Mixed emotions for Dragons as they crash to Broncos in historic match
St George Illawarra coach Daniel Lacey has told players they can feel, agonise and talk about the pain of their loss to the Brisbane Broncos until they wake up Monday morning. Then its history.
St George Illawarra coach Daniel Lacey has told his players they can feel, agonise and talk about the pain of their loss to the Brisbane Broncos in their first match of the NRL women’s premiership until they wake up Monday morning.
Then it’s game on, again.
No wallowing, no regrets and no looking back unless it is to learn from the mistakes in their 30-4 loss to new competitions favourites, the Broncos, in front of 18,853 at Suncorp stadium.
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Checking on the status of injured players Talesha Quinn, Raecene McGregor and Jess Sergis and then getting on with the business of hunting down a first win in their second outing of the new league this coming weekend.
“They have just lived their dream and it didn’t go their way so they have the right to be disappointed,’’ Lacey said.
“But I’ve told them they can only be disappointed until Monday then it’s time to move on.
“There’s a lot to learn from that game and we have to get on with the learning.’’
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Jillaroos star Kezie Apps said despite the loss, the occasion of being part of the first women’s NRL league was not lost on the players.
“We got to pull the Dragons jersey on for a game for the first time and that was very special,’ Apps said.
“There were tears in the dressing room. There were a few heads down.
“Losing sucks but there was also mixed emotion because this was such a special occasion and we are part of it.’’
Lacey, who took a gamble putting together a Dragons side big on passion and local young guns but short on the international experience of rivals in the new competition, couldn’t have been a happier man for the first 15 or so minutes of Sunday’s match.
The Dragons fought back from an early try by fullback Chelsea Baker _ who ended the game with 18-point haul _ with captain Sam Bremner levelling the score after nine minutes.
But already up against it when injured NSW and Australian backrower Quinn was ruled out before the match, the Dragons were left to wonder what might have been if playmaker McGregor and centre Sergis had not both been forced from the field before halftime
.
Sergis suffered a nasty head knock in a head-on tackle which kept off the field for the remainder of the game under concussion protocol while McGregor was in obvious pain from a shoulder injury although made it back on late in the game.
“They (the Broncos) have world class internationals and then made us pay every time we had the ball in the wrong spot,’’ Lacey said.
“But I have a lot of faith in this team and they will get a lot out of this game.’’
Bremner signalled out youngster Keeley Davis, at 18 the youngest player in the competition, for special praise.
“Keeley went out there, she was tearing things apart which was awesome to see,’’ Bremner said.
“Obviously a bit of a large margin in the score line but I take a lot of confidence out of it.
“That was literally the first game we have all played together and quite literally the first time some of the young girls have ever played representative football.’’
Friday, September 14, Allianz Stadium
NRLW: Sydney Roosters v Brisbane Broncos; 5.15pm
Saturday, September 15, ANZ Stadium
NRLW: St George Illawarra Dragons v New Zealand Warriors; 5.10pm
Originally published as Mixed emotions for Dragons as they crash to Broncos in historic match
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