NRL 2020: Bulldogs vs. Wests: Tommy Talau wins Canterbury

Canterbury junior Willie Talau made two attempts to put his former club in last place on a night full of milestones for West Tigers and coach Michael Maguire.

The Tigers celebrated their 500th match since the formation of the Western Suburbs Magpies-Balmain joint venture in 2000 with a 34-6 loss to the Bulldogs to move up from ninth to sixth.

It was also Maguire’s 100th NRL victory since returning from Wigan to South Sydney in 2012, leading him to the 2014 Premier League.

Maguire tries to make the Tigers a team that consistently plays football in the final, and has introduced a number of young players, including Talau, hooker Harry Grant and exchange striker Sam McIntyre.

Talau, whose father Willie Talau played 101 games for the Bulldogs, was just playing his third NRL game after switching to the Tigers from Canterbury, where he was captain of SG Ball Under 18, last season.

The 20-year-old made two attempts – a feat his father had made four times in his Bulldogs career between 1998 and 2003 before playing in the Super League with St. Helens and Salford.

It was salt in the wounds for Canterbury coach Dean Pay and his team after the worst performance of the season.

The first sign that it wasn’t going to be Canterbury’s night came in the fourth minute when star full-back Will Hopoate had to be helped off the field by an ankle injury.

Hopoate caught his left ankle under Tiger’s center Joey Leilua after jumping out of an attempted attack on Luke Garner. He limped to the sidelines immediately before being taken to the locker room. He watched the second half in a moon boot.

After Reimis Smith opened the goal for Canterbury in the 18th minute, the rest of the game was practically a one-way traffic as the Tigers started in seven attempts.

Harry Grant scored the first goal in the 22nd minute after winger David Nofoaluma fielded and the talented hooker pounced on Brandon Wakeham’s fumble before digging himself over the test line.

Talau then made his first NRL attempt after another spilled kick – this time from Bulldogs Center Kerrod Holland – was picked up by Sam McIntrye and the three-game rookies put the Tigers ahead in the 36th minute.

Still, the Tigers weren’t halfway through and Leilua extended his lead before the break when he pushed through four defenders near the line and managed to get the ball down for a try in the 40th minute .

The Tigers led 16: 6 during the break and completely dominated the second half when Talau and Nofoaluma scored the double.

Talau’s second attempt was spectacular when he left-balled the ball over the test line while the rest of his body was out of the field in the 45th minute.

Just one attempt from Dallin Watene-Zelezniak prevented his full-back from striking against Adam Doueihi in the 52nd minute, and he was held over Canterbury’s line again in the next set.

Finally, Nofoaluma was rewarded after intercepting a Foran pass in the 53rd minute to sprint away and score. In the 60th minute he met again after a Leilua pass.

It was a third stroke of luck for Doueihi when he made an attempt in the 73rd minute and only the kick from Moses Mbye denied the Tigers the 40-point mark.