The Dragons’ Knock-On Effect NSW Cup outfit continued the theme of the weekend toppling the ladder-leading Bears 32-20 at North Sydney Oval on Sunday afternoon.
Ben Johnson and Savelio Tamale both notched try doubles for the Red V as they held off a surging Bears unit after taking a 26-point edge into the sheds.
Lyhkan King-Togia put together a standout performance having had a hand in several Dragons tries less than 24 hours on from assuming the role of replacement player for the NRL squad for the first time in his young career.
Match: Bears v Dragons
Round 22 -
home Team
Bears
1st Position
away Team
Dragons
7th Position
Venue: North Sydney Oval, Sydney
The Dragons’ early ventures into Bears territory proved fruitful with Johnson using his power and footwork to nab the contest’s opening points down the right edge.
Mikaele Ravalawa powered his way over in the corner to join his centre on the scoresheet just minutes later thanks to a cut-out ball courtesy of a sweeping Jack Bird.
Jonah Glover nailed the conversion from inches inside the chalk to give the Red V a quick, double-digit lead.
The Dragons kept launching raids down the right edge and kept finding results with Johnson storming through to ground a Bird grubber for his second and the side’s third of the afternoon.
A botched short kick-off saw the Dragons roll straight back onto the attack with some sharp Hayden Buchanan hands sending Tamale into space down the left flank.
Tamale found a supporting King-Togia back on his inside who hit halves partner Glover with a magnificent offload to score and make it 20-0 just 24 minutes in.
A tenacious Glover kick chase jolted the ball free of the catcher’s grip soon after with Hamish Stewart picking up the crumbs and handing the ball off to Tamale who stepped his way over the stripe to grow the visitors’ lead out to 26.
A late defensive stand ensured that the Dragons kept a clean sheet heading into half-time.
Kieran Hayman scored in the left corner off his own grubber early in the second forty before converting his own try as the Bears looked to ignite a fightback.
The hosts continued their comeback moments later finding a second through Tuipulotu Katoa who raced away off a neat Sualauvi Faalogo offload.
Tamale roared into space down the left wing to put the Dragons back on the front foot with Stewart denied a try off the back of it as officials ruled a mid-air knock-on in the lead-up.
Ben Talty shrugged off a pair of defenders to dive over next to the sticks with a little under a quarter of the match to play as the lead dwindled back down to just eight.
Knock-On Effect NSW Cup Highlights: Round 22
King-Togia was denied a try which would have sealed the result for the Red V only for it to be denied due to a dubious double movement call.
Haele Finau was placed on report for a late shot the following set with Hayman slotting a penalty goal off it to cut the lead down to six entering the final 10.
The Dragons managed to halt the bleeding their next set with Buchanan again showcasing a clean set of hands to send Tamale over for his second off a near sideline-to-sideline shift.
Glover’s successful conversion put the Red V back up by a dozen with four minutes on the clock which proved enough as Ben Woolf’s men survived the ladder leaders’ second half comeback attempt.
