It’s difficult to tell which hurt more.
Was it losing Jacob Liddle in the warm-up? Being torched by former Dragon Matt Dufty? Conceding 10 points while a Rabbitoh was in the sin bin?
Whatever the case, it was the same old story with a familiar ending. St George Illawarra, under coach Shane Flanagan, has become a tougher team to beat. But once again, they have been beaten.
The latest loss, a 30-12 defeat to South Sydney at Accor Stadium, is their seventh straight to open the season, stretching the sequence to 11. It poses the question, yet again; is it Flanagan’s last in charge?
Like the previous match, when the club’s merchandise van tipped over, there was drama before kick-off. The team sheets were finalised, to reveal that Damien Cook., the sole skipper in the absence of the injured Clint Gutherson, was dumped to the bench. Just as the guessing game began over who would be the captain in his absence, promoted dummy half Jacob Liddle was scratched in the warm-up. The same hamstring that cost him a trip to Vegas went on him again. Cook’s demotion was the shortest in rugby league history.
Valentine Holmes, Gutherson and Cook have been the most maligned Dragons during their dry spell. However, Cook made the most of his extended game time.
The veteran rake’s running game was back, scoring his side’s first try after a wonderful offload from Toby Couchman. And then he set up Hamish Stewart with a trademark dart from dummy half.
But that’s as good as it got for the cellar dweller. Latrell Mitchell gave Holmes an absolute bath. Not only did Mitchell score four tries, but got the better of every battle, on either side of the ball.
Even still, the Red V was in the contest until the final 10 minutes. That was when Parramatta-bound firebrand Jaydn Su’A’s shoulder connected with the head of Cameron Murray. It left referee Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski with no choice. For the first time since round 22, 2024, a player was dismissed. His stint on the sidelines is expected to be a long one.
“Direct contact, shoulder to head,” Przeklasa-Adamski said as he pointed to the stands. “It’s a send off.”
And then there was Dufty. In his first NRL game in 1420 days, Dufty was a standout replacing injured fullback Jai Gray. Not only did he score a try, he ran for a staggering 324 metres. Each of them was a dagger in the heart of long-suffering Dragons fans.
They got their first glimpse this year of Loko Jnr Pasifiki Tonga. After agitating for a release over his continued omission, the promising prop finally tasted first grade off the bench. That change wasn’t enough to spark a victory. Perhaps another is required.
