Tuipulotu, Sloan double up as Dragons down Titans

An early Dragons error put the visitors on the attack with rookie fullback Jaylan De Groot picking up a ball which had been spilt by Reagan Campbell-Gillard and diving over under the sticks.

Video officials overruled the on-field decision of a try however after observing the ball had come into contact with a Dragon.

A late set restart saw the Dragons earn their first attacking opportunity of the evening with newly re-signed winger Christian Tuipulotu storming his way over in the left corner off a beautiful set of Valentine Holmes hands.

Holmes nailed the conversion from the western touchline to make it 6-0 a little over 10 minutes in.

A well-timed David Fifita offload saw the Titans hit back soon after with Brian Kelly strolling over down the left-hand side as a result of it to bring it back to 6-4.

The hosts lost their Captain’s Challenge a quarter of the way in attempting to overrule a knock-on call which was upheld but they were able to defend their line off the back of it.

Brock Gray was placed on report a half-hour in for a dangerous tackle which sent the Dragons back into coveted field position.

Another left-side raid proved fruitful for the hosts with a superb Luciano Leilua tip-on hitting Holmes on an angled run as he jetted over to extend the lead beyond a converted try.

A Titans drop saw the Dragons surge back onto the attack moments later with Moses Suli hitting Tyrell Sloan with a perfect flick as the Dapto junior sailed over in the northeastern corner.

Holmes’ conversion faded from left to right and through as the score ballooned out to 18-4.

The Dragons’ red-hot end to the opening forty was capped off by another brilliant effort the next set which started from their own side of half-way.

Holmes produced an electric left-foot step off another nice Leilua ball and sped into the backfield before finding a supporting Gutherson with a well-timed flick who handed it off to Kyle Flanagan to score as the Dragons took a 20-point edge into the break.

The intermission did little to cool off the Dragons with Flanagan sending a peach of a cut-out the way of Tuipulotu who went over untouched for his second of the contest to make it 28-4.

The Titans went close to finding their second of the evening just shy of the hour-mark off an AJ Brimson grubber only for Sloan to spoil Kelly’s grounding attempt and earn his side a 20-metre restart.

Tuipulotu left the field with an apparent hamstring concern before Sloan joined him in the doubles column an hour in after Suli drew the defence in and hit his winger with a pinpoint pass as the lead grew to 34-4.

A successful short kick-off saw the Titans stop the bleeding with Fifita motoring into space off it and moving the ball on to Phillip Sami to score.

Gray was sin binned for a high shot on Jack de Belin in the 67th minute making it 13-on-12.

The Dragons nabbed their seventh try of the contest through rookie back rower Dylan Egan who punched through a hole off Lachlan Ilias for the first points of his career.

Sloan looked to have snagged his third off the following kick-off after Jacob Liddle sent him into space down the right touchline only for video officials to find a knock-on in the lead-up.

Brimson found a late try for the Titans off a broken piece of play, but it proved too little as Shane Flanagan’s men held on for a much-needed win on home soil.