RUGBY LEAGUE
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Trent Merrin's stint as an interchange impact player appears over after the NSW State of Origin representative lit the spark for the Dragons in his first start of the year against Manly.
Merrin was happy to play a role off the bench in the Dragons opening three games after a preseason limited by shoulder surgery.
However, a series of slow starts over the first three rounds prompted McGregor to thrust him into the starting line-up for the clash with the Sea Eagles.
Merrin responded with nine carries in the opening 20 minutes to put his side on the front foot and ended the match with a team high 153 metres from 16 hit ups. He was ably supported up front by Englishman Mike Cooper, who produced perhaps his best performance since joining the club last year.
Manly coach Geoff Toovey noted the difference after the match conceding: "The Dragons turned up really bouncing and just carried the ball a bit harder than us and tackled a bit harder than us."
McGregor said the need to produce a good start against a typically fast-starting Manly forced his hand.
"It was a challenge for Trent because he brought a lot to the team off the bench," McGregor said. "He's averaging 160 metres a game over the first three games so it was a big change for us. You look at it as a 17-man game and who's on the field at the right times. Jack de Belin's a very good defensive player and he was on the field at the right time with the right people as well. I thought the change there was a really positive thing tonight because Trent carried the ball well early and that's what we needed, we'd lacked that in the last couple of weeks."
While it was the forwards who shined in an at times dour struggle, the performance will do little to silence critics of the Dragons attack with their points coming from a single try to Jason Nightingale and three penalty goals to Gareth Widdop. It leaves them with plenty of work to do ahead of a road match with an undefeated Newcastle outfit on Saturday.
However, McGregor said his side's defence in the second half was a major positive.
"You win a game in this competition you're happy," McGregor said.
"We've got work to do and a lot of ball hit the deck but I like to look at the positive things and that was the way the boys kept turning up for each other in D against quality opposition.
"Defence I think is an attitude and we've certainly got that. I was very pleased in a lot of departments but mostly with that effort ... for the boys to keep turning up for each other was very pleasing."