The numbers are in the Dragons' corner for their clash with the New Zealand Warriors in the first-ever Magic Round at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane.
The St George Illawarra Dragons currently boast four wins and four losses for the season placing them at eighth place. While the Warriors have won just two games this season and are currently riding a four game losing streak.
True to the nature of the Warriors outfit, their attack isn’t far off the pace and is equal with the Dragons as seventh-best in the competition having both scored exactly 148 points this season.
The scales tip in the Dragons favour when it comes to defence, with the Warriors conceding the second-most competition-wide, leaking 190 points and conceding on average 24 points per match.
The Dragons lead the competition in tackle breaks with 233, spurred on by Jordan Pereira who has the second-most of any player with 45 – something that could cause headaches for the Warriors' defence.
The Dragons also hold a healthy record over the Warriors winning 21 of 28 meetings including a dominant 11-game winning streak stretching from 2008 to 2015.
However, the Warriors have won the past two encounters and will be determined to notch up another on Saturday to get their season back on track.
Danger man
Leading the way for the Warriors in 2019 has been their captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck. The 2018 Dally M Player of the Year has been a key cog for the Warriors side posting some big numbers in attack.
RTS is equal-first in the NRL for line breaks (eight) this season. He’s notched up four tries, three try assists, 43 tackle breaks, and averaging over 180 running metres per game.
In his last match against the Dragons, RTS had a field day where he ran for a massive 239 metres featuring two line breaks and busting eight tackles.
Matchups
Jordan Pereira v Ken Maumalo
Plenty of points reside in the flanks of both sides but the try scoring abilities of Pereira and Maumalo will be on display.
Pereira has been a revelation for the Dragons despite having just 17 NRL appearances under his belt. Pereira is second in the NRL for tackle breaks and is averaging 139 running metres per game. The New Zealand born winger has crossed for five tries.
His opposite number Ken Maumalo, is one of the best in the NRL at finding the try-line. With six tries already this season, Maumalo is a lethal weapon on the end of the Warriors backline standing at an imposing 191 centimetres tall.
While Pereira has the edge over Maumalo in tackle busts and line breaks, the towering Warrior wins the contest for running metres (170 averaged per game) and notching the fifth-most metres in the league.
Paul Vaughan v Leeson Ah Mau
Former Dragon Leeson Ah Mau will front up against his former teammate Paul Vaughan in what will be an entertaining battle.
Ah Mau played seven seasons with the Dragons but joined the Warriors for the 2019 season. Since making his way onto the starting side, Ah Mau has been a workhorse for the Warriors, averaging 10 hit-ups and almost 100 running metres per game.
Known for his hard running style, Ah Mau has already busted nine tackles this year and posted a solid 240 post-contact metres.
Vaughan has been enjoying a stand-out year averaging 156 running metres and busting 10 tackles. Vaughan also has the edge in post-contact metres with a total of 379.
