The shadow of doubt that has hung over Wests Tigers lifted on Sunday as the team many had expected to push NRL premiers St George Illawarra the hardest in 2011 finally began delivering.

Buoyed by the news delivered on Friday that coach Tim Sheens had rejected a big money offer to head to Penrith in 2012, the Tigers released the shackles at Canberra Stadium, the Raiders helpless to weather the onslaught of a 49-12 rout.

While the win only lifted the Tigers to seventh on the ladder, the swagger was back with the likes of Benji Marshall and Robbie Farah - their kicking game dumbfounding the hosts with Farah's chip and chase to set up Marshall's four-pointer a case in point.

"Lucky for myself it came off - last week I tried one and I got bagged for it but I guess that's the way we play - we live and die by the sword, we back ourselves as players," Farah said.

"Sometimes it comes off and sometimes it doesn't - today it came off.

"It was an important game for us going into the bye and coming off two pretty poor performances.

"We could have really slipped away there, 3-5 we would have been if we lost today but we're back in it now at 4-4 and a decent for and against, we're back in the positive.

"We've given ourselves a chance now."

As for the drama surrounding Sheens, Farah said it was good to have the distraction out of the way.

"It's good to see that he stuck with us - like he said we've got some unfinished business at the Tigers and he wanted to be around to win a premiership in the next couple of years so that's the goal now.

"... we've got some good stability now for the next three years with our coaching staff and with our playing group - it's up to us now to turn that into some success."

Just one win would do the Raiders at the moment, with the glory of last year's brilliant run to the finals a distant memory.

"That adds to the disappointment and the frustration of everybody," Tongue said.

"The playing group had huge expectations but the season's not lost."

And while the Tigers may have given a hint that they were back in premiership reckoning, it's hardly likely to bother the Dragons who cruised to the top of the NRL ladder with a 30-0 thumping of Parramatta at WIN Jubilee Oval on Sunday.

But coach Wayne Bennett was wary of the impact the upcoming representative season would have on his side, with ten players to play in the Test and City-Country game on Friday night.

"If you'd said to us we'd be seven and one after eight weeks with what we had in front of us ... we're really pleased with that," Bennett said.

"It's been a bit of a driving factor in the club, to make sure we're well positioned now so if in the next two months the players are tired and worn out, we can get through that without being under too much pressure and come out the other side with another eight weeks to go in the comp and still be well positioned."

The Warriors remain outside the top eight on percentages despite beating Penrith 26-18 at Mt Smart Stadium on Sunday, while Newcastle's dip out of the eight could get worse with the Knights still unsure how long skipper Kurt Gidley will be out with a subluxed shoulder.

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