FOR the second time this year Gareth Widdop has kicked nine goals to equal the St George Illawarra Dragons club record for most goals in a match.
Widdop starred along with halfback Benji Marshall, fullback Josh Dugan and prop Leeson Ah Mau in the 46-24 win over Newcastle Knights on Sunday at Jubilee Oval, Kogarah.
Wearing Iron Man jerseys, the team was reinforced in the second half after being down 20-14 at halftime, outscoring the Knights 32-4 in the second half.
The Dragons broke a seven-match losing streak: the last time they had a win before the Knights was on May 31 at Jubilee Oval against Cronulla, 42-6. They advanced from 10th to seventh and are on 22 points.
That day against the Sharks Widdop kicked nine from nine to set a new club record.
He repeated the effort against the Knights, equalling his own club record and scoring a try along with his nine goals for 22 points for the game.
Marshall scored what could be the try of the season.
The No.7 put up a towering high kick in the second half, Widdop knocked the ball backwards, Marshall raced back 20 metres to get the ball, evaded the defence, dummied to himself, handled in the movement three times and took the final pass from Mitch Rein to score, which brought the crowd of 10,236 to its feet in the left hand corner at the school end of the ground.
Dragons coach Paul McGregor said the win was important for the team after a lean patch.
‘‘I think we can still play better than that,’’ McGregor said after watching his side pile on 46 points on Sunday. There’s no doubting that. There were a lot of pleasing things to come out of the game.
‘‘We’re nowhere near the capability we can play.
‘‘When you score 32 points in a game of footy in 40 minutes you’re going at a point a minute so it’s pretty good.’’
The Dragons play the Warriors next in round 22 on Saturday at Westpac Stadium, Wellington, at 3pm Sydney time.
DRAGONS 46 (Josh Dugan 2 tries, Mitch Rein, Gareth Widdop, Tyson Frizell, Benji Marshall, Will Matthews tries, Gareth Widdop 9 goals) defeated KNIGHTS 24( Kurt Gidley, Adam Clydesdale, Jake Mamo, Nathan Ross, Tyler Randell tries, Tyrone Roberts 2 goals).
Crowd: 10,236.
Leader Man of the Match:Dragons five-eighth Gareth Widdop.
What's next for the Dragons?