July 26, 2026 — 4:03pm
It was the Spoonbowl that really wasn’t. And despite finally locking in a long-term coach with a batch of promising local juniors to build around, the Dragons have copped the reality check they didn’t really need.
The Gold Coast’s 38-18 win on Sunday afternoon all but confirms the inevitable. St George Illawarra are now eight points adrift of the 16th-placed Wests Tigers with seven games left in their season. Space will have to be made in the trophy cabinet for the first wooden spoon in the joint-venture’s history.
The Titans entered the match sitting second last on the NRL ladder. However, with both teams showing better form than typical cellar dwellers – and the visitors well clear of the bottom – this contest never truly felt like a Spoonbowl.
Newly installed full-time coach Dean Young will be all too aware, though, after the Dragons failed to match their improvements of the past six weeks.
