A fiery start by the St. George-Illawarra Dragons proved insufficient as they succumbed to a 24-46 defeat against the North Queensland Cowboys in an NRL Multicultural Round game tonight at Jubilee Stadium in NSW.
Jesse Marschke marked his entry into the NRL and became the 274th player for the Dragons, debuting on the famous Kogarah field.
The game initially unfolded with the Dragons seizing an 18-4 lead, only to see their lead dissolve before halftime.
The match kicked off with Ben Hunt launching a high ball that led to a Cowboys mishap, although an initial scoring opportunity for Tyrell Sloan was disallowed due to a forward pass by Jack Bird in the buildup.
Instead, the Cowboys capitalised on a subsequent penalty, with Murray Taulagi scoring in the corner. Valentine Holmes missed the conversion, leaving the score at 4-0.
The Dragons quickly retaliated, with Zac Lomax scoring following a penalty and a slick move orchestrated by Bird, and then successfully converting his try to take a 6-4 lead.
An intense clash soon after saw Cowboy Kulikefu Finefeuiaki exit for a head injury assessment after a head clash with Blake Lawrie, though he later returned.
The Dragons expanded their lead with Ben Hunt breaking through and assisting Tyrell Sloan for a try, further extended by Lomax’s conversion.
Following a powerful run by Mikaele Ravalawa, Kyle Flanagan scored to widen the Dragons’ lead, though a potential additional try was lost to an in-goal mishap.
A high tackle by Marschke on Chad Townsend led to a Cowboys try by Sam McIntyre, followed by a Griffin Neame score, narrowing the gap.
Despite a lost captain’s challenge by the Cowboys, Scott Drinkwater’s try, preceded by a Kyle Feldt assist, saw the Cowboys overtaking the Dragons before halftime.
The second half saw the Cowboys extending their lead through Tom Dearden and Valentine Holmes, with Chad Townsend also scoring. Despite Lomax securing a second try for the Dragons late in the game, it was not enough to close the gap, with the final score standing at 46-24 in favor of the Cowboys.
The Dragons’ late attempt to score was thwarted, ending the match without further changes to the scoreboard.
