St George Illawarra sick troops are back and they won’t being using the flu virus which swept their camp as an excuse in Sunday’s crucial NRL clash with Penrith.

Nine Dragons played ill in their loss to Brisbane last week, and training was again impacted earlier this week as more players fell sick on return to Sydney.

However all players returned for Thursday morning’s session.

“That’s not talked about at training this week,” said coach Paul McGregor.

“There will be no excuses, everyone will be at their best.”

The ninth-placed Dragons enter the Pepper Stadium match in a precarious predicament.

If both North Queensland and Manly beat their bottom-four opponents this weekend, a loss to Penrith will spell the end of the Dragons’ finals hopes.

McGregor said he had noticed a shift in urgency in players’ work this week ahead of their clash with a Panthers team that has won seven straight.

“They know the importance of where they are at in their season and we’ve worked the past nine months to be in a situation to play finals footy,” McGregor said.

While the Dragons haven’t got the results required in the past month, there has been a clear improvement in their attacking prowess.

They have averaged 28.8 points per match in the past five games, compared to the 16.2 scored per match in the 10 games prior.

“It should be really exciting for the players now,” McGregor said.

“You pin your ears back and go for it – you don’t want to walk off thinking you could have done a little more because it’s not time for that.

“It’s time to get out there and do whatever needs to be done, and do it at your best, and the result will be done.”

In further positive news for the Dragons, NSW lock Tyson Frizell and winger Nene MacDonald are both expected to play after overcoming respective ankle and knee injuries.