40,381 were on hand as the Dragons went down to the Roosters 62-16 on Anzac Day at Allianz Stadium.
The clash marked Dean Young's first in charge since the departure of Shane Flanagan earlier in the week.
It also marked Western Suburbs Red Devils junior and Dragons Academy graduate Kade Reed's first-grade debut in the No.7 jersey.
The Dragons spent half of the opening forty down a man with back-to-back sin-bins cruelling Young's men as the floodgates opened for the Roosters.
“I’ve got a group of players that are embarrassed,” Young said.
“It was a tough week and, when these sorts of things happen, you’d like to have a response… Playing 20 minutes with 12 men is not easy but that’s our own doing; that’s the ill-discipline that we showed to put ourselves in that situation, so we’ve got to learn from it.”
Young was enthused by Reed's performance in a beaten side crediting the 20-year-old for the positive signs he displayed.
“I was proud of him,” Young said.
“It’s a tough task going into Anzac Day when you’re 0-7. I thought he did his best. He’s got a lot to work on, but I thought there was some good signs there.”
“I was proud of him. It’s a tough task going into Anzac Day when you’re 0-7. I thought he did his best. He’s got a lot to work on, but I thought there was some good signs there.”
Reed was in the contest early throwing a masterful spiral the way of Mathew Feagai who looked to have crossed for first points only for video officials to find a knock-on in the lead-up.
It was instead Sam Walker who went over off a James Tedesco bust to manage the first points of the afternoon.
Siua Wong capitalised on a botched Dragons kick defusal moments later to make it two tries in as many sets and open up a double-digit advantage.
Luciano Leilua was binned 16 minutes in for a tackle on a kicking Walker as the task at hand became all the more difficult for the Red V.
Mark Nawaqanitawase scored several plays later before Tedesco and Walker linked again the following set as their edge ballooned out to an imposing one.
Still down a man, the Dragons found a needed answer through Setu Tu who was the beneficiary of a nice set of Moses Suli hands in the right-hand corner.
Tu was denied a second soon after on account of a forward pass before Daniel Atkinson was also sent to the sin-bin for not being square at marker off a Roosters break.
Robert Toia and Nawaqanitawase both found tries with Atkinson off the paddock as their lead grew out to 34-4 headed into the break.
NRL Match Highlights: Anzac Round
The Roosters' charge continued into the second half with Reece Robson darting over out of dummy-half before Angus Crichton pounced on a Walker grubber to push them further ahead.
Tu's strong afternoon continued with the Dragons flyer zipping into space down the right touchline and finding a supporting Sloan on the inside to score just shy of the hour-mark.
Daniel Tupou nabbed a late double whilst Tedesco found another as the Roosters cruised towards a dominant Anzac Day victory.
