Round 7: Roosters v Dragons preview
Delayed ANZAC Day clash honours the Battle of Lone Pine.
The Roosters haven't put a foot wrong since the competition restarted. Four-straight victories by an average of 31 points have propelled them back into the top four and into premiership favouritism again.
Kyle Flanagan is finally starting to ease into the big boots left by Cooper Cronk while James Tedesco is once again proving why he is the best player in the competition right now (even if Maika Sivo left him eating dirt on Saturday night - who would be brave enough to try and stop the rampaging Fijian that close to the line anyway?).
Lindsay Collins is back in for the Roosters, only strengthening their advantage up front while the Morris brothers continue to show no signs of slowing down.
The only reason Trent Robinson's men won't win Friday night's game in a canter is complacency and their 59-0 drubbing of the Broncos a few weeks ago looked anything but complacent. Tedesco will have to be monitored though after a heavy head knock last week although the Roosters could probably afford to rest him here anyway.
The Dragons have ridden the highs of being in the winner's circle for two weeks' straight but Paul McGregor could come crashing down to earth this week.
The Red V, to their credit, did what they had to do last week against the Titans. But both the Gold Coast and Cronulla were hardly stiff opposition. Jason Saab comes in for the suspended Jordan Pereira on the wing while James Graham is off to the Super League, replaced by Jackson Ford on the bench. Blake Lawrie starts at prop in the other significant team news for this week.
The Roosters have the best attack and defence in the competition, which is no surprise, but does not bode well for the Dragons this week.
Last meeting: Round 23 2019 - Dragons 12 Roosters 34
Who to watch: If Tedesco plays it sets up quite the battle in the fullback jumper. His numbers are absolutely insane this year. An average of 242 running metres and six tackle busts go alongside three try assists and four tries, all of which have come in the past three weeks. Even if he doesn't suit up though, you only have to look at the Roosters' 59-0 thumping of the Broncos for proof they can win without their tackle-breaking number one.
Matt Dufty was unwanted at both the Dragons and Titans. But the livewire fullback proved both teams wrong on the weekend with another strong performance at the back. His ball-playing skills were on full display in the early stages of the Gold Coast game when he put Zac Lomax steaming through a gaping hole to score in the 17th minute. Dufty was dumped from the fullback role after just two games shortly after the lockdown was lifted. But with two try assists and just as many linebreak assists to his name from the Cronulla game the week prior, McGregor has no choice but to persist with Dufty who is proving he has more than just speed in his arsenal.
The favourite: The bookies aren't giving the Dragons much of a chance here.
My tip: This is a complete mismatch and the fact that the Dragons are coming off two-straight wins could almost work against them. The Roosters won't be underestimating them and should have this result wrapped up by halftime. Roosters by 32.
