Saints set a hot pace as Knights latest to feel heat
ST George- Illawarra have gone undefeated over the first month of the NRL for the first time in the merged club’s history, after beating Newcastle 30- 12 at WIN Stadium.
Easily the best attacking team over the opening month of the competition with Ben Hunt and Gareth Widdop at the helm, the Dragons laid on five tries yesterday to continue on their merry way.
The victory took the Dragons’ attacking aggregate to 138 for the season, at an average of 34 points per game, to keep them at the top of the ladder ahead of the similarly undefeated Warriors.
Hunt and Widdop were again magnificent in attack, linking directly twice for two tries in four minutes in the first- half to take control of a match they never relinquished.
In just their fourth game together, the pair threw cut- out balls before Tim Lafai provided a falling flick pass for Nene Macdonald, who is becoming a strike weapon the left wing.
Moments later, they were at it again off the back of a set piece to create space for Matt Dufty to put Euan Aitken in and set up an 18- 6 lead.
For all their flair, the Dragons made just five errors and completed at 83 per cent in the rout, while their forwards were again dominant up front.
Newcastle’s loss was their second in as many weeks after two wins to start the season.