Ben Hunt has his mojo back but the St George Illawarra half admits he'll need to find something extra with Gareth Widdop on the sidelines next Saturday.
The pair relished a reunion at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday, combining well to sink Hunt's former club 48-18.
The halfback was greeted with a rain of boos and jeers from the 47,296 Brisbane fans, who this time last year were watching him dissect Penrith in a finals game for the Broncos.
But he kept out the noise to set up an NRL semi-final date with South Sydney and breathe life into a campaign that looked lost after six defeats from their last nine regular season games.
Widdop (shoulder) won't be there though, his return from a similar injury short-lived as the five-eighth limped off late in the contest just as the Broncos looked to be mounting a comeback.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
"I saw him go off and thought 'oh no, this could be the turning point for us (to lose)'," Hunt said.
"We managed to hang on ... but he was the difference for us tonight.
"I'm feeling more confident now and he helped that tonight; he's such a class player and takes a load off your shoulders.
"We will have to try and work our how we play well (without him)."
Hunt's former teammate Andrew McCullough and retired winger Jharal Yow Yeh sought out the Dragons' dressing rooms after the game to share a beer with Hunt in what was former Broncos captain Sam Thaiday's final game.
"It was a very strange feeling; I was very excited but started shaking the boys hands at the end, saw Sammy and nearly started crying myself," he said.
"It was good of them to come in and congratulate me on the win."
The No.7 has spoken candidly of the public criticism he's copped this season but says it won't be driving him as the Dragons continue their rearguard next weekend against the Rabbitohs.
"The last month, month-and-a-half has been pretty aggressive to be honest from media, fans, everyone," he said.
"But I've turned a corner and I'm enjoying it.
"That's (to prove critics wrong) not my attitude at all; I've played a lot of footy now and the people I play for isn't my critics, it's for my teammates, to make my family proud and that's going to be one motivation next week."
