The Grizzlies defeated the Bulldogs 45:10 on Saturday evening in an NFL regular-season fixture at their home ground. By then, the result told you everything you needed to know about a one-sided contest. The hosts held on grimly through the second half, never letting the visitors back into the game.
The Grizzlies came into this match with momentum after their 28:21 victory over the Thunderbirds just five days earlier. There is unrest in the dressing room when you lose like that, but the Bulldogs certainly didn't travel to make up the numbers here. They looked out of their depth from the opening drive.
The Bulldogs had just suffered a narrow 38:35 defeat to the Hardrockers on August 27, and the confidence from that fight didn't carry over. The captain dragged them through it for a fortnight, but the passing game never got going tonight. One mistake ends it when you're playing like this.
The Grizzlies can raise the tempo when they need to, and they did exactly that. They didn't waste time probing for openings — they went straight at the opposition. The defense tightened things up after the first quarter and never let up.
A win like this doesn't solve everything, but it reminds you of what this team is capable of. The table goes out of the window in these games, and tonight the Grizzlies proved they belong in the conversation.