Widdop confident partnership with Benji will lead Dragons to finals

It's all anyone wants to talk about but star playmaker Gareth Widdop says the focus on his partnership with Benji Marshall is warranted as they look to steer the Dragons to their first finals appearance in four years.

The pair were forced to build a combination on the run last year when Marshall joined the club mid-season.

After some early teething problems they steered the Dragons to within one win of an unlikely finals berth, leaving fans salivating at what they could achieve with a full pre-season under their belts.

"If you've got a strong halves combination it certainly does help the team a lot and having the extra time working with Benji as a halves partnership is going to help us," Widdop said.

"Last year, coming in trying to change things halfway through the year was always going to be difficult whereas this year [coach Paul McGregor's] had the chance to sit down and write out a plan for what structures he wants to run with this year and we've had a solid pre-season doing that."

Widdop went without finals football for the first time in his career but the 2014 season - his first with the Dragons - was by any measure a breakout one for the 25-year-old who led Dally M voting over the first half of the season and established himself as one of the game's elite playmakers.

But the ups and downs of the club's rollercoaster year meant he welcomed an extended break following the Four Nations.

"I think that's important, if you come back too early and you're not quite ready for it mentally it makes the season a lot harder and a lot longer," Widdop said.

After steering the side himself for much of the pre-season, Marshall said Widdop had made a seamless return since rejoining the squad three weeks ago.

"He just slotted straight back in like he'd never been gone," Marshall said,

"He was looking pretty fit when he came back and he's just a world class player.

"He takes so much pressure off me and makes my job a lot easier. I feel like when he's out there I can play a lot better."

The pair won't reunite on the paddock until the Charity Shield, with Marshall to skipper the Dragons at the Auckland Nines while Widdop will lead the bulk of squad against the Mackay Cutters on Saturday.

"We've got new structures and new players in that side and I think it's more beneficial to get solid game minutes under my belt with the new players and the new structures," Widdop said.