Canterbury have kept alive their slim finals hopes despite back-rower Jacob Preston spending two days in hospital on a drip, five players contracting Covid-19 and winger Jacob Kiraz secretly playing with a torn calf for the past three weeks.
In yet another pre-match disruption, centre Matt Burton missed training in the lead-up to Saturday night’s must-win clash with St George Illawarra to return home to Dubbo for a family issue.
And before kick-off, Enari Tuala was ruled out with a knee injury which he aggravated at training.
As far as preparations go, it is hard to envisage there being more interruptions.
The Bulldogs, however, performed as if it had been plain sailing for them all week, beating the Dragons 44-14 in a free-flowing and clinical display before a crowd of 14,711 at Allianz Stadium.
The victory leaves the ninth-placed side two points behind South Sydney and North Queensland with two matches remaining.
They still need results to go in their favour to make the top eight and 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.
The fact that they did so after the week they had – and following a deflating last-start defeat to South Sydney – was another vote of confidence.
“These things happen in a footy season. Every team goes through them. A lot of them you don’t hear about,” Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo said.
“I was a bit harsh on the boys last week, and then you rock up Monday and about five of them have tested positive for COVID, so no wonder they were a bit flat.”
On top of that, Preston, who has been in high-profile contract negotiations with the club, had been hospitalised ahead of the contest with an injection in his elbow.
“So he was on a trip over the last couple of days,” Ciraldo said.
Not done with the post-game revelations, the coach then let slip that Kiraz had been quietly playing with a tear in his calf, having incurred the same injury on his other leg earlier this season.
Burton, meanwhile, switched from left to right centre to accommodate the return of Bronson Xerri after having to skip training for family reasons.
Along with Preston, he was a standout with a pair of tries and some try-saving defence.
“I just feel like it balanced the team up a little bit,” Ciraldo said of Burton’s shift to the right.
“Burto wanted that challenge of going on Val Holmes. They’re both Origin players and I think Burto was pretty excited by that.”
In an impressive all-round outing, Burton and Preston were in good company. 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.
A busy Jaeman Salmon and Bailey Hayward were other top performers while Ciraldo credited fullback Connor Tracey with his best game of the year.
With Tuala due back next week, the only concerns for Canterbury as they turn their attention to Penrith were Salmon being placed on report twice and a groin injury that forced utility Kurt Mann off the field in the second half.
They were too strong for the Dragons despite two periods in which they were reduced to 12 men.
Dean Young’s team gave a better account than the scoreline suggested but were undone by mistakes.
They also lost hooker Jacob Liddle with a suspected torn calf.
There were concerns the 29-year-old had ruptured his achilles, but those fears were eased by Dragons medical staff.
“I hope it is just a calf,” said departing captain Damien Cook, who replaced Liddle when Liddle went off at the half-hour mark.
“I was pretty worried for him. He’s someone I’ve enjoyed working along with. He’s been playing really good footy of late. He deserves to be starting and he’s going to do a great job for the team next year.”
The result snapped a two-game winning run for St George Illawarra and all but assured they will collect the wooden spoon.
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Chris Barrett is a senior sports reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald. He is a former South-East Asia correspondent for the Herald and The Age.Connect via X or email.