Two tries from tireless forward Grant Roberts set the tone for what was a highly entertaining afternoon at Mackay Park.

The big number 10 put on a brilliant all-round display and was well supported by former Bulldog Adam Stone.

“They’re the go-forward men, everyone feeds off their energy,” Tigers coach Deryck Fox said.

“Grant had a tremendous game today.”

The Bay had a cracking start in the hot conditions when it crossed the line with less than a minute on the clock.

Five-eighth Will Newton regathered his own chip kick to find Nathan Wood in support, who supplied a neat pass for Brodie Ralph to score untouched.

The Tigers kept up the early pressure and were rewarded again in the 17th minute when Mason Harrison made the most of a Bulldogs knock-on.

Newton was unsuccessful with his second conversion attempt of the match to give the hosts an early 10-nil lead.

However, the Bulldogs found their rhythm after the initial onslaught and hit back 10 minutes later.

Luke Young’s towering kick was left to bounce by the Tigers before Luke Smith pounced to put John Dale in the corner.

The Bulldogs reduced the deficit further in the 38th minute when Lachlan Moore silenced the big home crowd.

However, the first-half drama was far from over as Gerrard Dennis, who finished with a hat-trick, made the most of some powerful Roberts work on the half-time buzzer.

Roberts was eventually pulled down after a line-break, but on the next play Newton had the ball illegally stripped and so the Bulldogs were penalised 10 metres out from their line.

Dennis made the most of a stagnant Bulldogs defence when he sneaked under the posts after a quick tap to send the Tigers into the sheds ahead 16-8.

Bulldogs coach Peter Leffley said that moment took the wind out of his side’s sails.

“What worried me the most out of everything was that try,” he said.

“It was lazy, soft and weak from us.”

The second half began slowly after what appeared to be serious injuries to Harrison and Milton-Ulladulla’s Iso Palahame.

However, once play resumed it was all one-way traffic as Roberts and Dennis added four more tries between them before Isaiah Figg and Anthony Bell rubbed salt in the Bulldogs’ wounds.

“I’m thrilled because in the two trials we had, we took a flogging in both games,” Fox said.

“I had a bit of anxiety before we went on the field today and I hadn’t slept all week.

“But it was nice to put one on our local rivals and the lads gave everything I asked them to.”

Group 7 breaks for Easter this week and the Tigers will travel to Berry Showground on April 14.