Christian Tuipulotu won't rule out reprising his iconic money try celebration if St George Illawarra start winning more games, but understands Shane Flanagan's decision to ban it for the time being.
Coach Flanagan advised Tuipulotu to redirect his energy to his teammates rather than the crowd after the winger raised eyebrows with his enthusiastic celebrations during losses in the opening two rounds.
The Dragons were trailing Canterbury 28-10 in round one when Tuipulotu first celebrated a try by making "cash" gestures to the crowd, having been inspired by soccer highlights reels on YouTube.
But the money gestures were nowhere to be seen when Tuipulotu scored in last week's loss to Parramatta, following a man-to-man chat with Flanagan.
"My main focus now is just on the team,' Tuipulotu told AAP.
"I don't want to be a distraction to the team through my celebrations.
"I respect what Flanno was saying. I want the boys to lift off what I'm giving them. I want to win, I don't really care about celebrations if we're losing."
By the same token, Tuipulotu says there's a chance he'll celebrate again if the Dragons start hitting form.
The Saints have lost three of their first four games to begin the new year, two of those by a field goal, but enter Friday's clash with Gold Coast as favourites.
"I'll celebrate when the time is right but I want to get the win first. That's the most important thing," he said.
"I'm not really focused on celebrations as of now. I'll celebrate here and there but my main focus is towards getting the win."
On an individual level, Tuipulotu has had plenty to celebrate across the first five rounds.
He has scored five tries in four games and is averaging 182 run metres per game - more than in any previous season of his career.
The Dragons rewarded Tuipulotu for his form on Thursday with a one-year contract extension that ties him to the club through 2026.
Tuipulotu credited his good form to moving down to Wollongong full-time and house-sharing with teammate Moses Suli, whom he dubbed "the loudest person in the world".
"He's been the best for me, he's pointed me in the right direction for my career," Tuipulotu said.
"When I first came I was still trying to find my feet but he helped me get a head start. I owe a lot to him for starting my career at the Dragons."
Suli and Tuipulotu, formerly teammates at Manly, have been holding each other accountable to begin the season, especially when it comes to eating right.
"We've cut out snacks and fast food for the last couple of weeks, it's kind of helped us. It's all about consistency for me and 'Suls'," he said.
"After games, the cravings are high as. We just look out for each other. We've got a bigger goal in mind, there's more stuff we want to reach. (Junk food) is the kind of stuff we've got to sacrifice."
