Magpies Give Dragons a Run for Their Money Despite 38-18 Loss

Magpies Give Dragons a Run for Their Money in Tough Loss

The Western Suburbs Magpies showed great heart in a tough 38-18 loss to the top of the table St George Illawarra Dragons today at Collegians. Despite facing a Dragons side packed with talent — including Luciano Leilua, Tyrell Sloan and Raymond Faitala-Mariner — the Magpies didn’t give up, clawing their way back from 20-0 down to trail by just 2 points midway through the 2nd half.

Dragons Strike First, Magpies Answer Back

The Dragons opened up quickly, taking advantage of early penalties and scoring 3 tries in the first 15 minutes. But the Magpies didn’t fold. Under pressure late in the 1st half, Tristan Hope read the play perfectly. With seconds to go he took a quick tap, dummied the defence and dived over to get Wests on the board. That try gave the Magpies life going into the sheds at 20-6.

The 2nd half saw the Magpies take further control. After a Dragons knock on, Wests shifted left and Izaac Tu’itupou crossed, reducing the deficit to 8. Moments later Tony Sukkar charged through the line and powered over, setting up a 20-18 game with 20 minutes to play.

Momentum Lost After Crucial Error

Wests were building pressure and had the Dragons on the back foot, but a dropped ball from the restart proved costly. St George Illawarra scooped up the loose ball and scored immediately. That swing of momentum halted the Magpies and the Dragons finished strongly.

Talking Points

Resilience Under Fire: Wests showed great fight after a brutal 1st quarter. The 20 point comeback wasn’t a fluke — it was belief, structure and effort across the park.

Defensive Toughness: Despite the scoreline the Magpies held the Dragons up multiple times and didn’t concede soft tries. That kind of defence will win games in coming weeks.

Key Moment

Tristan Hope’s solo effort just before halftime shifted the game. His quick tap and try broke the Dragons rhythm and reminded the Collegians crowd that Wests weren’t going anywhere.

What’s Next?

Next week the Magpies are back at Lidcombe Oval to host the Sydney Roosters NSW Cup team. Get along and support the boys. Check the NSW Cup draw for game time and tickets.

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