THERE was a compelling contest at WIN Stadium last night, but it did not involve Cronulla and St George Illawarra.
The home side scored seven tries to nil in what proved to be an unhappy homecoming for Trent Barrett. The Sharks didn't look like troubling the scorers as their winless run at Wollongong extended into a 21st year.
Too good ... Darius Boyd powers through the defence. Photo: David Tease
But what did it all mean? What to make of the teams at opposite ends of the ladder? Afterwards, the press turned to Wayne Bennett for answers.
His thoughts on Matt Cooper, who wound back the clock to score two tries and engineered several others? Bennett: ''Wasn't bad.''
What about Darius Boyd? Was that his best game? Bennett: ''He wasn't bad either, was he?''
And what about Cooper's combination with three-try hero Brett Morris? Perhaps something for the NSW selectors to ponder? Bennett: ''Could be.''
Are the Dragons the best team in the comp? Bennett: ''I don't know about that. No idea.''
And so it went. It was classic parry and thrust, a much more lively exchange than the one that preceded it on the turf. Thankfully, the Dragons were much more expansive than their coach. They scored their opening two tries down Cronulla's left edge, beautiful sweeping movements from one side of the field to the other. The Sharks finally reinforce the left flank and were duly scored upon on their right. Brilliant.
''Their players one to five - their fullback, two centres and two wingers - outclassed our players in those same jumpers," Ricky Stuart lamented. ''They were just so dominant. They were playing against kids.''
Representative selectors would have been running the rule over both teams ahead of the naming of the Test and City-Country teams today. Plenty of Dragons thrust their name under their noses. Boyd was everywhere, a common denominator in the majority of his side's tries.
So too was Cooper, who issued a late challenge for one of the four centre spots to be read out this afternoon. Jamie Soward, Michael Weyman, Neville Costigan, Ben Creagh and Dean Young did their prospects no harm either.
It wasn't all good news for the home side. Another rep hopeful, Beau Scott, hobbled off with a medial strain in the 47th minute. He will be out for four to six weeks.
Stuart felt for former Steeler Barrett, who is likely to retire at the end of the season. ''For Trent to come back here in what is likely to be his last game on this ground, I'm disappointed in that regard for Baz as well,'' he said.
"He doesn't need to be playing in that sort of scoreline.''
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...asive-as-his-fiery-dragons-20100501-u0d7.html
The home side scored seven tries to nil in what proved to be an unhappy homecoming for Trent Barrett. The Sharks didn't look like troubling the scorers as their winless run at Wollongong extended into a 21st year.
But what did it all mean? What to make of the teams at opposite ends of the ladder? Afterwards, the press turned to Wayne Bennett for answers.
His thoughts on Matt Cooper, who wound back the clock to score two tries and engineered several others? Bennett: ''Wasn't bad.''
What about Darius Boyd? Was that his best game? Bennett: ''He wasn't bad either, was he?''
And what about Cooper's combination with three-try hero Brett Morris? Perhaps something for the NSW selectors to ponder? Bennett: ''Could be.''
Are the Dragons the best team in the comp? Bennett: ''I don't know about that. No idea.''
And so it went. It was classic parry and thrust, a much more lively exchange than the one that preceded it on the turf. Thankfully, the Dragons were much more expansive than their coach. They scored their opening two tries down Cronulla's left edge, beautiful sweeping movements from one side of the field to the other. The Sharks finally reinforce the left flank and were duly scored upon on their right. Brilliant.
''Their players one to five - their fullback, two centres and two wingers - outclassed our players in those same jumpers," Ricky Stuart lamented. ''They were just so dominant. They were playing against kids.''
Representative selectors would have been running the rule over both teams ahead of the naming of the Test and City-Country teams today. Plenty of Dragons thrust their name under their noses. Boyd was everywhere, a common denominator in the majority of his side's tries.
So too was Cooper, who issued a late challenge for one of the four centre spots to be read out this afternoon. Jamie Soward, Michael Weyman, Neville Costigan, Ben Creagh and Dean Young did their prospects no harm either.
It wasn't all good news for the home side. Another rep hopeful, Beau Scott, hobbled off with a medial strain in the 47th minute. He will be out for four to six weeks.
Stuart felt for former Steeler Barrett, who is likely to retire at the end of the season. ''For Trent to come back here in what is likely to be his last game on this ground, I'm disappointed in that regard for Baz as well,'' he said.
"He doesn't need to be playing in that sort of scoreline.''
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...asive-as-his-fiery-dragons-20100501-u0d7.html
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