Less than two months out from the NRL finals, St George Illawarra halfback Ben Hornby claims the Dragons are still experimenting with tactics to get the best out of in-limbo skipper Mark Gasnier.

At a time when most premiership contenders are finetuning their game ahead of the business end of the season, the Dragons remain in 'pre-season' mode with Gasnier struggling to adapt to his new roving role in attack.

Gasnier, whose future beyond 2008 remains shrouded in mystery amidst reports he has already agreed to a two-year deal with French rugby union side Stade Francais, appeared lost at several stages in Sunday's 19-12 loss to Canberra in Wollongong.

He was badly caught out of position while defending on the wing in the lead-up to Canberra's opening try and struggled to make much impact from fullback in attack.

Regarded as the finest centre in the game, Gasnier showed just how dangerous he can be out wide when he set up the final minute try for Brett Morris, the Test ace dragging in three defenders before putting his winger over.

Gasnier presented no such danger in the middle of the field, but Hornby said the Dragons would persist with the gameplan which he admitted was a least "two or three weeks" away from bearing fruit.

"It's still early, we just didn't hold the ball for long enough and build enough pressure (against Canberra)," Hornby said.

"We think it can work for us. Time will tell, we'll keep working at it and we think we can get the best out of having Gaz get the ball in his hands a bit more ... we'd like to think two or three weeks we'd probably sort it out, we're probably looking at that sort of time frame.

"Obviously it's going to take a little bit of time."

With Gasnier dodging the media at a Dragons video session, it was left to his teammates to field questions about their skipper's future.

Prop Justin Poore denied the speculation had affected the team heading into the loss to the Raiders, which ended a run of seven straight wins for the red and whites.

"It's not talked about," Poore said of Gasnier's contract negotiations.

"We go in there and we train for the upcoming game. I don't think anyone really talks about it and say someone did, no-one cares anyway. We're focused on this year and next year's next year.

"Obviously he's a great player and he'd leave a massive hole and we're hoping he doesn't leave, but you play footy to set yourself up in life so you've got to go where the money is."

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