It is Fulltime and the Dragons make it 6 in a row, defeating the Sharks 40-20 at WIN Stadium. Stay tuned for the Match Report and 3,2,1's coming up later on tonight @LeagueUnlimited.
Edrick Lee now races away and is tackled around the ankles by Euan Aitken and that was first class!
Ava Seumanufagai knocks on close to the line. Dragons scrum 10m out from their own line.
Dragons have the numbers and Kurt Capewell intercept! He is tackled 40m out. Sharks hang on and are now a chance.
Chad Townsend gets a hospital pass and loses the ball. Dragons on the attack!
Tariq Sims tries to power over the line but is held up by Josh Dugan and Chad Townsend. Dragons still on the attack, Sharks out on their feet.
Luke Lewis knocks on a crossfield kick. He is injured and come from the field. Dragons scrum 10m out.
Another short kickoff and Matt Moylan knocks on. Luke Lewis down injured now...as if things couldn't get any worse!
Gareth Widdop adds the extras. Dragons lead 40-20.
Euan Aitken hits a beautiful line close to the line off a flat ball from Ben Hunt. Dragons lead 38-20 kick to come.
Cameron McInnes grubbers in goal and gets the repeat set as Josh Dugan grounds it in goal. Dropout Sharks.
Penalty Dragons - Against Ava Seumanufagai for a leg pull and the Dragons find the line 40m out.
Matt Moylan loses the ball on the first tackle off the scrum.
Huge hit from Kurt Capewell on Tyson Frizell and he loses the ball. Sharks scrum on halfway.
Gareth Widdop adds the extras. Dragons lead 34-20.
Jack de Belin scores a soft try close to the line, wrestling away 3 defenders to score. Dragons 32-20 kick to come.
Jason Nightingale gets the ball after offload #99 from the Dragons and then Matt Moylan puts him into touch, but he gets the ball away and Trent Hodkinson catches it and is taken over the sideline. Dragons scrum.
VIDEO REFEREE - NO TRY - Luke Lewis puts in a kicks towards the in goal along the ground and Nene Macdonald and Valentine Holmes seemingly miss it, however replays show Holmes gets a finger to the ball AND IT IS A KNOCK ON. . Scrum Dragons 10m out.
Chad Townsend lands the conversion. Dragons lead 28-20.
Trent Hodkinson hits Ricky Leutele on the chest with a short ball close to the line and Leutele scores. Dragons lead 28-18 kick to come.
Tyson Frizell goes close and offloads but it is intercepted by Ricky Leutele. Sharks continue to hang in.
Penalty Dragons - Against Chad Townsend close to the line, not getting back the 10m. Dragons take the tap!
Short kickoff by the Dragons and Paul Vaughan gets it back and then is stripped by Matt Moylan but Dragons get the feed 40m out.
Chad Townsend from the sideline misses. Score remains Dragons 28-14.
Josh Dugan gets a great offload attracting 4 defenders to put Holmes over in the corner. They are hanging in Cronulla!
Great kick on the last by Trent Hodkinson and Edrick Lee and Ricky Leutele push Jason Nightingale back in goal for a dropout.
The Dragons have gone up another level now as the Sharks struggle to get out of their own half.
Gareth Widdop makes no mistake and all of the sudden it is 28-10 to St George.
Paul Vaughan reaches out to score close to the line after a Cameron McInnes dummy and he is too strong. Dragons lead 26-10 kick to come.
INJURY UPDATE - Andrew Fifita will not be back. Suspected knee injury. Horrendous news for Sharks fans!
Penalty Sharks - Against Gareth Widdop for being in front of Ben Hunt's kick on the last. Sharks find the line 35m from their own line.
Gareth Widdop converts and the Dragons are breathing fire early in the Second Half. Dragons lead 22-10
Matthew Dufty splits them again off a standing start. Absolutely electric at the line and he raced 30m to score another amazing try!
Chad Townsend loses the ball on the last and Jack de Belin belts him to boot. Dragons ball on halfway.
We are underway at WIN Stadium in the Second Half!
It is Halftime! And what sensational first half of football in the local derby. The Dragons lead 16-10 thanks to a whooping 4 Penalty Goals from Gareth Widdop. This game has had everything so far! Don't move..well go get a beer or 2 cause the second half will be unreal! Stay tuned @LeagueUnlimited it's all happening!
Valentine Holmes goes for the corner but it tumbled into touch by Matthew Dufty and Tariq Sims. A knock on by Gareth Widdop has been missed by both referees.
Sharks throw the ball around on the last and get six more. Sharks have the ball 20m out just before halftime.
Gareth Widdop misses the conversion from out wide. Score remains Dragons 16-10.
Cameron McInnes picks up the ball from dummy half and ducks under a tackle and races 35m to score in the right hand corner. Super try from the #9. Dragons lead 16-10, kick to come.
INJURY UPDATE - Andrew Fifita leaves the field with a lower leg injury...hopefully just cramp.
