Dragons held try-less in Bulldogs loss
Mitch Jennings@@Mitch_Jenno
12 Jun 2017, 3:36 p.m.
BRETT Morris has scored 134 tries in his NRL career. You can count the number he’s bombed on one hand.
So when he spilled what would’ve been one of the easiest four-pointers of his illustrious career nine minutes into Monday’s clash with the Dragons, Bulldogs fans could’ve been forgiven for thinking it wasn’t their day.
The ninth minute blunder summed up the Bulldogs’ predicament coming into the match. Even one of the most prolific try-scorers in the history of the game is finding a way not to score.
MATCH-WINNER: Marcelo Montoya crosses in the 74th minute to seal a 16-2 win for the Bulldogs over the Dragons. Picture: Getty Images
It told the story of a first half in which the hosts had eight of the first 10 sets, all but one of them in the Dragons half. They were also awarded the first four penalties, but had nothing to show for it, trailing 2-0 at the break.
It extended a 174-minute try drought that stretched back to Brenko Lee’s 26th minute four-pointer against the Sharks in round 12.
It looked like it could’ve been another one of those days before Josh Morris’ try 14 minutes after the resumption broke their duck, and suddenly re-ignited their season.
When much-maligned hooker Micahel Lichaa crossed with 11 minutes remaining, they had more than the sniff of victory before Marcelo Montoya’s 74th minute try sealed the 16-2 win.
It was win built on defence with the hosts keeping the Dragons try-less for the first time since round six last season, with a 21st-minute penalty goal to Gareth Widdop their only points.
Coach Paul McGregor, who oversaw his first game since signing a two-year contract extension this week, said his side had anticipated a Dogs backlash.
“The bounce back was always going to be there for a team that’s been under some pressure and that had lost their last four,” McGregor said post-match
“We were looking forward to that challenge. It’s about building a footy team here and we’ve got to continue that.
“I thought our try-line d in the first half was outstanding. They had a lot of possession early and we kept turning them away and built a bit of pressure towards the end of that first half.
“I just don’t think we rewarded ourselves at any time today for all the good work we had done. We were probably a little bit impatient at times and the ends to our sets weren’t as clinical as they have been.
“We really didn’t build any pressure on the opposition where they did that to us. They were just one step ahead of us all across the park.
It leaves the Dragons to do some soul-searching of their own ahead their clash with Parramatta on Sunday, with the Eels also looking to bounce back from a thrashing at the hands of the Cowboys on Saturday.
“We’ve got to bounce back to, so it’s going to be a good contest,” McGregor said.
“They got beaten well, but they got beaten by a quality side up in North Queensland. North Queensland can do that to a lot of teams.
“We’re conscious of what [the Eels] did to us in round two so it’s pretty important we get to training, get some learning out of the video, and strive to come back here in six days time and play well.”
The match would’ve been nervous viewing for NSW coach Laurie Daley, with five of his incumbents in action, all of whom came through unscathed.
Josh Dugan left the field for an HIA in the 34th minute after being felled by a high shot from Josh Morris, but returned for the second half and finished the match unscathed, ensuring he will be there for Origin II Wednesday week.
Fellow Blue Tyson Frizell carrying a minor rib injury into the clash but also came through the match without injury, despite leaving the field late in the game.
“Tyson’s OK. He had that rotation where he went from the back-row to the middle and had his good stint there,” McGregor said.
“Just towards the end of the game we didn’t want to put him back out there because he obviously carried an injury into the game.”
The Dragons absorbed the mountain of early pressure and led on the back of Widdop’s 21st minute penalty goal.
As possession evened out, momentum shifted towards the Dragons who went close to scoring through Jason Nightingale, de Belin and Nene MacDonald only to be denied each time by desperate Dogs defence.
Josh Morris’s 54th minute try saw the Dogs take the lead 6-2 and proved the turning point of the match.
Dugan looked to have crossed four minutes later only to be bizarrely called back after Ben Cummins penalised the Dogs for not packing before the scrum clock expired.
It was the Dragons last joy of the match with Lichaa strolling across untouched from dummy-half in the 69th minute before Montoya’s late four-pointer put the match to bed.
Taane Milne’s sin-binning with three minutes left rubbed salt into the wound on what was a sorry night for the visitors.
http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/4724722/dogs-bounce-back-against-toothless-dragons/?cs=3713
