Canterbury have flexed their muscles to deliver a 32-0 thumping of the Rabbitohs on Good Friday at Accor Stadium, breaking a club record and setting an 87-year first.
It was the first time the Bulldogs have held opponents scoreless twice in a row in club history and their win means they have started the season with six straight wins for the first time since their maiden premiership season of 1938.
Played in front of a record regular season crowd of 65,305 at Accor Stadium on Friday, the win could come at a cost with star forward Viliame Kikau likely to cop a ban for a high shot.
The Dogs led 20-0 at half-time and kicked on with tries to Jacob Preston and Bronson Xerri in the second half ensuring their unbeaten record remains intact.
Forwards Josh Curran, Max King and Sitili Tupouniua touched down during the dominant first half with captain Stephen Crichton adding a penalty goal.
Their impressive win was built on a first-half onslaught that led to an underwhelming Latrell Mitchell being shunted to centre for the final 40 minutes.
Mitchell, who has been displaced as fullback by Jye Gray, has been filling in at five-eighth as Souths deal with an array of injuries.
But the NRL’s biggest name had just one first-half run and struggled to impact a game that was Canterbury’s from the get-go.
Josh Curran celebrates a try. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)
Curran scored Canterbury’s first try with a 11th minute barge-over.
His opener came after Mitchell threw an unnecessary offload on the second tackle in his own 20m which was scooped up by Kikau.
Crichton then kicked a penalty goal when Euan Aitken was sin-binned for a professional foul.
A Mitchell kick dead then led to a seven-tackle which set the wheels in motion for King to crash in when Souths were down to 12.
King ended the longest wait – 80 games – for an NRL try, a fitting reward for a 205m return.
Sitili Tupouniua pushed the Doggies further in front when he backed up a trademark cavalier charge from Jacob Kiraz before halftime.
Souths needed a spark and coach Wayne Bennett’s first lever to pull was to swap Jack Wighton into five-eighth to partner Cody Walker.
Mitchell was re-deployed at centre but Souths kept bringing themselves undone with basic errors.
Jacob Preston ran over Walker for Canterbury’s first try of the second half, before the veteran five-eighth, who has been battling hamstring issues, was subbed off for debutant Lewis Dodd.
Suspensions have delayed the English playmaker’s debut but Dodd showed some nice touches in a 25-minute cameo.
Bronson Xerri crossed before Canterbury saw out the final 10 minutes with 12 men after Marcelo Montoya was sin-binned for slapping.
Kikau (high contact), Aitken (hip-drop tackle) and Souths prop Tevita Tatola (crusher tackle) were all placed on report by referee Grant Atkins.
The Bunnies have lost two straight after a promising start to the year and have dropped to a 4-3 record heading into next Friday’s trip to Melbourne to face the Storm.
