St George Illawarra will have to overcome its bogey referee and team in the biggest game for the club since the 1999 NRL grand final.

Whistleblower Steve Clark was on Tuesday appointed to control the Dragons' preliminary semi-final against Melbourne, the first time he has refereed the joint-venture club since round 22 against Parramatta.

After that match, Dragons coach Nathan Brown was fined $15,000 for publicly stating that referees judged his club harsher than others.

It was the second time in 12 months Brown had vented his displeasure with Clark's handling of Dragons matches, having also copped a $10,000 fine for a similar spray after a win against Manly last year.

The Dragons have lost three of their four matches under Clark this year, with the collective penalty count going against them 32-28.

Similarly, the club has struggled playing against the Storm - the team they lost to in the 1999 grand final - going down in eight of their past nine clashes.

However, the Dragons were playing down any problem with Clark on Tuesday.

"That's not an issue," skipper Trent Barrett said.

"It doesn't matter who's refereeing.

"The players weren't fined $15,000 and we can't control that.

"We can control what we do on the footy field.

"It doesn't matter who the referee is, if we play well you take that element out of it.

"I find they've all been pretty good this year and they are refereeing semi-finals because they are the best referees."

"I'm sure he is excited about it too."

In the six games since Brown's outburst, his side has won the penalty count on three occasion, lost two and drawn one, with the overall penalty count 30-29 in their favour.

However, the Dragons were on the wrong side of a 147-121 penalty count this season prior to the former hooker's comments.

Test centre Mark Gasnier, who was named to face the Storm despite a painful abdominal injury, said the referee would have no bearing on the result.

"I know you guys really look into that but it's out of our control," he said.

"We've just got to worry about how we've been, the last four or five weeks we've been really good in regards to discipline.

"It's a matter of us not worrying about Steven Clark but worrying about ourselves.

Gasnier said he was a likely starter for the match, but may need pain-killing injections to get through the entire 80 minutes.

"Definitely, if (needles) are needed, 100 per cent," he said.

"You have got to do whatever it takes to get out there."

Likewise, the Bulldogs also had positive news on the injury front ahead of Friday's clash with Brisbane at Aussie Stadium.

A knee specialist on Tuesday cleared utility Reni Maitua and Bulldogs prop Roy Asotasi to play against the Broncos, although the latter will also need to pass a fitness test on Thursday.

Bulldogs coach Steve Folkes named utility Maitua in the centres and Asotasi on the bench, allowing the Kiwi international to reprise the interchange weapon role he played to devastating effect during their 2004 premiership charge.

Folkes has alternated superstar Sonny Bill Williams between the centres and back row this season, but granted the Kiwi international his wish of starting in the pack by naming him at lock forward.

Meanwhile, the Gold Coast has secured budget airline Jetstar as the club's naming rights sponsor for next season.

Brought to you by AAP © 2024 AAP