Mitchell Moses and Luke Brooks have given West Tigers fans a look at the future without Robbie Farah in the NRL joint venture's win over St George Illawarra.
Moses led the way for the Tigers in attack and defence in the 25-12 win at ANZ Stadium on Sunday, setting up a crucial second-half try and calmly slotting the match-sealing field goal.
Brooks wasn't far behind. His kicking game kept the Tigers on the front foot and he scythed through the Dragons' goal-line defence in the 26th minute to put the Tigers ahead for the first time - a lead they never relinquished.
The win will in part justify the decision by Tigers coach Jason Taylor to dump Farah to reserve grade.
"It was gutsy and it was gritty and with that I am really happy," Taylor said.
"The Wests Tigers are not known for that sort of performance. We kept turning the Dragons away and that is really exciting we were able to win a game like that."
However, Taylor wasn't gloating that his decision to dump Farah had perhaps proven to be the right one.
"It isn't about vindication, it is about a direction we want the team to keep moving toward and it impacts upon both our attack and our defence," he said.
"It is part of what I want to continue, these guys (Moses and Brooks) taking ownership."
The win keeps the Tigers faint finals hopes alive.
"Will we make the finals? I don't know. But we are giving it a crack," Taylor said.
In playmaker Benji Marshall's 250th game, against the club he won the 2005 premiership with, the Dragons were good in patches but again their attack lacked thrust.
Coach Paul McGregor admitted calls for him and Dragons boss Peter Doust to step down were affecting his team.
"Emotion is a lot in sport and they have a lot on their shoulders at the moment," he said.
"A few clubs go through it at different stages of the year and at the moment we are going through it."
The Dragons opened the scoring through Kurt Mann in the fifth minute. That was matched by first-half Tigers tries to David Nofoaluma, Brooks and James Tedesco for them to lead 18-8 at halftime.
The Tigers stretched that lead when Moses put Josh Aloiai over in the 58th minute.
Adam Quinlan gave the Dragons some hope when he brought the Dragons within 12 points in the 68th minute.
The home side had the chance to further close that gap before 15,087 fans but couldn't crack the Tigers' line despite a generous amount of possession.
Moses' one-pointer sealing with a one-pointer three minutes from time.
Dragons forward Leeson Ah Mau was put on report for a first-half high tackle on Tim Grant, who was taken off on a medicab and didn't return.
Tigers forward Chris Lawrence left the field early in the second half with a leg injury.
