[Source: NRL]

A Tyrell Sloan hat-trick led the Dragons to a statement 28-4 win over the Titans at Cbus Super Stadium on Saturday night.

In Shane Flanagan’s first game at the helm, St George Illawarra launched a new era in style, running in four tries in the second stanza to seal the first-up win over a Gold Coast side down on troops and confidence.

With new halves pairing Ben Hunt and Kyle Flanagan steering the ship, Tyrell Sloan had a day out in the No. 1 jersey while Zac Lomax’s shift to the wing looked to pay dividends with the athletic outside back running 228 metres off 24 runs.

Less than three minutes into the contest the Dragons opened the scoreboard with Sloan touching down under the uprights thanks to some nice second phase play from new recruit Raymond Faitala-Mariner.

But both sides would trade errors and sets over the next 30 minutes before Kieran Foran fill-in Tom Weaver put a grubber in for Alofiana Khan-Pereira in the corner, reducing the deficit 6-4 at the break.

An error by Brian Kelly early in the second half invited the Dragons into the red zone and Flanagan showed some sharp footwork to dart his way over from close range.

Come the 54th minute and Jacob Liddle handed the Dragons another opportunity to extend the lead, jumping out of dummy half before finding Sloan who crossed for a double. Lomax kicked to make it 18-4.

The visitors all but put the game to bed in the 63rd minute when Lomax finished a Hunt grubber in the corner before Sloan then capped a sensational season opener with a hat-trick.