Dragons survive Dogs scare

ST George Illawarra have survived a second-half blitz from Canterbury to register a tense 18-16 win and reclaim top spot on the NRL ladder.

The Dragons looked set for an easy win when they cruised to an eight-point lead at halftime on Monday but were left stunned as the Bulldogs scored two tries in the space of three minutes.

Having spent the first half failing to get around the Dragons’ defence, it was a Brett Morris linebreak through the middle that was the catalyst for Canterbury’s comeback.

Will Hopoate pounced on a Josh Jackson grubber soon after the Morris bust then the veteran winger also grounded a Matt Frawley kick not long after. Moses Mbye’s sideline conversion gave the Bulldogs a shock two-point lead with half an hour to go.

But back-to-back Gareth Widdop penalties, the second of which came against Aaron Woods for a late shot on James Graham, gave the advantage back to the Dragons.

The Bulldogs had a number of chances to steal the game late, including a Marcelo Montoya break that was stopped by a desperate Matt Dufty tackle, but the Dragons held on to claim a narrow victory.

It was their first win in the Queen’s Birthday clash since its inception in 2015 and lifts them back above Penrith on points differential after the Panthers managed to beat Canberra by only one. The gutwrenching defeat leaves the Bulldogs in 15th spot.