Tariq Sims has pressed his Origin claims with his massive performance lifting the Dragons to top spot on the ladder
- an hour ago
- by Joe McDonough
- Source: FOX SPORTS
THE Dragons have reclaimed top spot on the ladder with a nervy 18-16 win over the Bulldogs this afternoon.
And while their four rep stars backed up brilliantly, it was a fringe Origin player that really stood up in the Red V – Tariq Sims.
Selected for the Blues extended squad, Sims was overlooked for a bench spot, and while it’ll be difficult to crack into the side that won so well in Game One, he couldn’t have done any more today to remind Brad Fittler of his worth.
The left-edge backrower was a constant threat in attack, and he scored the second try of the match running a good line off Gareth Widdop’s hip.
But as
Fox Sports commentator Braith Anasta noted at half-time, it’s his aggressive defence that really lifts his teammates.
“He’s a great player… Nine runs 94 metres, three tackle busts. But it’s his defence, look at him putting shots on Klemmer,” Anasta said.
“He’s an enforcer for the Dragons, he turns up every week, he’s been one of their best in 2018, and he comes up with a try also. He’s had an enormous first half for the Dragons.”
He finished with 148 metres from 15 runs, 5 tackle busts, and 27 tackles.
As mentioned the Origin quartet showed the character Paul McGregor was looking for.
Both Vaughan and Frizell ran for over 140 metres (Vaughan amassed 168 from 14 carries) and made 30 tackles, and de Belin was everywhere in defence and made 100 metres with the ball.
Bent Hunt was strong in his 200th game. He organised the Dragons attack alongside Gareth Widdop and set up the first try to Euan Aitken.
Dragons finally get the win
Josh Jackson may have been one of the incumbent Blues overlooked for this year’s Origin series but like Sims he made a statement today.
His Bulldogs were blown off the park early but rallied to find some momentum of their own in the second half. And Jackson was instrumental in that charge.
He set up Will Hopoate’s try with a grubber his halves would’ve been proud of, and made several strong charges to lift his team.
The Dragons held on to hand the Bulldogs their sixth loss by eight or less points in their last seven games. They also ended a string of six straight losses to the Bulldogs.
REPORT
Cameron McInnes asked serious questions of the Bulldogs defence in the first two minutes. The livewire hooker put on a big right foot step to beat Michael Lichaa and pierce through. He then produced another sharp right foot step to beat Moses Mbye, before offloading to Paul Vaughan who was caught just short of the line.
Two penalties later they broke the deadlock through Euan Aitken.
The Dragons’ rep quartet was asked by coach Paul McGregor to lead by example today and they immediately answered the call.
Paul Vaughan moved the ball wide to Jack de Belin, who found Ben Hunt even wider. The Maroons halfback then made it look all too easy, straightening and hitting his centre short, who strolled in untouched.
Dufty’s try saving tackle
Moses Mbye six minutes in had a kick for touch to put his side on the attack but he miscued it badly, gifting the Dragons the ball back.
It proved to be a costly mistake with the Dragons working their way downfield before a short ball this time from Gareth Widdop to Tariq Sims extended the Dragons’ lead.
The left-edge backrower was isolated with Will Hopoate close to the line and was too strong despite a gallant attempt from the Bulldogs centre to hold him up.
Kurt Mann, who was a late replacement for Jason Nightingale on the right wing, did brilliantly to gather in a grubber and make it back into the field of play. But an error from Aitken allowed the Dogs another attacking set and they made no mistake.
Adam Elliott was thrown the ball in the middle of the park with nothing on, he threw a half dummy and just powered through the attempted tackles of Frizell and Hunt to close the deficit to just two points.
Widdop had a golden opporutnity to extend the Dragons lead on the cusp of half-time. He ran onto a well-weighted grubber from his halves partner but inches from the line he was pulled down in a desperate lunging try-saver from Jeremy Marshall-King.
It didn’t matter because from their next attacking set, a slick backline movement finished with Nene MacDonald taking the aerial route to score in the corner after a quality ball under pressure from Matt Dufty.
MacDonald looked like he was going to bag a quick double when Dufty released him out wide again. But the Bulldogs did well to scramble and shut down the play.
The Bulldogs needed to score first in the second half to have any chance, and a break from the veteran speedster Brett Morris set it up.
With the Dragons defence at sixes and sevens, the Dogs shovelled it out wide to the right. Dave Klemmer, who ran for almost 100 metres in the first half alone after coming on at the 15th minute, passed to Josh Jackson who showed great touch to toe ahead for try-scorer Hopoate.
The Josh Jackson and Brett Morris show continued minutes later. Jackson made a great bust up the middle to give his side momentum, and then his fellow former Blue scored when a sweet Matt Frawley cross-field kick was fumbled by Mann and dropped in his path in goal.
At 16-14 to the Bulldogs it was anyone’s game.
De Belin then stepped up to hit Jackson in a crunching tackle that forced a mistake deep in Bulldogs territory.
Awarded a penalty, Widdop didn’t hesitate to level the scores with just a quarter of the match remaining.
In what could have been a pivotal moment in the match, McInnes was penalised for passing into Jackson who was sitting in the ruck. Replays showed he wasn’t even looking at Jackson and only hit the outside of his arm trying to go behind him.
‘McInnes did it on purpose’
Brett Finch told
Fox Sports it should’ve just been play on as the ball bounced back to a Dragons player anyway. Nonetheless, the Bulldogs couldn’t capitalise.
Strong runs from Sims and Frizell saw the Dragons march into the attacking zone. On last tackle, James Graham was hit late by Aaron Woods after passing to Hunt.
As a result the Dragons reclaimed the lead through a Widdop penalty goal.
The Dogs refused to yield but they just couldn’t crack the resolute defence that the Dragons.
Their best chance late came when Marcelo Montoya charged down the sideline and tried to beat Dufty on the outside but the diminutive custodian made an all or nothing tackle to take him into touch.
Jackson produced another pinpoint grubber in the last minute to force a drop out and give the Bulldogs one last attacking set. They forced a mistake on last tackle with a banana kick and had one play from the scrum to break Dragons hearts.
But a last gasp kick towards Morris was taken well by Mann to bring a see-sawing affair to a close.
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