An unusual start to the game saw a successful captain’s challenge hand the Bulldogs an attacking opportunity straight out of the gates and a well weighted Matt Burton grubber found Josh Addo-Carr to open the scoring for the Bulldogs.
Come the 18th minute and the Bulldogs extended their lead to 10 when Kyle Flanagan found Burton out of the scrum and the five-eighth sliced through the Cowboys’ defence.
Cowboys hit back in the 30th minute and then again to bring the score to 10 points apiece heading into the break.
A penalty against young half Kyle Flanagan, handed them an easy shot to make it 12-10 to the Cowboys.
It was Burton’s left boot that got Canterbury back into the game in the 51st minute after he put the ball up for winger Jacob Kiraz who flicked the ball to Flanagan who crossed the stripe to make it 14-12 for the hosts.
Mid-way through the second half, Cowboys was back in the lead as their fullback scored a try and then another in the final 10 minutes to win.
Bulldogs coach Mick Potter said it was a disappointing outcome when they were in a position to win.
“They were good enough to hold us down and we weren’t good enough to get out of there,” he said.
“If our ball control was a bit better … the outcome could have been a lot different.”
The Bulldogs are next off to Auckland to meet with the Warriors at Mt Smart Stadium on Friday night from 6pm.