Dragons defence too much for Roosters

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As it's been doing all season, the St George Illawarra Dragons defence has handed them a win, as they defeated the Sydney Roosters 14-12 in difficult conditions at Allianz Stadium this afternoon.

The game started like any other, with both sides trying to assert their dominance on the other. The late, surprise inclusion of Jared Warea-Hargreaves was a boost for the Roosters, but even he couldn't break the Dragons' solid defence early in the game.

The Dragons were first to score, as Peter Mata'utias's never say die attitude saw him recover a Gareth Widdop kick just before the dead ball line. Widdop missed the conversion in windy conditions, and the Dragons led 4-0.

The Dragons scored again 10 minutes later, as Mitch Rein dived over the tryline just left of the goal posts. This time, Widdop nailed the conversion, extending the Dragons' lead to 10.

That was the last of the footy we saw for about half an hour.

Terribly conditions, including lightning, hail and torrential rain, saw the referees suspend play, deeming the field unsafe for play. It took 30 minutes for the weather to clear enough for play to continue.

Once it did, though, the Roosters hit back. Shaun Kenny-Dowall dived on a Josh Dugan fumble, and put his side back in the game. Maloney converted.

After halftime, Dylan Farrell looked to have scored, after he put the ball down centimetres inside the dead ball line. But the referee was unimpressed, and didn't even bother to send it to the video referee, instead denying the try himself.

But in the end it didn't matter. Back to back penalties to the Dragons saw Widdop add a further four points to their tally, and a late try to Tuivasa Sheck wasn't enough to close the gap - the Dragons holding on to win 14-12.

Match Details

Sydney Roosters 12 St. George Illawarra Dragons 14
Venue: Allianz Stadium
Crowd: 35110
Halftime Score: Sydney Roosters 6 St. George Illawarra Dragons 10

SYDNEY ROOSTERS (12)
Tries: Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
Field Goals:
Conversions: James Maloney (2/2)
Penalty Goals:

ST. GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS (14)
Tries: Peter Mata'utia, Mitch Rein
Field Goals:
Conversions: Gareth Widdop (1/2)
Penalty Goals: Gareth Widdop (2/2)

LeagueUnlimited.com Players of the Match:

3 points - Benji Marshall
2 points - Jack de Belin
1 point - Josh Dugan

LeagueUnlimited.com Live Commentary

The ground looks absolutely gorgeous here at Allianz Stadium, little sign of the torrential rain that has plagued the city over the past week.

A massive surprise inclusion for the Sydney Roosters, as Jared Warea-Hargreaves is named as fit to play! It was expected that JWH would be out for at least a few weeks, but he'll play in jersey #23, with Mitch Aubusson the man to miss out. Dylan Napa will move into the second row, and Lagi Setu will fill the fourth spot on the interchange bench.

For the Dragons, Jason Nightingale has been named to return in jersey #22, with Eto Nabuli dropping out of the side due to a niggling knee injury. George Rose, Drew Hutchison and Yaw Kiti Glymin will drop off the extended bench.

Just a few minutes away from kick off. The crowd is currently being treated to a rousing ANZAC tribute prior to the game.

And now we have the National Anthems being played. We're not far from kick off, I promise.

Time is on and we're underway. ANZAC day tradition continues, and the Dragons bring the ball out from their end of the ground.

Last tackle, the Dragons make 50 metres, before Benji Marsall's kick ricochets off James Maloney. Nightingale regathers but takes it out over the sideline.

1: The Roosters go wide through Pearce, who finds a rampaging Kenny-Dowall. He makes a half break but is dragged to ground.

2: The Roosters then spread it back to the left, but to no avail.

2: The Dragons are looking to play the game through the forwards so far, while the Roosters seem to want to go wide. Marshall's second kick also ricochets off a Roosters player.

3: For the second time, the Roosters will start their set from good field position.

3: Mitch Rein is penalised for staying too long in the tackle on Jared Warea-Hargreaves.

4: Pearce finds Taukeiaho, but a good legs tackle drags him down.

5: Another penalty to the Roosters, this time against Will Matthews for holding down in the tackle.

6: The Dragons get a let off, as the Roosters lose the ball. Rein then runs from dummy half and wins a penalty for his team for being inside the ten.

7: The Dragons kick down field, and will attack from just over halfway.

7: Widdop kicks along the ground, and the this one comes off Kenny-Dowall's legs. The Roosters knock it on, and the Dragons will get a new set heavy on attack. They've stacked the open side for a set play.

