Dragons Lower Grades Wrap: Round 1

The Dragons NSW Cup side went down to last year’s grand finalists the Bears 28-4 in their season opener at Collegians on Sunday.

The visitors claimed the opening points of the contest through lock forward Ben Talty who poured through a hole off the dummy-half.

The Dragons forced a Bears error to hit back with five-eighth Josh Ralph picking up the scraps and sending winger Cooper Roberts over to score and tie it at four-apiece.

A hotly contested opening half saw the scores remain level heading into the sheds before the visitors turned it on in the second stanza.

The Bears claimed five second half tries – including a hat-trick to No.1 Jake Toby who had been pushed back to the interchange prior to kick-off to allow for the late inclusion of Sualauvi Faalogo – to run away with a 28-4 victory.

JERSEY FLEGG CUP

Doubles to Cain Barnes and Wes Pring spurred the Dragons Jersey Flegg Cup outfit to a 36-14 win over the Storm at Collegians on Sunday to kick-off their 2024 campaign.

Barnes opened the scoring for the Red V just five minutes in before the Storm answered back through back rower Mitchell Jennings.

Barnes nabbed his second shortly after before No.14 Trey Barlow injected himself into the action a half-hour in to push the Dragons lead beyond two converted tries.

The score remained at 18-4 heading into the break before the visitors went back-to-back coming out of halftime with tries to Suliasi Prescott and Preston Conn cutting the Dragons edge just four.

The hosts weathered the storm however with a try to centre Will Starling just shy of the hour-mark earning the side some breathing room before a late pair of tries to fullback Pring capped off a successful season opener.

Halfback Ashton Ward went six-from-six with the boot as he enjoyed a strong opening to his second year at under-21s level.