Late Dragons field goal shocks Warriors

A Corey Norman field goal in golden point has sealed an unlikely 19-18 NRL win for St George Illawarra over the Warriors after the Dragons forced the game into extra time with an 80th minute try.

Five-eighth Norman nailed the decider in the second stanza of golden point at Central Coast Stadium on Friday night to break the hearts of the Warriors, who appeared in full control when up 18-6.

In a frantic finish to regular time, Dragons winger Cody Ramsey scored in the final minute but Norman’s potentially match-winning kick from the sideline hit the upright to leave the scores level at 18-18.

Corey Norman celebrates with his St George Illawarra Dragons teammates after scoring in Golden Point Ashley Feder/Getty Images

He’d previously missed all three conversions, only managing a first-half penalty goal.

“Obviously the last 15 minutes was fantastic and that’s probably all I’m worried about at the moment,” St George Illawarra coach Anthony Griffin said.

“We can have a look at how we got into that position, but the fact they didn’t give up and kept coming … we scored four tries to three and couldn’t kick a goal but eventually they got there.

“I thought it was a real good sign from us – we could have easily have given that game away with 11 minutes to go and thought it wasn’t our night but we kept coming.

New Zealand Warriors hooker Wayde Egan scores a try Ashley Feder/Getty Images

“Norman did have an off night but he kicked the one what mattered.”

The Warriors had looked set to bank a much-needed win before the Dragons were roused from their slumber to make their late charge.

Gerard Beale started the surge with a try in the 70th minute before centre partner Jack Bird touched down with six minutes remaining.

Warriors halfback recruit Chad Townsend had looked like he would prove the difference, on target with all conversions in his first match with his new side despite suffering an early shoulder injury which required needles at halftime to continue.

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But Townsend bizarrely attempted a late field goal when his team were up 18-10, wrongly believing they only had a six-point lead, turning the ball over for the Dragons to score a minute later.

Townsend had one field goal attempt in golden point but it was off the mark.

“He’s not the first player that’s done that before – unfortunately he didn’t quite recognise the score there but now there’s many numbers of factors in the last 10 minutes where we let ourselves down,” Warriors coach Nathan Brown said.

Warriors skipper Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, who shifted back to fullback in the absence of Reece Walsh (hamstring), did all he could to get his team a win, running for 241 metres, including 84 post-contact metres, in his 23 runs and also had one line-break.

He suffered a cut face midway through the second half but avoided a HIA although he looked a shattered man at fulltime.

The Dragons opened the scoring in the 21st minute through Ben Hunt, who was among their best, but their attack failed to fire until the late blitz.

St George Illawarra moved into the top eight on the back of the victory while the Warriors remain two points outside.