ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS 16 SYDNEY ROOSTERS 62
STEPHEN IBBETSON, Allianz Stadium, Saturday

SHANE FLANAGAN’S departure as coach provided no lift to the Dragons, whose eighth defeat from eight this season was by far their heaviest.

Now under the charge of Dean Young for the rest of the year, St George Illawarra were no match for the Roosters who, in contrast, secured the Anzac Day Cup with a fourth straight win.

Sam Walker converted nine of their eleven tries and scored two of four in a nine-minute purple patch started in the tenth minute.

Star performer James Tedesco laid on Walker’s double, and in between Siua Wong benefitted from a fumbled kick and Mark Nawaqanitawase slid into the corner.

The Dragons weren’t helped by first-half sin bins for Luciano Leilua (late tackle) and Daniel Atkinson (professional foul) as Robert Toia’s try and Nawaqanitawase’s second, after a Setu Tu effort, made it 4-34 at the break.

Reece Robson scored from dummy-half, Angus Crichton dotted down a kick and Tedesco raced the length off a Dragons error before Daniel Tupou scored a late double to complete the Roosters’ romp.

High-quality Tyrell Sloan and Moses Suli tries, both converted by Valentine Holmes, will have been of little consolation to St George.

DRAGONS: 1 Tyrell Sloan, 2 Setu Tu, 3 Moses Suli, 4 Valentine Holmes, 5 Mathew Feagai, 6 Daniel Atkinson, 7 Kade Reed, 8 Emre Guler, 9 Damien Cook, 10 Toby Couchman, 11 Luciano Leilua, 12 Ryan Couchman, 14 Josh Kerr. Subs: 13 Hamish Stewart, 15 Loko Pasifiki Tonga, 16 Blake Lawrie, 17 Jacob Halangahu, 18 Kyle Flanagan (not used), 20 Hayden Buchanan (not used)

Tries: Tu (25), Sloan (56), Suli (67); Goals: Holmes 2/3; Sin bin: Leilua (17) – late tackle; Atkinson (30) – professional foul

ROOSTERS: 1 James Tedesco, 2 Daniel Tupou, 3 Hugo Savala, 4 Robert Toia, 5 Mark Nawaqanitawase, 6 Daly Cherry-Evans, 7 Sam Walker, 8 Naufahu Whyte, 9 Reece Robson, 10 Lindsay Collins, 11 Angus Crichton, 12 Siua Wong, 13 Victor Radley. Subs: 14 Connor Watson, 15 Spencer Leniu, 16 Nat Butcher, 17 Salesi Foketi, 18 Cody Ramsey (not used), 22 Tommy Talau (not used)

Tries: Walker (10, 19), Wong (12), Nawaqanitawase (17, 38), Toia (33), Robson (48), Crichton (54), Tedesco (59), Tupou (63, 72); Goals: Walker 9/11

SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 0-12, 0-16, 0-20, 4-22, 4-28, 4-34; 4-40, 4-46, 10-46, 10-52, 10-58, 16-58, 16-62

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Dragons: Toby Couchman; Roosters: James Tedesco

Penalty count: 6-5; Half-time: 4-34; Referee: Grant Atkins; Attendance: 40,381