Dragons end 10 months of agony, and deal Broncos a harrowing reality check

This was the win that had been 10 months in the making for St George-Illawarra, one which has issued a damning reality check to the defending NRL champions.

It was on August 9 in round 23 last year when the Dragons last tasted victory, yet come Sunday afternoon they emerged as the Brisbane Broncos’ bogey team once again to claim a 30-26 triumph.

It ended a run of 15-straight defeats for the Red V, taking their streak against the Broncos to nine wins from their past 12 encounters, and in doing so, reduced the premiers to a fourth consecutive loss and leave their season on life support.

From the early exchanges, the defence which delivered Brisbane the 2025 title was nowhere to be seen, with some flimsy arms tackles opening a passage for Hamish Stewart to put on some footwork and find Valentine Holmes to score the first try of the afternoon. A Daniel Atkinson grubber behind the line for himself soon doubled the lead, while the Broncos’ ball control began to fall by the wayside.

Seven first half errors compounded Brisbane coach Michael Maguire’s woes, with only a needless penalty as the halftime siren sounded when Moses Suli ran Reece Walsh off a kick chase giving the hosts their first points to trail 14-2.

Even after a Jesse Arthars intercept try got them back in the hunt, the Dragons were quick to strike back – Stewart marking a bomb from Atkinson and offloading back to Clint Gutherson, who found an unmarked Matt Feagai to score. Moments later, Holmes got his boot to a fumbled attempted intercept and streaked to score, with Setu Tu crossing shortly after for St George’s third try in five minutes.

Late tries to Josiah Karapani, Xavier Willison and Arthars made a game of it, but it was too little too late.

Maguire has been left frustrated by his side’s lack of discipline and intensity, and that was on show throughout the 80 minutes, as his maligned outfit committed 16 mistakes and dropped off tackles limply in the first half.

They have now let in 142 points in their past four games, and aside from their 24-point second half against the Roosters have gone missing in attack.

Not even Payne Haas’ return from a knee injury could spark these Broncos – despite his best efforts, finishing with 281 running metres in an 80-minute performance – while Pat Carrigan made his way to the bench twice and failed to finish the match with an ankle concern.

Walsh goes missing

Any assertions Walsh would respond to his State of Origin omission with a vengeance were quickly silenced, with the marquee fullback unable to inject himself into the contest.

Pundits were shocked when the Clive Churchill Medal winner and incumbent Kangaroos No.1 was overlooked in favour of Kalyn Ponga for the Queensland Maroons, as well as Broncos teammates Ezra Mam and Gehamat Shibasaki on the six-man bench. But the enigmatic star has been a shadow of the man who dazzled the competition en route to the premiership last season.

Since returning from a fractured cheekbone, Walsh and the Broncos have suffered four losses, and while he has produced some moments of magic in and among the carnage, he has also come up with several key mistakes. Against the Dragons, he came up with one poor no-look offload which was intercepted while Brisbane were on the attack, and rarely looked threatening looping out the back.

He came up with a poor shovelled pass that went behind Arthars around halfway, which was dutifully picked up by the Dragons, and was only spared when Arthars latched onto a length of the field intercept to score their first try.

But as St George-Illawarra got on a roll, Walsh spilled a bomb to gift Tu his try, leading Maguire to storm out from the front of the coach’s box and onto the sidelines.

The 23-year-old came up with the final pass to put winger Josiah Karapani over to offer a glimmer of hope, and a clean cutout pass for Arthars’ second inside the final 30 seconds. But aside from that, he was relatively unsighted – finishing with just 116 running metres to go with three linebreak assists and three errors.

Dragons youth brigade stands tall

While this win will do little to paper over the cracks that are within the Dragons ranks, their rising stars have shown there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Developing forwards Toby and Ryan Couchman, Dylan Egan and Stewart all produced game-changing performances, and have demonstrated there is a future for the club once a sleuth of incoming recruits arrive at Woolongong for the 2027 campaign.

Halfback Luke Metcalf, fullback Scott Drinkwater and outside back Phil Sami will add potent strike to a team which arguably should have taken a far more commanding lead at the break given the opportunities Brisbane presented them to strike. South Sydney wrecking ball Keaon Koloamatangi will, meanwhile, be buoyed to know he is joining a pack with a wealth of potential.

Stewart was instrumental in two of the Dragons’ tries, while coming up with 46 tackles, while the Couchman brothers combined for 77 tackles and 339 running metres.

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