The race to the NRL finals has reached crisis point for up to nine teams with just five rounds to go.
Just three wins separates team five, North Queensland, and Canberra, running 13th, with ten points still up for grabs for all teams hoping to qualify for September football.
While the Raiders ambitions suffered a serious blow on Sunday in a 36-6 thrashing at the hands of resurgent Newcastle, they are still part of the hopeful logjam.
All they – or any of the chasing pack – need to do, according to St George Illawarra veteran Dean Young, is get on a run.
“Whoever has got the momentum and got the confidence at the back end of the year, and I suppose the sides that are healthy too, is going to play a part,” Young said on Monday.
Of the hopefuls, the Dragons have one of the more manageable runs home, facing the lowly Sydney Roosters and Parramatta, as well as Wests Tigers, North Queensland and the Warriors.
Young and winger Brett Morris both believe their three matches against teams above them on the ladder could work in the Dragons’ favour.
“Obviously we’ve got a lot of teams that are above us on the ladder,” Morris said.
“But if we want to be there come finals time we’re going to have to beat them.
“Why not try and beat them in the regular season?
“We’ve got a tough run coming in but you want to be playing those sides. If you beat them then you know you’re around the mark come finals time.”
The Cowboys, Cronulla, Newcastle and Manly’s final five games are all against teams who still remain a chance of finishing on 30 points or higher.
That alone will ensure plenty of change before the top eight is finalised in round 26.
“So much has happened in the last fortnight and there’s still five games to go,” Young said.
“So much is going to happen in those next five weeks that I’m not looking at five weeks down the track.
“I’m looking at tomorrow at training and then Friday against the Roosters. There’s no use even talking about the future really.”
Like all of the remaining teams with a chance of playing in the finals, the Dragons have destiny in their own hands.
“It has been for the last couple of weeks,” Young said.
“If we win we keep on going and giving ourselves a chance to get there.
“If we lose, it’s our fault and we won’t get there. Our destiny is in our hands and we’re happy with that.”
