Veteran Wendell Sailor almost saved the game for the Dragons, yet the big winger said it was a case of too little, too late.

With only minutes remaining in the opening round NRL game against Melbourne, the 34-year-old wound back the clock with a 60-metre break and off-loaded the ball to tryline-bound team-mate Matt Cooper.

Jamie Soward's conversion locked up the scoreboard at 16-16, before a field goal by Storm star Greg Inglis in golden point extra-time sealed the win for the home side.

While happy to help push the match into the extra period, a critical Sailor said he felt he owed the team.

"I needed to do something because there were a couple of fundamental errors for me out there," Sailor said.

"I made a couple of errors I don't normally make ... I just couldn't get going in that first half and then I tried to make the big play.

"In the end it came off but I felt like I was still a bit in debt."

Sailor was unlucky not to score 11 minutes into the match when centre Chase Stanley failed to off-load a clean pass with the line beckoning.

But on the other side of the ledger he spilled a few high balls, put a grubber kick into touch on the third tackle and dropped the ball coming off a scrum late in the match.

"I'm being tough on myself but I think our forwards did a tremendous job and I think I could have done better.

"It was just the finishing touches missing."

Trying to cement a first grade jersey in his first full NRL season after a two-year drug suspension while playing rugby, Sailor said life was tougher under new St George Illawarra coach Wayne Bennett despite their long history.

Bennett coached Sailor for nine years at the Broncos and has always been a strong supporter of the winger.

"I think it's a bit tougher because Wayne expects so much of me," said Sailor, who played 37 rugby Tests for the Wallabies.

"At halftime he got dirty at me for running across field so much, he said, 'You're big and strong I want you to take them on a bit'.

"I'm always confident but for me I think it's about playing more matches at this level.

"The best thing for me was that I played round one and I know where I'm at and I know that I've got to consistently play well because there's a couple of boys putting pressure on me."

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