NRL round 25: Dragons cruise over Knights
The St. George Dragons were able to steal a victory over the Newcastle Knights on the road at Energy Australia Stadium on Saturday.
The Dragons showed why they are currently at the top of the league table with an impressive win over the Knights. The visitors got off to a strong start taking a 16-point lead into the second half. The Knights were able to battle back slightly in the second stanza. However, the first half advantage proved to be too much for the Newcastle side as the Dragons celebrated a 26-18 victory.
Recap
Brett Morris got the scoring started for the Dragons in the fifth minute darting across the try-line, giving the visitors a quick 4-0 lead.
The St. George club kept the pressure on early as Dean Young made his way across the whitewash in the 17th minute, and after a Jamie Soward conversion, the lead was extended to 10-0.
Jason Nightingale added to the early onslaught by the guests in the 22nd minute, hammering his way to a try. Soward hit another conversion and the Dragons were able to take a 16-0 lead into half-time.
After the break the Dragons continued to shine as Ben Creagh pushed his way over the whitewash in the 44th minute and Soward recorded his third conversion of the day to extend the advantage to 22-0.
The Knights did not go quietly however, as Adam McDougall cruised over the line in the 48th minute, and after a Kurt Gidley conversion, the lead was cut to 22-6.
The home side kept the pressure on as Cooper Vanu sliced his way to two consecutive tries in the 51st and 55th minutes respectively. Gidley hit both conversions and the lead was brought to 22-18.
The Knights continued to pressure, but in the end it was Soward who crossed the line last in the game’s 77th minute, sealing a 26-18 win for the visitors.
Analysis
With the win the Dragons remain at the top of the League table, and with only one game remaining and the Wests Tigers trailing them by two points, a single point will guarantee them home field advantage throughout the post-season.
With the loss the Knights were eliminated from play-off contention. The Newcastle side went on an impressive run to get themselves within range of making the post-season. However, it was too little too late as they now sit four points out of eighth position.
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