The Kaiviti Silktails remain winless in the 2024 NSW Jersey Flegg Competition after falling to the Dragons 8-38 at Churchill Park on Saturday.
The Dragons started strong, dominating the first half with a powerful attacking line and solid defense. They scored five tries in the first 40 minutes, with Jesse Williams, Ben Rumble (who scored three tries), and Tom Kirts crossing the try line. Ashton Ward successfully converted two of the tries. The Silktails managed two tries through Tevita Wanisi and Akuila Qoro, but Meliki Setiki missed both conversions, leaving the halftime score at 24-8 in favor of the Dragons.
In the second half, the Dragons increased their intensity, enjoying most of the possession and adding three more tries. Rumble scored his fourth try of the day 20 minutes into the second half, with Williams and Nicholas Quinn each adding a try. Ward added one more conversion, sealing the match at 38-8.
Dragons head coach Aaron Hertsch expressed satisfaction with the result as they aim for a top-five spot.
“It was a tough match; Fiji really challenged us in the middle. We must work hard,” Hertsch said. “We got some players back from injury, which was good, and our goal is to make it into the top five.”
Despite the loss, Kaiviti Silktails executive director Stephen Driscoll views this season as a developmental period for the young players, many of whom are playing rugby league for the first time. Several of these players are under 18, which he considers a positive for their development.
“It’s important to do all the hard things right; it requires a lot of effort. We tackle well, we run hard, but we are falling short on the little things like drop goals and errors from kick-offs, which are crucial parts of the game,” Driscoll said. “As much as we want to win, this is a good learning experience for these boys. Many are playing rugby league for the first time in a long season, with 19 rounds down and another seven to go. It’s encouraging for us, as many of the boys are under 18, and some are around 19, so we have a good couple of years to develop them and encourage young boys to play rugby league in this country.”