Dragons 14, Bulldogs 44
In Las Vegas this year, before the Bulldogs took on the Dragons in the casino mecca, Matt Burton kicked a ball so high it struck the roof of an NFL training centre.
On Saturday night, in the rematch at Allianz Stadium, he hit different heights as Canterbury kept alive their finals hopes with a free-flowing and clinical display before a crowd of 14,711.
Matt Burton tries to give Valentine Holmes the slip on Saturday night.Getty Images
Continuing his successful switch to centre, Burton starred in a 44-14 win over St George Illawarra that leaves the ninth-placed Bulldogs two points behind South Sydney and North Queensland with two matches remaining.
Their penultimate opponents of the regular season, Penrith, will present a steeper challenge next Friday night at CommBank Stadium.
But Canterbury will approach the round 26 blockbuster in the knowledge that they were the first team to beat the Panthers this season and with renewed verve after taking care of St George Illawarra comfortably.
Eight days after a lacklustre defeat to South Sydney seemed to bring their late season resurgence to a grinding halt, Cameron Ciraldo’s team turned up far more energised for a must-win outing.
Burton was a standout, revelling in his more natural position rather than at five-eighth, where he began the year.
With a pair of tries and some try-saving defence, the 26-year-old was a force on the right side of a Bulldogs side threatening to peak at just the right time of the year.
In an impressive all-round outing, he was in good company. Fellow centre Bronson Xerri, making his first start in six weeks, demonstrated what he can provide to Canterbury before he heads to Melbourne next season with a try of his own, while halfback Lachlan Galvin scored one and set up two.
Lachlan Galvin and Connor Tracey celebrate a Canterbury try.Getty Images
Back-rower Jacob Preston, who has been in high-profile contract negotiations with the Bulldogs, also showed his value, combining well with Galvin, while a busy Jaeman Salmon and Bailey Hayward were other top performers.
The Dragons narrowed the gap as Burton spent 10 minutes in the sin bin during the second half – the second time Canterbury had been reduced to 12 men following Jonathan Sua’s early dismissal – but a Matthew Feagai double was mere consolation.
As they turn their attention to Penrith, the only concerns for Canterbury were Salmon being placed on report twice and a groin injury that forced utility Kurt Mann off the field with 25 minutes to go.
The Dragons gave a better account than the scoreline suggested but were undone by mistakes, with stand-in fullback Daniel Atkinson having a particularly unhappy evening on that front. They also lost hooker Jacob Liddle to a calf injury.
The result snapped a two-game winning run for St George Illawarra and all but assured they will collect the wooden spoon.