LeagueNews.co | Nick Loken
In a surprising turn of events, St George Illawarra outplayed the NZ Warriors, winning 24-10 in the New South Wales Cup major semi-final, forcing the minor premiers into a challenging path to the grand final.
A victory today would have secured a place in the decider on September 28 for the Warriors. However, they fell behind early and remained outpaced by the Dragons throughout the match.
The outcome means that St George Illawarra, who ranked second, progresses to the grand final. Meanwhile, the Warriors, now with a second chance, must overcome the winner of the minor semi-final between Parramatta and Canberra to continue their pursuit.
The Dragons took control early, capitalizing on their victory over Parramatta in week one, with two tries by Matthew Feagai leading them to a 10-0 advantage within the first 13 minutes.
It took the Warriors some time to match the intensity, but they made a comeback just before halftime. Jett Cleary's flat pass led to centre Moala Graham-Taufa scoring his 14th try of the season, narrowing the halftime score to 10-6.
Despite their strong defensive efforts, the Warriors' resilience was tested when the Dragons scored again 11 minutes into the second half, extending their lead to 16-6.