[4] With just 11 minutes remaining, Parramatta had a commanding 18–2 lead, and looked like inevitable victors, but three quick tries to Craig Polla-Mounter, Rod Silva and Willie Talau saw the Bulldogs side draw level at 18-all.
However, because the ball was deemed to have stopped rolling as he grounded it, Parramatta were forced to make a goal-line dropout instead, returning possession to Canterbury and gifting them one more chance to win the game.
Carige then retrieved another missed field-goal attempt from Robert Relf as the full-time siren sounded and inexplicably kicked the ball away from his own 10-metre line straight to Bulldogs' fullback Rod Silva, who handed it off to five-eighth Craig Polla-Mounter.
In commentary for Channel Nine, caller and Parramatta Eels legend Peter Sterling described Carige as having “made some of the dumbest plays I have ever seen in a game of rugby league.”[5] The Bulldogs went on to win the match 32–20, and would subsequently qualify for the 1998 NRL Grand Final against the Brisbane Broncos the following week.
In his two seasons with the Eels, he had played 45 games and scored 13 tries, but after the preliminary final loss, Carige was forced to flee Sydney for Coffs Harbour after receiving abuse from people wherever he went and further bullying from disgruntled fans over the internet.