Roar Guru
St George Illawarra are refusing to acknowledge themselves as NRL title contenders even after their 24-8 Anzac Day dismantling of the Sydney Roosters.
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Final score
St George Illawarra Dragons 24
Sydney Roosters 8
The traditional Anzac day game sees the St George Illawarra Dragons meet the Sydney Roosters Join The Roar from 4:10pm (AEST) for live scores and coverage.
The Dragons’ unbeaten record came to an end last weekend, going down to the Warriors 20-12. The Kiwis did it without key players Shaun Johnson and Tohu Harris, exploiting the Red V around their edges and dominating in forward play.
Paul McGregor needs his pack to step up against a considerably weaker Roosters side as they look to remain at the top of the table.
Ben Hunt and Jack De Belin led the way last week and will be required to deliver similar performances in what is usually a close contest.
McGregor has made one change, with Jacob Host promoted to the bench in place of Hame Sele.
Last time out, the Roosters got up 6-0 over the Bulldogs, although they were dominated by Canterbury in the middle of the park.
Trent Robinson’s forwards have been a weakness throughout 2018 and while the return of Sio Siua Taukeiaho off the bench will help, they still require a stronger platform from their men in the middle.
The Anzac Day Cup has been an annual fixture since 2002, with the Dragons winning ten fixtures to the Roosters’ five, with the last three all decided by two points or less.
Overall, 37 games have been played since St George merged with Illawarra in 1999, seeing the joint venture rack up 19 wins to the Tricolours’ 17, with one match drawn.
Last time these two rivals met was in the corresponding fixture last year, the Roosters winning 13-12 after a Mitchell Pearce field goal in golden point.
Prediction
St George Illawarra will bounce back from their loss to the Warriors with a tight win.
Dragons by 2.
Join The Roar from 4:10pm (AEST) for score updates and debate in our live blog.