Jersey Flegg: Dragons hold off defending premiers

Campbell Lyons went close to having first points for the Dragons off an Eden Hodges kick only for officials to rule a mid-air knock-on.

Lyons found success shortly over crashing over down the right-hand corridor to make it 4-0.

Kye Andrews took in a deft Hodges chip to dive over just shy of the half-hour mark and continue the Red V’s strong opening.

The good times continued to roll the next set with Lucas Borg bursting into the backfield and hitting a supporting Braith Plecas on his inside to extend the lead out to 14-0.

Melbourne found a needed try just soon after with Alize Clarke reeling in a tight kick off the dummy-half to cut the deficit back to just eight.

Undeterred, the Dragons forced an error with the clock winding down and managed points off it as Demetrius Kilisimasi – in his first game as a Dragon – scurrying over after a slick shift out the left.

Clay Baldock knocked over the extras to make it a 20-6 half-time lead.

The visitors notched the opening points of the second forty with Jeremiah Loli plucking a nice kick out of the air to dive over and bring his side back within eight.

Melbourne went close to pulling off a near length of the field off a kick deal soon after only four front rower Viliami Hikila to produce a terrific cover effort on Amaziah Murgha.

David Afu was binned the following play however for failing to get back inside.

Clarke picked up a spilt ball several plays later to score his second and eat further into the hosts’ lead.

The Dragons saw out the rest of the 13-versus-12 period and found the clash’s next points on the order side of the hour mark with Lyons squeezing an offload out to Andrews for his second of the afternoon to make it 24-18.

With the Dragons on the attack moments later, Storm five-eighth Jordan Hamlin scooped up a loose ball and contended with a late Kilisimasi challenge to go the length of the field and lock things up with 14 minutes remaining.

The Dragons got their noses back in front with six minutes to play as Kilisimasi finished off another right-side shift to grab his second.

Baldock nailed the conversion from the touchline to make it a six-point difference entering the home stretch.

With a little over 60 seconds remaining, the Dragons conceded another length of the field try whilst on the attack as Victory Isaako took in an intercept and held off the chasers to dive over in the left corner.

Storm halfback Riley Brannock’s after-the-siren conversion was waved away as the Dragons held on for a key early season win.