"This is for the true believers."The jubilant statement was the running theme amongst the players and coach Wayne Bennett amid the joyous scenes after yesterday's NRL grand final triumph at ANZ Stadium.A dominant final 20 minutes ensured St George Illawarra would break its premiership drought, with three late tries sealing a 32-8 victory in front of 82,334 fans.As the players looked at the premiership rings glistening on their fingers, coach Wayne Bennett - who claimed his seventh premiership and the Dragons' first since becoming a joint venture club in 1999 - summed up the euphoria the best.
PHOTOS: See the action here AUDIO: Ben Hornby's victory speech PHOTOS: Dragons fans celebrate around Wollongong AUDIO: Hear Wayne Bennett talking about the win FOR FULL COVERAGE SEE MONDAY’S MERCURY"This team's pretty special and they are mentally tough," he said."They were done at half-time and not playing their best; [you don't win] if you're fragile."This premiership is really about the true believers, they weren't sure last year, but they believed this year."They believed they could win they believed they could beat anyone they played."The Dragons trailed 8-6 at the break after a fumbling performance that Bennett conceded meant they could easily have faced a much tougher mountain to climb.Everything was touched with controversy before half-time.Dragons winger Brett Morris put his foot out in the early exchanges, but it was obscured from the view of touch judge Jeff Younis by tackler Sam Perrett.Two plays later, the comeback king Mark Gasnier athletically touched down to capitalise on a Jamie Soward cross field kick.The Roosters responded with a highly contentious moment, with former Dragons junior BJ Leilua's effort in the in-goal knocked clear by Soward's leg, only for Braith Anasta to plant the ball down in a frantic scramble.The effort was approved by video referee Bill Harrigan on the basis that Leilua was in control when Soward came into contact with the ball.Roosters second-rower Mitch Aubusson put the Roosters ahead for the first time in the 20th minute, when he pushed off experienced Dragons centre Matt Cooper on a powerful angled run to the line.Both Roosters forward Daniel Conn and Dragons prop Michael Weyman were fortunate that Conn's swinging arm didn't make full impact on his rival's head.Conn is on report and Weyman still struggling from the blow, had to be helped to his feet.The pair have history after the former Raider Weyman king-hit then Gold Coast player two years ago.But all the mayhem of the opening half mattered little to the final result - and what it meant to the long-suffering Dragons.Two-try hero Jason Nightingale put St George Illawarra in front six minutes into the second half and his second on 60 minutes signalled party time.Dummy-half duo Dean Young and Nathan Fien, among the Dragons best, deservedly put the finishing touches on the greatest chapter in the joint venture club's history."We weren't playing great (in the first half) and we were hanging in and doing what we do best," Bennett said."It was a matter of doing what we do well in the second half."I wasn't surprised when the score started to blow out, because psychologically, we had broken them down by that stage."Roosters coach Brian Smith said the tempo changed after the break."They're a very good side when they're in front," he said."We saw a little of what they're like when they're behind too."But they played to the conditions very well and the conditions suited us much more than it suited them."Dragons captain Ben Hornby, who debuted in 2000, said to lift the premiership trophy was a dream come true."It's something I've dreamed of my whole life and to finally realise that is something special," he said."We've worked hard for two years and some of us have been going 10 years and it's something that I just can't explain how I feel, I don't think. It's just surreal."
