Last big weakness holding back the NRL’s ‘sleeping giant’

St George Illawarra’s decision to appoint Dean Young as permanent head coach was seen as the cherry on top of a stellar recruitment drive.

But if the Dragons are to not only get back to playing finals football, but also stay there, plenty of other crucial decisions and signings need to be made soon.

Young this week signed a two-year deal with the Red V, with reports of a club option for a third season should things progress as hoped.

It’s a call that took months to formalise, even if most within the NRL had a sense that the club legend was going to be the full-time leader.

Despite only winning two games since Young took over, there have been evident on-field improvements from the Dragons, competing in plenty of games against sides well above them on the ladder including the Warriors and Knights.

The biggest sign of improvement has come in the forwards, where Young has put his faith in the young crop and pushed them to become established starters.

It was only a few months ago under Shane Flanagan’s guidance that towering prop Loko Pasifiki Tonga was seeking a release from the joint venture.

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But since Young took the reins and put his trust in the 21-year-old, he has repaid the faith by cementing himself in a starting front-row role.

Hamish Stewart, Dylan Egan and the Couchman twins, Toby and Ryan, have also locked down starting positions and are going from strength-to-strength.

As it stands, both the Couchmans and Pasifiki Tonga are unsigned beyond next season, which would make them available to rival clubs from November 1 - but it would be ridiculous if Dragons officials let it get close to that point.

Teenage prodigy Jacob Halangahu is also off-contract at the end of 2027 and will need a fresh contract as soon as possible to keep him in red and white.

Add in Keaon Koloamatangi on a five-year deal with that group of five young forwards and Young has a top-line pack at his disposal.

Assuming the right moves are made and the Dragons’ recruitment and retention team, led by Daniel Anderson, can get the outstanding youngsters to commit long-term, that shores up the engine room to be a sustained finals level.

St George Illawarra have also made some quality signings in the spine, adding Luke Metcalf to play halfback and Scott Drinkwater to wear the No.1 jersey.

Both players add speed and creativity - something the Saints have lacked for quite some time - while Jacob Liddle boasts the same and will step into the full-time hooker position when Damien Cook departs the club at the end of 2026.

Daniel Atkinson and Kade Reed are both signed until 2028 and are set to compete for the other playmaking spot alongside Metcalf.

With a gun forward pack and clear improvements arriving for the spine, the most glaring issue for Young and the recruitment team to solve is out wide.

Phillip Sami is an astute pick-up on the wing and knows how to get over the line, while Valentine Holmes has been rocks and diamonds since arriving but has a year to run on his contract and can still provide value on his day.

Setu Tu has had some good moments in his rookie season but isn’t the finished product, while Mat Feagai, Tyrell Sloan and Christian Tuipulotu are all leaving.

Young has internal options at his disposal at wing and centre with the likes of David Fale, Hayden Buchanan and Nick Tsougranis largely untested at NRL level - but there’s a clear need to add some quality strike for 2027 and beyond.

Looking at the free agents available for next year is slim pickings, with Murray Taulagi and Will Penisini the only names that really jump off the page.

Looking further ahead, players such as Deine Mariner, Xavier Savage, Jojo Fifita, Bradman Best, Paul Alamoti and Ali Leiataua could be available and would all be the exact type of player the Dragons need to add X-factor in the backline.

Herbie Farnworth is also unsigned beyond next season and could test the open market in November, but would command the type of money the Dragons might not be able to fork out with some big names already coming into the fold.

As far as rebuilds go, St George Illawarra have taken some incredible steps already and should be a genuine finals contender next season.

But with a few more tweaks and additions, Young could be on the verge of helping turn a sleeping giant with a huge junior nursery back into a premiership force.

Dragons best team for 2027

1. Scott Drinkwater 2. Phillip Sami 3. Valentine Holmes 4. David Fale 5. Setu Tu 6. Daniel Atkinson 7. Luke Metcalf 8. Keaon Koloamatangi 9. Jacob Liddle 10. Toby Couchman 11. Hamish Stewart 12. Dylan Egan 13. Ryan Couchman 14. Connor Watson 15. Loko Pasifiki Tonga 16. Jacob Halangahu 17. Josh Kerr 18. Clinton Gutherson 19. Nick Tsougranis