The day after Wendell Sailor assured us he was giving rugby league away, his heir at St George Illawarra breathed a sigh or relief, set up a try, scored one himself and then came off with a cramp.
New Zealand winger Jason Nightingale would have had many more first grade appearances to his name in recent seasons were it not for the spectacular return from rugby union and drugs suspension by Sailor.
“He took a bullet for us last year,” said forward Ben Creagh.
Dragons
Full coverage of the Dragons “He had a fantastic year the year before and then Dell came back and Jason had to fill in in the back row, all over the field.
“He’s been waiting for his chance.”
This, then, should be Nightingale’s year. At Members Equity Stadium he gave every indication of that being the case when he saved a try in the 12th minute and batted down a Nathan Fien kick for Nick Emmett to score in the 14th.
The Maori representative palmed off three defenders for a well-taken wingers try in the second quarter, but his involvement turned out to be a mere cameo, meaning the Dragons had to secure their 34-20 win over Parramatta without him.
At the venue where he carried the Dragons clipboard for the first time, coach Wayne Bennett was absent. So were Jarryd Hayne, Fuifui MoiMoi, Justin Poore, Eric Grothe, Nathan Hindmarsh, Nathan Cayless, Timana Tahu, Michael Weyman, Beau Scott, Neville Costigan, Brett Morris, Jamie Soward, Matt Cooper, Jarrod Saffy and Dean Young.
But the third event at Members Equity Stadium in as many days – after Super 14 and A League matches – attracted a healthy crowd despite the absentees and scorching 37-degree heat.
The first quarter saw just one try.
Fien kicked to the right corner and Nightingale appeared to have knocked on as he leapt for the ball.
But without the aid of a video referee, whistler Jared Maxwell ruled otherwise. He saw defender Tim Mortimer rip the ball from Nightingale’s arms and waved ‘play-on’ as centre Emmett touched down.
Parramatta’s young side had dominated possession until then and their fruitless toil exacted a toll in the second period as the joint venture side opened up a 16-0 lead.
Replacement Luke Priddis’ pass from dummy-half mesmerised the Eels defence and put prop Ricky Thorby over in the 30th minute and Nightingale palmed off three defenders to score five minutes later.
Former Perth resident Bronx Goodwin converted both tries and almost laid on a try when he passed to an unmarked Michael Lett in the 37th minute, only for Maxwell and Alan Shortall to rule the ball had been touched in flight.
Parramatta’s first points came a minute short of half-time, Kris Keating’s grubber kick evading one team-mate and two moderately bumbling Dragons in the in-goal before his halves partner Jeff Robson flashed through to touch down.
“Daniel Anderson gave them a healthy spray at half-time,” said the Eels’ water boy for the day, boxer Danny Green.
The injection of Feleti Mateo into the Parramatta side after half-time had an immediate effect as he busted the Dragons open almost from the second half kick-off.
Kris Keating was tackled a metre short and attracted a penalty and a quick play of the ball saw Etu Uaisele cross for the Eels.
The Dragons, however, weren’t about to bow to Parramatta’s momentum. Toyota Cup star Beau Henry put his regular under-20s team-mate Jake Marketo over in the 52nd minute after a neat chip-and-chase on the other side of the field by Kyle Stanley.
Five-eighth Keating’s run-around with Tongan international Mateo produced a 57th minute try and at three-quarter time the breezy, entertaining preseason game was a contest at 22-8.
Robson, likely to fight off Keating’s challenge for the seven jersey in round one, scored a simple try from dummy half as the final quarter began but it was all for nought due a mix-up at the back as the Eels attempted to defuse a kick.
“I wouldn’t say the jersey is mine,” Robson said. “I have to play well in the next two trials. Kris Keating had a great game today.
“I think we really struggled in the wrestle early, in the heat. That’s where we had problems.”
The ball ended up lolling invitingly in the in-goal, where it was claimed by Nathan Fien for the match-sealer. Darius Boyd served up a try for Lett in the dying minutes.
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