St George Illawarra have delivered a pressure-relieving win for under-fire coach Anthony Griffin, ending a nightmare fortnight with a 38-12 victory over the Dolphins.
With Griffin fighting for his future and coming off back-to-back beatings from Brisbane and Cronulla, the Dragons put in their most complete performance of the season at WIN Stadium on Saturday night.
Jacob Liddle starred in his first game as starting hooker for the Red V, while Ben Hunt scored a try and set up another in the crucial win.
Talatau Amone also set up one try on his return from off-field issues at five-eighth, with Jayden Sullivan out nursing a shoulder injury.
But the game wasn't without concern for the Dragons, with Jaydn Su'A suffering a calf problem.
Su'A, Mikaele Ravalawa and Jack de Belin also finished the match on report.
The Dolphins also have more injury concerns after Anthony Milford limped from the field early with a hamstring injury.
Already without halfback Sean O'Sullivan, Wayne Bennett is likely to have to throw Kodi Nikorima into the halves against North Queensland on Friday if fit after a concussion.
The Dragons, at least for now, have less issues.
They will be relieved to finish Saturday in the top eight after senior player Moses Mbye admitted the Dragons' year was already at a crossroads this week.
With Griffin told the Dragons are considering their options for next year, he will have the chance to push his cause against Gold Coast, Canberra, the Sydney Roosters, Canterbury and Wests Tigers in the next five weeks.
Regardless, Griffin said the result was not extra special given his own situation.
"I enjoy tonight for the players and everyone involved in the club, because last week was nowhere near what we're about," Griffin said.
"That's the hardest part of the game when you let each other down.
"What you play for is what they're feeling in the sheds now because they know they all had a red-hot crack together."
After Liddle was moved to starting hooker, he got the Dragons their first points when he darted over from dummy-half.
He was instrumental again in their next try, getting out of dummy-half and firing a ball for Blake Lawrie to barge over.
Up 12-8 at the break, it was the Ben Hunt show in the 25 minutes after halftime.
The fierce Griffin defender did it all himself when he charged over from close distance, running between Connelly Lemuelu and Ray Stone.
The halfback laid on another try when he fired a long pass for Mikaele Ravalawa to cross and put the game beyond doubt.
It was the first of two tries to Ravalawa, while Zac Lomax and Tyrell Sloan also both bagged four-pointers.
For the Dolphins, the effect of their injuries are now beginning to show after a second straight loss following a hot start to the season.
They scored the first try through Jamayne Isaako but were poor defensively after that as the Dragons broke their line nine times and were never really in the match.
"I think you've all been waiting for this performance," Bennett said.
"We all thought it'd happen in week one, but it didn't happen in week two, three or four.
"We've been up for a month and we've kind of played in two semi-finals, to be candid with you. They've handled it "
