Dragons edged by Broncos in NRLW thriller
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Brisbane have overcome an almighty scare to maintain their winning streak in the NRLW to beat St George Illawarra 22-18 at CommBank Stadium on Sunday.
In a fiery and tense contest, a late try to Hagiga Mosby broke the hearts of the Dragons, who pushed the defending champions to the limit in perfect conditions in Sydney's west.
With scores level at 18-18, it was a play on the left edge which secured the points for the Broncos, who extend their winning streak to 10 since 2019.
Earlier, the Broncos took a 12-6 lead into the break but were dealt a blow early in the second half with star fullback Tamika Upton failing to return from a HIA assessment.
Hagiga Mosby wins it late for the Broncos
St George Illawarra levelled the scores shortly after with a runaway try to back-rower Shaylee Bent setting up a grandstand finish in a fiery clash between two sides sitting at the top of the table.
Brisbane returned serve with a 55th minute try on the right edge through Emily Bass but the Dragons weren't done with yet when Elsie Albert crashed over next to the posts from short ball.
Match: Dragons v Broncos
Round 3 -
home Team
Dragons
2nd Position
away Team
Broncos
1st Position
Venue: CommBank Stadium, Sydney
Match Snapshot
- St George Illawarra's 18 points was the most points ever scored against Brisbane during a game NRLW history.
- Broncos fullback Tamika Upton and Dragons winger Keele Browne left the field in the 38th minute after clashing heads.
- The Dragons lost Kezie Apps (hand) and Talei Holmes (wrist) pre-game for a consecutive week.
- Broncos utility Jada Ferguson was placed on report in the 45th minute for an alleged hair pull.
- The Dragons lost Tegan Dymock to a suspected broken hand.
- The Broncos completed at 84 percent and enjoyed 54 percent possession.
- St George Illawarra led the game in line breaks 5-3.
Albert puts a big hit on
Play of the Game
It may not have won them the game but Shaylee Bent's long-range effort to get the Dragons back to even was one for the highlight reels. Bent isn't known for her speed but the Dragons back-rower delivered a second half try to remember when she gathered a Page McGregor pass and ran 60 metres, beating fill-in fullback Hayley Maddick to the line.
Shaylee Bent scorches the Broncos
What they said
"A very tough game, I thought both teams completed really well. [The close finishes] are what you train for and they're the battles you want to be in. There were plenty of positives, both teams played at a high quality. There's always little areas you want to work on but overall really happy. The way we could keep getting ourselves back into the game and come away with the win is a great sign that the girls are competing hard." - Broncos coach Kelvin Wright.
Brisbane Broncos
"I think we learned a few tough lessons today on what it takes to be a championship side and they showed us. The way we started the game, you make your own luck. I felt like the tries we conceded weren't within our defensive plans and we tried to solve it ourselves. We're happy we pushed them the whole way but do we want more in this competition? Of course we do." - Dragons coach Jamie Soward.
St George Illawarra Dragons
What's Next
An all-Queensland derby awaits for the Broncos, who will travel to Cbus Super Stadium next Saturday to take on the Titans in a clash that is expected to bring the rivalry.
The Dragons will have another seven-day turnaround for their round four clash against Newcastle. Dragons coach Jamie Soward will have Kody House and Madison Bartlett available after the pair served a week's suspension. Captain Kezie Apps and Talei Holmes remain chances of a return.
