IT was far from the slickest display they have produced this season, but the application the Bathurst Bulldogs showed in beating Forbes 29-10 on Saturday was more than enough to satisfy them.

Bulldogs went into the round 13 Central West Rugby Union match at Ashwood Park as firm favourites, but a Forbes outfit who had only won three games made sure the hosts had to earn their bonus point win.

The Platypi actually dominated possession for the first 25 minutes of the match and should have been first to put points on the board, but missed an easy penalty goal attempt.

Bulldogs absorbed that early pressure, had a 17-0 advantage by half-time and went on to lead by 29 points before conceding two late tries.

While there were plenty of errors along the way - knock-ons, lost line-out feeds, kicks out on the full, not releasing and hands in the ruck - Bulldogs flyhalf and captain Steve Locke was happy with the effort.

"They did have more footy than us early on, but Forbes always come out hard. We just had to weather that storm and we did, it was a good win today," he said.

"Handling wasn't easy, it was a pretty scrappy game, but that was always going to be the case with the conditions.

"But I still think it was a really good game because we were down on troops. To be up 29-0 was a really good effort. I was disappointed to let them in late, I would've loved to have had a clean sheet. But we had a lot of subs on then and I was pretty happy with the first 75 minutes."

It took 24 minutes for the first points of the match to come when a Locke grubber in behind the Forbes' defensive line bounced perfectly for flying winger Tyson Smith to collect and cross without being touched.

Smith also scored Bulldogs' second, but he had to work much harder for it after quick hands from Mick Anderson created an overlap, The winger broke the tackle of Forbes fullback Henry Willis then beat two more cover defenders to make it 10-0 with six minutes of the half remaining.

Ollie Crowe dived over shortly before the siren and Locke finally landed a conversion for his side to lead 17-0 at the break, the flyhalf then stepping his way over five minutes after play resumed.

For the next 20 minutes Bulldogs were camped on Forbes' line and the Platypi - while giving away plenty of penalties - managed to hold firm.

Finally replacement forward Aaron Booby barged his way over off the edge of the ruck and Locke converted to make it 29-0.

Forbes did have some joy with two tries inside the final six minutes - Matt Gould crossing before a strong Jarrod Hall run set up Josh Coulthurst. They were the only points the Platypi scored on an afternoon which saw them forfeit colts and lose second grade 50-0.

BATHURST BULLDOGS 29 (Tyson Smith 2, Ollie Crowe, Steve Locke, Aaron Booby) defeated FORBES PLATYPI 10 (Josh Coulthurst, Matt Gould tries)