Craig Cauchi reviews the match between a desperate Dragons side and the eighth placed Sea Eagles.
MATCHDAY RESULTS
SCOREBOARD
St George Illawarra Dragons 20
Tries: Ben Hunt (11, 17), Mathew Feagai (79)
Goals: Zac Lomax (12, 18, 39, 80)
Manly Sea Eagles 6
Tries: Josh Aloiai (43)
Goals: Rueben Garrick (44)
MATCH REPORT
Embed from Getty ImagesManly’s night got off to a bad start before they took the field with three players from their starting side ruled out due to Covid. The conditions at Kograh were miserable and Manly failed to play to the conditions, getting off to a slow start and compounding it with poor discipline. Manly lost a further two players to injury while Cody Ramsey was taken from the field hobbling. The Dragons enjoyed 58% of the ball in the first half and were on the front foot helped by a great kicking game from their captain Ben Hunt. The Dragons scored 14 points in the first half with both tries coming from Hunt. He took the line on to score his first try, using the slippery conditions to his advantage while the second came off the back of an Amone kick. The young half for the Dragons was then put under plenty of defensive pressure in the second half as Manly brought plenty of attack down his side. It was a clear plan from the Sea Eagles who came out from the break with much more intensity. They crossed through Aloai and looked like they were threatening to tear the Dragons right side defence up. But the young five-eighth stood up on multiple occasions, marking up on Schuster, and almost crossed for a try himself in the dying seconds. Instead the final try of the night went to Feagai, giving the Dragons a 20-6 victory to kick off Friday night footy.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR POINTS
Embed from Getty Images3 pts – Ben Hunt (Dragons), 2 pts – Talatau Amone (Dragons), 1 pt – Jack Bird (Dragons)
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