The St George Bank Dragons have tonight won the 2010 NRL Telstra Premiership with a convincing 32-8 victory over the Roosters at ANZ Stadium in front of 82,334 fans.
The opening exchanges were spent with both sides just going through the motions and trying to get dominant field position. An early mistake from prop Michael Weyman sent a scare through the Dragons camp losing possession 30m out but the Roosters were unable to capitalise losing the ball themselves after just three tackles.
The Dragons were awarded the first penalty of the Grand Final when Roosters Captain Braith Anasta was penalised for holding down in the play the ball on the red and whites 30m line. Jamie Soward put it into touch at half-way and the Dragons had an attacking set at the Roosters line. On just the third tackle the ball was shifted to the left and winger Brett Morris got outside his opposite and got the ball back on the inside to Darius Boyd who was brought down. From the next play Ben Creagh took a charge forward to better the field position and on the last Soward put a smart cross chip kick to the right corner and Mark Gasnier leaped above BJ Leilua and planted the ball down to score the opening try of the 2010 Grand Final. Soward converted from 10m in from the eastern touchline to put the Dragons in front 6-nil after eight minutes.
A mistake by Neville Costigan 40m out from his own line gifted the Roosters possession and they had their first real attacking opportunity. The ball was sent to the left and Leilua broke the line but when he went to ground the ball Soward’s knee forced the ball free and Anasta won the race to the ball to score. It was sent to video referee Bill Harrigan and he awarded the controversial try. Todd Carney took the attempt at conversion and was unsuccessful with the Dragons still in front 6-4 after 16 minutes.
Just four minutes later it was on this occasion a Beau Scott mistake 35 m out from his own line that gave the Roosters another set of six at the red and whites line. This time around it was a shift to the right with Mitchell Pearce the orchestrator and a step off his right foot drew in Matt Cooper and he sent Mitch Aubusson through the line and he went over in the south-western corner. Carney couldn’t convert again with the Roosters now in front 8-6.
The Roosters dominated the back end of the half with the Dragons making a number of errors but their strong defence held the Roosters out and the tri-colours went to the break leading 8-6.
The opening to the second stanza saw the Roosters make the first mistake with a forward pass being thrown by Pearce gifting the Dragons the ball on the half-way line. A set of six at the Roosters resulted in a Nathan Fien grubber being forced dead by Carney and the Dragons earning a repeat set. In the next set it was a well structured play that saw the ball get sent through the hands of Captain Ben Hornby on to Boyd who smartly held the ball up forcing the defence to come in Jason Nightingale stepped by former Dragon Kane Linnett and went over to score in the right hand corner. Soward brilliantly converted from the sideline putting the Dragons back in front 12-8 after 48 minutes.
In the 60th minute Nightingale grabbed his second try of the Grand Final off the back of another repeat set. It didn’t look as pretty but it was again sent to the right and this time around Hornby threw the ball out wide and Nightingale picked up the bouncing ball to go over again in the right hand corner. Almost identical as the last attempt Soward converted to put the lead out to 18-8.
To put the game beyond doubt it was who some would say the heart and soul of the Dragons team Dean Young went over to score. It was a Fien jump out of dummy-half that got the defence going with him and he tipped it on to Young who crashed over next to the left hand upright. Soward easily converted to put the game beyond doubt with the score now 24-8 after 64 minutes.
In the next set Jared Waerea-Hargreaves came in late on Young directly in front of the uprights and Soward took the option of taking the penalty goal and putting the lead out beyond three converted tries to 26-8.
The icing on the cake came with 10 minutes remaining when replacement hooker Fien darted over from dummy-half. The play was set with Soward looking to slot a field-goal but when the defence focused on Soward it was Fien who ducked under the markers and crashed in under the posts. Soward Converted to secure the title for the famous Red V 32-8.
DRAGONS 32 (Nightingale 2, Gasnier, Young, Fien Tries; Soward 6 Goals) def. ROOSTERS (Anasta, Aubusson Tries)
Crowd: 82,334
Go Dragons!
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