The Dragons’ Thursday night trip to Leichhardt Oval proved a heartbreaker with Jamie Soward’s squad going down 16-14 in difficult conditions.
- NRLW Round 8 Highlights: Wests Tigers vs Dragons
- NRLW Round 8 Press Conference: Wests Tigers vs Dragons
Raecene McGregor was presented a special jersey in the lead-up to the clash to celebrate her milestone 40th NRLW appearance.
The Dragons were plagued by disastrous ball control in what was a wet and wild opening stanza as Brett Kimmorley’s squad leapt out to a decisive advantage.
A second-half Maatuleio Fotu-Moala double helped the visitors claw their way back into the contest only for the clock to prevent a comeback.
A first-set Dragons mistake gifted the hosts an early attacking opportunity with Christian Pio held up over the line in search of the contest’s opening points.
Angelina Teakaraanga-Katoa was placed on report for a high shot soon after with Rebecca Pollard drawing first blood for the Wests Tigers off it sliding over in the right-hand corner to make it 4-0.
Another ill-timed error saw the hosts continue their early territorial dominance only for some Dragons defensive poise to force a drop.
The video officials were brought into play the following set after a ricocheted Evie McGrath grubber led to a desperate loose ball tussle with the Wests Tigers ruled to have knocked the ball on in-goal.
The Dragons paid once more for their poor ball control with Leianne Tufuga powering her way over off an attacking scrum to extend the lead out to double digits for the hosts.
Brooke Talataina was placed on report just shy of the half-hour mark with the Red V squandering another attacking opportunity as their completion rate plummeted below 50 per cent.
Pollard slipped through for her second prior to the break to push the Wests Tigers’ lead out to 14-0.
Teagan Berry was held up over the line in the early stages of the second half as the visitors remained seeking their first points of the night.
Fotu-Moala did however find the first try of her career moments later off a pinpoint McGregor kick which had been fumbled.
It was a determined Ella Koster charge which had propelled the Red V into favourable territory the previous play to spark what the squad hoped would be a fierce fightback.
A fortuitous penalty saw the Dragons storm straight back onto the attack with Madison Mulhall utilising every bit of her size and power to muscle her way over the stripe for the side’s second.
McGregor knocked over the conversion to cut the deficit back to four points for the Red V.
Buoyed by several timely penalties, the Dragons again found themselves knocking on the door with Berry held up in-goal as the deficit remained.
The Dragons lost Alice Gregory with 13 minutes to play due to a shoulder complaint with Jordyn Preston being inserted onto the wing for her first action of the night.
Teakaraanga-Katoa was placed on report for a second time in the final stages with the hosts electing to throw over a gift two points to push their edge back out to a converted try.
Keele Browne burst through a hole soon after off a McGregor cut-out only for the pass to be ruled forward.
NRLW Round 8 Highlights: Wests Tigers vs Dragons
The McGregor-to-Browne cut-out came up trumps the visitors’ following set however with the former proceeding to move the ball onto Fotu-Moala who survived the Wests Tigers cover to slide over in the corner.
McGregor was unable to add the extras from the left touchline as the Red V remained in a two-point hole.
The side’s last-ditch attempt to chase down the lead came up short however with their final pass of the night floating over the sideline.
