Wests Tigers fans could be forgiven for feeling a terrible sense of deja vu as for the second time this year St George Illawarra five-eighth Gareth Widdop was the difference as the 2010 premiers moved within striking distance of the top eight with a 28-12 win at ANZ Stadium.

Widdop produced one of the best first-half performances of the year, scoring two tries and setting up two others as the Dragons virtually put the game to bed with a 22-0 half-time lead.

On a winning team: Dragons signing Benji Marshall fends off a Wests Tigers tackle on the anniversary of his NRL debut. Credit:Getty Images

Interim coach Paul McGregor praised the work of Widdop, who had a hand in all of the team's five tries despite being one of several Dragons battling illness. “Gareth had one of his better games in the last month,’’ McGregor said. “It was coming, you could tell by his approach and some of the things we had talked about at training and how he attacked the game. If you said before the game you would win 28-12 you would be comfortable that.”

Widdop’s 40-minute masterclass started when he began a Dragons shift that sent Brett Morris down the sideline before the Origin flyer delivered a pinpoint kick for Widdop to score. It was then Widdop’s turn to do the kicking as he supplied the bomb for Morris, who tapped it back to Gerard Beale for the second try.