RTS sends Dragons and Dufty a message: I’m still No.1
ROGER Tuivasa-sheck responded to Matt Dufty’s ambitious target of being the best No.1 on Sunday by claiming the matchwinning try, then declaring: “You gotta leave your actions on the field.”
Dufty almost gave St George Illawarra their fifth straight win when his trademark speed stole the lead midway through the second half in Kogarah.
But Tuivasa-sheck proved why he was once crowned the Dally M medallist with a sensational solo try, beating three defenders to claim the game-deciding four-pointer.
Kodi Nikorima sealed the 20-14 win with a penalty goal, not only ending a two-game losing slide, but snapping a fourgame Dragons winning streak that took the league by surprise.
Tuivasa-sheck’s clutch play capped off a vintage performance in his 100th game for the club, which included a gamehigh 233m, seven tackle breaks, two line breaks and a crucial try.
The Warriors No.1 admitted hearing about Dufty’s pre-game comments in the lead-up.
“But you gotta leave your actions on the field. We’ll see how everyone else sees it,” he said.
“Most weeks I go in with a personal challenge against the opposition, against whoever’s playing No.1. Dufty’s been (in) form, he’s doing really well. So it was another personal challenge for myself to go out there and try and beat my opposition.”
The win lifts Nathan Brown’s side into the top eight with a 3-3 record – the first time the Auckland-based club have been in the top half of the ladder this deep into a season since 2018.
It is also their first victory in Kogarah in 17 years.
The game also marked the club debut of Josh Mcguire following his mid-season move from North Queensland, reuniting him with his former Brisbane coach Anthony Griffin.
“I thought he was good. He carried the ball strong, he worked really hard defensively. I think he ended up playing 55 minutes straight,” Griffin said.
Six minutes into his comeback from a knee injury, Peta Hiku is looking at another sideline stint after suffering a suspected shoulder dislocation.