Leice-St(er) George Illawarra Dragons?

Honestly, who can say they had the Dragons sitting atop the NRL ladder come the completion of round six?

Most, myself included, saw the Dragons as likely to miss the finals, possibly struggling to post five wins across the majority of the season, let alone across the first month and a half.

Paul McGregor’s men are unrecognisable compared to the attacking rabble that collectively formed the club’s 2016 squad. To refer to a professional sporting side as "rabble" may seem harsh, but the reality is, across 24 NRL games they managed to score just 341 points last season.

Only two sides, the Knights, who won one game in the season, and the heavily penalised Eels, scored fewer points than those wearing the famed Red V.

In stark contrast, the Dragons have led the way in terms of points scoring thus far in 2017. They have posted 163 points, one more than Premiership favourites the Raiders. Their points differential of +81 is more than double than that of defending premiers, the Sharks (+36) and 34 points better than the aforementioned Raiders.

Although it is still early in the season, the Dragons red-hot start to the season has many wondering if they are set to continue the incredible run of sporting upsets over the past year-or-so.

Over the past three seasons in the NRL we have seen two sides (The Cowboys and then the Sharks) capture their first NRL Premierships, while South Sydney ended a 43-year premiership drought. A Dragons victory in early October may even top the past three seasons.

South of the border, in the other code, the Western Bulldogs ended the longest-running (then current) premiership drought in Australian professional sport of 62 years.

In 2016 the previously hapless Sydney Thunder won the Big Bash title. Although an eight-team competition in its infancy hardly rivals the competition on show in the larger footballing codes, the Thunder won more games in their title-winning season than in the history of the club prior to 2015/16.

The Cavs ended 52 years of sporting pain in Cleveland by lifting the NBA trophy last season. The Cubs 2016 World Series win saw them win their first title in 108 years.

In the EPL, Leicester City, a side who has bounced around the divisions of English football for as long as I can remember, completed the most unlikely of title wins when they bested mega power clubs Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea, and lifted the 2015/16 title.

Those who don't support the round-ball game in England won't understand the magnitude of the win. To put it into some sort of perspective, the Knights winning last year's NRL Premiership would be about a tenth as big a shock. It just shouldn't have happened. I still can't believe it did. No one can.

Who says the Dragons can't continue the trend of fairy-tale title wins?

For the record, the Storm, Sharks, Raiders, Broncos and Cowboys are still the teams I expect a winner to come from this season, while the Panthers are the wildcards, but the Dragons simply could not have done more to put forward their own case in 2017.

Gareth Widdop is a completely different player in 2017 after being allowed to focus on his own role. I am loathed to point fingers at individual players, but his halves partnership in 2016 with Benji Marshall was a huge burden to the club.

Neither looked anything like the players they once were, which was sad to see, as both had major roles in their sides having lifted the Provan-Summons trophy, and represented their national sides on the biggest stages.

Off contract at the end of the season, Widdop was at long odds to be offered a new deal, especially with Broncos halfback Ben Hunt signing to wear red and white in 2018 and beyond. Now, it would be almost impossible for the Dragons brass to let their star half go. The Tigers are reportedly interested in his services, and I bet they are not the only rival side.

Paul Vaughan has been the signing of the season across the opening six rounds. He is now odds on to be called into the NSW Origin side if he can continue this vein of form, this after being relegated to a bit-part player in the nation's capital.

Cameron McInnes is arguably the second best signing of the season after making his way slightly south from Redfern. He was pushed out of the Bunnies side at the tail end of the 2016 season and really needed a fresh start. He should be in serious Origin contention now if Laurie Daley decides to pick on current form rather than 2011/12 form.

Josh Dugan, although out currently with injury, has turned back the clock and looks set to land himself a new deal. He looks free of stress after spending 2016 projecting the look of someone playing with the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Euan Aitken has become a real attacking threat. He has four tries in six games. In 2017 he scored eight in 24.

Jack de Belin has emerged as one of the form forwards, scoring tries, popping incredible offloads, and rattling the biggest and best of his opposition. His 2016 was hardly horrible, but he was more a "super coach player" than an NRL star. He too should be in Origin contention.

Tyson Frizell has continued his rapid rise, and should his injury prove to not be a long-term one, he is a certain starter at rep level.

It's incredible to think that the Dragons would have three Origin near-certainties (Dugan, Frizell and Vaughan) as well as two outsiders in de Belin and McInnes as we head into the Origin selection period.

As to what has changed over such a short time? Only those within the Dragons inner sanctum will know for sure, but as fans have proclaimed; "Who cares? Just enjoy it!"

It's with a huge degree of hyperbole and sarcasm that Dragons fans are proclaiming to be planning their Grand Final plans, but given the incredible results across the sporting landscape, combined with their equally incredible start to the season, I dare anyone to write them off.