Dragons loss to Bulldogs piles more pressure on Griffin

St George Illawarra have heaped even more pressure on their under-fire coach Anthony Griffin by sinking to a fourth-straight NRL loss in an 18-16 defeat to Canterbury in Wollongong.

In a nail-biting affair, the Dragons did not lead the match once but still looked the most likely team to finish on top in a tense final 20 minutes.

After they trailed 18-10 just before the hour mark, the match swung dramatically when Canterbury second-rower Corey Waddell was sin-binned for a professional foul.

Making use of the extra number, Ben Hunt and Talatau "Junior" Amone combined on the right edge before the latter put on a slick cut-out pass for Max Feagai to cross.

But from there, the Dragons failed to take their opportunities.

They enjoyed the bulk of the ball late in the match, but their afternoon was best summed up by a set with 10 minutes to go in which they barely moved the ball before a Hunt offload on the fourth tackle went to ground. 

Hunt then attempted a two-point field goal in the final 20 seconds to try to level the scores, only for the shot to fall short and the Dragons' fate to be sealed.

Sunday's loss marked the fourth week in a row the Dragons have scored as many or more tries than their opposition, but still tasted defeat.

St George Illawarra's board is due to meet again next month, with the off-contract Griffin's future is certain to be on the agenda.

This loss to a Canterbury side coming off three straight defeats of their own was the last thing Griffin needed.

After two years out of the finals under the embattled coach, the Dragons are now 15th with two wins from eight games.

They have the last-placed Wests Tigers next Sunday at Magic Round, and a defeat there could spell disastrous news for Griffin.

For Canterbury, Jake Averillo was the star while Matt Burton and Josh Reynolds impressed in the first half as they regularly broke the Dragons' defences through the middle.

Averillo scored two long-range tries from well within his own end, burning Dragons fullback Tyrell Sloan on both occasions after being put into space by Braidon Burns.

The second of those tries proved crucial, giving the Bulldogs a big enough buffer after Hunt had put the Dragons level at 10-10 early in the second half by sending Toby Couchman over.

But as is so often the case, Hunt couldn't carry the Dragons entirely on his own back, and the Saints' season is now at risk of completely slipping away.