It has been a tumultuous season for Ryles, signing with French Super League club Les Catalans in between verbal spats with fans and carrying the Dragons finals chances largely on his back.

And after eight years of NRL football - 11 if you count his junior days with Steelers - Ryles bid a fond farewell to the Wollongong crowd at WIN Stadium.

Ryles, never far from the spotlight, went out in style too, as the Dragons thumped the Warriors 34-6 to keep their top-four hopes alive.

As St George Illawarra marches towards September action, Ryles said finally having his life in order off the field had allowed him to excel on it.

"I've sold the car, the jet ski, the lounge to Dan Hunt," he said.

"He got a bargain too, I'll give you the tip.

"Other than that I'm pretty much ready. I've just got my clothes and my girlfriend Alana and she's pretty much ready to go too, so I can just concentrate on footy now."

In Ryles' own words, he knows "if you're happy off the field, then it certainly helps you on the field".

And he must be a pretty contented man at the moment after playing a starring role in the Dragons' crucial victory.

His captain Mark Gasnier also understands the value of a settled life away from football.

The fiercely private Gasnier was the focus of weeks of attention over his playing future before he signed with glamour French rugby club Stade Francais, leaving the Dragons behind over a shortfall in third-party payments in his NRL contract.

"You've got to sort a fair bit of stuff out," he said.

"And that stuff is slowly getting sorted out now and all my attention and focus is on the Dragons.

"I would have loved one more at Kogarah but it's not to be.

"I'm happy it's out of the way and it's nice that all the focus is on the Dragons and I think it showed this weekend."

Gasnier put the finishing touches on a superb win with a stunning flick pass inside which allowed fullback Jason Nightingale to score the final try.