Dragons 26 Roosters 6
ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA'S Ben Hornby looked as though he had been watching the helicopter manoeuvres at ANZ Stadium. In the first three minutes of yesterday's game, the halfback leapt spectacularly high, spiralled, grabbed the ball in the contest with Roosters fullback Sam Perrett and plonked the ball down solidly on the try line.
The choppers had been hovering above the sodden stadium, their rotors attempting to dry out the field to host - for the first time - what is now the traditional Anzac Day match.
Straight away an airborne Hornby produced startling results. Somehow, with no respect for form, the Dragons scored four tries for a shock 26-6 triumph over the Roosters.
The Roosters took the field wearing baby-blue jerseys and socks, a tribute to the sense of the day's occasion and a reflection of the 1945 premiership-winning Eastern Suburbs side, which was forced to wear the lighter-coloured jerseys because the darker ink was unavailable (navy being a favoured colour of war uniforms). They won't be seen again.
The Dragons took the upper hand in the early stages, with Josh Morris, playing superbly in the centres, setting up their second try just five minutes into the match. Even long-suffering Dragons fans used to the club's hot-and-cold performances were shocked at the rapid unfolding of events: a scoreboard that read 12-0 in their favour. Contributing to the effort was an enthusiastic chase of any kicked balls, pinning the Roosters deep in their own territory. Clearly the Dragons had had a serious midweek chat about the value of the red V because their teamwork and celebratory slaps on the back were on show for only the second time this year. The other time was in the round-two win over the Titans. Hornby said as much after the game.
"We have beaten two of the best sides in the competition now," he said. Confidence in the red-and-white camp is now returning.
The tenor of the match was starkly illustrated in the critical minutes just before half-time. The Roosters should have been level at 12-12, but instead the Dragons went to the sheds ahead 18-6 because of a silly error by Roosters winger Amos Roberts. Instead of flying high to contest a bomb with Jason Nightingale, Roberts tackled the Dragons winger off the ball, and video referee Phil Cooley ruled David Shillington hadn't scored. Then, down the other end, and thanks to a spate of lucky calls, Josh Morris used his new-found strength and long-held speed to fend off the opposition and score in the corner. Josh Morris more than capably filled in for Matt Cooper, out with a back injury, and the combination of Hornby at No.7 and Dean Young at No.9 was encouraging.
Dragons five-eighth Jamie Soward was, once again, a liability when he chose early kicking options, but also an asset when one such kick rebounded off Perrett and led to his side's fourth try in the 62nd minute. In that play, the Dragons were awarded a repeat set, and instead of setting up for a decisive field goal, Simon Woolford, fresh off the bench, chose to run from dummy-half, kicking through a phalanx of opposition legs, with the ball bouncing perfectly for the chasing Brett Morris.
The Roosters' only try came in the 20th minute. The side had put the pressure on with repeated attempts at the try line, but the Dragons' defence was, for the first time this season, so impressive the Roosters' big names like Mark O'Meley and Willie Mason were rendered impotent. However, Anthony Tupou celebrated his signing for Cronulla with a slick run off a short ball from Braith Anasta that finally cracked a hole.
Earlier in the game, Roosters hooker Riley Brown was penalised for a high tackle on Brett Morris. Dean Young's high shot on Mitchell Pearce may also be scrutinised by the match reviewers.
ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA 26 (B Hornby B Morris J Morris J Nightingale tries J Soward 5 goals) bt SYDNEY ROOSTERS 6 (A Tupou try C Fitzgibbon goal) at ANZ Stadium. Referee: S Hampstead. Crowd: 21,596.
