Dragons coach Paul McGregor is wary of his side’s difficult month ahead which features matches against top quality opposition and a tricky travel schedule.
Top of the table after six rounds, St George Illawarra face the New Zealand Warriors in Auckland on Friday night on the back of a derby victory over Cronulla.
The Dragons were to fly out for New Zealand on Wednesday and will return to Sydney on Saturday, essentially giving them three days to recover and prepare for their Anzac Day clash with the Sydney Roosters.
“Tonight was probably the start of a really tough month. We knew that early in the year before the first five weeks,” McGregor said.
“[Play against the Sharks], travel on Wednesday, into a game on Friday, into travel on Saturday home, into a game on Wednesday before we get some sort of recovery which is a 12-day recovery before we play the Storm.
“So a game like [against Cronulla], a derby game. Travel to New Zealand against a team that [were] equal first in the competition. And then a four day [turn around] plus your travel into the Anzac Day [game] and we all know what that’s about. Then we have a nice spell before we play the Storm at home.
“It is a tough month but the start of it went really well against Cronulla with a win. And the boys will have a couple of days off to enjoy that, then we’ll come back and knuckle down.”
The Warriors have also enjoyed an impressive start, sitting in equal second coming off their only loss of the campaign so far against Brisbane.
