More often than not, the Bulldogs came out on top.

It has taken longer than coach Ron Griffiths had hoped, but the 2019 Bulldogs are getting better at closing out tight games after they held on to edge Central 12-6 at a rain-soaked St John Oval on Saturday.

It is the fourth game Kurri have been involved in this season that has been decided by less than six points. They have won two and lost two.

"Last year we were good at really grinding things out and we are starting to get back that to mindset," Griffiths said. "We do a lot of work on closing games out and on how to be effective at the end of our sets. You have to do it week in, week out in this comp. It is so tight. We are working at it and improving."

The Bulldogs handled the wet conditions the better of the two teams on Saturday.

Brady Hamond crossed in the 29^th minute and Sam Wooden slid in five minutes later as the visitors went to the break up 12-0.

"I thought we handled the conditions well early on,"Griffiths said. "There was some water around but not as much as later in the half. Our control with the football was better.

"We did get a stroke of luck. One of their kicks bounced for us and Sam Wooden was able to run 60-odd metres. It was fortuitous, but we put ourselves in a position to do that. That is what we have been working on; those little effort areas."

For the majority of the contest it was basic one-out footy.

"It was tight and tough," Griffiths said. "Particularly after the first 30 minutes. It was like we were living in the middle. Credit to our blokes, particularly our strength and conditioning coach Josh Day, we didn't even go through all our interchange replacements. He is worth his weight in gold and should be at the higher level."

Griffiths was happy with effort of the pack, especially front-rower Jordan Mitchell.

"We set him some challenges through the week," Griffiths said. "We didn't think he was where he needed to be with his form. We told him this week was the time to shine against that forward pack and he did."

Brad Murray, who was Central's most dangerous, got the home side back in the match when he pounced after Kurri had the ball raked free from a kick return.

"Murray was good," Griffiths said. "His experience. He knew it was a game of chess and he tried to make an impact.

"Our resolve defensively was pretty good. We came up with some errors carting the ball out from our own end, but we were able to defend them."

In the other game on Saturday, Maitland bounced back to form with a 18-10 win over Macquarie at Peacock Field.

Winger Greg Morris scored a doubled as the visitors came back from 4-0 down to lead 16-4.

Sunday's games, between Wests and Souths at Harker Oval, and Lakes and Cessnock at Cahill Oval, were washed out.