WITH five yellow cards and 15 points coming from penalty goals there was plenty of talk about discipline from both Bathurst Bulldogs and the Dubbo Kangaroos after Saturday's Blowes Cup match.
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The difference for the Bulldogs was that they could also talk about a win as hat-trick from winger Adam Plummer helped them to a 28-19 win at Ashwood Park.
Bulldogs copped two of the yellow cards shown in the contest, but they both came in the final 10 minutes by which time they were on their way to victory with a 14-point lead.
For skipper and number 8 Peter Fitzsimmons, it was a result which helped to right what they felt was a wrong when losing by a point to the Roos earlier in the year
"We were pretty unhappy going up there in round one and losing the tight game that we did when we believed we never should have come close to losing but we played terribly," he conceded of that clash.
"What we wanted to do today was do better than we did in that first round against them. They had quite different team and it was a whole new game, but it was about a bigger effort than what we'd done against them before.
"Discipline wasn't great on both sides, it always gets fiery. It was stop start and it was frustrating."
The game was just five minutes old when the first yellow was produced, Roos number 8 Will Michell the man sent.
Two Bulldogs scrums, a penalty and two minutes later, Plummer had his first for the Bulldogs.
While Roos hit back with the first of three Jake Styles penalty goals for the half - there was also another attempt he missed - the visitors were dealt another blow in the 18th minute when flyhalf Joshua Bass was forced from the field after injuring his right ankle.
Bulldogs pushed ahead 10-3 when Sione Naufahu burst over the line following a quick penalty tap, but by half-time Roos had nosed ahead.
Penalties helped march them down field and while Bulldogs repelled a number of phases on their own line, finally a long cut out ball put Darcy Chewings over in the left corner to make it 14-12.
That advantage was gone 55 seconds after play resumed in the second half as Will Oldham booted a penalty goal for Bulldogs.
In the 15 minutes that followed Dubbo had a player yellow carded, Oldham kicked another penalty and Plummer crossed for two tries, the first of which came after strong runs from Harry Webber and Tom Felsch.
It was enough to set up a Bulldogs win, a try in the final seconds to Roos' Johnny Mafiti small consolation for the visitors.
"Look anyone who plays the Dogs, you know you're going to be in for a very physical game, but the biggest thing - and it has been all season - we just need to maintain our discipline," Roos coach Paula Hausia said.
"Yellow cards, red cards, penalties, you've got to fix those.
"We are not the biggest pack, we're small, but we've got to start playing to our advantage, but when you are playing against a quality team like the Dogs, they make you work for it."
BATHURST BULLDOGS 28 (Adam Plummer 3, Sione Naufahu tries; Will Oldham conversion; Will Oldham 2 penalties) defeated DUBBO KANGAROOS 19 (Darcy Chewings, Johnny Mafiti tries; Jake Styles 3 penalties)
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