Penalty Sharks - Against Lafai for knocking the ball from Matt Moylan trying to play the ball. Sharks on the attack 25m out.
Gareth Widdop puts the Dragons back in front. St George lead 12-10.
Penalty Dragons - High shot on Tyson Frizell by Andrew Fifita and then he tries to steal the ball...and then a scuffle. James Graham gets in there pretty quickly. Dragons will take another 2pts here.
Penalty Dragons - Against Matt Moylan for stripping the ball from Matthew Dufty after another strong run. Dragons find the line 40m out.
Gareth Widdop converts and it is 10 all.
Penalty Dragons - Against Wade Graham for crowding Tariq Sims trying to get a quick play the ball. Right in front of the posts.
Chad Townsend from the sideline and he just misses. Sharks lead 10-8.
VIDEO REF - TRY - Edrick Lee gets the try this time off a Wade Graham pass in the corner. The Bunker just checks his long arm doesn't go over the deadball line. It's a TRY! Sharks lead 10-8 kick to come.
Short kickoff by the Sharks and Andrew Fifita charges onto it and is tackled just 20m out!
Gareth Widdop takes his time with the Cameron McInnes still in the Bin. He adds the Penalty to the sore. 8-6 Dragons.
Penalty Dragons - On the last tackle and Josh Dugan pulls at the ball as Timoteo Lafai tries to play it. Terrible penalty. Widdop points to the posts, kick to come.
Wade Graham drops the ball cold off a simple pass from dummy half by Edrick Lee. Dragons off the hook. Scrum 25m out from the Dragons line.
Jason Nightingale knocks down a Matt Moylan pass. Scrum Sharks 10m out.
Great kick on the last by Ricky Leutele and Matthew Dufty is flung back in goal by Andrew Fifita. Dropout Dragons.
INJURY REPORT - Paul Gallen has a Medial Ligament Strain, so not a tear. However won't be back tonight.
Chad Townsend adds the extras. 6 all.
Andrew Fifita gets a superb offload away close to the line and Jayden Brailey scores under the posts. 6-4 Dragons, kick to come.
Cameron McInnes has been sent to the Sin Bin after holding down the tackled man for too long.
Paul Gallen has put a kick in close to line on the third tackle...and Gallen has injured himself in the process. Looks a lower leg injury and he leaves the field.
Great kick on the last from Matt Moylan and it holds up in goal deep in the corner and Nene Macdonald knocks it dead. Line dropout Dragons.
Gareth Widdop has missed the conversion. Score remains 6-0.
Matthew Dufty has skipped across field after a nothing pass and then exploded past Trent Hodkinson and Ricky Leutele and burnt them to race 30m to score a sensational individual try! 6-0 kick to come.
VIDEO REF - NO TRY - Andrew Fifita looked to have pulled off a no look offload but replays show he knocked on in the lead up to Edrick Lee diving over in the corner.
Short dropout and Luke Lewis gets it back for the Sharks!
Gareth Widdop grubbers behind the line and Matt Moylan puts it dead off his shin...almost missed though.
Penalty Dragons - Against Matt Prior for a leg pull and Dragons take the tap!
Penalty Dragons - Sharks again not getting back the 10m and Dragons find the line 40m out.
Ben Hunt gets a kick away on the last and is creamed by Wade Graham. Josh Dugan has it 10m out from his own line on Tackle 1.
Gareth Widdop makes no mistake. 2-0 Dragons.
Penalty Dragons - High tackle on James Graham by his opposite Andrew Fifita. Right in front of the posts. Kick to come.
Penalty Dragons - Against Matt Prior for not getting back 10m. Dragons find the line just over halfway.
We are underway at WIN Stadium! James Graham charges into the Sharks defence!
Welcome to Wollongong for the second game of Friday Night Football, where the top of the table Dragons host their traditional rivals the Sharks. This is the second time in 2018 that these bitter rivals clash after St George-Illawarra defeated Cronulla 20-16 at Shark Park in Round 2. There are no late changes, with both sides 1-17. A win at home for the Dragons would make it 6 wins on the trot to start the season, in what has been an amazing start to 2018 for Paul McGregor’s men, who failed to make the Top 8 in 2017. The Sharks are seeking just their third win of the season after a slow start from the 2016 premiers. Rest assured there will be no love lost between both clubs in a match that promises to be the best of Round 6, so stayed tuned for all the action @LeagueUnlimited, kickoff not far away!
Referees & scorers:
Referee: Ashley Klein, Gavin Badger
Touch Judges: Brett Suttor, Rohan Best
Video Referee: Jared Maxwell, Bryan Norrie
ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS (40)
Tries: Matthew Dufty (2), Cameron McInnes, Paul Vaughan, Jack de Belin, Euan Aitken
Field Goals:
Conversions: Gareth Widdop (4/6)
Penalty Goals: Gareth Widdop (4/4)
CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS (20)
Tries: Jayden Brailey, Edrick Lee, Valentine Holmes, Ricky Leutele
Field Goals:
Conversions: Chad Townsend (2/4)
Penalty Goals: