From friends to foes ... Colin Best and Mark Gasnier. Photo: Getty Images
A SHIMMY, a flick and over they went.
It was the passage of play that became synonymous with the Dragons in the mid 2000s. It was the reason many considered Mark Gasnier the best attacking centre in the game at the time.
When he got the ball the crowd rose as one, opposition coaches held their breath, and one man would follow his trail. That one man was Colin Best, Gasnier's right-hand man for two years in the red and white.
The rugby league journeyman built a reputation as a prolific tryscorer, scoring many of his 26 tries at the Dragons courtesy of Gasnier's brilliance. He was the forgotten hero of a lethal combination that guided St George Illawarra to consecutive preliminary finals in 2005 and 2006.
Now, almost four years since they last played together, Best and Gasnier will tomorrow night face off at Jubilee Oval as rivals. Despite playing with Gasnier in the past, Best said his task of shutting down the international centre wouldn't be easy.
''I've known 'Gaz' for a long time, and I probably know him better than most people,'' Best said. ''But he's still unpredictable. He's just a quality player, and I'll have my hands full trying to stop him.''