‘No doubt’: Slater’s bold call as Dragons fans left scratching their heads
Updated . First published
Billy Slater is adamant Tyrell Sloan will be back in the NRL “before we know it” after the Dragons star played his final game on Sunday afternoon.
Sloan was the hero in his side’s final-round clash with Parramatta, nailing a match-winning 44-metre field goal at WIN Stadium, giving long-suffering fans something to cheer about after a historic wooden spoon season.
Tyrell Sloan celebrates the field goal. Getty Images
Sloan, who had never kicked a field goal before in his NRL career, was a surprise option to take the shot with Valentine Holmes off injured.
The 24-year-old Dapto Canaries product lined it up, hit it sweetly and watched it sail over the crossbar as the Wollongong fans erupted in celebration.
“I have never seen anything like that,” a stunned Kevin Walters said on Fox League commentary as replays showed Sloan’s two-pointer.
It ended up being the final moment of Sloan’s time at the Dragons before he heads over to the Super League, joining the Castleford Tigers for 2027.
The speedster admitted a few weeks ago during an interview with Nine that he never wanted to join the English club and had hoped to stay in the Red V.
After his heroics against the Eels, many fans will be asking why the Dragons let him go and didn’t extend his contract for another year – and they aren’t alone.
Speaking on Nine’s The Billy Slater Podcast, the former Storm fullback was quizzed on Sloan’s impending exit and whether he would be back on Australian shores.
“Just head west, go to the Bears,” Slater said with a smile.
“He will be back in the NRL before we know it, I’ve got no doubt about that.
“We’ve seen him do some special things. I didn’t know he had a 40-metre field goal in him. He’s actually had a pretty good season, he’s been shuffled around a bit.
“He’s a quality player and I hope he goes over there, gets a bit of confidence and finds another spot in the NRL.
“The game is better for having guys like Tyrell Sloan in the NRL.”
Sloan was a clear standout in the back-half of a horror campaign for St George Illawarra, playing a role in their four victories.
He scored a brilliant first-half try in the 24-22 win over Parramatta and said post-game that he had been practicing his final Dragons moment at training.
Tyrell Sloan is a Dragon through and through. Getty Images
“It’s the best – at home, the hill’s packed, it’s the best,” Sloan told Fox post-game.
“I do it at training all the time and we muck around, but I thought ‘you know what, last game, let’s give it a crack’ and it paid off.
“It’s just a great feeling to come home with a win, this is what it’s all about.”
Dean Young admitted the practice from Sloan at training paid off.
“He annoys me at training, because when we’re going from drill to drill, if there’s a loose ball on the ground he just picks it up and does long-range field goals all the time,” the Dragons coach told media after the win.
“It annoys me, but obviously practice pays off – he kicked it when it counted.”
Sunday’s game doubled as a farewell for a handful of Sloan’s teammates as well, with captain Damien Cook and front-rower Blake Lawrie among those leaving.
Damien Cook had some familiar faces at his farewell. Getty Images
Lawrie scored a rare try in his Dragons swansong, before he was sent to the sin bin for a shoulder charge on Dylan Walker.
Cook had some of his former Rabbitohs teammates, Cody Walker and Jai Arrow, watching on as he finished up a stellar NRL career.
The veteran hooker will join Sloan at Castleford next season after playing more than 260 first grade games and making 17 State of Origin appearances.
