Dragons prove their worth in Anzac Day grind
Local Sport
REAL DEAL: The Dragons notched their best win of the season against the Roosters on Wednesday. Picture: AAP
Are the Dragons the real deal yet? A 7-1 start to the year, top of the table after eight rounds… it certainly appears that way.
In fact, after their 24-8 win in another gripping Anzac Day clash, the more appropriate question may well be – are the Roosters?
It was in the corresponding clash last year that the wheels fell off for the Dragons after a 6-1 start, identical to the ledger they took into this year’s fixture.
Had they lost on Wednesday, the sense of deja vu would’ve been immense, particularly as they face the exact same follow-up task next weekend – hosting Melbourne at Kogarah.
The similarities weren’t lost on coach Paul McGregor, who admitted his side will take more than a mere two competition points out of the win.
“I know if we’d have lost people would’ve come at us because we were in the same position last year,” McGregor said.
“For a mental state, it’s good for the guys to go away and have four days [off] on a win because history has shown we’ve been in the same position.
“At the same time last year we lost this game in extra time and we got blown off the park against Melbourne. Then we lost against Cronulla in the last couple of minutes and a lot of negativity came in.
“We’ve got to prove ourselves every week and we understand that, but we’re a different football team this year. We couldn’t manage a win last year on the back of a five-day turn and we’ve got two in the first eight weeks of footy.
“We played all afternoon on the back foot so to win with a score like that, four tries to one, was pleasing. Some individuals came up with special moments and certainly as a group the way they defended together was gritty.
“We’ve got to prove it next week to, it’s not just this week and it’s not just last week. We need to forget about the past, and look at what we’re going to do in he future.”
The Dragons got off to a dream start when Nene Macdonald crossed in the opening set of the match, but were left chasing their tails for rest of the opening stanza.
The Roosters had a mountain of possession and field position – one raid saw them hammer the Dragons line for six straight sets – but had just a 19th-minute penalty goal to show for it at the half.
Having fought most of the first 40 off their back, Ben Hunt’s four-pointer in the shadows of halftime was worth a lot more than that.
Gareth Widdop converted for a 10-point cushion at the break despite having just 46 per cent of the footy.
It left the question as to whether they could hold on after such a buffeting, particularly when Tim Lafai fumbled his side’s first touch of the second half metres from his own try-line.
It left the door wide open for the tricolours to hit back, but the Dragons were again good enough to repel them and counterpunch through Tariq Sims at the other end. Widdop’s conversion gave his side an 18-2 lead.
The Roosters finally broke through when Latrell Mitchell went ridiculously close to the dead-ball-line in reeling in a Luke Keary grubber.
His conversion bounced through off the upright to again make it a 10-point ball-game with half an hour to play.
It looked as if the Roosters were coming home with the wind behind them only for Macdonald to post his second try in controversial circumstances.
Macdonald had made a habit of making the impossible look possible this season, but it looked as if he’d have this one taken off him despite referee Ashley Klein sending it upstairs as a try.
Replays showed he’d barely kept a finger in the ball, but it proved the fingernail in the Roosters coffin, with bunker official Jared Maxwell sending it back as a try.
Widdop converted for a 16-point buffer his side were good enough to hold to the end and seal their seventh win of the season.
https://www.illawarramercury.com.au...-prove-their-worth-in-anzac-day-grind/?cs=302