Fans boo Shane Flanagan, Dragons as Cowboys extend Red V’s winless start to the season
Shane Flanagan can no longer ignore the fan-made noise around the Dragons after the team was met by a chorus of boos following their loss to the Cowboys on Saturday.
Pressure has been mounting on Flanagan to lead the team back to winning ways, but the Cowboys refused to allow the host team to end their winless start to the season just yet, recording a 32-0 win.
Not even an advantage of having an extra man on the field for 10 minutes could save the Dragons, with the Cowboys instead scoring a try while Reuben Cotter was in the sin bin.
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Cotter was given his marching orders in the 45th minute after he tackled Valentine Holmes as he was running out to take a 20-metre tap.
The Cowboys challenged the call of a professional foul but the Bunker upheld the ruling.
Reuben Cotter is sent to the sin bin for a professional foul on Valentine Holmes. Fox League
Cotter's stint off the field was no major issue for the Cowboys though, with Braidon Burns charging over to score the side's fourth try and leave the Dragons perplexed.
However, Steve Roach recognised that in the set prior to Burns' try, the Cowboys were lucky not to see Jaxon Purdue join Cotter in the sin bin after he held Clint Gutherson back from entering the field after a kick had gone into touch.
"Gutherson is trying to get on with the play and he's trying to pull him back," Roach said on Fox League.
"That is a professional foul for me. That is the same as what Cotter got sin-binned for."
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A break down the middle by Luciano Leilua gave the Dragons a strong chance to strike, but it was not to be. Simulatenously, Burns left the field with an ankle injury.
Murray Taulagi and Jake Clifford sealed the result for their team.
The result only amplified the noise of fans at half-time where the team were booed off the field. Some fans were also seen heading to the exits 10 minutes before full-time.
The Cowboys celebrate a try together. NRL Imagery
Scott Drinkwater opened the scoring, capitalising on a 40/20 kick he had made to put the Cowboys in strong position to attack.
A quick play down the line eventually found the hands of Drinkwater, who sliced through a gap between Christian Tuipulotu and Moses Suli to strike with ease for the Cowboys.
"Everything good that the Cowboys do, he is involved," Fox League caller Jake Duke said.
Roach added: "He's been outstanding in the last couple of games."
The departure of Sam McIntyre due to an ankle injury did not rattle the Cowboys, with Jaxon Purdue extending the visitors’ lead to 10-0 in the 29th minute.
A penalty given away by David Fale, who was placed on report for kicking Taulagi in the neck while he was going for a high ball, led to another Purdue try.
The Cowboys led the match 16-0 at half-time.