the left flank through Josh Addo-Carr only for a savvy Lomax bat-down to prevent any break.

They did manage to cross off the back of it however with Matt Burton flying through to ground a grubber millimetres inside the dead-ball line off the boot of halves partner Toby Sexton.

The five-eighth converted his own try to lock things up a quarter of the way into the affair before Luciano Leilua was inserted into the action 25 minutes in for his first taste of action since Round 5.

Jacob Liddle scooped the ball up one-handed and burrowed his way over out of dummy-half off the back of a piercing Kyle Flanagan carry to put the Red V back ahead by a half dozen.

Bird was assisted from the field just shy of halftime with an apparent lower leg injury forcing the Dragons into a backline re-shuffle with Tom Eisenhuth moving out to left centre and Suli switching over to the right.

Lomax saved what looked to be a certain Addo-Carr try as time expired shoving the opposition winger just enough to force his foot onto the chalk prior to grounding the football.

The Bulldogs tied things up at a dozen early in the second half courtesy of a converted Jaeman Salmon try before the back rower grabbed a second soon after to put the hosts ahead for the first time.

The momentum continued the way of the Bulldogs with Kiraz again taking advantage down the right edge to make it three tries in the space of 10 minutes and extend their lead.

Jacob Preston was the next to get his name on the scoresheet for the hosts crashing through a hole down the right edge to make it 28-12.

Lomax found himself binned the following set for interrupting a Bulldogs kick chaser in a try-scoring situation as the injury-hit Dragons found themselves in further bother.

Burton slotted a penalty goal as a result to make it 30-12 with 15 minutes on the clock before scoring his second of the night down the Dragons’ undermanned right edge.

Hunt fired in a captain’s challenge off the following kick-off only for video officials to stick with the on-field decision and award the Bulldogs a penalty with Stephen Crichton scoring off a Connor Tracey kick the following set of six.

Kiraz somersaulted his way over for a second late to seal an Indigenous Round win for the hosts.