Canterbury captain Stephen Crichton was taken from the field amid concern about a suspected nerve issue on a forgettable night for the Bulldogs in which their surge to the finals hit the skids against a resurgent Canberra.
With four wins in their past five games, the Bulldogs arrived at Accor Stadium upbeat and within striking distance of the top eight.
They left the Olympic downcast, thrashed 40-16 by Ricky Stuart’s Raiders and with captain Crichton having been carted off in worrying circumstances.
The 25-year-old, backing up from NSW’s triumph in game three of the State of Origin series on Wednesday night, was transported from the playing arena on a medicab with 16 minutes remaining.
He had slumped to the ground following an innocuous tackle from Raiders second-rower Noah Martin and initially grabbed at his ribs.
Bulldogs medical staff then attended to him as the game was delayed for 10 minutes before he was lifted up on a stretcher.
There was initial concern from Canterbury that it was a nerve problem but Crichton, who had played with a shoulder problem for much of the season, was reportedly on his feet in the tunnel before the full-time siren sounded.
If that was good news, there was not much else of it for Cameron Ciraldo’s team against a Raiders side with finals aspirations of their own.
Canberra resembled last year’s minor premiers with a dominant display led by halfback Ethan Sanders and emerging hooker Owen Pattie, whose pair of 40–20s set in train the thumping.
Lock Zac Hosking posted a treble of tries and fellow back-rower Martin, returning from ankle surgery, also let his hair down.
The result keeps alive their slim finals hopes, leaving them four points out of the top eight.
For the Bulldogs, the heavy defeat was a blow to their aspirations of featuring in September.
They are two points outside the eight in 10th place but the three teams directly above them – Manly, South Sydney and the Cowboys – all play on Sunday.
Canterbury have a very winnable game against Wests Tigers next Saturday night but can barely afford to be without Crichton in the run-in to the finals.
His move to five-eighth, partnering Lachlan Galvin in the halves, had been instrumental to the Bulldogs re-energising an underwhelming season.
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.From our partners
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