THE ANALYST

The Bulldogs were not better, smarter or more creative than the Tigers yesterday. They were just physically stronger.

In a game of football, you can point to any number of reasons one team beats another on a particular day.

Desire, commitment, talent, skill, knowledge, tactics, brilliant plays, brilliant players, bounce of the ball; any or all of these factors can be decisive.

Sometimes though it's just the fact that one team has the energy to perform while the other is not firing.

I'm not taking anything away from this impressive victory by the Dogs, but even they would admit the Tigers had a pretty ordinary day.

Tiger coach Tim Sheens has been around long enough to know you'll have days like this.

Sometimes you feel it coming. Other times it hits you with no warning, and the explanations are found with the wisdom of hindsight rather than anything that could've been dealt with before the game.

Afterwards you realise that a midweek illness took its toll on one player or that the intensity of your previous match affected the troops more than you thought.

The Tigers had a great win against North Queensland last weekend; however, playing in those steamy tropical conditions would have been energy-sapping.

The first half of yesterday's game was also played in very warm conditions, and the Tigers showed worrying signs after only 10 minutes' play that they didn't appreciate playing in a sauna again.

At this time in the game the Bulldogs kicked downfield and chased enthusiastically to pin the Tigers deep in their own territory. I looked back at the Tigers forwards and instead of sprinting back into position, they were walking back with hands on hips and chests heaving. It was a bad sign so early in proceedings, and a clear indicator of what was to unfold.

Later in the game when they were behind on the scoreboard, and as their fans screamed encouragingly for them to mount a comeback, the Tigers players bunched around the play-the-ball in possession offering little challenge for the Bulldogs defence.

Chief playmaker Robbie Farah was lethargic all game. It later emerged he had had influenza during the week. His normally incisive dummy-half running was non-existent and his normally crisp passing game faltered time and again.

He was a sorry sight as he left the field before full-time and sat down at the end of the field behind the goal posts trying to stretch out his painful leg cramps. Dehydration was obviously a factor.

Fullback and captain Brett Hodgson left it late in the week to make a decision on whether to play after receiving heavy concussion only eight days earlier. Despite setting up the first Tigers try in the opening minutes, it was obvious Hodgson was not at his best and he visibly wilted as the game progressed. He was brave but nowhere near as effective as usual.

The Tigers' leaders were below their best and their forwards were beaten a long way from home. From there the rest of the team fell into line and things went from bad to worse.

If it sounds like I'm making excuses for the Tigers, I'm not. I'm simply explaining the events as I saw them.

They were poor, but I think it was just one of those days, and improvement will come quickly for Sheens and his men.

The Bulldogs were great. They bristled with enthusiasm and purpose for the entire 80 minutes. They shrugged off the steamy conditions and the early attacking frenzy from the Tigers to never waver from their game plan.

Their football was controlled. Their forwards toiled hard and finished all over their rivals.

The playmakers steered the team around the park with precision, and their kicking game was constructive.

And then there was fullback Luke Patten. He provided the spark and the big difference between the two teams.

If there is a more consistent player in the NRL than this man, then I am yet to see him. He was outstanding.

What I also saw was an improved Bulldogs team, who will definitely finish a lot higher up the premiership ladder than I had predicted before the season began.