St George Illawarra are banking on Josh Dugan's return against his former club, to kick start the joint venture's troubled start to the NRL season in Canberra on Saturday.
The Dragons finally smashed their long-running hoodoo in the nation's capital last year and are seeking to repeat the dose in 2015 as they chase their first win of the season.
The joint venture are 0-2 to start the season and have only scored two tries in their opening fixtures, the worst start to a premiership campaign since Canterbury managed just two points in their first two games in 2000.
Hamstrung by a five-day turnaround following their abject loss to Wests Tigers on Monday, the return of Dugan from an ankle injury against the side that sacked him two years ago, shapes as a key inclusion for the struggling Dragons.
Dugan suffered the injury in the first up loss to Melbourne and missed the Tigers clash.
"It's great to see him out there training that's for sure," coach Paul McGregor said on Friday.
"He had a light run yesterday and had another one today and didn't finish it all, but he did most of it though and we will see how he pulls up in the morning.
"It is really exciting to have him back in the group.
"With him out last week and Ben Creagh, and Benji (Marshall) getting injured early and taking no part (we struggled) but with those three possibly available tomorrow that is a good thing."
The Dragons have created opportunities to score they just haven't made the most of them.
They have forced the most line dropouts, are fourth in terms of tackles in the opposition 20, sit sixth in metres gained, ahead of the likes of Sydney Roosters and South Sydney and have recorded the seventh most tackle busts.
"It's not too far off, it's obviously early in the year," McGregor said.
"With the short turnaround it is hard to work on a lot of things on the football field but we have had a look at what we do need to do."
Dragons fans upset at the form and direction of the joint venture launched a Save Our Saints online campaign primarily across social media on Friday, with the stewardship of club boss Peter Doust squarely in their sights. McGregor said he shared the fans' pain.
"I understand everyone's frustration, there is no person hurting more than me and the team," he said.
"And we are doing every thing to fix that.
"We are just asking them to be patient."
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