Round 2
St.George-Illawarra Dragons 30 d. Gold Coast Titans 12

2008 NRL Telstra Premiership Index [Table] [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

Location: Aus_NZ > National > First Grade Competition: NRL Telstra Premiership

Dragons put on a show to down Titans
Mon March 24, 2008
Source: www.dragons.com.au

The Dragons have posted their first win for season 2008 with a 30-12 victory over the Titans in front of 10,521 fans at WIN Stadium tonight.

Dragons Coach Nathan Brown was happy with the turn around from last week and impressed with what the side displayed tonight.

"We are happy, we were disappointed after last week and we showed what we had trained like out there tonight," he said. "We had good control in tough conditions and our defence held out a pretty good attacking team."

"Worked on a lot and Jamie Soward controlled things well out there and had a great kicking game out there," he added.

Captain Mark Gasnier was also impressed with the turn around and feels tonight will be a good confidence boost.

"There was a fair bit of back slapping out there tonight so we will take a lot of confidence and take it into next week against the Raiders," he said. "We put on some good plays tonight and it is definitely how we want to play."

There was just one change to the Dragons line-up named earlier in the week with Ben Ellis coming into the starting side with Simon Woolford going back on to the interchange bench.

The home side had the better of the start with three sets at the Titans line. The first through a penalty for Mat Rogers being offside and the next after a knock on from former Dragon Ben Jeffrey in his in-goal area but the Dragons gave possession away after being penalised for an obstruction.

The red and whites were given back to back sets once more after captain Mark Gasnier was held down by Mark Minichiello on the 40m line in the 11th minute. On the third tackle Rangi Chase took the ball at first receiver and showed the ball three times before getting it to Dapto junior Dean Young who immediately gave it away to Matt Cooper who went one on one with Brett Delaney and put on a fend and then score in the south-eastern corner. Gasnier beautifully converted the try and the Dragons were out to an early 6-nil lead.

Off the back of a Mat Rogers kick that forced a goal line drop out by the Dragons the visitors were able to get their first try of the night. By the fourth tackle the Dragons were on the back foot and Preston Campbell weaved his way around the ruck and off-loaded to his hooker Nathan Friend who burrowed over next to the right upright. Titans captain Scott Prince converted to make the scores level at 6-all after 26 minutes.

At the 35 minute mark the Dragons again had back to back sets after a Soward bomb was taken by Jeffrey but he was into his in-goal by Gasnier. But the wet conditions cost back rower Beau Scott and he had a peak at the line in front of him and dropped the ball.

A dubious penalty against the home side just a minute later gave the Titans good field position. Rogers was lifted in the tackle and the defenders continued to drive him back but were penalised for not taking him to ground after the "held" call by referee Gavin Badger. As the Titans put a play on down the left Jeffrey was taken into touch by Gasnier and Josh Morris which put that attacking raid to an end.

There were just two more sets in the first half before the half-time siren sounded and the two sides went to the sheds with the scores level at 6-a-piece.

The Dragons had an ideal start to the second half scoring in the 42nd minute, their first set of the half. After the Titans kicked it dead the home side had a 20m restart and worked the ball down field and on the last Soward again put the ball high in the air and Atkins couldn't get a hand to the ball. The loose ball was pounced upon by Nightingale who scored next to the left upright. The halfback converted and the lead was 12-6.

Just four minutes later the home side scored their third try of the night. The Dragons were awarded a penalty on their 40m line after Ashley Harrison held down Scott. Then Rangi Chase made his impact putting in a grubber behind the visitors line on the fourth tackle and Gasnier gathered the ball in and scored 10m in from the western touchline. Soward smartly converted in the windy conditions to convert and extend the lead out to 18-6.

Chase again was in the thick of it in the 53rd minute scoring his first try of the season. It was off the back of another repeat set after a Soward cross kick was taken by Atkins with Nightingale talking him in the in-goal area. On just the third tackle Chase took the ball one off the ruck and put on a huge right foot step to go inside Rogers and score under the uprights. Soward converted and the lead went further out to 24-6.

The Titans hit back in the 59th minute through Mark Minichiello. After being held-up over the line the previous tackle Prince then put a grubber in on the last and there was no fullback at home and Minichiello score just to left of the uprights. Prince converted to close the gap to 24-12.

After Hurstville United junior Chase Stanley made a half bust and offloaded to Cooper the Titans were on the back foot and never made it back the 10m and Badger had no other option than to penalise the Titans. Just 15m out Soward converted and stretched the lead out beyond two converted tries to 26-12.

After the conversion of the penalty and seeming to have locked in a victory it was put in no doubt when Cooper scored his second try of the night in the 76th minute. After a forward pass from Minichiello gave the Dragons the ball on the Titans 40m line. Once again early in the tackle count Soward chip over the defensive line and Cooper won the race to the ball and grounded the ball just centimetres inside the dead ball line out wide on the left. Soward couldn't convert and the red and whites celebrated their first victory for season 2008, 30-12 over the Titans.

DRAGONS 30 (Cooper 2, Nightingale, Gasnier, Chase Tries; Soward 4, Gasnier 1 Goals) TITANS 12 (Friend, Minichiello Tries; Prince 2 Goals)

Referee: Gavin Badger

Crowd: 10,521

Report source: www.dragons.com.au

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