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Nick Markham | rugbyleaguelive.com | 21/06/08 | 0
AUDIO - Canberra's four-try hero, Colin Best
AUDIO - There's a long way to go yet: Alan Tongue
AUDIO - We scored points, but defence was our focus: Monaghan
Canberra has put on a sparkling attacking display tonight at ANZ Stadium, piling on eleven tries to obliterate a woefully inept Bulldogs 58-18 - the Belmore club's biggest loss since 1959.
The Bulldogs’ defensive performance was undoubtedly the poorest seen in the NRL this season, as they leaked five tries in the first half and six in the second, putting the once-imposing Bulldogs defence to absolute shame.
Redfern-bound centre Colin Best nabbed a career-best four tries in a hiding that could have been much worse if not for a twenty minute period in the second half where the visitors bombed at least three genuine scoring opportunities.
The Raiders dominated from the outset, exploding out of the blocks with the type of scintillating attack they usually reserve for Canberra Stadium, and never looked back.
A second man ball from Terry Campese laid on the opening four-pointer David Milne in just the fourth minute, Todd Carney comfortably adding the extras to get the Green Machine up and running.
The Raiders were almost in again minutes later when Glenn Butriss was cut down inches short, and could consider themselves unlucky after Dane Tilse barged his way over but was denied a try due to a double movement.
But it was to matter little, as the Raiders produced one of the tries of the season from their next possession.
Rookie sensation Justin Carney fielded the ball in his own 20 metre area and surged into space before linking with Terry Campese, he in turn released Best who brushed away from an ineffective attempted tackle from Nick Youngquest to go over in the corner.
Glenn Turner sold a simple dummy and crashed over Raiders third try in the 18th minute, with Carney's conversion giving the Raiders a 16-nil advantage.
It looked like the Bulldogs fortunes were starting to turn when Hazem El Masri plucked a Joe Williams cross-field kick out of the air to get the home side on the board, but a schoolboy error from the kickoff kept the Dogs on the back foot.
Inexplicably, they were unable to get to the re-start on the full, and Joel Monaghan streaked through to gather the loose ball and put the Raiders back on the attack.
The Bulldogs defensive frailty was again shown up when Best crossed for a soft try in the corner to notch up a first-half double, giving the visitors a 20-6 lead after just 23 minutes.
The Bulldogs then came charging back into the contest with tries to Heka Nanai and Andrew Ryan, with the boot of El Masri closing the gap to just two points after 33 minutes.
But the Raiders gained the upper hand in the shadows of half time with a sixty metre effort finished off by Milne, with Carney's conversion giving the visitors a 26-18 half time lead.
The second half was underway for less than two minutes when Best busted the defensive line and put Joe Picker in for the Raiders sixth try, with Carney adding the extras to put the visitors up by 14.
Best made it a hat-trick with an uninterrupted 50 metre run to the line in the 47th minute to make it 36-18, and a half-century was looking a mere formality for the Raiders.
It was at this point that the Green Machine went from well-oiled to busted, as they proceeded to bomb a plethora of four-pointers.
Justin Carney got the Raiders back into scoring mode when he snared a bomb from his namesake Todd for the Raiders eighth try, with Picker following up with his second six minutes from time, but the Raiders weren't done yet.
Best grabbed his fourth of the night, strolling over in the 76th minute, before Bronx Goodwin dived over in the 79th minute to complete a night of utter humiliation for the Bulldogs.
CANBERRA 58 (C Best 4 D Milne 2 J Picker 2 J Carney B Goodwin G Turner tries T Carney 5 T Campese 2 goals)
bt
BULLDOGS 18 (H El Masri H Nanai A Ryan tries H El Masri 3 goals)
Crowd: 9,845.
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