The Dragons are back in the winners’ circle thanks to an 80th-minute Mathew Feagai match-winner that spurred the side to a 24-22 over the Sydney Roosters at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium on Friday.
In Ryan Carr’s first match as interim coach the Dragons weathered blow after blow throughout the second half but managed a pair of tries in the final eight minutes to seal a remarkable victory in front of an overjoyed home crowd.
The side was dealt a blow prior to kick-off with back-rower Jack Bird ruled out due to knee soreness prompting Carr to promote Ben Murdoch-Masila to the starting lineup and Jaiyden Hunt onto the interchange.
Dragons legends Nathan Blacklock and Anthony Mundine flanked the team – who were in their Indigenous jerseys featuring Zoe Raymond’s ‘Stand Your Ground’ artwork – as they took to the field.
Some desperate Dragons defence denied Drew Hutchison first points and instead the Red V opened the scoring seven minutes in through centre Moses Suli, who defused a cross-field bomb and raced 90 metres downfield.
The Dragons, who were gifted strong field position thanks to a Roosters high shot, did not have to wait long for their second with skipper Ben Hunt ducking and weaving his way to the try-line before celebrating with his trademark kick into the stands 12 minutes in.
Zac Lomax and Victor Radley were both placed on report during a melee the following set that resulted in a Roosters penalty.
Some eager Dragons defence quelled a Roosters attacking raid five minutes prior to half-time before Nathan Brown found himself on report for a high shot.
A Talatau Amone break on the stroke of half-time nearly resulted in a third Dragons try before the ball agonisingly hit the turf.
The Dragons opened their second half account via a Lomax goal off the back of an escort penalty to improve the lead to 14.
The Roosters answered with their first points of the contest shortly after through captain James Tedesco who reeled in a looping pass and poured through a hole on the fifth tackle to dive over next to the posts.
The lead was cut to just two moments later after Tedesco flew through the middle of the field off an inside ball and linked up with Luke Keary who wrestled his way to the line.
Keary notched his second on the hour-mark to give the Roosters their first lead of the game.
A forced error put the Dragons back on the attack with Jaydn Su’A crashing over off a last-tackle, short-side raid – which survived a late Bunker intervention – to put the side back ahead by two with six minutes remaining.
Off the back of a short kick-off, Tedesco grabbed his second try to put the Roosters back ahead after pulling off a one-on-one strip several metres out from the line.
On the final play of the game, Ben Hunt darted down a narrow, right-hand short-side and put up a kick that Lomax was able to bat backwards which went through several sets of hands before eventually finding Tyrell Sloan who put in a pinpoint, cross-field kick that bounced perfectly for a flying Feagai who dived over behind the posts for an electric, match-winning try.
Lomax slotted the conversion from next to the posts after the siren as the Dragons came away with a memorable 24-22 victory over the Roosters.
