Not all doom and gloom for new-look Dragons but 'harsh' criticism of halves is 'hard to argue' against

As the dust settles on Ben Hunt's return to the Brisbane Broncos, there are plenty of question marks over his former club heading into 2025.

St George Illawarra have already made some big changes and it's not even December.

Not only did Hunt leave a huge hole to fill at halfback, but he was also the Dragons captain for the past four seasons and their highest-profile player.

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The club has also seen Zac Lomax walk out the door, just as he finally started to fulfil his undeniable potential that Dragons fans and powerbrokers had been waiting on.

Between them, the star duo produced a large bulk of the points for the Red V this year.

Hunt laid on a competition-high 30 try assists, while Lomax finished with 14 tries and was among the NRL's top points scorers thanks to his work with the boot.

If you take two State of Origin players out of any squad - especially in key roles - it would be the expectation that that team would go backwards the following year.

But will that be the case for Shane Flanagan's men?

While the exits of Hunt and Lomax - as well as Jack Bird and Max Feagai - will be tough to replace, the Dragons have done a considerable job in strengthening their roster.

Clint Gutherson brings a wealth of leadership and experience to the fullback spot and will nurture young gun Tyrell Sloan, who is expected to move to the wing in 2025.

Damien Cook will also lift standards at the club on and off the field and the potential for him and hooker Jacob Liddle to create a one-two punch is an exciting prospect.

Filling the void left by Lomax will be one of the game's best outside backs in Valentine Holmes, who has been a mainstay at Origin level for more than half a decade.

The 29-year-old is still in the prime of his career and led the NRL for points this year, while his strike out wide gives the Dragons another X-factor weapon at their disposal.

It's a like-for-like replacement for Lomax and plenty would argue Holmes is an upgrade.

Those three signings are all astute ones by Flanagan, bringing points and experience into a balanced squad that already has plenty of size and power.

However, the clear elephant in the room is the halves pairing, which has already been described as 'the worst in the comp' according to 9News reporter Michael Chammas.

It might sound harsh on the surface, but it's hard to argue.

Kyle Flanagan was dropped and cut by two clubs prior to his arrival and despite the Saints moving up the ladder in his first season at the helm, he had little impact.

The five-eighth finished the 2024 season with four try assists while his running game and kicking game was borderline non-existent, forcing Hunt to carry the load.

Lachlan Ilias will wear the No.7 jumper next season after signing a two-year deal after Hunt's early exit, ending a stint at South Sydney that began with so much promise.

The 24-year-old may benefit from a fresh start and has shown glimpses of being a first grade calibre halfback, laying on 22 try assists in his first 50 appearances.

The issue is that neither Flanagan nor Ilias are great general-play kickers and don't pose any major running threat. In fact, defence is probably the best attribute for both players, which is never a great sign of a halfback or five-eighth's quality.

Waiting in the wings is young gun Lykhan King-Togia, who got a small taste of NRL at the end of this year and has plenty of upside, but isn't expected to start the season.

The 19-year-old could apply pressure should the campaign start with a few losses, but it remains to be seen whether coach Flanagan has what it takes to drop his own son.

On a more positive note, the forward pack at the Dragons is well-balanced.

Francis Molo and Jaydn Su'A bring size and aggression in the pack, while the likes of Jack de Belin and Toby Couchman are workhorse-type middles with big motors.

Some of the young crop of forwards coming through are among the best in the country, with back-rower Jacob Halangahu and prop Loko Jnr Pasifiki Tonga tipped for debuts.

Alongside the aforementioned Holmes and Gutherson, the back-five also packs plenty of punch with guys like Moses Suli and Christian Tuipolotu coming off career-best years.

It's not all doom and gloom right now for the Dragons and some could make a case that despite losing Hunt and Lomax, their squad is in a better position for next season.

And it's never a bad thing to have players in the squad who actually want to be there and have a point to prove - which is exactly the case for Gutherson, Cook and Ilias.

St George Illawarra will receive an early test against old rivals Canterbury in round one and all eyes will be on the new-look spine after Hunt's messy departure.

St George Illawarra Dragons best 17

1. Clint Gutherson 2. Tyrell Sloan 3. Valentine Holmes 4. Moses Suli 5. Christian Tuipolotu 6. Kyle Flanagan 7. Lachlan Ilias 8. Francis Moloe 9. Damien Cook 10. Toby Couchman 11. Luciano Leilua 12. Jaydn Su'A 13. Jack de Belin 14. Jacob Liddle 15. Hame Sele 16. Ryan Couchman 17. Raymond Faitala-Mariner