VB Hard Earned: Bulldogs forwards lift in relieving win

Canterbury's drought-breaking win over the Rabbitohs in round 19 was nothing if not hard-earned, with Aiden Tolman and Raymond Faitala-Mariner leading the way.

Tolman hit the highest VB Hard Earned Index score of the round with 107 thanks to his 46 tackles and 232 run metres while Faitala-Mariner's 81 got him a start with the help of 33 tackles, 143 metres, five busts and a try.

Parramatta were the only team with three players in the VB team of the week with busy backs Clint Gutherson (68) and Blake Ferguson (49) plus the tireless Ryan Matterson (82) all getting a start.

Gutherson bagged two tries and an assist to go with five busts and 189 metres while Ferguson crossed for one and ran 176 meters. Matterson had a typically busy 42 tackles and 114 metres.

Each player's VB Hard Earned index score is calculated by doubling their total runs and adding a point for every tackle, offload, decoy, support, charge down and tackle break.

Negative plays lower the index score. One point is taken off per missed tackle, while errors and penalties cost four points. Being sin-binned results in eight points being subtracted.

Dragons utility back Zac Lomax was a standout in an otherwise badly beaten side, racking up two tries, five busts, 32 tackles and almost 100 metres.

There was no change in the top four of the season leaderboard with Tohu Harris just keeping Jake Trbojevic at bay.

Payne Haas dropped from fifth to eighth after sitting out the week while Pat Carrigan put in a big stint in his teammate's absence, jumping from eighth to sixth after producing an index score of 99 with 56 tackles and 146 metres in 80 minutes.