St George Illawarra have fallen short of a stunning Anzac Day victory, with the Dragons unable to complete a second half comeback.
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The Roosters were dominant in the opening 40, pulling away to a 14-0 lead at the break.
The advantage was built on the back of a dominant forward pack and a masterful Cooper Cronk kicking game, with Cronk peppering the Dragons back three with bombs throughout the half.
The second half was a different story, however, with the Dragons eliminating their errors and able to find space in attack both in tight and on the edges.
Trailing by 14 at the break, the Dragons had to be the first to score and they were through Zac Lomax. The try came after Ben Hunt chose to run on tackle five, taking advantage of the space afforded by Daniel Tupou standing deep to defend the kick.
Matt Dufty narrowed the margin to four just five minutes later, producing a piece of individual brilliance to cross beside the posts.
After receiving the ball 35 metres out from his own line, the diminutive fullback stepped past Boyd Cordner before standing up fullback James Tedesco and running circles around Cooper Cronk to complete a brilliant 65m effort in front of 38,414 fans at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
The match opened up throughout the next 20 minutes, with both teams moving the ball from end to end of the field. St George Illawarra threatened to break through on numerous occasions, with even Paul Vaughan finding himself in open space, as the match looked set to reach a thrilling conclusion.
The Roosters scrambling defence was too good however, and the Dragons were unable to cross for a crucial third four-pointer.
It was in this period that St George Illawarra were dealt a major blow, with Hunt leaving the field in the 68th minute clutching at his right shoulder.
Sydney then put the game to bed when Dufty spilled the ball close to his own line and Siosiua Taukeiaho stepped past James Graham and Jacob Host to cross for the match-sealing try, the Roosters ultimately winning 20-10.
The Dragons were left chasing their tails in the second stanza after a disappointing opening half in which they struggled to contain the Roosters attacking weapons.
The Roosters started the game on the front foot after Cronk had a kick charged down. That handed the Roosters a fresh set of six in prime attacking territory and James Tedesco came very close to ensuring his side made the most of it.
It took a desperate effort from Lomax, who replaced Mikaele Ravalawa in the starting lineup, to prevent Tedesco from grounding the ball. The Roosters made it 2-0 just moments later, however, with Mitchell kicking a penalty goal after Tim Lafai was penalised for an escort.
The high-ball contest continued to be a point of contention 15 minutes later when Mitchell crossed for the opening try of the game.
The try came after Lomax was hit in the air attempting to field a bomb, with the bunker ruling Tupou was attempting to catch the ball. The decision was in contrast to the one made by the on-field referees just moments earlier when Hunt was penalised for tackling man-of-the-match Cordner in the air.
The Dragons primary attacking opportunity of the opening 40 came in the 23rd minute, with Lomax in the thick of the action yet again. On the end of a backline move from a scrum, Euan Aitken linked up with Lomax who crossed in the corner. Lomax was denied, however, with the referees ruling Aitken's pass travelled forward.
Angus Crichton extended the Roosters lead in the 32nd minute, charging right over the top of Norman to extend the gap to 14 points. That was where the scoring would end in the first half, with Mitchell missing a penalty goal right on the stroke of halftime.