Zac Lomax has celebrated game 100 in style with a great individual performance to guide St George Illawarra to a commanding and upset 30-12 win over a sloppy and ill-disciplined New Zealand Warriors at WIN Stadium.
Both sides started with intent, but the first blink from either side would prove to be critical. After the penalty for a slow peel against Jaydn Su'A. The Warriors executed an attacking raid down the right edge, Shaun Johnson went through a yawning gap between Kyle Flanagan and Moses Suli to cross for the opening try. Johnson added the extras for a 6-0 lead after just 12 minutes of playing time.
New Zealand dominated field position from that point on, having 30 tackles to 1 inside opposition territory through the opening quarter hour. To St George Illawarra's credit, they hung on in determined fashion to limit the Warriors to one try through the first twenty. The home side did have a chance when Su'A had a half-break 21 minutes in, but the pass was forward and the opportunity was squandered.
The fairly disciplined Warriors, conceded a soft penalty allowing the home side to get their second attacking chance. Ben Hunt delivered a lovely flat pass to Suli who got on the outside shoulder of Rocco Berry to get the Dragons on the board with 15 to go before the break. Zac Lomax couldn't hook it back and it remained a 2 point gap.
After a Marcelo Montoya error coming out of yardage. The Dragons added a second try with 10 minutes to go. Hunt combined well with Tyrell Sloan who got on the outside of Roger Tuivasa-Sheck who was able to get it away to Mikaele Ravalawa to cross for his first of 2024 for their first lead of the game.
The Warriors discipline issues continued through the first half as another penalty, which compounded into a set restart gave the Dragons some further field position. Hunt was able to beat three defenders including a vicious fend on Wayde Egan to score. Lomax added a two point field goal from beyond the 40m line to give the Dragons a 16-6 lead.
Off the back of the first set of the second stanza. Hunt went high to the air, and after two unsuccessful efforts in the first half. Lomax flew highest and came down with it to give the Dragons opening points of the second half and a 16 point lead.
The Warriors had some attacking chances, but poor execution rued their opportunity. Johnson's dropout failed to break the plane and Lomax continued his flawless milestone game to date with a penalty goal. Any hope for the Wahs evaporated with 17 to play when Johnson put down a pass which went straight to Hunt. Hunt then got it away to Sloan who sprinted the best part of 90 metres to score beating the cover defence for his seventh try of the season.
St George got complacent in the final minutes and allowed a consolation try. Johnson and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad combined with Dallin Watene-Zelezniak to get it down in the right corner despite Sloan's best efforts with a finish that needs to be seen to be believed. Johnson converted well from touch to reduce the gap to 18 points. But that was all that troubled the scorer with the Dragons best effort of the season rewarded with an upset victory forming a real defensive identity that has been lacking over the last few seasons. The Warriors will need to regroup quickly with their worst performance of the Andrew Webster era to date.