The Merimbula-Pambula Bulldogs packed plenty of bite in their Group 16 return to the top grade on Saturday, leading the Eden Tigers at the half time break.
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Unfortunately, the club's joint venture with Candelo-Bemboka and Eden didn't fare so well in the opening under 18s round, with the Bega Roosters scoring a sound win.
The second match of the day saw the Panthers unveil their league-tag team, the Pink Panthers, who enjoyed a solid day out on the park.
As the competition's new fledgling squad Eden proved the favoured team to pick up the points and did so through a number of handling errors.
However a late try to Panther Caitlin Johnson was overturned, leaving the Candelo-Bemboka squad scoreless in its first outing.
The reserve grade match almost proved two separate games.
The Panthers had a large number of handling errors and handovers in the first half to see Eden building a strong lead.
However, in the second half the Panthers ran through two rapid tries to level the score, before a third put the team in front.
Eden rallied its efforts and came back with two tries of their own to get back on top and close out the game winners in a high-scoring affair.
The Hot Doggies almost repeated the performance in the second league-tag game, running down the Eden Tigerettes score in the second half.
History repeated itself when the Eden squad again gained supremacy in the second half to secure a narrow win on the day.
In the first grade it was a revitalised and fresh looking Bulldogs outfit claiming the early points, through some clever set plays and the nimble kicking of Trent Skeers.
By the half-time break, the Bulldogs were leading 22-18.