The St George Illawarra express shows no sign of slowing with captain Gareth Widdop declaring the unbeaten side still a work in progress.
Widdop’s men steamrolled Gold Coast 54-8 in Toowoomba on Sunday afternoon, with the captain at the centre of the carnage.
They remain atop the ladder after three rounds and boast a plus-minus of 72 points.
Widdip’s partnership with recruited Brisbane halfback Ben Hunt continues to flourish, while hat-tricks to fullback Matthew Dufty and centre Tim Lafai displayed their range of firepower.
Both halves put in kicks to set up tries and they linked to find gaps in the flimsy Titans defence in the nine-try romp.
But Widdop said both he and Dufty would continue to improve as they built a partnership with Hunt.
“I’d like to think we’ve done enough work in the preseason with limited time … and it’s coming together,” he said of their seamless early season form.
“When you bring in a traditional halfback it frees myself up a bit … the more we play together the better.”
It was Dufty’s first NRL hat-trick but one his coach and captain saw coming.
“He come through (last week’s game against Cronulla) that well, it was a good eduction and through the week I thought he was up for a big game,” coach Paul McGregor said.
“He got his defensive splits right and certainly he has the boys’ trust, which is important for a young man.”
Widdop said his speed was key but his supplementary skills set him apart.
“It’s good to have him there; he’s very quick, he can ball play as well, it’s a big benefit to have in your team,” the captain said.
“We all know he can attack but he’s learning his trade (in defence), is always in the game … and he’ll keep improving.”
The Dragons jumped to an 8-0 lead before the Titans equalised and pressed for the go-ahead try.
Widdop said their defence at that point symbolised why they had started the season so well.
“There were a few momentum changes throughout the game but our defence, we base the game on that, it can turn the game and get you back in it,” he said.