Jersey Flegg: Dragons dominate Wests Tigers at home

The Dragons’ intent was clear from the opening carry with Viliami Hikila poking his nose through to put his side on the front foot.

A spirited kick chase forced a Wests Tigers error with Hodges slicing through to nab first points off the scrum win. Kirk added the extras to make it 6-0.

It proved a case of déjà vu for the Red V soon after with another failed Wests Tigers kick defusal handing the Dragons an attacking scrum.

Hodges again sliced through – this time down the left – to make it a double-digit game.

Kirk surged into space down the left flank the next set for but the Dragons were whistled for an illegal play off the ball in the lead-up.

The visitors crafted a response off it with winger Jack Nicholas finding his way over in the left-hand corner to bring it back to 12-4.

The Wests Tigers clawed further back after taking in a Dragons drop and shooting off downfield.

Five-eighth Sunny Edwards-Moeke stepped his way to the stripe several plays later to bring the visiting side back within four a quarter of the way in.

The Dragons forced another kick error a half-hour in with Toby Rumble finding a dummy-half try off the back of it to push the hosts’ lead back out to double figures.

The hosts marched down the field their next set to secure their fourth try of the opening fort with Marley McLaren landing a perfect kick for a chasing Jarrah Treweek who won the aerial contest to score.

The Red V made it three tries in as many sets headed into the break with Treweek crashing through some meagre defence for his second.

Kirk remained a perfect five-for-five from the tee to make it 30-8.

The Wests Tigers enjoyed much of the possession early in the second half but it was the Dragons who struck with Treweek throwing a peach of a ball to a charging Oliver Burton who strode away untouched to score.

The visitors were able to stop the bleeding an hour in with Logan Deininger diving over in the right-hand corner.

Deininger went over for back-to-back tries soon after to cut the deficit back to 16 for the Wests Tigers.

A momentum-turning Burton carry put the hosts back on the attack moments later and they took full advantage with Lucas Borg throwing a nice pass to send Kirk over untouched in the left-hand corner.

Cooper Hale took in the Wests Tigers’ short kick-off and shot off downfield to put the Red V back on the attack.

Treweek went over for his third of the day off it before Kirk finished off a wild sequence the next set to put the cherry on top of a dominant Dragons win on home soil.