Canterbury, led by Stephen Crichton, rallied from 20 down to defeat Canberra 32-20, securing first place.
Long-running tensions bubbled to the surface as a Stephen Crichton-led comeback cemented Canterbury's spot at the top of the NRL ladder against second-placed Canberra.
The Bulldogs scored 32 unanswered points to overturn a 20-point halftime deficit and silence the majority of the sell-out 23,827 crowd at GIO Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The 32-20 win puts Canterbury four points clear in first place, with eight wins from nine matches.