Up and down the field they ran, but it was the St George Illawarra Dragons that received the ‘get out of gaol for free’ card.
Round 2 of the 2018 season in the NRL and with both the Cronulla Sharks and the Dragons looking to purchase real estate in each other’s half, this match was more mayhem than a game of Monopoly.
In the first 40 minutes, everything was against the Big Red V: a force-10 southerly matched by the sea of blue and black in the crowd; 20/21 completions by the Sharks; and 225 rounds of tackling practice versus 115 against.
They hung in and weathered the storm. Trailing by just ten points, into the sheds they trudged for oranges.
The second half was a Barry Crocker. A shocker. A ding-dong game of dropsy, a dog-ugly display of rugby league. Blatant forward passes missed by the refs, crab-like running skittling towards the sideline, nil creativity, predictability.
We’d seen it all before. It was everything that makes critics salivate over the opportunity to rip into reasons why NRL games can be soul destroying to fans and boring to watch.
Stop. Start. Stop. Blow the whistle ref, I’d had enough.
In an effort to provide some form of explanation as to why the standard of play was beyond poor, some on Channel Nine’s commentary team blamed the Bermuda Triangle for what was playing out on the ground.
Ships disappearing under mysterious circumstances is the crux of the Bermuda myth. What it has to do with a game of footy at ‘Shark’ Park (there might be a tenuous link there), is beyond me.
Talk about pushing the boat out.
If it wasn’t for Andrew Fifita’s timely dropped balls, Matt Moylan’s mishap when trying to catch the pill and Matt Prior’s air swing at a ball he needed just to clasp and put down on an open try line, the result for Cronulla could have been very different.
Somehow the St George Illawarra Dragons extricated itself from a car crash of a game. Leaving the tangled wreckage behind, Red V supporters scraped themselves off the floor in their lounge rooms, quietly slipped away from the Shire and left the Leagues club as nervous wrecks after seeing their side limp to victory.
Two days later and the winners are still grinners. Their side is two from two and the weekend is wonderful. Winning can be ugly but when you’re on the right side of the ledger, it feels beyond good.
But be warned. Like a game of Monopoly, you can purchase houses and build a fortune but don’t gamble on your side winning in Round 3, for it’s best to take each game week by week.
Kenw
Guest
Taking the 2nd half on it's own they were simply the better of 2 teams not playing particularly well. The Dragons first half was actually were they won the game though. The Sharks in that first half was as good as they can play, assisted by a massive breeze and in front of their home crowd. There wouldn't have been a path back if the Dragons had let them get away.
godragonsgo
Guest
I agree (and does that say just how badly the Sharks are going to go this year). But having said that you have to put yourself in with a chance to take advantage of the situation. This is what good or great teams do and the Dragons did exactly that.
Simon Dean
Roar Rookie
There is no doubting the Dragons' determination to win. The fact that they hung in was one of the most pleasing aspects but crucial errors by Cronulla, as noted, cost them the game. The Dragons are a different outfit this season. The side's mental improvement gives supporters real cause for optimism. A top four position bekons.
Renegade
Roar Guru
Lol the sharks lost that game, the dragons didn’t win it.
Paul
Roar Guru
The headline for the Panthers story is about their ability to grind out wins and that's exactly the same as the Dragons did on Thursday. Their win was even better given the circumstances; they were playing a top 8 side from 2017, they were playing away from home and they were down 14 points at one stage. Sure the Sharks played below par in the second half, but that's in large part due to the pressure the Dragons put on them. The Dragons were down to 12 players yet managed to keep the ball long enough to kick two penalties, which proved to be the crucial scores . That's not getting out of gaol, that's showing real determination to win.