Welcome to the Brett Morris show, on location last night at Wollongong's WIN Stadium.
After taking the NRL's leading try-scorer title and bragging rights over twin brother Josh last year, Brett had warned the Bulldogs centre that his two-try lead after round one wouldn't stand for long.
But not even Brett would have expected to take just 16 minutes to level the ledger last night, inflicting carnage on the Bulldogs' early-season premiership prospects in the process.
Full coverage of the Dragons Without bite or bark, Canterbury had trailed 16-0 against Newcastle last week before losing 20-16.
And again last night they were left stunned, merely part of Morris's audience, as the Dragons winger was in everything before half-time. Morris then delivered the show's final act for his hat-trick, sealing a crushing 26-6 win.
His opening number was a breathtaking run down the left touch line, gratefully accepting a pass from fullback Darius Boyd before diving over in the corner after just three minutes.
Soon after, he grabbed his second when an off-load from Beau Scott created an opening for prop-cum-centre Matt Prior to set up Morris. St George Illawarra had piled on 16 points in as many minutes.
In between Morris's first-half brace, lock Dean Young made a cameo when Luke Priddis - in his 296th game - delivered from dummy-half and exposed a huge gap between Bulldogs big men Michael Hodgson and Jarrad Hickey for Young to score.
Right on half-time there was drama just metres away as Bryson Goodwin reacted to a pat on the head from Boyd in appreciation of the Dogs player being put into touch by some rugged Dragons defence.
It threatened to boil over, with Goodwin briefly held back by a member of the crowd on the WIN Stadium concourse as he attempted to retaliate.
But there was little doubt the Morris in the Red V had the better of the brotherly battle, with Josh losing the ball close to the try line eight minutes in and held up over the line just before the break.
A massive fist pump to celebrate his second try showed just how much Brett enjoyed it.
Midway through the second half, Morris was denied a treble only when centre Nick Emmett produced a brilliant stepping run back inside and away from his winger to plant the ball down backwards over his head.
Emmett, who came off the bench after Prior started the game in the backs, settled the contest after nippy playmaker Ben Barba had breathed life into the Dogs with a jinking run to the line of his own in the 54th minute.
Second-rower Ben Creagh then put a bruising stamp on the game, with a punishing shot on Canterbury halfback Brett Kimmorley.
Adding injury to insult for the Dogs, prop Michael Hodgson suffered a medial ligament tear and will be sidelined for six weeks.
The relentless Dragons suffocated their title rivals with a combination of style, brute force and superb ball control, with Kimmorley's opposite number Ben Hornby and Boyd among a number of standouts.
As if on cue, Hornby provided Morris with his third try in the 77th minute, a slick cut-out ball presenting an open line.
DRAGONS 26 (B Morris 3, N Emmett, D Young tries; J Soward 3 goals) bt BULLDOGS 6 (B Barba try, B Goodwin goal) at WIN Stadium. Referees: Tony Archer, Matt Cecchin. Crowd: 16,177.
Email a friend