The Kurri Bulldogs were soundly beaten by an impressive Lakes United Seagulls 40-22 at Sylvester Real Estate Kurri Sportsground on Saturday – a day the Bulldogs celebrated club captain Mick Campton’s 200 first grade game milestone.
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A Real NRL life member, Campton was presented with an embroidered jersey by fellow first-grader Justin ‘Bumper’ Peterkin, who reached the same milestone last July.
Despite an impressive turnout of fans adorning past and present Bulldogs jerseys for the club’s inaugural #mykurrijerseyday, the Bulldogs were unable to avoid back- to-back losses.
Seagulls centre Matt Craig took an intercept in Kurri’s first set, laying the platform for powerhouse fullback Honeti Tuha to lead 4-0 after three minutes.
The pendulum swung two minutes later with Kurri hooker Terence Seu Seu handing a magic inside ball to Mick Campton, who set halfback Theeran Pearson swan-diving under the sticks. Pearson converted his own try to lead 6-4.
High-profile Lakes recruits Chris Adams (Cessnock) and Brad Murray (Wests) punished Kurri after a 13th minute penalty to send back-rower Dylan Hartin over. Murray converted for a 10-6 lead.
Seven minutes later, the Seagulls capitalised on poor handling from the Bulldogs, leading 16-6 after Hartin scored his second in similar fashion.
Kurri winger Wylie Manton almost scored a freakish try in the 31st minute, dodging the sideline in acrobatic fashion a la West Tigers winger David Nofoaluma, but was unable to force downward pressure.
Minutes later, five-eighth Mitch Cullen scored from his own grubber to reduce the deficit by 16-10.
The Seagulls swooped right before half-time with hooker Adams putting a cheeky grubber in for Tuha’s second try to lead 22-10 at the break.
It didn’t stop there for Lakes, with Kurri fumbling a cross-field bomb only minutes after the break, enabling Hartin to pick up a hat-trick.
The Bulldogs hit back in the 50th minute with luck of their own, a contentious pass from Cullen sent lock Ben Wyborn downfield. Fullback Ryan Walker took the final pass to score a converted try to trail 28-16.
Lakes winger James Varka went one better on Wylie Manton’s first-half acrobatics, scoring in aerial style. Minutes later, mammoth forward Tim Harlow put the game out of reach.
Bulldogs forward Peter Cronin barnstormed over for a consolation try late in the game for a full-time score of 40-22.
The reserves went down in a close game again 20-14; open age were soundly beaten 46-10 and the under-19s denied the Seagulls quinella with a 30-4 victory.
The Bulldogs also observed a minute silence for Jacob Dodd, a former Kurri junior who tragically passed away last week. The Dodd family is synonymous with Kurri Rugby League; father Bruce as a strapper, mother Jude in junior league administration and brothers Matt and Cody both former and current Bulldogs grade players.
With Anzac Day weekend off, the Bulldogs will travel to Lyall Peacock Oval to face Macquarie United Scorpions on Saturday, May 2 from 11am in all grades (first grade at 3pm, BarTV coverage details to be announced).
The very first #mykurrijerseyday prize winners included:
- The 2015 Home Game Golden Ticket, enabling free entry to all 2015 Bulldogs home games was awarded to Donna Scudds, wearing the early 2000s Bulldogs lightning bolt strip.
- The Criterion Hotel Weston’s $50 bar voucher was a tie, going to former Bulldogs players Chad Lynch and Kyle Walton, wearing the 1968 strip and the 1990s three-peat premiership winning jersey respectively.
