Semi-finals aren’t played in April. Nor can premierships be won.
But St George Illawarra may have proven once and for all they are the real deal in 2018.
In front of an Anzac Day record crowd of more than 41,000 the Dragons showed their premiership credentials, downing the Sydney Roosters 24-8 at Allianz Stadium.
The red V will remain top of the NRL table after eight rounds. They have lost just once so far this season and given their fans reason to believe.
Their halves, Ben Hunt and Gareth Widdop, appear the best pairing in the competition right now. Their forward pack – agile, mobile, hostile – is the envy of most clubs.
The Dragons exploded out of the blocks, scoring with the final play of the first set of the match. Under pressure attempting to kick on halfway, Hunt decided to run the ball and made a break.
The ball ended up with Widdop who kicked high across field for Nene Macdonald. Blake Ferguson could only get his fingertips to the ball as it dropped over his shoulder, allowing Macdonald to scoop up the loose ball and touch down in the corner.
The match then went into a pattern for much of the half with the Roosters attacking and the Dragons defending desperately. Doggedly. Bravely.
They could have lost Cameron McInnes to the sin bin after the hooker took out Luke Keary chasing through a Cooper Cronk kick, 10 metres out from St George Illawarra’s goalline.
Referee Ashley Klein chose not to use the sin bin but the Roosters set up camp in front of the Dragons’ posts. For five sets the red V turned them away before the Tricolours eventually conceded defeat and opted to take a penalty goal.
The reaction of the Dragons’ players told the story. Jack de Belin in particular was pumped up. It was a win for the Dragons. The Roosters couldn’t break them, and the Dragons knew it.
As St George Illawarra continued to soak up everything the Roosters could throw at them, the threat for Trent Robinson’s side was that the Dragons would make them pay.
That they did. Jason Nightingale scooped up a loose Roosters’ pass 20 metres out from his own line and streaked away down field. The counter attack was on.
Eventually the ball landed in the hands of Hunt whose lightning step off his right foot was enough to beat the over-committed Boyd Cordner on the inside having got outside Keary, allowing the Queensland State of Origin No.7-elect to slide over.
The Dragons took a 12-2 lead to the break but it would take them less than six minutes of the second half to extend it.
Tariq Sims, who had smashed Cronk in a fearsome tackle minutes earlier, ran a strong line for Widdop to put him through a narrow gap to score out wide.
The Roosters hit back five minutes later. A James Tedesco offload allowed Keary to kick in behind the Dragons’ line for Latrell Mitchell to touch down – just – inside the dead ball line.
The Dragons were challenged. The Roosters went close again shortly after, only for Ferguson to have been ruled to have knocked on.
But in a sign how this St George Illawarra has matured, they started to enjoy their own spell of possession and field position and were eventually rewarded in dubious circumstances.
Macdonald appeared to have scored in the left corner after a slick backline move only for video replays to show the winger had lost control of the ball after a desperate Cronk tackle nudged the ball free.
But video referee Jared Maxwell ruled Macdonald had grounded the ball despite only having a finger still on it, saying there was insufficient evidence to overturn the live decision of try.
The Dragons were deserving of their luck. They were the better side for most of the afternoon and earned their two points.
After backing up from what was essentially a three-day turnaround from their loss in New Zealand on Friday night, the Dragons now enjoy a 12-day break before they welcome Melbourne to Kogarah.
Who is brave enough to say the Saints won’t keep marching?
Leader Scoreboard
St George Illawarra Dragons 24 (Nene Macdonald two, Ben Hunt, Tariq Sims tries. Gareth Widdop four goals)
defeated
Sydney Roosters 8 (Latrell Mitchell try. Latrell Mitchell two goals)
at Allianz Stadium
Crowd: 41,142
Leader man of the match: Ben Hunt (Dragons)
Dragons’ next three: Storm (home – Kogarah), Rabbitohs (away – ANZ Stadium), Raiders (home – Mudgee)
