Penrith's dramatic week off the field has ended in more success on it, but a vastly-improved St George Illawarra made the heavyweights work for their 28-6 win.
Ladder-leading Penrith were expected to eviscerate the winless Dragons, $11.50 outsiders, to finish a weekend of lop-sided results at the NRL's Magic Round.
While the last-placed Saints ultimately dropped a 14th straight game, this was clearly their gutsiest performance since Dean Young replaced Shane Flanagan as coach on April 20.
The Panthers looked in second gear to begin Sunday's game, their first since master coach Ivan Cleary announced he would step down at the end of next season.
Co-captain and son Nathan Cleary said the eventful week may have contributed to the Panthers' slower start.
"(But) we don't want to use that as as an excuse. It was a big week in many respects, obviously Dad's announcement, but then there's Origin on the horizon," he said.
"You're also versing the team that's coming last and hasn't won a game and you're just expected to go out there and win. It's a lot easier said than done.
"In the NRL, any team can show up and make it a difficult game, which the Dragons did tonight."
Young's men were up for the physical contest, making fewer errors and controlling territory for the first half.
But execution proved the major difference between the sides, with returning halves pairing Kyle Flanagan and Daniel Atkinson unable to capitalise on a wealth of opportunities.
The season's top-tryscorer Tom Jenkins broke a three-game drought, first slamming down Cleary's kick that went uncontested by opposite man Setu Tu.
On the back of a damaging run from State of Origin hopeful Casey McLean, Jenkins had a second four-pointer stepping inside on the fifth tackle.
After only 11 rounds, Jenkins has scored 18 tries for the year.
Down 12-0, the Dragons could consider themselves unlucky not to have taken points into the sheds at half-time.
In his 250th NRL game, Damien Cook kicked through the line from just inside the Panthers' half, chased through and planted the ball to score from a second kick.
But the hooker's try was rescinded as match officials claimed his second kick had illegally dislodged the ball from Brian To'o's hands as the Panthers winger attempted to secure it.
"It would've been nice to go in at half-time 12-6 against the best team in the comp," said interim coach Young.
"We're not walking away from the responsibility that we're sitting where we're sitting. That's on us. But we're not getting the 50-50 (calls) at the moment."
McLean then broke through the Dragons' right edge and passed inside for Isaiah Papali'i to score Penrith's third.
In his last game before Origin teaks are picked, Penrith's NSW fullback Dylan Edwards ran for 294 metres and came up with some signature defensive plays.
Most notably, Edwards wrapped Tu up with a brilliant one-on-one tackle when the Dragons winger appeared certain to score a first-half try.
St George Illawarra finally had points when Christian Tuipulotu barged through Edwards and Paul Alamoti, but late tries to To'o and Luke Garner blew the score out to flatter the Panthers.
"I don't think the scoreline was a true indication of how the game went," said Young.
"We competed really hard and showed lots of signs of the team that we can be."
