The much-needed victory turned a trend of second-half fadeouts on its head, with the hosts trailing 10-0 after 36 minutes before running in 22 straight points.

The visitors finally hit back through Tom Opacic's second try with four minutes left but the Dragons were good enough to hold on and grab a vital two points ahead of tough run of games against top-four sides.

On a night where a tragedy on Mount Ousley wreaked traffic chaos in Wollongong, Dragons prop Jeremy Latimore required a lift from a kindly citizen on a motorbike to make it to the game after ditching his car halfway to the ground.

Matt Dufty also made it with little time to spare before kickoff and it showed in a sluggish start that saw the Dragons cough up five errors and concede the first two tries in opening half hour.

Maekele Ravalawa's try four minutes from halftime proved a crucial hit back, with the Dragons making most of the running in the second half bar a late charge from the visitors.

It leaves the Dragons just one win outside the top eight ahead of next week's clash with Melbourne, one they'll enter minus their four-strong Origin contingent.

"To be within a win from the eight at this stage with all the distractions and injuries and performances certainly gives you the chance to make it," coach Paul McGregor said post-match.

"We'll be getting some numbers back in the coming weeks but certainly we've got to make sure we get enough wins in between that to be a force at the back end of the year.

"Tonight helps that. Next week's going to help that to so we need to make sure we stay focused and make sure we don't leave until those players come back, we need to get the job done before they came back.

"The win tonight's important, to back it up's important. We've got a fierce competitor against us next week in Melbourne so we'll regroup Monday and really work hard to get another w."

On tense night due to various factors, McGregor also didn't mince words when it came to rival coach Paul Green, firing a broadside after Cowboys coach was critical of a tackle from Tariq Sims that saw Michael Morgan leave the field for an HIA.

It came with the Cowboys leading 10-6 early in the second half, with with Sims' hit leaving Morgan groggy as he left the park and didn't return.

A clearly non-plussed Green dubbed it "high and late" in the post-match.

"[Morgan's] not very well. He didn't come back on. They brought it up at the NRL about protecting ball players after they play, but they've seen it a different way tonight."

McGregor wasn't having any of it when told about the comments.

"He blows up about a fair bit eh," McGregor said.

"He had a go at Freddy [Brad Fittler] last week to didn't he? He's got a lot to say. [Sims] wrapped is arms around him, how can you stop with that momentum?

"It was looked at, there was a scrum packed. Move on and zip his mouth."

The visitors opened the scoring via a Jordan Kahu penalty goal in the 12^th minute after Dufty spilled a bomb from Clifford in front of his own sticks.

They went further ahead when a cut-out ball from Morgan put Feldt away down the right flank, with Opacic backing up on the inside to grab the first four-pointer.

Scott Drinkwater strolled across for his side's second try 10 minutes before the break before he Dragons eventually hit back through Ravalawa who scooped up a brilliantly placed kick from Hunt and ran the ball around under the posts for his side's first four-pointer.

The Dragons took their first lead of the match six minutes after the resumption when Dufty snapped up a well-placed kick from Norman in the Cowboys in-goal.

Norman added the extras for a 12-10 lead and delivered a clutch sideline conversion of Euan Aitken's try 13 minutes from time for an important eight-point cushion.

Jacob Host followed up Aitken's try five minutes later to stretch the lead to 12 and effectively seal the result with eight minutes left.

Opacic's second try to give the Cowboys a late sniff but it proved as close as they got to stealing it.