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A sign of things to come? The NRL season kicked off at Hunter Stadium in Newcastle last night with a bumper club record crowd of 29,189.
And they sure got their money’s worth, with the Dragons beating the Knights 15-14 in extra time, thanks to the trusty left boot of Jamie Soward.
It was rather ironic that the boot that took the Dragons to the premiership in 2010 under Wayne Bennett should sink Bennett on his coaching debut with the Knights.
But don’t ever write the Knights off.
There was a lot of ill-discipline in their game last night, so rare in a Bennett coached side.
None more so than Timana Tahu being penalised and reported for kneeing Dragons forward Matt Prior when the Knights were strong in attack.
Hot-head Tahu would have copped a gobful from his coach, and with every good reason.
The Knights’ pluses?
The return of former skipper Danny Buderus from a three-year stint at Leeds, and the continued class of Darius Boyd.
Buderus should be captain instead of Kurt Gidley, but that’s a matter for Bennett. Buderus was a powerhouse when the Knights won the 2001 premiership, as well as captaining NSW to the Blues’ last Origin series success in 2005 and successfully leading the Kangaroos.
He is a captain’s captain, one of the very best.
Boyd is brilliant.
The way he surfaces anywhere on the field to make incisive runs never ceases to amaze. He is Bennett-inspired, having played under the master coach at the Broncos, Dragons, and now Knights.
There’s no way Bennett would be happy today. That was a game that got away having overcome a 8-nil deficit.
On the other side of the coin, Dragons new coach Steve Price will be ecstatic. The team with the famous big red V were underdogs, but managed to snatch a well-earned victory.
And one of the major reasons was the Price ploy to keep the ball well away from flying Knights winger Akuila Uate. The ploy worked a treat and one of the Knights most destructive assets was kept quiet for most of the game.
Another outstanding feature was the understanding between Price and long-serving skipper Ben Hornby.
It was a celebration night for Hornby with his 250th game, the first time in 47 years a Dragon had reached the milestone. It didn’t start well by kicking out on the full from the kick-off, but that was just a hiccup as Hornby settled into his stride very quickly.
There’s a lot to like about the Dragons.
They have the cattle to do well with Ben Creagh, Dean Young, and Michael Weyman up front, and Kyle Stanley, Brett Morris, Matt Cooper, and Beau Scott at the back.
And Jamie Soward.
Why he’s been knocked so often defies description. He’s a quality footballer. It’s not only his boot, but he’s become a nomad around the field that makes him even more dangerous.
If the Dragons become a genuine premiership threat, it will be because of Jamie Soward.