A second five-star Friday performance in as many weeks from St George Illawarra pivot Jamie Soward led St George Illawarra to an win away over Parramatta last night, 22-8.
Soward, who was man of the match in the Dragons' last-start win over Brisbane, was just as good last night in front of 19,017 fans - plenty of whom were in red and white - at Parramatta Stadium.
The Indigenous Dreamtime representative set up two of the Dragons' three tries and booted two penalty goals to underline a masterful game that extended St George Illawarra's winning streak to four games and gave them top spot on the NRL table overnight.
href= "http://www.illawarramercury.com. au/news/local/sport/rugby-league/ "> Full coverage of the St George Illawarra DragonsSoward's 53rd-minute penalty goal made the score 16-2 and gave the Dragons a lead Parramatta's wasteful attack would never reel in, despite Luke Burt's 78th-minute try and conversion that trimmed the margin to eight points.
Wendell Sailor scored as full-time sounded before Soward converted from the right sideline to extend the margin to 22-8 and put an exclamation mark on an outstanding effort.
St George Illawarra made the worst possible start when Neville Costigan knocked on from the first tackle of the game. That error went unpunished when new Parramatta half Jeff Robson's grubber close to the line went dead with the Dragons on the rack.
Surprise starter Justin Poore gave his injured hand a stern test in the sixth minute when he tried a big hit on Eels skipper Nathan Cayless.
His engine room partner, Michael Weyman, was put on report for an alleged high tackle on Parramatta hard man Fuifui Moimoi in the 13th minute.
Weyman's strike was just one of a number of willing exhanges in the opening stages - the tension spilled over in the next minute when Costigan and Eric Grothe traded blows after the Parramatta winger shoved the Papua New Guinea international.
After St George Illawarra drew first blood through Soward's 20th-minute penalty goal, Parramatta should have had the first try but New Zealand international Krisnan Inu fumbled with the line begging after a rushed offload from Taulima Tautai.
Parramatta also went for the safe option nine minutes later after the Dragons gave away a penalty close to their own try-line. Luke Burt's penalty goal attempt was successful for 2-2.
The Dragons gave away another penalty when Hornby sent the ensuing restart sailing over the left touchline - but Parramatta didn't make the Dragons pay.
In the 33rd minute Wayne Bennett's men cashed in when Hornby scored despite crashing into the upright after collecting another probing kick from Soward. The diminutive pivot's conversion gave the Dragons a 8-2 lead.
St George Illawarra's 14-2 half-time lead came after Costigan scored a converted try with a haphazard build-up in the 38th minute.
Both sides allowed Soward's bomb to bounce inside the Parramatta red zone before the ball shifted from the Dragons' right sideline where Sailor picked it up, ran back infield and found Soward with the Parramatta defence stretched - Soward then passed to Costigan, who scored.
Poore was a surprise starter after reinjuring the hand he broke in round one during the week. Jarrod Saffy was omitted, leaving Dan Hunt as the only prop on the bench alongside half Matthew Head, hooker Luke Priddis and winger Jason Nightingale.
ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA 22 (N Costigan B Hornby W Sailor tries J Soward 5 goals) bt PARRAMATTA 8 (L Burt try L Burt 2 goals) at Parramatta Stadium. Referee: A Klein, Brett Suttor. Crowd: 19,017.
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