Dragons defy wind and rain to topple ladder-leading Raiders

Sydney Morning Herald

3 days ago

The Dragons deserved the two points, especially after falling short against North Queensland last weekend, and getting dudded in the final minute against Canterbury prior to that.
Coach Shane Flanagan nearly put a hole through the glass separating the coaching and media box when the Raiders were given a repeat set in the final minute while camped on the Red V's line – but in the end he had nothing to worry about.
Kyle Flanagan's kicking game was terrific, especially a sideline conversion from the south-eastern corner that was directly into the wind.
The conditions were so bad, club officials had to close the hill before kick-off for safety reasons because of lightning, rain and wind. The empty grass evoked memories of the competition when it was played behind closed doors during COVID in 2020.
The Dragons will still need a miracle to make the eight, but the two points moves them clear of the pack of teams still slugging it out for the wooden spoon. They don't deserve the dreaded gong when you consider how many of their losses have been by six points or less.
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Raiders forward Hudson Young was placed on report for a shoulder charge on Hame Sele – the contact was minimal – while David Klemmer was also cited for a tackle on Ata Mariota, which forced the prop off the field for a head injury assessment.
Feagai opened the scoring for the Dragons, Matt Timoko hit back for the visitors, before the Dragons slotted a couple of penalty goals on offer, including one for a late Joe Tapine hit on Kyle Flanagan.
The Dragons will be up for their local derby against Cronulla next week. The Raiders are still knee-deep in this title race, and the quicker they can forget the trip to Wollongong, the better. Stuart will try to ignore it, a bit like he tried to do with the miserable weather on the sideline.