- Canterbury lost to Manly in the NRL final
- Matt Burton missed the chance to take it to the golden point
- The devastated Bulldogs took solace after their defeat
Manly advanced to week two of the NRL finals and ended Canterbury’s Cinderella season with a 24-22 win in the teams’ elimination final at Accor Stadium.
The Bulldogs controlled long stretches of Sunday’s match, but a wild try from Tolu Koula helped put the Sea Eagles on top for the final 10 minutes.
Bulldogs five-eighth Matt Burton had two chances to level the score in the final two minutes but his two-point field goal attempts fell short and the Sea Eagles held on.
The Sea Eagles will face the Sydney Roosters in a semi-final at Allianz Stadium next Saturday night, with the Bulldogs having to regroup after disappointment in their first final since 2016.
A devastated Burton was comforted by his family in the stands, and was seen hugging his one-year-old son Noa after the final whistle.
Canterbury’s dejected stars staggered across the Accor Stadium turf as their Manly rivals celebrated at their fingertips after pulling off a mighty comeback.
The Bulldogs had to compete without Josh Addo-Carr on Sunday afternoon as the winger pulled out after allegedly testing positive for cocaine.
Addo-Carr accepted a three-month driving ban and a small fine following his road test last Friday, but maintains his innocence.
A devastated Matt Burton failed to lead the Bulldogs to the NRL final
The Canterbury superstar clung to his son Noa after the final whistle
The Bulldogs blew a commanding lead and lost to Manly on Sunday afternoon.
Canterbury were competing in their first final match in eight years.
“The first thing I want to do is apologize to my team and our fans for all the headlines and discussions that have arisen around me and the club,” he said before the match.
‘I know I have done nothing wrong and my name will be cleared in time.
“It’s frustrating that the club has to deal with this situation and I feel very bad about it. I want it to be known that I did not take drugs and I hope my name is cleared.”
‘I want to thank everyone at the club, especially Gus (general manager Phil Gould), (chairman) Adam (Driussi) and (coach) Cameron (Ciraldo).
“Until my name is cleared, I will do what is best for the team. My focus is completely on today (the elimination final against Manly) and my heart is with the lads.
“I hope to get the chance to show what the club means to me next week.”
