Round 6
St George Illawarra Dragons 18 l. Newcastle Knights 24

2009 NRL Telstra Premiership Index [Table] [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

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

Dog and Dell Show relegates Bennett v Smith battle
Mon April 20, 2009
The battle between Wendell Sailor and Adam MacDougall on Saturday night was one of the most refreshing highlights of Round 6 action.

Both players during the week talked it up renewing a great rivalry from years gone by with the not so subtle sledge at one another.

MacDougall made reference about Sailor's chins and that he didn't learn how to catch or kick when playing the rival code.

Sailor on the other hand stated it was a surprise to see MacDougall running around and also commented that it's the first time in a long-time that he's put a couple of performances back-to-back having a dig at MacDougall's injury record.

The good thing about the pre-match battle was that neither player took offence to the other, but on the other hand this is a genuine rivalry.

Sailor crossed for two tries in the first half on the back of some Jamie Soward brilliance and he made a special beeline to MacDougall to remind him of his first try and later on his second try.

St George Illawarra led 14-6 at half-time and Sailor was forced off the field with an injury in the second half as Newcastle mounted their comeback.

MacDougall crossed to put the Knights up 24-14 and he made certain that he pointed in the direction of Sailor sitting on the bench to remind him of the try and most certainly where he was positioned and of course the scoreboard.

The good part about the rivalry was that at full-time both players shook hands and had a joke about the pre-match antics. It is genuine rivalry and its top of the draw stuff, but the good thing is that MacDougall and Sailor don't take the other personally and both know they are each eccentrics.

What was forgotten in the whole Dragons v Knights build up and clash was the battle of the coaches in Wayne Bennett and Brian Smith. Usually the mind games of both coaches attracts most attention when their respective sides meet, but the battle of the veteran wingers managed to steal all the limelight and I'm such both coaches would have been wrapped in that.

Despite Sailor and MacDougall getting on in years and both players starting to slow up from there hey days, both players are very important to their respective sides. The Dragons and Knights are largely inexperienced sides and the experience and confidence both players bring can't be measured high enough.

Both players have courted their controversy throughout their careers and have made mistakes, but in 2009 both are comfortable at where their game and life is at. Saturday's battle and their antics made for great theatre and what Rugby League should be about.

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