The St George Illawarra Dragons were 44-6 winners over the Canberra Raiders at UOW Jubilee Oval, Kogarah on Thursday.
The Young Dragons scored eight tries in the victory including a hat trick to captain Patrick Herbert.
Head Coach Mat Head had opted to standby the line-up announced midweek and found his faith rewarded in the eighth minute of play when Herbert crossed the stripe.
The Junior Kiwis representative had shown great strength and speed to slice through the opposition defence to score on the right hand side.
The hosts doubled their advantage through prop Jacob Esau eight minutes later before winger Paora Kemp followed suit, having outleapt his marker, in the 20th minute.
Dragons five-eighth Jai Field had managed one of his two conversion attempts to make it 14-0.
The Raiders notched their sole try of the fixture through halfback Jack Hickson in the 25th minute.
Raiders utility Zac Woolford subsequently converted and made it 14-6.
The home side secured their fourth try of the stanza in the closing minute of the period after Herbert ran on to a neat short ball from Field to crash across the chalk.
Field converted again to make it 20-6.
Herbert rounded out his trifecta of four-pointers three minutes into the second-half with a neat assist once again from Field.
The halfback was accurate from the tee to make it 26-6.
The Dragons attacking prowess had proven too dangerous for their opponents to handle and this was demonstrated once again by Kemp on the hour mark.
Field converted once more to make it 32-6.
Dragons prop Luciano Leilua etched his name shortly thereafter before a smart shift at speed sent fullback Matt Dufty running to the stripe in the final minute.
Field converted both attempts from the tee to make it 44-6.
St George Illawarra Dragons 44. Tries: Herbert (3), Kemp (2), Leilua, Dufty. Goals: Field (6/8).
Canberra Raiders 6. Tries: Hickson. Goals: Woolford (1/1).
