They might not win the competition, but Shane Flanagan’s St George Illawarra have shown steel to make their army of supporters in Las Vegas proud.

The Dragons were given little chance against Cameron Ciraldo’s highly fancied Canterbury in the round one headliner at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday.

The way they took their Sydney rivals to the wire in a golden-point thriller should provide them with plenty of heart once they recover from the heartbreak.

After losing a host of tight matches last season, another nail-biting defeat to begin the new campaign will sting.

However, a courageous performance from Flanagan’s men gave them plenty to take away from Las Vegas beyond a night or two out on the Strip and a week of memories.

On the back foot for much of the night, they were unyielding, frustrating Canterbury with dogged defence and staying alive with ad-lib attack on the occasions they were on the offensive.

The Dragons showed plenty of fight.Credit: AP

It was a display characteristic of Flanagan-coached teams at their best, compensating for their limitations with industry and intensity.

The task for the Dragons will be doing it consistently, but it was a promising start.

© The Sydney Morning Herald