The Warriors have inched to within sight of NRL top-eight safety after they held out a second-half comeback to beat St George Illawarra 18-12 at WIN Stadium.
Solomone Kata Photo: Photosport
They scored three times while Matt Dufty was in the sin bin to take an 18-0 lead into halftime on Saturday but had to defend a six-point lead for the final half-hour following the Dragons' two-try start to the second half.
But with just 38 per cent of the ball and a 6-1 penalty count against them after the break, the Warriors' defence made 43 more tackles than their opponents to claim the win.
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck starred with 222m and a crucial try-saving strip over the line in the first half, while Issac Luke was also good and centre Solomone Kata scored a double.
The win marked their first in Wollongong since 1996 and moved them back to four points ahead of the ninth-placed Wests Tigers with four rounds to play.
It means just two more wins from their final four games would almost certainly be enough to qualify them for their first finals series since 2011.
In turn, the Dragons have lost four of their past five and could fall back level on points with fifth and sixth-placed Penrith and Cronulla if they win on Sunday.
After the Warriors led 2-0 following an uneventful opening half-hour, the match turned when Dragons fullback Dufty was sin-binned for impeding Tuivasa-Sheck on a kick chase.
The visitors then got their first try in the set immediately after the offence when Kata crossed off an Isaiah Papali'i offload in the left-hand corner.
Luke was the next to score when Jazz Tevaga got away a late offload close to the line before Kata crossed off a three-man cut-out ball from Blake Green just as Dufty returned to the field.
Cameron McInnes and Luciano Leilua crossed for the hosts in the 10 minutes after the break but they couldn't make use of the weight of territory and possession in the second half to land the win.
-AAP
