They've banked three wins on the trot, but coach Anthony Griffin believes his Dragons needs to lift again as they get ready to take on the NRL's most in-form side.
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St George Illawarra moved within striking distance of the top eight after surviving a 12-6 thriller with the Tigers in Wollongong on Sunday, which came on the back of successive victories over the Knights and Roosters. It's a stark form reversal after the Red V had gone through a four-game losing streak.
However, a date with the red-hot Storm in Melbourne looms this weekend, which shapes up as their toughest challenge yet. The Storm sit in second spot, but have demanded the competition's spotlight with 70-10 and 50-2 thrashings of the Warriors and Newcastle in the past fortnight. Both victories were set up by the team's dynamic attacking prowess, led by Cam Munster, Jahrome Hughes, Ryan Papenhuyzen and Harry Grant.
"They're the form side of the comp, particularly with their attack. They're the best attacking team in the competition," Griffin said.
"But I thought our spine, with limited opportunities, was really good [against the Tigers]. It wasn't a pretty game but when we did get some ball, Amone, Hunt and Mbye threw themselves into the game and got us forward.
"We're as ready as we're going to be. We need to freshen up, but it will be good to get down there and test ourselves. We look forward to it."
Sunday will mark the first time the two teams have met since it was announced Tariq Sims will be heading to Melbourne in 2023. The veteran laid 38 tackles in their victory over the Tigers and shapes as a key cog in their defence against the Storm.
The Dragons have conceded 178 points this season, but just 34 in the past three weeks, which pleases Griffin.
"We weren't at our best, but I thought they showed a heap of character. It took them 75 minutes to get scored against, and that's what won us the game," he said. "We've hit a bit of form and we've learned a lot of lessons out of those few weeks where we weren't good. But to their credit, they've bounced back really well.
"I'm really proud of them. It was a short turnaround and it's always hard to win after Anzac Day."
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