Dragons rediscover fire to reignite finals ambitions

ST GEORGE Illawarra has revived its NRL finals hopes with a desperately needed 42-16 victory against the embattled Gold Coast Titans.

With their season on the line, the Dragons yesterday hauled themselves back into the top eight with their seventries-to-three win at UOW Jubilee Oval.

Trycoring doubles from winger Jason Nightingale, playmaker Kurt Mann and impressive hooker Cameron McInnes, and a further fourpointer to Joel Thompson, earned the one-time competit- ion leaders just their third win in nine starts.

Gold Coast’s fourth-straight defeat has piled more pressure on beleaguered coach Neil Henry, while another lacklustre Jarryd Hayne display is certain to add to speculation around the superstar codehopper’s future at the Titans.

While the Dragons live to fight another day, coach Paul McGregor will be less than impressed with the leaking of three soft second-half tries after taking a commanding 22-0 lead into the break.

In ending a two-match losing run, St George Illawarra temporarily climbed above Penrith into eighth spot on points differential, ahead of the Panthers hosting North Queensland.

The Dragons next head to Brisbane on Friday night for a gruelling clash with the Broncos before taking on Penrith in a potentially decisive round-25 showdown.