Saturday’s NRL 2018 Round 21 match is between St George Illawarra Dragons and New Zealand Warriors. The opening kick is set to commence at 15:00 local time with the game to be played at WIN Stadium, Wollongong. The home team St George Illawarra Dragons are the favourites for the match.
View our preview and teams for the game between St George Illawarra Dragons and New Zealand Warriors.
When: 15:00 | Saturday 04/08/2018
Where: WIN Stadium, Wollongong
Preview:
The Dragons are coming off a big defeat from the Roosters and need to find their feet again fast when they come across what should be a desperate Warriors outfit.
The Warriors are playing for their future as they find themselves under pressure at the bottom of the 8.
The Dragons were quite simply outplayed and need to find their defensive resolve again.
If they are to go deep into the finals and possibly challenge for the title like I think they can, their defence needs to be rock solid.
Big games are always won and lost in this area.
I thought Stephen Kearney had every right to label his team as soft from the weekend because quite frankly they were.
Very much outplayed across the park.
Yes, they were missing some crucial players but they still had a team to compete.
Hopefully they welcome back some of those faces this week.
KEY BATTLE: Dragons back 5 v Warriors back 5
I look forward to the battle of the back 5.
Both these teams rely heavily on them to get them on the front foot and out of trouble.
The Verdict
I’m leaning towards the Red V based on their consistency in 2018.
Will this one be the game to start there run?
Back in the Gong will help their cause as well.
The Dragons have a 26-20 (56.5 percent) record playing within its home state in day matches since 2014.
Unibet Odds:
St George Illawarra Dragons at $1.44
New Zealand Warriors at $2.85
Odds:
Tip: St George Illawarra Dragons at $1.43
Value Tip: First Try Scorer: Matthew Dufty at $11.00
More Info:
Teams:
St George Illawarra Dragons:
1 Matt Dufty, 2 Jordan Pereira, 3 Euan Aitken, 4 Tim Lafai, 5 Jason Nightingale, 6 Gareth Widdop (c), 7 Ben Hunt, 8 James Graham, 9 Cameron McInnes, 10 Paul Vaughan, 11 Tyson Frizell, 12 Tariq Sims, 13 Jack de Belin
Interchange: 14 Jeremy Latimore, 15 Kurt Mann, 16 Leeson Ah Mau, 17 Luciano Leilua
Reserves: 18 Patrick Herbert, 19 Blake Lawrie, 20 Zachary Lomax, 21 Mitchell Allgood.
New Zealand Warriors: 
1 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, 2 David Fusitu’a, 3 Gerard Beale, 4 Solomone Kata, 5 Ken Maumalo, 6 Blake Green, 7 Shaun Johnson, 8 James Gavet, 9 Issac Luke, 10 Agnatius Paasi, 11 Isaiah Papali’i, 12 Tohu Harris, 13 Adam Blair
Interchange: 14 Jazz Tevaga, 15 Simon Mannering, 16 Leivaha Pulu, 17 Bunty Afoa
Reserves: 18 Peta Hiku, 20 Mason Lino, 21 Sam Lisone, 22 Joseph Vuna.
NRL News:
St George Illawarra snapped a two-game losing streak with a convincing 24-10 victory over North Queensland in Townsville on Saturday night, taking them back to the top of the NRL ladder.
Matt Dufty and Gareth Widdop starred as Paul McGregor’s side sealed a win that lifts them above South Sydney on points difference.
Jason Nightingale, Dufty and debutant Jordan Pereira scored tries for the visitors while Gavin Cooper notched the Cowboys’ only four-pointer.
The Dragons came out firing with Dufty breaking the line with a shimmy inside Johnathan Thurston before laying on a try for Nightingale after two minutes.
Two penalties from Thurston reduced the margin, the second after Jack de Belin was penalised for slowing the play the ball and was sent to the sin bin.
The Cowboys took full advantage with veteran forward Gavin Cooper scoring his third try in as many games.
Cooper collected the ball after a tackle on Kane Linnett two metres from the line and faked a pass right to wrong-foot Ben Hunt before he dived over on the left-hand side.
The electric Dufty ensured the lead would not last with a try just after the half-hour mark.
Fed by Widdop, the fullback raced through a gap in the Cowboys’ line before diagonally making a bee-line for the uprights.
Although Te Maire Martin took him to ground he could not hold on to the tackle and Dufty got up and dived over.
De Belin made amends for his early error by forcing a turnover late in the half and Hunt ghosted through the line before feeding Tariq Sims who scored.
Ten minutes into the second half, the game was effectively over as Widdop’s perfect kick to the left wing was collected by Pereira who scored his first NRL try.
The committed Dragons’ defence denied a way back into the game for last year’s grand finalists who remain second last on the ladder.
