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In a game that ended up being a knock-on-athon, the Dragons in the last ten minutes had too much power and class for the Panthers who were the perpetrators of their own demise.
It was the Dragons who crossed over early with some shaky sliding defence by the Panthers creating space for Peter Mata’utia to run onto a running Gareth Widdop pass and make the lead eight points.
However, after a Benji Marshall kick went out on the full and off the back of some dubious penalties, one which saw both Tyson Frizell and Euan Aitken put on report, David Simmons crossed over the white line off the back of a pin-point Jamie Soward kick.
Soon after, Josh Mansour strolled over after a nice flick pass by Lewis Brown to give the Panthers the lead. Scores were all locked up heading into halftime after the Dragons elected to go for another penalty goal instead of a try late in the half.
After halftime, both teams were susceptible to more ill-discipline and errors which saw both teams opt to go for the two points when they were on offer. Up until the last fifteen minutes of the match, Soward had proved to be the best half on the paddock as Marshall and Widdop just could not execute well.
Nevertheless Marshall in the 68th minute saw the opportunity straight in front of the sticks to give the Dragons the lead and the Dragons some breathing space. Soon after some superb kicking by Widdop saw some monstrous kick chases which became too much for the Panthers defence. After repeat sets the English import grubbered for himself and had too much pace for Jeremy Latimore, sealing the win for the Dragons.
The Dragons now leapfrog the Bulldogs into seventh place on the ladder and exert more pressure on the Manly side. All in all, not a semi-final performance by the Dragons but they will be happy with the two points.
The eighth placed St Georg Illawarra Dragons host the Penrith Panthers, with a spot in the semi-finals hanging on the result for Paul McGregor’s men. Join The Roar for all the action from 7:35pm (AEST)
The Dragons have exceeded expectation this year, however it has still been a rollercoaster for them.
After losing their first few games, they went on to win six on the trot against quality opponents off the back of their defence.
They then lost seven in a row.
Good wins against the Warriors and Newcastle ensued, but ultimately the Dragons fell to their knees last week, going down 32-6 to a hot Brisbane side.
The Panthers have suffered injuries to key men, and as a result have not performed on the park. They did play well last week to break a five-game losing streak, beating the Warriors at home 24-10.
The Drgaons have Benji Marshall returning, which means stand-in half Jack de Belin is back to the bench in place of Drew Hutchinson, as Dylan Farell replaces Nathan Green on the wing and Mike Cooper swaps with Trent Merrin.
The only change for the Panthers is Tyrone Peachey returning for Nigel Plum, who announced his retirement after last week’s game.
Marshall is a big return for the Dragons, his direction and leadership in the halves allows the men around him to focus on their jobs rather than trying to create something from nothing, and his partnership with Gareth Widdop cannot be underestimated.
It should be a good battle in the halves, with Jamie Soward keen to put in a good showing against the club that showed him the door.
James Segeyaro is important for the Panthers, as he showed last week he can be so dynamic coming off the bench and will look to exploit the Dragons forwards.
Prediction
This game will be won in the halves. Although Isaac John can hold his own, I cannot see Penrith’s defence being good enough to withhold the pressure of Marshall and Widdop. The Dragons to win in a low-scoring contest.
Dragons by 4.
Will the Dragons be safe from dropping out of the eight for another week, or will the Panthers spoil the party and steal a win in Wollongong? Join The Roar from 7:35pm (AEST) for scores, updates and commentary in our live blog
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