"He's great in open play but in that tight, hard game, he's one of the first blokes the other team is going to put their pressure on.

"Soward's still not a great defender and he's got to step up in that nitty- gritty grinding game."

Soward again showed his ability to make the most of broken play when scoring after supporting a break by fullback Darius Boyd to seal Saturday night's victory over Newcastle.

The win ensured the Dragons secured the minor premiership for the second successive year.

But Soward was also targeted in defence and was easily brushed aside by Josh Miller while attempting a cover tackle in the loss to the Raiders the previous week.

The 26-year-old five-eighth has played every NRL game since Wayne Bennett took over as coach at the start of last season.

"They [Dragons] are playing very well, especially defensively," Raudonikis said.

"They've been great everywhere, really, and it will come down to their mental toughness. But I think they've got the goods to go on with it."

Famous for the "cattle dog" calls which sparked all-in brawls when he coached NSW, Raudonikis was known for his uncompromising style as a player with Wests, Newtown and the Blues.

After 204 games for the Magpies, Raudonikis played a leading role in Newtown's charge to the 1981 grand final won narrowly by Parramatta.

While he said the Dragons deserved their premiership favouritism, Raudonikis believed the Roosters remained their greatest premiership rivals.

"I think the Chooks will go pretty close," he said. "They've got so many players who can attack and I think they're starting to find form again."