It will go down as an Anzac Day classic.
A Mitchell Pearce field goal in golden-point extra-time has given the Sydney Roosters a memorable 13-12 victory over St George Illawarra in their traditional Anzac Day clash on Tuesday.
An Anzac Day record crowd of 40,864 packed into Allianz Stadium to see two of the form teams of the NRL. The top of the table Dragons and the highly-fancied, fourth-placed Roosters produced an epic.
Everything you could want in an Anzac Day clash, this game had. It was tough and physical. It had skill and excitement. It will go down as one of the games of the season.
Dragons captain Gareth Widdop suffered a medial ligament injury in his left knee two minutes before half-time and did not return. It only added to St George Illawarra’s effort. It was typical of what they have produced under Paul McGregor so far this season.
The Roosters looked as though they had the game won when Pearce scored a miraculous try late on only for the Dragons to hit back thanks to Nene Macdonald in the final two minutes, with Josh Dugan nailing a sideline conversion to send the game into extra-time. He hadn’t kicked a goal in two years.
St George Illawarra had the first chance of the afternoon when Widdop sliced between two Roosters defenders and found Tim Lafai, only for the centre to knock the ball on after a try-saving tackle from Shaun Kenny-Dowall.
The Dragons went close again shortly after when Jason Nightingale lept above Blake Ferguson to contest a Josh McCrone bomb. While it looked initially that Nightingale had knocked the ball backwards, the video referee bunker ruled the New Zealand winger had knocked the ball forward into Ferguson before it fell for Joel Thompson to score.
It was the Roosters’ turn to go close next, with Michael Gordon looking certain to score only for some desperate cover defence that denied the Roosters fullback and then Joseph Manu after he had slipped catching Gordon’s pass.
The Dragons finally opened the scoring a minute later. Representative forward Tyson Frizell earned his side a repeat set after chasing through a McCrone bomb and trapping Daniel Tupou in-goal. From the next set, St George Illawarra shifted left for Thompson to crash through four Roosters defenders to score.
Widdop was forced off two minutes before half-time with the injury to his left knee. But the Dragons would go close once more before the break, this time through Macdonald after McCrone had led a short side raid.
The Roosters hit back nine minutes into the second half, with Ferguson sliding through to ground a Jake Friend grubber from close to the Dragons’ line.
Dugan was then forced from the field with just over 20 minutes remaining for a head injury assessment after being stung in a Dylan Napa tackle. It was then that the Roosters looked as though they had taken the lead when Ferguson crossed out wide, only for the effort to be chalked off for a forward pass from Luke Keary.
With 15 minutes to go the Tri Colours did hit the lead thanks to a miraculous effort from Pearce.
Isaac Liu found the Roosters halfback with a short ball as Pearce hit a gap at speed close to the Dragons’ line. He appeared to lose the ball as he crossed the try line but somehow managed to re-grip it and plant it down under the posts.
The Roosters extended their lead to 12-6 with five minutes remaining when Dugan put a drop out out on the full, with Gordon adding a penalty goal.
But the Dragons weren’t done. They refused to quit. With less than two minutes on the clock, Macdonald beat five Roosters defenders to touch down out wide.
It was up to Dugan to take the attempt at conversion to level the score in the absence of Widdop. Cool as you like, Dugan slotted the kick from out wide to send the game to extra-time.
But the Roosters only needed one chance in golden-point, with Pearce nailing a field goal from 35 metres out to give his side a memorable victory.
Leader Scoreboard
Sydney Roosters 13 (Blake Ferguson, Mitchell Pearce tries. Michael Gordon two goals. Pearce field goal)
defeated
St George Illawarra Dragons 12 (Joel Thompson, Nene Macdonald ties. Gareth Widdop, Josh Dugan goals)
at Allianz Stadium
Crowd: 40,864
Leader man of the match: Mitchell Pearce (Roosters)
Dragons’ next three: Storm (home), Sharks (home), Warriors (away)