St George Illawarra made it three in a row and on the edge of the top eight, after holding off a gritty Wests Tigers in a torrid affair at WIN Stadium on Sunday.
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The Dragons had overpowered the Knights and Roosters to kick-start their campaign and overcame a tryless first half to win 12-6.
It took 57 minutes, but Dragons halfback Ben Hunt, who took control for the Dragons to win the Anzac Day clash against the Roosters, stood up with a darting run to break the tryless contest.
Then Jayden Sullivan staked his claim for a regular starting spot with an irresistible run in his seventh NRL game, after Talatau Amone moved into the five-eighth spot in the absence of Jack Bird, opening the door to come off the bench.
Playmaker Luke Brooks struck back on the left edge, proving too hot to handle a tiring Dragons defence with four minutes left, but Jackson Hastings left the margin at six by putting his conversion attempt across the face.
"Definitely had to work for that one, seems the story of our last month, hanging on and grinding out the win," Hunt said.
Adding to late drama, Moses MBye found a bomb too hot to handle with two minutes remaining, allowing the Tigers two more fruitless shots to level the scores, but the Dragons withstood the raids.
Earlier, the Tigers had gone close in the first half, as second-rower Kelmi Tuilagi rose to take a Brooks, failing to ground it, but gaining a penalty out of it as Dragons centre Zac Lomax tried to make a contest of it.
As a result, the Tigers posted the only points of the first half through a Hastings penalty goal.
Tariq Sims, bound for Melbourne sooner or later, tried to respond, but lost the ball attacking the tryline, as the stalemate continued.
But it would be Hunt, in career-best touch, who nudged the Dragons ahead.
The Tigers had come off consecutive field goal thrillers to beat Parramatta and Souths.
St George Illawarra are now on eight points with the Rabbitohs, Sea Eagles, Broncos and Warriors, only outside the top eight on for-and-against.
The Dragons take on the Storm next, who have been in devastating form, smashing the Warriors and Knights in the past fortnight.
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