3 minute read
St George Illawarra coach Paul McGregor made big changes to his NRL side on Sunday and it paid off their their first win of the season.
Million-dollar No.7 Ben Hunt made his case for a permanent move to dummy half on Sunday after mass changes sparked St George Illawarra's first win of the NRL season.
Hunt was dropped to the bench for the local derby with Cronulla but came on in the 22nd minute of Sunday's 30-16 win at Campbelltown Stadium.
Coming into the match it had been 86 days since the Dragons last scored a try, but they managed five against the Sharks to ease some pressure on under-fire coach Paul McGregor.
Speaking after the match, a relieved McGregor refused to speculate on whether he was considering a permanent move for Hunt, simply saying it was what the team needs right now.
"I thought (Hunt) was good. He came up with a try and a couple of opportunities for the side," he said.
"Defensively he was fine. He's played Origin there and he's back up Australian hooker, but we've got a good one in Cam McInnes there as well.
"It's what the team needs now and it's a decision that we make week to week."
Hunt's shift to dummy half pushed skipper McInnes to lock, while recalled fullback Matt Dufty added spark to the backline, with Corey Norman moving back into the halves.
It was the second week in a row Norman has been shifted between the two positions, but he appeared more comfortable calling the shots next to rookie halfback Adam Clune.
After earning a reprieve from the Dragons' board on Monday, McGregor's changes had the desired effect to take some heat off his position at the club, at least for now.
Repositioned stars Hunt, Dufty and McInnes all scored, giving McGregor a vote of confidence in his selection decisions and helping to avoid their worst-ever start to an NRL season.
A crowd of vocal fans gathered to watch in executive suites at the stadium and in carpark of the Western Suburbs Leagues Club next to the ground.
And while the Dragons celebrated just their third win from their past 15 games, the Sharks did their best to spoil the party until the dying minutes.
The Dragons led 24-10 after McInnes scored in the 62nd minute, and a try to Sharks skipper Wade Graham with 10 minutes to go intensified the contest.
However, the Sharks struggled to polish off their sets and a late try to Mikaele Ravalawa sealed the win for the Dragons.
The loss is the fourth in five games for the Sharks who have struggled to get their best side on the paddock this season - a trend that continued when Matt Moylan was withdrawn prior to the game with hamstring tightness.
"We are young and people need to look at our roster and understand that's going to take some time, but that's no excuse. Absolutely no excuse," coach John Morris said.
"Regardless, they need to make sure they pull that jersey on, they've got to play to the standards that we set and conceding 30 points is certainly not one of our standards."
The Dragons will now play Gold Coast on Saturday, while the Sharks will be looking to bounce back against Canterbury next Sunday.