NRL: Dragons breathe fire over sledging

St George Illawarra's forwards have vowed to protect Jamie Soward in Saturday night's sudden death NRL final against Brisbane after the Wests Tigers claimed to have unsettled the playmaker.

Tigers stars told Rugby League Week it was prop Bryce Gibbs' job to target Soward verbally in last Friday night's come-from-behind 21-12 win at ANZ Stadium.

The NSW five-eighth's kicking game was noticeably below its best as the premiers blew a 12-6 halftime lead in the qualifying final.

In what will be a State of Origin type atmosphere at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday, Dragons prop Michael Weyman said his side's big men would look out for Soward if the Broncos tried something similar.

"We're a close unit, we'll stick together and look out for our little fellas and look out for every player in our team," said Weyman.

Backrower Ben Creagh agreed.

"We'll try not to [let it happen again]," he said.

"We've just got to play well as a team, that definitely helps Sowie.

"If [our] forwards are playing well, he can play off the back of that and it definitely helps his game a lot as well."

But Creagh said sledging from the Tigers would not have unsettled the 26-year-old.

"Sowie's been around long enough now," Creagh said. "He's been through a lot, he's seen a lot and heard a lot too, on the field and off the field, so he's got pretty thick skin.

"I'm pretty sure it doesn't bother him at all."

Meanwhile, Brisbane centre Justin Hodges again left training early yesterday.

Hodges has been nursed through the week after returning from a third hamstring injury last weekend in Brisbane's 40-10 qualifying final win over the Warriors.

He lasted about 20 minutes at yesterday's training session before heading for the dressing room.

But Brisbane backrower Corey Parker backed the side's big test centre to play at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night.

"Hodges is going to be fine," Parker said. "He's obviously got some hamstring problems.

"He spoke about a bit of tightness so in true Hodges style he pulled himself out."

- AAP