Wests Tigers are one win away from ending the longest-running finals drought in the NRL after they kept their hopes alive in a 42-14 thrashing of St George Illawarra.
Spurred on by the prospect of a sudden-death, final-round date with Cronulla next Sunday, halves Luke Brooks and Benji Marshall starred while centre Paul Momirovski scored a hat-trick of tries.
Having not played finals football since 2011, the Tigers remain ninth but can leapfrog the Sharks into the eight with a win at their traditional home, Leichhardt Oval.
Injured veteran Robbie Farah remains a chance to play in that match on return from a fractured leg after he resumed running at training this week.
The Tigers were far from their best early on against the Dragons on Sunday but scored five tries to one in the second half to run away with it.
After they trailed the opening half hour 8-6, the game swung when Brooks put second-rower Luke Garner through a gap to score.
Their lead was extended after the break when Momirovski intercepted a Gareth Widdop pass to go the length of the field and score.
Momirovski’s other two tries were the results of Marshall.
He opened the scoring for the Tigers when Marshall fired a bullet cut-out ball on the right on the play after a 70-metre Brooks break down the left.
His third try in the second half came after he was ran onto a shorter ball from Marshall.
Momirovski finished with as personal tally of 26 points, the most by any Tiger in a match since Brett Hodgson in 2005.
Marshall scored a try himself, switching directions from close to the line with 11 minutes to go to put the game beyond doubt.
Brooks and Elijah Taylor then finished the game with long-range tries as the Dragons stumbled to their eighth loss in nine games.
Second-last on the ladder, the Dragons finished the match with just 12 men and out of interchanges after hooker Cameron McInnes suffered a knee injury late.
Winger Zac Lomax also had a scare but walked from the field after he earlier copped an accidental knee to the head from Tigers centre Esan Marsters.