THE two senior Illawarra South Coast Dragons sides sent a message to the rest of the CRL Country Championships, by recording emphatic wins on Saturday at Camden.
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Playing the Kirkham Park in the opening round of the competition, Albion Park-Oak Flats' Adam Bezzina and his women's side couldn't have asked for a better result in their first ever match in the championships, smashing the Greater Southern Region Wests Tigers 52-nil.
Leading the way in the easy win was hat-trick hero Caitlin Cardwell and Josie Strong (Berry-Shoalhaven Heads), who scored a brace.
Other Dragons' try scorers on Saturday were Brittany Constable, Keele Davis, Jasmine Sarin, Zoe Smith and Olivia Barry - with Rachael Pearson (five) and Talia Atfield (Bomaderry) landing conversions.
While Wade Forrester's under 23 Dragons men's side, featuring Group Seven's Jye Brooker, Donte Efaraimo, Nick Greenhalgh, Wayde Aitken, Jayden Morgan, Max Wolfson, Kade Sampson (all Shellharbour), Cam Vazzoler, Luke Chalker, Juvilee Samiu, Tom Angel (all Kiama), Tyson Simpson (Nowra-Bomaderry), Josh Dowel (Warilla-Lake South) and Tyler Clark (Milton-Ulladulla), also chalked up a strong win, defeating the Tigers 64-4.
Try scorers in the win were Michael Applebee (two), Cameron Scott, Jye Brooker, Nick Greenhalgh, Cam Vazzoler, Cooper Purcell, Max Wolfson and Tom Angel tries, with Vazzoler 10 landing 10 kicks.
The big wins weren't just restricted to the senior Dragons sides, with the Glenn Buffolin's side smashing GSR 54-16 in their Laurie Daley Cup clash.
Phoenix Vetenibua-Finnerty and Tyrone Roberts both scored doubles in the win, while Alex Lobb, Jay Weaver, Nelson Sharp, Giovanni Nassa and Charlie Parrish also crossed the chalk for four-pointers - as Roberts nailed nine kicks.
Starring in the round four win for Buffolin's side were Group Seven's Jack Walsh, Jay Weaver and Cooper Tunbridge (all Albion Park-Oak Flats), Billy Hayburn, Charlie Parrish and Ky Sims (all Berry-Shoalhaven Heads), William Webb (Kiama) and Zane Boersma (Warilla-Lake South).
The only Dragons team to suffer defeat at Camden on Saturday was Cameron Thurgate's Andrew Johns Cup side, who lost 28-10 to GSR, despite tries from Kaleb Stewart and Joseph Nelson.
In the loss, the Dragons squad was headlined by Berry's Joseph Nelson and Jack McKechnie, Shellharbour's Jarvis Austin, Kyron Ebbs-Windisch and Jack Bostock, St Georges Basin's Jonah Longbottom, Kyle Sackley and Thomas Birnie, Culburra's Kaleb Stewart, Milton-Ulladulla's Sam Fitzpatrick and Warilla-Lake South's Keith Gatt.
All four Dragons teams next host Riverina at Collegians Sporting Complex on Saturday.