An underwhelming Dragons outfit went down to rivals Canterbury 44-14 at Allianz Stadium on Saturday night.
Despite facing a 12-man Bulldogs unit for a key 10 minutes early, the Dragons were left to rue several errors as Canterbury took a commanding lead into the sheds.
Mathew Feagai nabbed a late double to cap off a 218-metre effort whilst young forwards Loko Jnr Pasifiki Tonga, Hamish Stewart, and Toby Couchman tallied triple-digit run metres.
Prior to kick-off, both squads joined crowd in a round of applause to honour the life of club legend Billy Smith who passed away during the week.
One of the finest players ever to wear the Red V, Smith was a central figure in one of rugby league’s greatest eras and leaves an extraordinary legacy at the Dragons, across the game, and in Australian sport.
A one-club player and Dragon #385, Smith made 234 first-grade appearances for St George over a remarkable career spanning 1961 to 1977.
Match: Dragons v Bulldogs
Round 25 -
home Team
Dragons
17th Position
away Team
Bulldogs
8th Position
Venue: Allianz Stadium, Sydney
Jonathan Sua was sent to the sin bin just seven minutes into the contest for a hip drop on a charging Moses Suli.
It did not stop the Bulldogs from drawing first blood however with Bronson Xerri on the end of a Lachlan Galvin grubber to make it 6-0.
Jaeman Salmon was placed on report for a high shot on a fresh Jacob Webster, but Canterbury’s defence remained strong off it.
Instead, it was the Bulldogs who struck next to extend their lead with Matt Burton diving over on the end of a right side shift.
Things went from bad to worse for the Red V the following set with the Bulldogs taking advantage of a gap created by Jacob Liddle succumbing to a calf concern through Jacob Preston to make it 18-0.
The Dragons looked to have responded moments later through Hamish Stewart only for video officials to unsurprisingly step in and rule an error as he picked it up.
The Red V’s nightmarish opening forty persisted with a stray pass ending up in the arms of Burton who strolled away untouched to make the lead an imposing one.
The Dragons came out of the break and nabbed the second half’s first points with Valentine Holmes stepping his way to the stripe off a Daniel Atkinson pass.
St George Illawarra’s fightback proved short-lived however with Max King muscling his way through some meagre goal-line defence to get the ball to the turf before Xerri put Galvin over to make it 36-6.
Burton was sent to the bin with a little less than a quarter of the match to play for holding down Lyhkan King-Togia after he won the race to a Tyrell Sloan kick inches from the try-line. Mathew Feagai went over for the Red V in the left-hand corner off it it for their second four-pointer of the night.
A late Connor Tracey try put the exclamation point on the result for Canterbury who remain in the finals hunt entering the final fortnight of the regular season.