8: Dugan sweeps in from behind but the Roosters defence cleans him up. They head right again, but the Roosters are holding strong.

9: We're going to the video referee, but i'm pretty sure it's just to check if it's a dropout or not. Widdop grubbers into the in goal area, but Tuivasa-Sheck grabs it and gets dragged down in goal.

9: Nope, Joel Thompson is ruled to be in front of the kicker, so it's a penalty against the Dragons.

10: Maloney throws a cutout ball for Daniel Tupou, but the ball drifts across into touch.

11: Lightning and hail on its way to the stadium now - people heading undercover in droves.

12: The Dragons run a brilliant set play down the right edge, ending in Nightingale throwing the ball back inside to Dylan Farrell, but the Roosters' defence is too strong.

13: Widdop kicks on the last, and again it's charged down by the Roosters. The Dragons will get a new set, but Widdop stays down after the tackle.

13: Dylan Napa is placed on report now for a high tackle on Josh Dugan. Dugan's hit under the jaw, but has got up eventually and seems ok.

14: The Dragons go out the back to Widdop, but he's dragged down by Mitchell Pearce. The Dragons try a blindside play, but Tuivasa-Sheck takes the kick easily.

14: James Maloney is getting targeted heavily in defence at the moment.

15: The Roosters kick for the in goal area, but Nightingale is there to watch it over the dead ball line.

16: The Dragons make 55 metres off that set, before kicking high. The wind has dragged it back to the Dragons, and it'll be six again only 15 out from the Roosters line.

17: On the last, Widdop toes it in behind the line and Peter Mata'utia swoops in and slams the ball down. We're just checking for a possible try to the Dragons, but the on field referee thinks it a try, and so does the crowd in that corner.

17: TRY ST. GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS
Scored by Peter Mata'utia. Kick to come.
And it's a TRY! The Dragons take an early lead. Widdop's kick looked to be too strong, but the wind held it up nicely, and Mata'utia ran around the Roosters outside men to plant the ball.

18: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION ST. GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS
Conversion attempt by Gareth Widdop unsuccessful.
Widdop lines the kick up, and boots it into a gale gust of wind. It shapes nicely, but just drifts around the post. No goal.

18: It's raining heavily now, as the Dragons bring the ball out from their own end of the field.

22: The Roosters kick over the top, but it goes straight to Jason Nightingale.

22: Jack de Belin is on the field for the Dragons.

22: Marshall drives the ball hard along the touchline and out of play. Conditions are woeful at the moment, bugger all visibility for the players.

24: It's now begun hailing as well. There'll be some bruises on Monday.

24: The Roosters kick high on the last, but the chasers knock the ball on.

26: The Dragons heavily on attack, right near the Roosters' line. We're going to the video referee again. We're just checking the grounding, presumably because the referee can't see 3 metres in front of his face thanks to the rain.

26: TRY ST. GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS
Scored by Mitch Rein. Kick to come.
No problems there, Mitch Rein has scored a try just to the side of the posts.

26: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION ST. GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS
Conversion attempt by Gareth Widdop successful.
Widdop adds the extras.

27: Well, the players are leaving the field. The referee has ruled that the conditions are currently unplayable, with hail falling heavily at Allianz Stadium.

The game is not being called off - it will continue once the weather clears up a little bit. 27 minutes in, and the Dragons lead 10-0.


27: We'll be back underway shortly by the looks of things. The rain has stopped, the sun is out, and ground staff are currently sweeping the water into giant drains. All in a day's work.

27: Teams are back on the field warming up, we'll be on again in a couple of minutes.

Half time has been reduced to 8 minutes, down from 14 minutes.

27: And we're back on. The Roosters start play and the Dragons bring it back from their own line.

28: JWH offloads, and it looks like the Roosters have knocked on, but it's ruled play on.

29: The Roosters are penalised for being inside the ten.

29: Tuivasa-Sheck knocks on and the Dragons have a prime attacking opportunity from ten metres out.

32: Completion rates at the moment, the Dragons have completed 100% (19/20), while the Roosters are closer to 80%.

32: The Dragons force a line dropout, but Mata'utia knocks on.

35: TRY SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Scored by Shaun Kenny-Dowall. Kick to come.
The Roosters kick down field, and this time Dugan makes a mistake, and Kenny-Dowall dives on the loose ball to score a try.

37: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Conversion attempt by James Maloney successful.
Maloney, from way out wide, converts the try and the Roosters are back in the game.

