St George Illawarra's Toby Couchman wants to lead the young Dragons pack to a brighter future and his top shelf display in his 50th NRL match bodes well.
Couchman and opposing Brisbane prop Payne Haas were the best forwards on the field in a classic battle but it was the Red V that won 30-26 at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday to break a 15-game losing streak.
Aside from running for 215m, Couchman made 41 tackles. The former Thirroul Butchers junior's joy over win was palpable, but he also busted the myth that the Dragons weren't putting in behind the scenes.
"We've been working our arse off at training. Every week we show up, we rip in, that's the whole team, that's the coaches," he said.