St Helens too strong for undermanned Dragons in Wollongong

In what was a pre-World Club Challenge tune up for the Super League champions, Dragons coach Anthony Griffin was without significant clout amid a long list of unavailabilities.

Skipper Ben Hunt, Jaydn Su'A, Jack Bird, Jack de Belin and Aaron Woods were on the sidelines nursing injuries, while Tyrell Sloan, Josh Kerr and Tyrell Fuiamono tasted victory with the Indigenous All-Stars in New Zealand earlier in the day.

Kerr emerged from that game on report for a high shot on Maori captain James Fisher-Harris, which could rule him out of his side's round-two season-opener, but not next week's Charity Shield.

Griffin's also hoping to have Jayden Sullivan on deck for the annual clash with the Rabbitohs in Mudgee as he returns to top pace following a hamstring injury.

The high-profile absences saw Griffin run out a makeshift spine of Jacob Liddle at dummy-half, Treigh Stewart at fullback and Connor Muhleisen and Moses Mbye in the halves.

Only Liddle shapes as a realistic contender for the role come round two, with Bird tipped to partner Hunt in the halves in round two amid the stand-down of young-gun Talatau Amone.

With Cody Ramsey ruled out for the season, only injury would deny Sloan the No. 1 jumper for that clash with the Titans, with Stewart enduring a mixed night as an understudy in Wollongong.

The 21-year-old showed a clean pair of heels on an incisive run for the Dragons second try, but coughed up two high balls that led to St Helens tries - though the latter was pulled back by the bunker.

He spilled another on kick reception that allowed Joey Lussick to scoot over for the first try of the second half and finished on report for a possible hip-drop tackle on a runaway Jack Welsby 12 minutes before halftime.

The only other shift to raise an eyebrow was Zac Lomax lining up at left centre having spent the past several seasons on the right edge.

It saw Moses Suli shift to the right having played most of his previous football at Manly and with the Dragons on the left.

Neither saw much footy, finishing with seven runs between them, with Lomax grabbing the Dragons first try of the evening.

With a round-one bye, Griffin may elect to spare stars carrying niggles any trial run before the season-proper kicks off against Gold Coast in round two.

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Lewis Dodd grabbed the opening try seven minutes in courtesy of a deft dummy-half grubber from James Roby, with Tommy Makinson converting for a 6-0 lead after nine minutes.

Makinson laid on his side's next try just two minutes later with a remarkable off-load that saw Welsby cross and extend the margin to 10 after just 11 minutes.

Makinson remained in the action, spilling a kick from Mbye that opened the door for the Dragons hit-back from Lomax after Ben Murdoch-Masila made the best of a poor pass to put his centre away.

Lomax nailed the conversion to cut the margin back to six at the mid-point of the half.

Stewart did it all himself three minutes later, leaving three defenders grasping at air as he posted his side's second try, with Lomax converting for a 12-10 lead.

Stewart found himself on report for a possible hip-drop tackle on a runaway Welsby 12 minutes before the break, the penalty allowing Makinson to level up at 12 apiece.

The deadlock was short-lived, with Makinson crossing in the south-western corner after Lomax spilled the ball cold at the other end.

Stewart's rough night under the high ball continued, spilling another bomb from Dodd and allowing Will Hopoate to swoop for what looked to be the visitors fourth try.

Replays provided a reprieve for the young fullback, showing Sione Mata'utia had also knocked on in the lead-up. It saw the visitors take a four-point cushion into the break despite pressing hard for more points as the clock wound down.

The contest did not reach any great heights in the second half, with Joey Lussick's dive-over effort from dummy-half the only try through 22 minutes of the stanza.

Lussick looked to have crossed again with 12 minutes left only to be called back for a forward pass, but there was denying Theerapol Ritson when hem flashed down the eastern touchline for his side's fifth try.

The Dragons found a consolation hit-back through Savelio Tamale with eight minutes left but were never really in the half.

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