Roosters down Dragons as Vaughan's breakfast bungle haunts McGregor
Paul Vaughan went to breakfast on Thursday morning and later that night the Dragons had their last supper, their season finally buried as their rampaging prop watched from his bedroom.
The State of Origin enforcer couldn't play with his club's season on the line and won't play next week either, sent into a 14-day isolation for eating out on gameday - a clear breach of the NRL's strict biosecurity rules governing the game's continuation.
Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett has been condemned to the same sentence and will be barred from coaching against the Broncos on Friday night.
But unlike when the supercoach was a constant in charge of the Red V, this will be another year where St George Illawarra don't play finals. Carrying few injuries, they will never have a better chance to beat the two-time defending premiers.
Yet just as winning becomes a habit, so too does losing.
The Dragons just don't know how to win at the moment, butchering opportunities against the Sharks and Rabbitohs in the previous two weeks.
The Roosters, like the wily old boxing veteran, took their share of blows and then landed the knockout punch in the money rounds, taking home the spoils 24-16 at WIN Stadium on Thursday night on the 105th anniversary of the Battle of Lone Pine.
When the match was on the line midway through the second half, the Dragons' back three and centre Euan Aitken watched a spiralling bomb thud into the turf. They had been hesitant to diffuse the towering kick all night.
Finally, one bounced the Roosters' way and Joseph Manu ended up with his second. It was a snapshot of a season which will end much like most of the others under Paul McGregor - on holidays when others are playing finals.
In Mitchell Aubusson's 300th NRL game, the Roosters finally managed to win a milestone match for the man universally loved within the four walls of Bondi.
The last time the Roosters beat the Dragons they lost Victor Radley and Sam Verrills to season-ending ACL tears. Since then Trent Robinson has also lost Boyd Cordner, Angus Crichton, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, the Morris twins and Daniel Tupou.
Mitchell Aubusson scored in his 300th NRL game.Credit:Getty Images
It didn't seem like it was going to matter after Manu barrelled over from the Roosters' first attacking set.
But everyone really wanted to see the side's other centre score on his milestone night.
Given how much he's adored by his teammates old and new, how can you explain Aubusson losing his 50th, 100th, 150th, 200th and 250th NRL games?
In his 300th, he did manage to score. Latching onto a neat exchange between James Tedesco and Lachlan Lam, the 32-year-old flashed that smile and became the eighth player ever to notch a four-pointer in the commemorative match.
His opposite, Zac Lomax, was having a wow of a night.
The Dragons centre spent the entire off-season training at fullback, but along with Matt Dufty has rejuvenated his side's often stale attack.
He scored twice before half-time to level the scores, the first awkwardly after Ryan Hall appeared to twist a heavily strapped knee after he had grounded the ball.
Just like the first half, the Roosters took only a few minutes to crack St George Illawarra's defence - and spirit - after the break.
Without Cordner, Sitili Tupouniua has delivered on what he has promised in short bursts to date. He wrestled his way over the line after neat lead-up play from Keary, the blow to the Dragons only exacerbated when Manu scored the easiest try he will record all season.
In the dying minutes Keary scored when Jackson Ford suffered a brain explosion, trying to trip the Roosters No.6 as he went over.
If only Vaughan had the chance to do the same.
SYDNEY ROOSTERS 24 (Joseph Manu 2, Mitchell Aubusson, Sitili Tupouniua, Luke Keary tries; Siosiua Taukeiaho 2 goals) defeated ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS 16 (Zac Lomax 2, Matt Dufty tries; Lomax 2 goals) at WIN Stadium. Referee: Ashley Klein.
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