The Canterbury Bulldogs have bared their tooth in a brutal 44-12 thrashing of the Dragons at Accor Stadium on Thursday evening.
The Bulldogs have been exhibiting indicators of turning a nook in 2024 however had not fired a shot like this — going from 12-6 at half-time earlier than piling on 38 unanswered factors in a ruthless second half.
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Making issues worse for the Dragons, spent many of the match two gamers down.
After dropping Hame Sele to a shoulder harm early, the Dragons had been rocked as centre Jack Chicken was medicabbed off the sphere in horrific scenes simply earlier than halftime.
Because the Bulldogs attacked down the left edge by way of Bronson Xerri late within the first half, Chicken made the deal with however clutched at his angle earlier than crawling off the sphere in agony.
“Oh no, Chicken’s in large ache,” Andrew Voss stated. “Jack Chicken, over the sideline in terrible bother for the Dragons.”
In a transfer that could be thought-about heartless by some, the Dragons had been compelled to play the ball as they appeared involved at their teammate.
However as Voss defined, “there isn’t any obligation to cease play as a result of he’s off the sphere”.
“Geez, that’s arduous to observe,” Michael Ennis stated of the harm, including that Chicken was “a good friend of mine”.
After the Dragons set, referee Adam Gee needed to cease play as Chicken wanted the medicab.
And after play had stopped, the replay confirmed precisely why after he stood on Xerri’s foot, rolling his ankle in ugly scenes.
“Oh Jesus, the ankle simply rolled utterly,” Ennis stated.
On Channel 9, Andrew Johns stated: “He’s in agony.
“It’s a terrific story of resilience. He has had a historical past of knee accidents, however he suffers actually dangerous rheumatoid arthritis. He has to take fixed medicine.”
Thankfully, Dragons officers revealed it could not have been as dangerous because it first appeared.
On the break, Chicken was seen within the sheds along with his foot in a bucket of ice with the inexperienced whistle.
Whereas the preliminary fears on the sideline was that Chicken had suffered a damaged leg, after halftime, the Dragons workers believed it was a syndesmosis harm and that it will be a 4 to 6 week lay-off for the star.
Chicken has an extended historical past of accidents, struggling an ACL harm as a teen earlier than being recognized with rheumatoid arthritis as a teen.
After successful a premiership with the Sharks in 2016, Chicken’s time on the Broncos was ruined by accidents together with a shoulder, sternum and back-to-back ACL blows.
Followers felt for the unfortunate star.
Knights half Jackson Hastings, who suffered a damaged leg off a hip drop deal with in 2022 tweeted: “I really like you bro”.
The Western Weekender’s Lachlan Jeffrey posted: “No marvel poor previous Jack Chicken is in a lot ache. Ankles should not meant to bend like that.”
The Purple V Podcast added: “Ideas with Jack Chicken after that horrific harm. Hope every thing is OK. Terrible to see this type of stuff, particularly when it’s your individual participant.”
One other fan commented: “Oh no man jack chook doesn’t deserve this he’s been so unfortunate over his profession.”
“Jack Chicken – all the time unhappy to see accidents like this. Hope it’s not as critical because it seems to be, nice participant. On 2nd viewing, seems to be horrid. Ideas go to the large fella,” one other stated.
It’s been a tricky evening for the Dragons who misplaced Hame Sele after simply 14 minutes with a shoulder harm.
Whereas the Dragons held the lead on the break, it was all Bulldogs after halftime, scoring 4 unanswered tries to blow out the scoreline to 30-12 with quarter-hour remaining.
