This weekend is the Anzac Day round, which means one thing – this Tuesday, all of Australia will stop in the morning to commemorate those who went to fight for the country in World War I over 100 years ago.
Then, in the afternoon, the St George Illawarra Dragons and Sydney Roosters will continue a tradition that has stood since 2002 – contesting the Anzac Day clash at Allianz Stadium.
It will be the 16th time the Roosters and Dragons have met exclusively at Allianz Stadium (ANZ Stadium in 2008) on the day, in a match which typically draws a very large crowd regardless of both teams’ positions on the ladder.
Both clubs have had contrasting good starts to the 2017 season, with the Roosters winning five of their opening seven matches to be sitting fourth on the ladder while the Dragons have surprised many by winning their last five to be sitting at the top of the standings.
The Chooks endured a nightmare 2016 season headlined by the eight-week suspension handed to Mitchell Pearce for his part in last year’s Australia Day video scandal.
However, the former NSW halfback emerged from it a reformed man and he in tandem with Luke Keary have marshaled an impressive resurgence by the team in 2017.
The Roosters started the season with four straight wins but failed hurdles posed by the Sea Eagles and Broncos in rounds five and six respectively. They needed to bounce back hard last Friday night against the Knights on the road, and they did just that with a 24-6 win.
Trent Robinson’s men will now seek to end a two-game losing streak in the Anzac Day fixture when they host the Dragons at Allianz Stadium, and it’s fair to say that they will have their work cut out in more ways than one.
Having been touted for the wooden spoon at the beginning of the season, the Dragons have defied their critics in more ways than one, winning six of their opening seven matches and scoring more points than any other team.
The side’s stunning start to the year came about following a brutal off-season in which their football operations were reviewed from the top down, and this culminated in Benji Marshall and Mitch Rein both leaving the club.
Their resurgence is set to earn coach Paul McGregor a contract extension after many believed he would be the first coach sacked in 2017.
The Dragons should have beaten the Cowboys by more than the 28-22 it settled for after they had led by 28-4 at half-time and were in prime position to become the first team to crack the 200-point barrier in 2017.
Instead, not only were their fans forced to endure a scoreless second half, they also watched in horror as the Cowboys, who were missing both of their co-captains in Johnathan Thurston and Matt Scott, fell short of what would have been a miraculous comeback against the odds.
But the Red V faithful will be happy to see their team exceeding expectations in 2017, but with 19 rounds remaining in the season anything could happen between now and September 8.
And they’ll have another reason to be confident that their stay at the top of the ladder will continue for another week, with the Dragons leading 9-6 in all Anzac Day contests since it was first held in 2002. This includes the last two matches in succession, both decided by two points.
Later in the evening, the Storm and Warriors will once again contest the Anzac Night match at AAMI Park in Melbourne.
The match will kick off at 7:00pm, allowing fans to be at the ground in time for kick-off following the conclusion of the Essendon versus Collingwood AFL match across the bridge at the MCG.
Once again the Storm have started the season strongly, with six wins from their opening seven matches seeing them sit in second place on the ladder, only behind the Dragons on percentage.
Like the Dragons, the Storm also endured a scoreless second half but managed to hold on to defeat the Sea Eagles at Lottoland last week 30-26.
Billy Slater has enjoyed a drama-free return from the shoulder injury which had sidelined him for nearly two years, while Cooper Cronk remains more motivated than ever to win a final premiership with his beloved club after announcing he would move to Sydney at the end of this season.
The Warriors, on the other hand, have had a hot-and-cold start to the season, like many of their past incarnations have in recent years.
After defeating the Gold Coast Titans and Parramatta Eels at home in consecutive weeks, their season slipped back into the red when they lost to the Canberra Raiders in the nation’s capital last Saturday night, 20-8.
This has left their season record at a precarious 3-4 and another loss on Tuesday night in what is their second consecutive match away from home will put them further behind the pace.
Stephen Kearney’s men will also be keen to avenge their 26-10 loss to the Storm from earlier this year, and will also be seeking their third win in this fixture since it became annual in 2009.
Because of the five-day break all four teams involved on Tuesday will face after the match, they will all play their Round 9 matches on the Sunday, with the Roosters crossing the ditch to play the Warriors and the Dragons hosting the Storm in a top-of-the-table showdown in Wollongong.
Reckon you can pick the winning team? Build your own dream team with Draftstars daily fantasy and compete on any match. For great odds on the NRL head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.
Melbourne's star fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen has suffered a lower leg fracture in a nailbiting 22-20 win over the gallant Gold Coast. The rugby league…
Melbourne Storm star Cameron Munster had a dream milestone game, scoring a try and getting a win. Fox League's Cooper Cronk tried to humble…
Having a week off to recharge their batteries during the bye did nothing to stop South Sydney’s season from hell descending further into the…
1. Tigers earning their stripes The Tigers played Souths last year when the Bunnies were at their very highest point. Tim Sheens coached them…
Who are the hardest working big men in the NRL?
Death, taxes and the Storm defying pre-season predictions that this year will be the one when they slip down the ladder. Inevitably, seven rounds…
