The Dragons are back in the winners circle after finishing atop the Wests Tigers 18-14 at WIN Stadium on Thursday night thanks to a 63rd-minute, go-ahead four-pointer courtesy of Mikaele Ravalawa.
The hosts leapt out to a 12-4 lead in the first half before the visitors took advantage of a 12-man Dragons defensive unit with a pair of tries just before the break to gain the lead back.
Ravalawa snagged the only points of the second half off the back of a brilliant Zac Lomax flick.
Ben Hunt went within inches of laying on the contest’s opening points only for a stray offload to find the turf eight minutes in.
Junior Tupou was instead the beneficiary of a stray Daine Laurie ball down the other end the corresponding set as the visitors earned an early 4-0 lead.
Junior Amone sent Tyrell Sloan over for his seventh try of the season and the Dragons’ first of the night shortly after via a cunning flick pass back on the inside to the supporting fullback.
Lomax slotted the conversion as the Red V took their first lead of the night.
Sloan threatened to slice through again during the following set off a Lomax inside pass but the ball ultimately hit the turf to put an end to the raid.
A pinpoint Hunt chip landed in the lap of Lomax down the right edge for the Dragons’ second with the centre converting his own try to extend the lead to 12-4.
The Dragons lost their captain’s challenge moments later after video officials were unable to find a touch from a Wests Tigers defender in the lead-up to an error.
Jack de Belin was placed on report for working an opposition player on the ground on the half hour mark before some desperate Dragons cover denied a Wests Tigers try in the aftermath.
Sloan was sent to the bin seven minutes prior to the break after spending too long lying on a tackled player.
The visitors took advantage off the back of it with Tupou scurrying over for his second in the left corner to cut the Dragons’ advantage to four.
The Wests Tigers’ third came on the stroke of half-time after Tupou went streaking down the left touchline and found a supporting Apisai Koroisau with a kick ahead to make it 14-12.
The Dragons went close to wrestling the lead back on the hour mark but the visitors got in the way of a de Belin offload just short of the line.
A fifth-tackle, shrugging effort courtesy of Lomax followed by an around-the-corner flick pass paved the way for a hobbling Ravalawa to bulldoze his way to the try-line in the right corner and snatch the lead back for the Red V.
Lomax piloted through the extra two from the touchline to improve the Dragons’ advantage to four points.
Stefano Utoikamanu went close to crashing over for the Wests Tigers but some more desperate defence halted the hulking prop.
The visitors refused to yield but the Dragons defensive line held strong as Ryan Carr’s men went home with a valuable pair of competition points.
