The magic of Anzac Day: Reliving Roosters-Dragons classics

The first Anzac Day clash between the Dragons and Roosters attracted a healthy crowd of 20,588 at the SFS.

Both sides went into the sheds with scores locked at 8-8 before the Roosters rallied to hold on for a 24-20 win.

Try-scorers included Dragons trio Trent Barrett, Willie Peters and Nathan Tutt while the Roosters had Craig Wing, Shannon Hegarty, Luke Phillips and Justin Holbrook get over the line.

Round 7, 2004 at Sydney Football Stadium

A unique scoreline in the end but the finish to the game was anything but smooth with scores locked at 8-8 before a Brett Field field goal gave the Tricolours the lead in the final 10 minutes of the match.

Some foul play by the Dragons gave the Roosters a further two points via a Michael Crocker penalty goal before the Red V had one final chance at victory late.

The Dragons got into solid territory to steal the win but a Mat Head kick went over the sidelines, enabling the Roosters to hold on in a thriller.

Round 7, 2005 at Sydney Football Stadium

One of the best matches in modern day history.

The Dragons led the Roosters 6-0 early through Ben Hornby before the Tricolours scored three tries to take an 18-12 lead at half-time. A try through Shaun Timmins and penalty goal gave the Dragons a 20-18 lead going into the final quarter.

The Roosters hit back through a Brent Finch cross-field kick that Ryan Cross scooped on to steal back the lead.

In a fiery finish that saw Finch and Justin Poore each spend the final 10 minutes of the game in the sin bin for fighting, the Tricolours blew an opportunity to seal the result when Anthony Tupou dropped the ball close to the line.

A chip and chase effort from Mat Head with three minutes remaining set up the Dragons match-winner through Matt Cooper before Head slotted the sideline conversion for the win.

Round 8, 2012 at Sydney Football Stadium

In front of the biggest Anzac Day crowd so far, the Dragons and Roosters marked 10 years of clashes with another one that went down to the wire in 2012. 

A try-saving effort from Brett Morris on Anthony Minichiello set the tone early and the Dragons turned defence into attack five minutes later with a try through Ben Creagh.

The Roosters struck back through Aidan Guerra and went on to look in control of the match at 18-10 with 15 minutes to go.

A dummy-half effort from Michael Weyman got the Dragons back into it but he went from hero to villain when he spilt a ball not long after the try with the Roosters extending their lead.

The Dragons, needing two tries, scored from the kick-off through Matt Prior before a double to Creagh, through a late offload from Weyman, snatched the win.

Round 8, 2015 at Sydney Football Stadium

A game to remember but not just for the action on the field.

A ferocious Sydney storm that caused havoc in Sydney's west an hour earlier descended onto the SFS with lightning and hail causing the game to stop in the 27th minute. The Dragons had a 10-0 lead before that with tries through Peter Mata'utia and Mitch Rein.

Once play resumed 30 minutes later, the Roosters hit back through Shaun Kenny-Dowall and were let off the hook when a Dragons try went unnoticed by referee Gerard Sutton.

Some ill-discipline from the Roosters ended with two penalty goals for the Dragons to take a 14-6 lead before a try through Roger Tuivasa-Sheck set up a grandstand finish. The Tricolours had one last chance to snatch victory but the ball couldn't be grasped by former centre Michael Jennings.

Round 8, 2017 at Sydney Football Stadium

A tense contest with a gripping finale. The Dragons took a 6-0 lead into half-time two tries to the Roosters in the second half had them up by six with three minutes left.

A try to Nene Macdonald gave Josh Dugan, who stepped in for an injured Gareth Widdop, the chance to slot a sideline conversion and the Australian representative didn't muck around by nailing it with ease.

It wasn't to be for the Red V, however, with the Roosters enjoying a moment of their own. Mitchell Pearce, who hadn't kicked a field goal in an NRL game since 2011, slotted the one pointer in golden point to seal the win.

Round 7, 2019 at Sydney Cricket Ground

The first Anzac Day clash at the SCG with the reconstruction of the Sydney Football Stadium taking place next door.

A bumper crowd of 38,414 watched the Roosters control most of the contest before a piece of individual brilliance from Matt Dufty, who scored one of the great Anzac Day tries, set up a tense finish.

Despite a flurry of chances for the Dragons to steal the win in the second half, a strong hit from Jake Friend on Dufty jolted the ball free late in the match before Siosiua Taukeiaho picked up the ball and beat two to the line.

Round 8, 2023 at Allianz Stadium

A Luke Keary field goal with six minutes to play proved the difference as the Roosters downed the Dragons 27-26 in an enthralling clash at Allianz Stadium.

After the Dragons had fought back from 14 points down to level the scores at 26-26 it was the ice cool Keary who landed the crucial one-pointer to cap a superb all-round performance that earned him the Aston Collier Medal as player of the match.

In front of 40,191 fans it was the Roosters were first to settle after the emotion of the pre-game ceremony, Egan Butcher busting the line and finding skipper James Tedesco in support for the game's opening try. Joseph Suaalii's conversion made it 6-0.

Come the half hour mark the Roosters had skipped to a 20-6 lead but the Dragons worked their way back to level the scores at 26-26 when Tautau Moga completed his hat-trick in the 59th minute.

The Roosters lost Victor Radley to the sin bin with 16 minutes to play but did not concede any points in his absence and then Keary stepped up in the 74th minute to hand the Bondi boys the win in another Anzac Day epic.