Friday night Dragons stun sluggish Titans

A solid St George Illawarra lineup defeated a lackluster Gold Coast Titans side 19-6 in front of 21, 336 people tonight at their own home to commemorate Luke Priddis' 300th game.

The Dragons started off quickly with Matt Cooper scoring the first try when he dashed down the blindside, dummied and scored the first points after Nightingale was disallowed earlier. The rest of the half was scrappy with both teams failing to cross the stripe and also dropping too much of the football. Gold Coast were reduced down to 16 men after Mat Rogers hurt himself after jostling with Jamie Soward for the ball.

The second half belonged to the red and whites with tries to Ben Creagh who gave fans a flashback to his basketball background with a leap to score first points, and furthered by Jamie Soward who exploded into a hole after a good long pass. Soward finished a good night with a field goal in the 73rd minute.

The Titans woes continued with continual drop ball and the Dragons defence keeping them scoreless even after repeat drop outs. The home team finally broke their duck when Michael Henderson fought his way over while being tackled by three Dragon defenders. The try, a sole bright spot on a disappointing night for the Gold Coast side.

Next week the Titans travel down to Brookvale to face the Sea Eagles with a few injury concerns around Mat Rogers and Joseph Tomane while the Dragons head to the Sydney Football Stadium for the traditional ANZAC day clash verse the Sydney Roosters.

Match Details
Gold Coast Titans 6 were defeated by St George Illawarra Dragons 19
National Rugby League - NRL - Round 6 - Friday April 16, 2010 7:35pm
Venue: Skilled Park
Referee: Tony Archer and Jason Robinson
Video Referee: Steve Clark
Touch Judges: Steve Chiddy and Gavin Morris
Crowd: 21,336
Halftime: Gold Coast Titans 0 St George Illawarra Dragons 6

Leagueunlimited.com players of the match:
3 Points - Darius Boyd
2 Points - Jamie Soward (1 Try, 3 Conversions, 1 Field Goal)
1 Point - Jon Green

GOLD COAST TITANS (6)
Tries: Michael Henderson
Conversions: Preston Campbell (1/1)

ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS (19)
Tries: Matt Cooper, Ben Creagh, Jamie Soward
Field Goals: Jamie Soward (1/3)
Conversions: Jamie Soward (3/3)

LeagueUnlimited.com Live Commentary Welcome to a Friday Night blockbuster between 1st and 2nd, St George Illawarra Dragons v the Gold Coast Titans. Earlier tonight the Dragons u20 defeated the Titans 30-10.
One change for the Dragons with Weyman's suspension, Jon Green will start and Ricky Thorby goes onto the bench and the Titans have one change, Riley Brown falls off the bench for Will Matthews.
1 min: Preston Campbell gets us underway for tonight's game.
1 min: Dan Hunt, with his second hit -up of the set gets a penalty and Dragons will have the first attacking opportunity.
2 min: Dragons bomb their first opportunity and on the break, Titans get their first penalty after Morris didn't get up fast enough.
4 min: First drop out Titans after an ordinary grubber.
5 min: William Zillman drops it when the Coast try a Cronk to Slater like pass.
11 min: Titans making a lot of metres out of dummy half and deep into Dragons territory.
12 min: Nathan Friend dives for the line but is short, plays the ball to no one and Luke Priddis pounces and the Dragons get a simple penalty.
13 min: Dragons almost score through a bomb to Nightingale but it's deemed no try.
15 min: David Mead jumps for a bomb on the tryline but drops it.
16 min: Titans attack but Harrison tries to push it in a tackle and it's deemed a knock on.
17 min: Preston Campbell nearly stole it from the scrum but Dragons run it up and recieve a penalty.
20 min: TRY
Matt Cooper darts down the blindside, dummy then Cooper scores! and Soward slots the two.
St George Illawarra Dragons 6-0
25 min: Penalty Dragons, hand on the ball.
27 min: Dragons spread it on last but a Morris kick goes dead. Mat Rogers is in some serious trouble, he hasn't got up since tackling Soward.
27 min: Another errror by the Titans as Minichiello drops it in playing the ball.
29 min: Brett Morris almost adds to his huge try tally but the long pass from Soward is deemed forward.
30 min: A replica of the first half last week for the Titans, with Friend dropping the ball in his own half.
31 min: Matt Cooper spoils a try scoring opportunity dropping the ball.
33 min: Another piggyback here for the Dragons with another penalty.
34 min: Hornby is tackled hard by Friend who has 21 tackles so far and Hornby knocks it on trying to play it.
34 min: Piggyback for the Titans here when the Dragons were never back the ten.
36 min: A tiny touch by Soward gives the Titans their first drop out.
37 min: First Matthew White is crunched in a hard tackle and drops the ball but Dan Hunt takes the advantage but drops it to give the Gold Coast one more opportunity before halftime.
38 min: A sloppy passage of play here by the Titans as a pass hits the floor and Morris swoops and gets a penalty for his side.
39 min: FIELD GOAL ATTEMPT
Soward tries to take the advantage to 7 but it hits the crossbar and back into the field of play.
St George Illawarra Dragons 6-0
40 min: FIELD GOAL ATTEMPT
Soward tries a second field goal but its wide again and the Titans kick it deep but Boyd and Morris defuse it and take us to halftime.
St George Illawarra Dragons 6-0
40 min: HALFTIME - A sloppy first half from both teams. Too many dropped balls from the Titans see them behind at the half.
41 min: Jamie Soward gets us underway for the second half.
43 min: Campbell holds it at the line and throws it at the last second to Matthews but it's forward.
47 min: Titans continue from the first half dropping it in the Dragons half.
49 min: TRY
Ben Creagh takes a leaf from his basketball background and leaps up and scores the try after confirmation with the video ref. Conversion attempt by Jamie Soward successful.
St George Illawarra Dragons 12-0
51 min: Dan Hunt drops the ball from the kick off, gifting the titans a great attacking opportunity but they waste the set and Boyd recovers on last.
53 min: Preston Campbell chips for himself and gets another set for his team after the Dragons spill it.
53 min: Dragons defence continues to hold, repelling another attacking set from the Titans but conceed a drop out.
55 min: Preston puts in a tricky kick which rebounds off the goal post and is forced dead by Hornby for another repeat set.
56 min: Nathan Friend is tackled but tries to pass it and is penalised.
58 min: The titans attack breaks down again after a forward pass out.
59 min: On last, Priddis darts down the blind and grubbers for himself but it beats him over the touchline.
63 min: TRY
Boyd makes a great run into the Titans half and they spread it wide to Soward who is on the fly and hits the hole and scores. Conversion attempt by Jamie Soward successful.
St George Illawarra Dragons 18-0
68 min: Gold Coast try to attack down the left but the pass hits the ground and dribblesover the sideline. Joseph Tomane appears to be clutching a shoulder.
70 min: Hornby puts a pass onto Costigan who charges for the line but drops it to give the Titans a breather.
73 min: FIELD GOAL
Third times a charm for Soward who slots the field goal after some helter skelter play.
St George Illawarra Dragons 19-0
75 min: Cooper gets the dragons a penalty for the Titans holding on too long.
75 min: Dragons with a simple turnover in Titans territory.
78 min: TRY
Michael Henderson struggles against three dragons but plants it down and it's confirmed by the video ref to be a try. Conversion attempt by Preston Campbell successful.
St George Illawarra Dragons 19-6
79 min: Greg Bird throws another forward pass to just add to the Titans plight.
80 min: FULLTIME - Luke Bailey rucks it up to end an unhappy night for the Titans but a clinical display here by the Dragons.