Gareth Widdop says St George Illawarra Dragons have eye on more success ahead of Melbourne Storm test

The Dragons captain will lead his side in their clash with his former club Melbourne on Sunday. A big crowd is expected at Jubilee Oval, Kogarah for what is undoubtedly the match of the round.

St George Illawarra will have enjoyed an 11-day turnaround from their Anzac Day win over the Roosters as they sit proudly on top of the NRL table after eight rounds.

But Widdop told the Leader while many outside the club have been surprised, the Dragons’ red hot start was deserved reward – and the red V is aiming a lot higher than just a finals finish. 

“I wouldn’t like to say surprised. Every year you have to start off with that confidence and believe what you’re about. I’d like to think it’s not just luck but all the hard work the boys have done in the pre-season,” he said.

“We’ve obviously had a couple of new signings at the club, a few of the younger boys are a year older and more experienced. I think we’ve worked hard to get to where we are now. 

“We understand it’s a long year, we’re only about a third of the way through the season with a lot of football to be played. But I’d like to think it’s everyone doing their job and putting the team before themselves which is something we’ve spoken a lot about.

“It’s no secret we all play this game to win premierships. We’re not here to make up the numbers. But there has to be a process in place we need to stick to to achieve that. It’s a long season but certainly we’ve got a lot of belief, we believe in our standards at the club and we like the way we play football.

“We’re doing what the coach asks of us. We’re doing the little things every week that people don’t see behind the scenes. It’s the old cliche of taking it week by week and ticking off what we need to do but hopefully we will have some success at the end of it.”

Widdop has been in sparkling form, building a formidable halves partnership with former Bronco Ben Hunt. 

But the five-eighth gave credit to his side’s forwards for St George Illawarra’s start and his own form. With Paul Vaughan, James Graham, Tyson Frizell, Tariq Sims and Jack de Belin among their pack, their forwards are arguably an even more daunting challenge for opposing teams.

“Any half would say it, the forwards we’ve got are doing such a good job that it makes my job a hell of a lot easier,” Widdop said.

“The spine, myself and Benny, [Matt Dufty] and Cameron McInnes, it’s important we’re on the same page and I feel like we’re getting a little bit better each week.

“But the forward pack have done a tremendous job. Collectively as a team we’re playing some really good football but I feel like we’ve still got improvement left in us.”

He may have left the Storm five years ago but playing against his former club is still a special occasion for Widdop. A win at Kogarah on Sunday would give the Dragons another shot of confidence as well as making a statement to the rest of the competition.

While many have been waiting for the Dragons to fall over, victory over the Storm would again prove their premiership credentials.

“I’m looking forward to it. I suppose whenever you come up against your old club it’s always special. Being up at Kogarah as well. It’s a big challenge and it’ll be a long week waiting for it,” Widdop said.

“The NRL at the moment anyone can beat anyone on their day. It’s a test each week. We understand the Storm have been the benchmark for a number of years now. They play consistent football every week. But for us it’s about what we can control, our individual preparation and performance and only worry about us as a team. If we can do that again to the best of our ability I’m sure we can put on another good performance.

“I’ve been away from Melbourne for a while now and I’m well and truly settled at the Dragons. But I’ve still got a few mates down there that makes playing them extra special.

“I haven’t seen much of them but we all know with Melbourne there isn’t too much between their best and worst performance. They’ve built their reputation on that for the last 10 years with [Craig Bellamy] in charge. With [Cooper Cronk] leaving it was always going to take a little bit of time to sort out their combinations but for us we’ve got to just focus on us as best we can and keep making sure we’re living up to our standards.”

The Dragons and Storm will again play for the Emergency Services Cup, with a special ticket offer for emergency services personnel.

Details: dragons.com.au