Dragons Pathways Wrap: Rd 5

Another Jesse Williams double spurred the Dragons SG Ball side to a 24-10 win over the Storm in Victoria on Saturday to improve to 4-1 on the year.

The hosts got on the board first via winger Dylan Gallagher amid a physical opening only for the Red V to respond through Loko Pasifiki Tonga who showed off his footwork and strength to power his way over under the sticks.

It was the Tyler Peckham-Harris and Williams combination that earnt the visitors their second try with Peckham-Harris sending his winger – who had some work to do – over with a looping cut-out to slam the ball down in the left corner.

Peckham-Harris grabbed one of his own moments later sweeping around down the right-hand corridor and slipping his way through to dive over.

A Chase Paterson try on the stroke of halftime cut the Dragons’ lead back to four.

The Dragons’ next try came an hour in with tearaway prop Ryan Hutchinson surging his way through off a Brandon Tikinau unders ball to give the Dragons some breathing room.

A Pasifiki Tonga bone-rattler laid the platform for Williams to notch his second late and seal the win off a perfectly run scrum play and set-up courtesy of Peckham-Harris.

Williams remains atop the competition’s try-scoring list having nabbed 10 tries from his five appearances with the next closest challenger sitting on seven.

Shaun Timmins’ Steelers suffered their first defeat of 2024 on Friday night falling to the Panthers 24-16 in Windsor with their comeback attempt coming up short.

Panthers centre Tuaomaliemavaitoelau Patea got the hosts on the board first before four-pointers to Cooper Hale and Zedrick Tupulua saw their lead balloon out to 18-0 less than a half-hour in.

Tom Kirk continued his supreme try-scoring form just shy of the break off a Lucas Borg sweep and cut-out down the left corridor to put a dent in the Panthers’ lead.

The tide turned the way of the visitors early in the second stanza with Lyhkan King-Togia and Hayden Buchanan making incisions down the left edge before skipper Daniel Meafou added to his impressive try tally 45 minutes in.

The wrecking ball No.13 steamed back behind the ruck from 30 metres out and bumped, stepped, and shoved his way through a half-dozen tackle attempts to dive over under the crossbar.

Meafou has now scored in each of the Steelers’ five outings – including a double against the Eels in Round 4 – to lead all forwards in the competition in tries scored.

The Steelers’ fightback was in full swing soon after with Kirk taking in a King-Togia cut-out and stepping his way over the line against a Panthers edge that had been stripped for numbers to cut the deficit to just two entering the final 15 minutes.

A late Judah Galuvao try sealed it for the Panthers however as the Steelers succumbed to their first defeat of the season.

TARSHA GALE CUP

It proved a tough outing for the Dragons Tarsha Gale unit falling to the Eels 36-0 on the road.

The Eels overcame an early sin-bin to leap out to a 22-0 halftime lead courtesy of tries to Liaina Dimech, Ryvrr-Lee Alo, Rory Muller and Aaliyah Haumono.

It was more of the same in the second period for the hosts with Rory Muller, Kalisi Mahe, and Ciara Stockham crossing to seal the victory for the Eels.

The Steelers under-19s women continued their strong play coming out on top of the previously undefeated Roosters Indigenous Academy 28-6 to remain unbeaten on the season.

The scoring started early for the hosts with a Kasey Reh kick landing in the lap of winger Darcy Eade who found Charlotte Basham back on the inside for the first points of the encounter.

Reh dummied and jinked her way over soon after to make it an early double-digit lead for the Steelers before she linked up to send centre Indie Bostock through and away from inside their own half for the side’s third try of the match.

Evie McGrath put Mia-Rose Walsh through a hole off an attacking scrum 10 minutes later to put the Steelers up by 22 heading into the sheds.

Bostock claimed her second shortly after halftime off a McGrath cut-out as the Steelers dominance continued.

The scoring dried up for the Steelers late, but their hot start proved enough with Courtney Crawford’s outfit racing away for their fifth win in a row.

McGrath, Bostock, and Walsh are now three of the five players to have scored six or more tries this year at Tarsha Gale Cup level.

HAROLD MATTHEWS CUP

The Dragons Harold Matthews squad managed a come-from-behind 22-18 victory over the Storm in Melbourne for their second win of the season.

Memphis Wallace crossed early for the hosts before the Dragons hit back through back rower Isaac Mikhail who stormed through off some sharp ballplaying from No.7 Riley Brannock.

An individual effort courtesy of centre Lucas Golovodovski - who caught the ball flatfooted on the right edge and circled his way back around and through multiple defenders to score next to the posts - put the Red V ahead.

Two tries in four minutes to Storm halfback Waka Hammond however gave the hosts an eight-point advantage heading into the break.

Dragons captain Alex Futialo kickstarted the fightback crashing over next to the sticks off a Jasais Ah Kee short ball.

Centre Jayden Rawson snagged the match-winning try thanks to an Ah Kee break and offload 48 minutes in.

The Steelers Harold Matthews outfit were unable to come away with the win versus the Panthers going down 30-12 out west.

Back rower Heinz Lemoto scored the first try of the clash for the Panthers before Likamani Richter charged his way over to answer for the Steelers.

Doubles to Cameron Bamblett and Jayden Carter within the space of 20 minutes saw the hosts leap out to a handy lead.

Late inclusion Jaxon Ballinger was the beneficiary of a brave Beau Baldock cut-out and some sharp work on his inside courtesy of Zane Timmins to bag one late for the Steelers.

LISA FIAOLA CUP

The Dragons Lisa Fiaola Cup group were beaten by the Eels 44-0 in Merrylands on Saturday.

Four-pointer to Alleya Scrivens, Fontayne Tufuga, Jasmine Rorani and Kaylee Andrews gave the Eels a 22-0 halftime lead.

Bailey Ma-Chong notched a second half double before Tufuga grabbed two more to seal her hat-trick and the win.

It was a big win for the Steelers Lisa Fiaola squad on Saturday downing the previously undefeated Roosters 26-10 in Figtree.

Halfback Ella Greatz orchestrated the opening try of the contest for winger Bella Lord before fellow winger Maddalyn Bullock joined her on the scoresheet shortly after.

No.9 Tori Shipton burrowed her way over just shy of halftime to improve the hosts’ lead to 14-0.

A pair of Roosters tries to Logan Fletcher and Ayva Papalii early in the second half cut into the Steelers lead before Greatz swallowed an intercept from 35 metres out to race away and give the hosts a 10-point buffer.

Five-eighth Skye Spencer dummied her way over for the Steelers late to seal a crucial win on home turf.

LAURIE DALEY CUP

The ISC Dragons went down to the Macarthur Wests Tigers 24-10 in the Laurie Daley Cup on Saturday in Wollongong.

Brady McMillan, Archie Duncombe, and Kohan Lewis all went over for the visitors to push them to a 16-0 first half lead before a second half Saint Fuatimau gave them an even steadier cushion in the second half.

The ISC Dragons got on the board late via tries to centre Malokai Tomo and second rower Ezekiel Kennedy.

ANDREW JOHNS CUP

The ISC Dragons Andrew Johns Cup unit were unable to slow down the Macarthur Wests Tigers who ran out 42-6 victors in Wollongong.

Early four-pointers to Elijah Sefo and Ronel Ribucan put the Tigers on the front foot before a Cruz McGuinness try made it 12-6 heading into the break.

The second half went the way of the visitors however with a Forgiveness Tila doubled headlining a comprehensive second period.