Canterbury downs Balmain

Press, 12 September 1988, Page 19

Canterbury downs Balmain

NZPA Sydney A clinical CanterburyBankstown team wore down Balmain and stormed to a convincing 24-12 win in the Sydney rugby league grand final yesterday. The Bulldogs scored four tries to two to clinch the Winfield Cup in front of a 40,000 capacity crowd at the Sydney Football Ground. It was the fourth time the Canterbury Bulldogs have won the premiership since 1980. It was also the beaten finalist in 1986. Balmain, which had not played in the grand final since winning in 1969, was gallant in defeat and in contention when down at

half-time. But it conceded more errors than Canterbury and missed the try-scoring ability of the Britain skipper, Ellery Hanley, for most of the match.

Hanley, who has scored vital tries in each of Balmain's games in the final play-offs, left the field suffering from concussion after a heavy tackle in the first half.

Big-match tension manifested itself when half a dozen players from each team shaped up in a scuffle only a minute after the kickoff and early mistakes by Balmain proved costly, as Terry Lamb kicked two penalty goals to put Canterbury into an early 4-0 lead.

But Balmain fought back five minutes later when the hooker, Benny Elias, lofted a "bomb” which came down behind the Canterbury goalposts, where it struck the shoulder of the Balmain fiveeighths, Michael Neil, and bounced back for Elias to dive on for a try.

Ross Conlon’s successful conversion put Balmain into the lead and it appeared to have gained the ascendancy until a Canterbury burst down the right flank six minutes before the break which saw Michael Hagan score a try from the 70m movement.

Lamb was again successful with his kick, but Conlon pegged back the lead with a penalty goal. Bjh after the turnaround,

Balmain was put on the back foot — repeatedly having to pull off last gasp tackles close to its tryline. Eventually, the second rower, David Gillespie, squeezed through a tight gap by the cqrner flag to lunge forward and touch down for a try-

Canterbury had everything going its way in the 54th minute when Lamb scored another try after taking the play-the-ball and linking up with the full-back, Jason Alehin.

Canterbury extended its lead to 24-8 when Glenn Nissen scored a try after chasing a chip kick. Then in the closing stages the Balmain prop, Bruce McGuire, scored a consolation