THERE’D be no one more relieved to have hit the bye week than Dragons coach Paul McGregor.
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His side has been up for a long time over the first 12 weeks and that became evident last Saturday night against Penrith.
Credit to the Panthers, they were outstanding, but people feeling the Dragons big loss amounted to a bursting of their bubble might want to hold fire.
Certainly Penrith were good, and the Dragons off the pace, but a look at their respective paths to the match showed the Panthers were always going to be more up for what was their first genuine big game of the year – one versus two – at home.
Leading in they’d beaten the Eels (16th) twice, split games with the Bulldogs (14th) and Cowboys (15th) and beaten the Knights (11th) and Titans (12th). They played just three games against top eight opposition, losing to Cronulla (4th) and beating the Rabbitohs (3rd) and Tigers (8th).
In comparison, the Dragons have played just three teams outside the top eight. They’ve beaten Cronulla (4th) twice, gone 1-1 with the Rabbitohs (third) and beaten defending premiers Melbourne (6th).
They were edged out by the Warriors (5th), who were 6-1, in New Zealand before beating the Roosters (6th) in the always big Anzac Day clash four days later.
Both sides belong where they are, but put it in context.