St George Illawarra youngster tipped to soar in crucial Gold Coast clash

With seven rounds remaining, the match looms as crucial to the Dragons top-eight aspirations, the team currently sitting seventh in a congested ladder.

The Titans are four points back in 11^th, however St George Illawarra can drop to ninth with a loss and a Cronulla win over the Bulldogs.

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Griffin recognises his side must be significantly better than they were in last week's loss to Manly, but the coach said the squad is focused on remaining inside the eight.

"It's like a final," Griffin said. "It's getting to the pointy end of the season, so we're really looking forward to that.

"We were disappointed last week with our second half against Manly. I thought our first half, even though we weren't at our best, we had started to build into the game and we on top at halftime. Then we let ourselves down in the second half.

"To get to the finals, you've got to win games like these, we're looking forward to the challenge of that.

"Every week it gets a little bit more important, so this week's a massive game for both clubs."

The Dragons are still navigating suspensions that arose from the infamous Paul Vaughan barbecue, with Zac Lomax, Corey Norman and Daniel Alvaro serving their one-game bans this week.

That has allowed boom youngster Jayden Sullivan to receive his first start for the year, having made his debut in the final round of last season.

The 19-year-old has battled multiple injuries in 2021, however Griffin expects the five-eighth to slip straight into the team.

"He's an exciting young talent, someone long-term we see as part of our halves at the club. He's had his challenges this year, he's had a few injuries and hasn't been able to get himself on the park, but he's ready to go.

"It's great for him to come into a game like this, similar to (Tyrell) Sloan when we played Canberra. When you give young people an opportunity, they very rarely let you down.

"It's a big game, he's been great in the juniors coming through in big games, so it's a real gold-plated opportunity for him."

Griffin's comments came just days after St George Illawarra officially announced the signing of Rabbitohs forward Jaydn Su'A.

The Dragons are determined to further bolster their pack for 2022, with the club still in the hunt for Storm and NSW star Dale Finucane.

The premiership winner has attracted interest from a host of teams, including Cronulla and Newcastle, while Melbourne are keen to retain him. For Griffin, the Bega product will be a major addition should he choose to return to the South Coast.

"I understand he's spoken to a few clubs this week. It's getting to a point where he's got to make a decision. We've been in contact with him and spoken to his agent, we'll wait to hear back from them.

"He's got a lot of experience. He's played for the Storm for the last six years, played in four or five grand finals, won a few, played Origin. He's a really good person, a great leader and he'll bring all those things to our club."