Flashback Friday revisits one of the Warriors’ most dominant performances against Canterbury – a 36-12 drubbing in 2011 that doubled as the club’s 200th match at Mount Smart Stadium.
The Bulldogs arrived in Auckland for the Round 19 clash in a state of flux after coach Kevin Moore sensationally quite mid-flight, leaving assistant Jim Dymock in charge. But the embattled visitors put a severely disrupted build-up aside to post the first two tries through future Warrior Jonathan Wright and Steve Turner.
The Warriors levelled up at 12-all by halftime, however, after Elijah Taylor powered over from a beautiful short ball from fellow rookie Shaun Johnson and James Maloney sliced through via a run-around with Simon Mannering.
The hosts dominated the second stanza in wet and cold conditions, running in another four unanswered tries – including two runaway efforts from underrated hooker Aaron Heremaia. Fullback Kevin Locke claimed man-of-the-match honours, with Jacob Lillyman and Heremaia not far behind.
The Bulldogs went on to win five of their last seven matches under Dymock, before Des Hasler took the reins for 2012.
The Warriors won five of their remaining seven regular-season games to finish sixth and went on a memorable September charge to reach the club’s second grand final.
Categories: FEATURES, Flashbacks
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