Lights, camera . . . and this time there's finals action for Dragons
Christian Nicolussi25 August 2018 — 8:00pm
St George Illawarra filmed an NRL finals promotion this week – and at least this one will make the screen.
The Dragons lost to Canterbury in the final round last year to finish ninth and sensationally drop out of the September race.
Too soon: The Dragons shoot a finals promotion in 2017, however, they fell short of the play-offs.
Photo: St George Illawarra Dragons
What made the stunning exit more humiliating was the fact that the players had only a few weeks earlier shot a TV commercial intended to feature during the footy finals.
It evoked memories of the club inquiring about grand final T-shirts in August, 2009, only to bow out in straight sets.
Last year's TV segment took a few hours to film as the cameras captured around 50 fans rubbing shoulders with the club's stars on the hill near Wollongong lighthouse.
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The latest promo, again filmed in Wollongong, will make the final cut as the Dragons are not only assured a finals berth but possibly a top-four spot.
They will do their chances no harm if they can beat their 2017 nemesis, the Bulldogs, convincingly at a packed Kogarah Oval on Sunday afternoon.
Several other clubs have already fronted the cameras for their fresh finals material, including South Sydney, who happily shot their ad at Allianz Stadium – home of bitter rivals and title threats the Sydney Roosters.
Better luck this time: Tariq Sims and Jack de Belin get ready to star in last year's finals promotion.
Photo: St George Illawarra Dragons
Dragons representative forward Jack de Belin had a laugh when Fairfax Media reminded him of the TV footage that never saw the light of day.
"That's right . . . I remember being at the lighthouse and the fans walking up the hill,'' Dragons' representative forward Jack de Belin told Fairfax Media.
"At least now we're guaranteed to be in the finals. We've still got a lot to play for, especially with the top four.
"We feel like we can beat anyone on our day, and we've shown that throughout this year.
Down and out: Josh Dugan and Nene Macdonald after the Dragons lost to the Bulldogs in round 26 last season.
Photo: AAP
"From one to 17, we're pretty stacked.
"We didn't play our best last week [against the Wests Tigers] but a win is a win, and it was a step in the right direction. We're definitely on the right path to getting back to where we want to be.''
De Belin recalled the heartbreak felt after the full-time siren last year as the Bulldogs celebrated.
"They had nothing to play for, they were already about their Mad Monday, and we probably had our heads around the fact we were already playing finals,'' de Belin said.
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"We just didn't turn up.
"The Dogs aren't the best side, but they are a team who will grind and be there to the end. They've been good of late.
"Our destiny is in our hands.''
The Dragons will have extra incentive to lock down the top-four spot after Penrith's heavy loss against the New Zealand Warriors but have Cronulla breathing down their neck for that all-important double chance in the finals.
De Belin's NSW teammate, David Klemmer, is the Canterbury danger man up front and will pose the biggest threat.
"Klem is their go-forward man, he's always strong with his carries and the boys get off the back of him,'' de Belin said.
"We have to make him work in defence, and if we can do that we'll take some of that zap out of his carries.''
The Dragons appeared headed for their traditional late-season fadeout until they beat the Tigers at a packed Leichhardt Oval.
There will be standing room only at suburban fortress Kogarah. The Dragons lost Paul Vaughan to a foot injury on Tuesday as he trained for the first time after being sidelined with an ankle problem.
There will be plenty of emotion given the sudden death of former Dragon Lance Thompson on Thursday.
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/li...inals-action-for-dragons-20180825-p4zzqb.html
