League: Dragons squeeze past Sharks

St George Illawarra reclaimed the outright lead of the NRL with a clinical 22-4 southern Sydney derby win over Cronulla at Toyota Stadium today.

The Dragons ran out comfortable winners but the result was in doubt with ten minutes remaining when a crucial no-try decision on Sharks backrower Paul Gallen snuffed out the home side's gallant resistance.

Impressive rookie Kyle Stanley scored a double for the Dragons, including one of two tries in the final seven minutes to blow out the final margin.

On the back of two penalties the Sharks enjoyed the best of the early exchanges, but the Dragons, on their first foray into the attacking zone, opened the scoring in the 12th minute via Stanley.

Normally the finisher, Brett Morris turned provider when he popped a offload despite the attention of three defenders, Stanley touching down just inside the corner flag.

The Dragons stretched it to 6-0 when Jamie Soward steered over a penalty after the playmaker was taken out late and high by Kade Snowden, the Sharks prop finding himself on report.

Despite the scoreboard Cronulla continued to dominate field position, their endeavour finally rewarded when Nathan Gardner flicked out a ball for Isaac Gordon to go over untouched.

Full of running the Sharks peppered the Dragons line but let themselves down at crucial stages.

Having found touch five metres out with a brilliant penalty kick, Tim Smith's next effort with the boot was abysmal as he gave up possession on the third tackle with a diabolical grubber.

Jamie Soward showed him how it was down six minutes after the restart when he kicked for the edges, Morris picking up the crumbs for his first try away from home in 2010 and an eight-point lead.

The Sharks pressed for a reply without luck, their afternoon summed up when Gallen burrowed over for what he thought was a try only for referee Tony Archer to decline going to the video referee - replays indicating the NSW Origin backrower had got the ball on the line.

To rub salt into the wound the Dragons then ran in a pair of late four-pointers with Stanley latching onto a delicate Darius Boyd kick before Jason Nightingale completed the damage with a bizarre try four minutes from time.

Having burst down the eastern touchline, Nightingale appeared to have been wrapped up by the defence before the Kiwis international nonchalantly reached out and planted half the ball on the tryline while sitting.

- AAP