Bulldogs winger Matt Utai was the first player sent off in 270 NRL matches as his side belted Wests Tigers 32-10 to leave their premiership defence in disarray.

Referee Paul Simpkins gave Utai his marching orders after the New Zealand flanker caught Tigers hooker Stuart Flanagan with a swinging arm in the 55th minute.

Video referee Steve Clark watched several replays of the incident while Flanagan, eventually replaced by debutant Rangi Chase, was floored by the hit.

"It may have come off the ball but we thought there was intent in," Simpkins told Utai as he pointed to the stands.

Utai didn't want to talk about the incident after the game.

"I haven't seen (the replay) so I don't want to comment."

Flanagan, who wasn't seriously hurt, afterwards said the referee made the right decision.

"He got me around the chops and he gave me a bloody lip ... the send off was justified," he said.

Asked if he felt Utai deserved a lengthy spell on the sidelines for the hit, he said: "I'll leave that for the right people to decide."

Utai became the first player to be thrown out since Sydney Roosters enforcer Adrian Morley was sent off in round 6 in 2005 against the Bulldogs at Telstra Stadium.

The 25-year-old is unlikely to be the only Bulldogs player to spend a stint on the sidelines, with heavyweight prop Jarrad Hickey placed on report for a 36th minute high shot, also on the luckless Flanagan.

"It felt like I had a target on my head," Flanagan quipped at the after-match function.

Bulldogs coach Steve Folkes said the initial contact from Utai's arm was with the football.

"In the replay, (the arm) certainly came up off the ball, but I guess the judiciary will sort that out," he said.

Tigers captain Scott Prince said Utai left the referee no choice.

"It was pretty straight forward, wasn't it?" he said.

"He got him high ... it speaks for itself."

The dramas overshadowed a ruthless performance from the Bulldogs pack, which was missing State of Origin representative Willie Mason, Mark O'Meley and Nate Myles.

In their absence, superstar Sonny Bill Williams stepped up to the mark, earning man of the match honours after being shifted into the second row.

Winger Hazem El Masri was the main beneficiary from the forwards' dominance, scoring a try and booting six goals from as many attempts for a personal tally of 16 points.

The Bulldogs went into the sheds 20-0 ahead on the back of tries to Hickey, Andrew Ryan and Luke Patten, with El Masri's 43rd minute try all but ended the contest.

Ryan, who was controversially axed by NSW selectors for the deciding Origin game, had a superb match and later revealed Blues coach Graham Murray called him personally to inform him of his omission.

The Tigers scored two late consolation tries, but the fact they were held scoreless for 73 minutes was testament to the sting in the Bulldogs defence.

"We're not going to throw our hands up and say 'that's it for us', said Tigers coach Tim Sheens of his team's slide down to 10th spot on the ladder.

Williams, whose bullocking runs and nifty offloads were too much for the Tigers, hoped for more time in the forwards.

"I think I'm more of a forward at heart ... but I'll play wherever Folksey wants me to play," he said.

"Hopefully we've got a chance to win the comp this year if we can keep everyone on the field."

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