Halfback Scott Prince is excited to be linking with new Gold Coast No.6 Luke Capewell while coach John Cartwright can't wait for Preston Campbell to ignite his new super-sub role against NRL titleholders St George Illawarra at Skilled Park on Saturday night.

Cartwright was feeling good on Friday with the evergreen Campbell bouncing around like a rookie rather than a 33-year-old veteran two games shy of his 250th NRL appearance.

"I'm excited about it (Campbell off the bench) but he's more excited which is the most important thing," said Cartwright after the team's final training hit-out on Friday morning.

"Everyone can tell when Preston's in the groove, he has an extra spring in his step and he's the last to leave training.

"Look at him, he's still out there now trying to kick goals from halfway.

"When he's buzzing around, it rubs off on everyone."

Dragons playmaker Ben Hornby said alarm bells would sound when Campbell entered the game.

"It's one of those things, he's going to be very dangerous and fresh when he comes on so it's something we're going to have to be wary of to make sure he has a limited impact," said Hornby.

The Dragons, who are coming off a premiership-world club challenge double, have been the benchmark for the past two seasons under coach Wayne Bennett, who has helped the players believe in themselves more.

"It does a lot for your belief and your trust in each other but at the end of the day you've still got to go out there and perform and work hard for each other otherwise the belief is not going to come into it," said Hornby.

Cartwright dismissed suggestions the Dragons would lack fire after losing enforcers Jeremy Smith and Neville Costigan.

"They've got their core together, (Darius) Boyd, (Ben) Hornby (Jamie) Soward and (Nathan) Fien, that hasn't changed and they've got some good go-forward with (Michael) Weyman along with probably as good a back-row as anyone in the comp," he said.

"I wouldn't think they've lost too much."

Prince, meanwhile, has no complaints about Capewell winning the key No.6 job, although he cautioned it would take a little while before they combined fluently.

"He's very classy on his feet and very quick off the mark as well," said Prince.

"I thought he played really well through our trial games and the coaching staff obviously thought he did enough to get the five-eighth position.

"I'm happy for him to be in the No.6."

Prince said the Dragons were the NRL measuring stick because they'd been the most consistent team for the past seasons.

"They're not the premiers and world club champions for nothing," he said.

"They do the simple things well and they make you work hard for a win.

"What better way for us to start 2011 than up against the world champs."

Shellharbour junior Matt Cooper, one of the toughest centres in the game, celebrates his 200th game for the Dragons in what will be a special night, 11 years after making his debut for against Cronulla in round one of 2000.

"I'm pretty proud of the figure," said Cooper, who burst through the 100-try barrier late last season.

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