I remember that game. We beat Melbourne at home. We smashed the Roosters the week before.
We then got toweled up in Round 6. Guess who smashed us??
Dragons.......
In 1967 we played the Dragons at Penrith. It was our 4th game in the premiership, our 2nd home game. They had Raper, Gasnier, Langlands, Clay, King, Smith, etc etc. They had won the last 11 premierships. We were a side that had been put together mostly from discards. The scoreline of Penrith 24-12, 4 tries to 2, flattered the Dragons. I remember, I was there, in (on) the original uncovered grandstand. The Dragons had won 7 premierships since the last time a team had scored that many tries against them. It was a major, major embarrassment for the great St George club. One they would not forget in a hurry.
From then on, they regularly thrashed us. 25-2 later the same season. 37-8 in '68. 31-7 in '69, 31-7 in '72, 37-15 in '79, 36-12 in '80, 40-6 in '84 (breaking a 6 game winning streak) and on they went.
It was not until our 22nd season that we finished a season ahead of them on the ladder. But it hasn't all been bad. A 25-19 win after trailing 19-0 after halftime in 1975 was a highlight, as was the first meeting between the teams in a finals match at Penrith in 2004. A red hot and rather complacent Dragons side didn't decide to play until 15 minutes before halftime, already behind 24-0, but nonetheless looked certain to win midway through the second half, in the end a monumental defensive effort gave us a 1 point win 31-30. I maintain that the '04 Dragons were among the best teams to be eliminated in one game in a finals series, they just had trouble getting their minds on the job early on.
When I'm watching this game on Saturday, I'll be thinking of all those hidings they gave us when we were in a position similar to what they are in now, and hoping we can return the favour in the most emphatic manner.
