Roosters rise in golden-point thriller

A Mitchell Pearce field goal in golden point has handed the Sydney Roosters a 13-12 win over the St George Illawarra Dragons on ANZAC Day at Allianz Stadium in a heart-stopper.

When Roosters fullback Michael Gordon slotted a 76th-minute penalty goal to give the hosts a 12-6 lead, the Tricolours looked to have the game in the bag.

But a never-say-die scamper from Dragons winger Nene Macdonald saw the 22-year-old clinch a match-turning four-pointer two minutes from full-time to make things 12-10.

Filling the gaping boots of five-eighth Gareth Widdop, who limped off injured late in the second half in his 150th NRL appearance, fullback Josh Dugan then banged over a gun-barrel straight conversion just inside touch to take the game into golden-point.

Three minutes into extra time, Pearce slotted the one-pointer clean as a whistle in front of a deafening 40,864-strong crowd off the back of a superb set of six in which his side marched the length of the field.

Pearce was one of the best on the park, testing the Dragons’ defence with a brilliant display off the boot and threatening with a litany of darting runs.

Meanwhile, Roosters hooker Jake Friend was monumental in his side’s epic defensive showing in making 59 tackles as fellow co-captain Boyd Cordner garnered 204 metres.

Dragons winger Jason Nightingale was once again superb in returning the ball, and churned out a game-high 211 metres in his side’s agonising loss.

The Dragons were first to hit the scoreboard when second-row Joel Thompson burst onto a Widdop short-ball to bustle through the Roosters’ defence and dot down 19 minutes into the contest. Widdop added the extras as St George grasped a 6-0 lead.

The try came off the back of a glut of possession and quality field position, the visitors eventually managing to pick the lock on the Roosters’ doughty defence.

The home side enjoyed a lot more of the ball later in the opening stanza but couldn’t beat the Dragons’ brick-wall defence, the Red V taking a 6-0 lead into half-time shortly after their captain hobbled off.

It took the Roosters just over nine minutes in the second half to register their first of the game, centre Blake Ferguson sliding in the wet to plant a Pearce grubber centimetres from the dead-ball line.

Only moments earlier, Ferguson had attracted medical attention after copping a heavy knock to the knee.

Gordon failed to add the extras as the Dragons took hold of a 6-4 lead, meaning the Roosters had to hit back again to poke their noses in front.

They did just that in the 66th minute when Pearce sliced through a feeble St George defence to score under the posts, Gordon making no mistake off the boot this time as the Roosters pushed ahead for a 10-6 lead.

The match had already proven a topsy-turvy encounter, but onlookers were still in for a raft of twists of the tale before the Roosters would eventually clinch victory.

Final score
Sydney Roosters 13
St George Illawarra Dragons 12