38: The Roosters kick high, and Nightingale cleans it up. Only a couple of minutes left in the half now.

38: The Dragons kicked long on the last, and trap the Roosters at their end of the field. They undo their good work though, conceding a penalty on the very next play.

39: But it's ok, because the Roosters knock on just before halftime.

40: It'll be a shorter halftime, only 8 minutes, due to the extended break mid-first half. After being heavily in control early in the half, the Dragons have allowed the Roosters to claw their way back into the game. The Dragons will go to the break leading 10-6.

40: We're back in the second half. The Roosters get first use of the football.

41: On the last for the Dragons, Marshall kicks deep, and the Roosters are forced to play at it from just inside the in goal area.

42: Jennings makes a big break down the left side of the field now, but Maloney puts a horrible kick in that goes straight to Dugan at fullback.

42: On the last, the Dragons put in an inch perfect kick which stops just inside the corner post, and Tupou is forced to play at the ball. He can't get back into the field of play, and the Roosters will have to drop the ball out.

44: Maloney complaining about the drop out - he thinks the kick touched the sideline, but the referees don't agree.

45: Nightingale and Farrell think they've scored a try, after grounding the ball just inside the dead ball line. The referee doesn't even bother to check it, but on a replay it looks like it should have been ruled a try. The Dragons can feel hard done by there.

45: At the other end of the field, the Roosters kick inside the in goal area, and the Dragons are forced into a line dropout.

47: Jennings almost makes it over the line, he's pulled down a metre from the corner post, but the Roosters still have two tackles to play with.

48: Tuivasa-Sheck knocks the ball on, and its a big let off for the Dragons.

51: Back and forth stuff from both teams at the moment. No one team seems to be getting any traction, and there's no change to the scoreboard.

59: The Roosters are penalised now for yet another high tackle. It's Napa again, but to my eyes it does not look like a high tackle.

60: SUCCESSFUL PENALTY GOAL ST. GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS
Penalty goal attempt by Gareth Widdop successful.
Widdop makes no mistake with the penalty goal, and the Dragons' lead is back to 6.

60: And now the penalties start to flow. This time, it's Warea-Hargreaves penalised for laying all over the ruck.

62: The Dragons are heavy on attack here. Dugan grubbers, but the Roosters clean it up. But more importantly, the Roosters are penalised for tackling Mitch Rein late after he passed the ball. The Dragons opt for the penalty goal again.

63: SUCCESSFUL PENALTY GOAL ST. GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS
Penalty goal attempt by Gareth Widdop successful.
The Dragons are now out to an 8 point lead, after Widdop nails the penalty goal.

66: The Dragons are penalised now. Tuivasa-Sheck is tackled in the field of play, but Thompson comes in and attempts to pick him up and drive him back into the in-goal. Tsk tsk. Dragons look in control though.

67: Pearce attempts to play the ball, but it's a shocker and he's penalised for his "effort".

68: The Dragons play the ball 20 metres out from the Roosters line. Benji Marshall chases through a Widdop kick, but looks to have injured himself in the process.

71: The Roosters are trying to get themselves back in the game, keeping the ball alive.

71: TRY SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Scored by Roger Tuivasa-Sheck. Kick to come.
The Dragons are penalised on their own line, and on the first tackle of the resultant set, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck crashed over the line to score a vital try for his team. It was a quick tap, and he went through three defenders to score.

72: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Conversion attempt by James Maloney successful.
Maloney adds the extra two, and it's a two point ballgame.

73: The Roosters have still only completed 24/34 sets of 6 - while the Dragons are over 95%.

76: It's an exciting finish we're in for. The Roosters look to have wasted their last tackle option, but Jake Friend grubbers deep and Kane Evans manages to pick Dugan up and carry him over the sideline. Line dropout.

76: From the dropout, Kane Evans brings the ball back at half speed and is hit in a heavy tackle and drops the ball.

76: The Dragons throw a forward pass now, and the Roosters get a scrum feed from their own 30 metre line.

78: The Roosters spread it wide to the left of the field looking to find some gaps, but this Dragons defence is still strong. On the last, Pearce throws it wide to Jennings, but he knocks on. The pass looked too hard, and Maloney knows that's the ball game.

79: On the last, Marshall runs the ball and then kicks for the sideline. The Roosters pick it up, and have 40 seconds to score a try.

80: The Dragons have won it. They've endured a 30 minute break in the middle of the game, and countless Roosters' raids, but have come out 14-12 winners.

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