The Warriors are back into the top four, but have just three more games to work out if they are genuine premiership contender after escaping with a 14-10 win against the gutsy Dragons in Auckland.

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MATCH CENTRE: Warriors vs Dragons teams, scores, videos, updates

The Warriors led for less than seven minutes against a Dragons team who entered round 24 fighting for the finals future but merely fought to last the full 80 minutes after losing three players to concussion.

Adam Pompey bagged two second half tries in 10 minutes to salvage a crucial victory for the Warriors, who jumped back into the top four.

The Dragons produced their gutsiest performance of the season.

They lost forwards duo Hamish Stewart and Jack de Belin in the 14th minute after a sickening head clash, before Hame Sele joined them in the sheds with a category 1 concussion in the 29th minute.

Shane Flanagan opted against activating his 18th man – winger Tyrell Sloan – until the 67th minute, leaving the remaining forwards with a mountain of work and more minutes than any would have planned for.

Damien Cook made a staggering 61 tackles, David Klemer made 36 and ran for 151 metres, and Jacob Liddle also made 35 tackles among the monstrous efforts across the pack.

Fullback Clint Gutherson moved to lock to accommodate Sloan, who ran into space and had a chance to steal a win – or, at least, force extra time – but he opted to pass, in a play which later petered out.

DRAGONS CARNAGE

Jack de Belin’s 250th NRL game didn’t quite go the way he planned.

He and Stewart attempted a tackle on Warriors prop James Fisher-Harris, who slipped by just a moment too fast for the Dragons duo.

Their heads collided, as Stewart copped a cut along the hairline and de Belin crashed backwards to the turf.

“What a disaster for the Dragons given the positive opening they’ve had to this game,” said Warren Smith on Fox League.

The Dragons led 4-0 at the time of the incident, after they scored first through Mathew Feagai.

It got worse for the Dragons in the 29th minute after replacement forward Hame Sele was also knocked out.

Sele, who entered the game in place of Stewart, went low to tackle Dallin Watene-Zelezniak but caught the Warriors winger’s hip.

Warriors players rushed to Sele and called for help, who eventually walked from the field, but will also play no further part in the game.

MISSING METCALF

Tanah Boyd has done a job but the Warriors are clearly missing Luke Metcalf.

They’ve gone on a 3-3 run since the June 28 loss to the Broncos, the game in which Metcalf suffered his season-ending ACL rupture.

For a team in the top four, the wins have been far from convincing against those (Knights, Dragons) they should be handle a bit better.

They’ve got a soft run home against teams outside the top eight, which will give Andrew Webster’s men plenty of time to iron out the issues.

RUN HOME

Warriors: Titans (A), Eels (H), Sea Eagles (A)

Dragons: Rabbitohs (A), Sea Eagles (H) Panthers (H)

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TEAMS

Warriors: 1. Taine Tuaupiki 2. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak 3. Adam Pompey 4. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 5. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck 6. Chanel Harris-Tavita 7. Tanah Boyd 8. James Fisher-Harris 9. Wayde Egan 10. Jackson Ford 11. Leka Halasima 12. Marata Niukore

13. Erin Clark 14. Samuel Healey 15. Eddie Ieremia-Toeava 16. Demitric Vaimauga 17. Tanner Stowers-Smith. 18th man: 18. Freddy Lussick

Dragons team: 1. Clinton Gutherson 22. Christian Tuipulotu 3. Hayden Buchanan 4. Mathew Feagai 5. Corey Allan 6. Lyhkan King-Togia 7. Kyle Flanagan 8. Emre Guler 9. Damien Cook 10. David Klemmer 11. Luciano Leilua 12. Hamish Stewart 13. Jack De Belin 14. Jacob Liddle 15. Jacon Halangahu 16. Hame Sele 17. Loko Pasifiki Tonga. 18th man: 2. Tyrell Sloan