Things, they'll tell you, are never quite as good or as bad as they seem. For better or worse, the annual Charity Shield clash is a little different.

After a near-decade long run of outs in the most watched, analysed and picked apart trial game on the calendar, 'it's only a trial' has taken on any number of meanings for the Dragons.

Rarely has it been used to temper the type of optimism that will follow their 16-10 victory over the Rabbitohs in front of 9257 fans at Glen Willow Oval Mudgee on Saturday night.

Trial or not, it was an important drought to break. One more loss in the annual fixture and the Dragons were closing in on the second-most famous 11-game steak in the club's history.

In the end, there was plenty to like about the performance, one that saw Anthony Griffin's side run in four tries to two despite a rough 0/4 night off the kicking tee.

All four-pointers were well orchestrated with skipper Ben Hunt pulling the strings and Tyrell Sloan working a wing-fullback tag-team with Cody Ramsey that we will likely see come round one.

Talatau Amone also looked more dangerous at five-eighth as the match wore on and can do nothing more to claim the No. 6 jumper against the Warriors in a fortnight's time.

Up front, it was hard to find a poor performance, particularly in an opening 40 minutes that saw the Dragons make just two errors and dominate possession and field position.

Coach Anthony Griffin would have been particularly pleased with a second-half defensive effort that kept the Rabbitohs scoreless. It also drew praise from Hunt post-game.

"It was the defensive effort of our forward pack, they were excellent," Hunt told Fox Sports.

"The guys that started worked really well and the guys that came off the bench backed it up. I think that's what got us the win. We scored enough tries but I think it was defence that won it for us.

"It something we've worked really hard on in the off-season and I thought it was great tonight. Souths are a really good attacking side, they've got Cody out there and Cooky (Damien Cook) at dummy-half and I think we handled them reasonably well.

"I think it's been about 10 years [since we won]. This is my fifth one and we finally got a win so it's pretty good for the club and we're really excited about it."

It was indeed just a trial, but it was no doubt a relief for Griffin just weeks after the club took up the option on his contract to take it to the end of 2023.

He'll know, perhaps better than anyone, that it means little, certainly less than any Charity Shield result. Still, the first hooks for Hook would've been out had his side been poor on Saturday.

The stakes weren't nearly so high for counterpart Jason Demetriou.

Just as defending premiers Penrith's 36-0 pasting at the hands of the Eels earlier on Saturday won't see them tumble down the markets in premiership betting, the Rabbitohs shouldn't fall too far in estimations.

Demetiou left the Ferrari in the garage in sitting out Latrell Mitchell despite his trial eligibility - instead giving Blake Taafe his best prep for the beginning of the season in the absence of his suspended trump card.

Taafe took that opportunity, while Cody Walker scored a try and laid on another and rookie half Lachlan Ilias also showed positive glimpses, notching a 20-40 that led to the Rabbitohs first try and standing up to fair battering from the Dragons big men.

Ramsey opened the scoring five minutes in, producing a spectacular aerial finish after being put into space by a long-ball from Sloan.

Lomax's attempt at the extras was waved away, but the Dragons extended their lead next set when Ramsey provided the final pass for Jack Bird's four-pointer to complete a short-side raid.

Lomax continued a rough start off the tee, pushing his attempt from an almost identical blade of grass wide to keep the score at 8-0 after nine minutes.

With the Rabbitohs under the pump, things spun on Ilias' 20-40 that took everyone, perhaps even himself, by surprise.

The Bunnies converted with their first four-pointer to Jaxon Paulo off a short tip-on from Walker. Taafe made no mistake from the sideline, nailing the conversion to cut the margin back to two after 17 minutes.

Sloan put the ensuing restart out on the full but the Dragons weren't made to pay after Keaon Koloamatangi spilled the ball untouched.

Sloan remained in the action, snaffling a cross-field kick from Hunt and racing upfield. Tom Burgess was binned in the ensuing scramble, with Mikaele Ravalawa crossing three rucks later off a pin-point flick pass from Lomax.

Lomax couldn't break his duck off the tee, his attempt at the extras again waved away.

Jaidyn Hunt joined Burgess in the sin-bin for a late shot on Campbell Graham five minutes before the break. The Rabbitohs took advantage through Walker, who forced his way over from dummy-half.

Taafe was unable to level the scores, pushing his conversion to the left and leaving the Dragons with a slender two-point lead at the interval.

The Dragons pushed further ahead eight minutes into the second stanza, with Mat Feagai on the end of a shift that followed an incisive run from Amone.

With Lomax getting an early shower, Sloan stepped up to goal-kicking duties with no greater success, keeping the Rabbitohs within six points.

It was a bridge too far, with the Dragons tackling their way to the breakthrough win.

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