Things are on the up in Belmore.
It wasn't a defensive masterclass from the Bulldogs, but they were effective enough in attack to claim a 36-26 win over the Titans on Sunday afternoon.
A blistering first half display saw Mick Potter's side head into the sheds leading 26-10, but the visitors threatened to make a comeback in the second half.
The Bulldogs held on - much to the delight of the raucous home crowd - but their head coach was quick to address required areas of improvement in the post-match press conference.
"[It was] a solid result. I was a little disappointed in a few of the tries scored against us, but that's where we are at the moment," Potter said.
"I think we can do better. Probably just leaves a little sour taste in your mouth as far as what we thought we could have done and what actually happened, but happy for a win.
"Any win is a good win."
Match Highlights - #NRLBulldogsTitans 🎥
— NRL (@NRL) July 24, 2022
Josh Addo-Carr entertained with a hat-trick of tries as the Bulldogs downed the Titans 36-26! pic.twitter.com/0282Tjn7gb
Josh Addo-Carr and Matt Burton were standouts for the home side, teaming up on multiple occasions in blistering passages of play.
Addo-Carr finished the match with a game-high 317 run metres and three tries, whilst Burton had two tries on top of making five of six conversions.
The winger and five-eighth's partnership caught the eye of the Bulldog's interim head coach.
"Yeah, they were good. They've got a little bit of a knack [for working well together]," he said.
"They're skillful players, aren't they? They're great to watch when they're when in full flight and just cruising along."
Bulldogs captain Josh Jackson also had praise for the duo, noting how their attacking displays are having a positive impact on the overall atmosphere amongst fans.
"It's nice when we're scoring tries and we've got the crowd behind us," Jackson said.
"It's good for the fans and the supporters - it's obviously been a lean couple of years.
"And obviously, we've got these guys like [Addo-Carr] and [Burton] scoring some really good tries and the crowd is getting behind us - it's good to be a part of."
Burton and the Foxx! 🐶🦊#NRLBulldogsTitans pic.twitter.com/W54oov48hd
— NRL (@NRL) July 24, 2022
There was a moment of controversy in the first half when Bulldogs second-rower Corey Waddell appeared to scrape his fingers across the eye of Tino Fa'asuamaleaui.
However, the Titans captain was quick to dismiss any claims of an 'eye gouge' post-match.
"It's just footy," Fa'asuamaleaui said.
"You know, sometimes your hand goes somewhere where you don't know where it is.
"And I guess it just happened to be on my forehead and sort of hit my eye ... just accidental."
