Dragons go down to Broncos in Wollongong

Keele Browne, fresh off a Player of the Match performance in Round 3, found herself in the match early winning her side a pair of quick penalties to earn some ascendancy.

Hannah Southwell came up with a one-on-on strip soon after to put her side on the attack only for an ill-timed error to put a stop to the raid.

The Dragons found first points of the afternoon not long after in unsurprising fashion through Berry who muscled her way to the chalk after Raecene McGregor showed some nice deception jumping out of acting half and finding her supporting fullback close to the line.

McGregor knocked over the conversion from just to the right of the sticks to make it 6-0 a quarter of the way in.

An error off the following kick-off handed the Broncos an opportunity to attack but the Dragons showed some nice composure to hold them out for multiple sets off it.

The Dragons found a way to add a level of sting to their defence in the sets following led largely by back rower Ella Koster.

A cross-field McGregor kick forced a Broncos error a few minutes prior to the half with Pia Tapsell going close off the back of it only for close to a half-dozen Brisbane defenders to force the ball loose at the last moment.

The Dragons conceded a try on the stroke of half-time with Hayley Maddick speeding into space down the right flank off a cut-out and finding Robinson back on the inside to lock things up at six-apiece.

The visitors hit the lead early in the second half with Kerri Johnson barging her way over in the northwestern corner off a Gayle Broughton cut-out.

Berry was sent to the sin-bin in the aftermath of the try for illegally making contact with her knees as the try was scored.

Brisbane were also given an opportunity at two conversions with Brianna Clark splitting her attempts as their lead grew out to 12-6.

With the Dragons down a player, Clark was awarded a try for the Broncos their next set after the ball ricocheted her way off a mid-air collision with players in pursuit of an Ali Brigginshaw kick.

Johnson looked certain to add to the Broncos’ lead soon after only to put the ball down with an open lane to the try-line in front of her.

With it back at 13-on-13, Tamika Upton went over for Brisbane off a Romy Teitzel offload with Reh taken from the field in the aftermath for a HIA.

Chelsea Lenarduzzi was able to crash over for the visitors with 10 to go as the scoreline grew into an imposing one.

The Dragons threatened to snatch one back late but were unable to as the side’s focus shifts to next weekend’s inaugural NRLW Magic Round in Newcastle.