St George Illawarra Dragons forward Loko Pasifiki Tonga has revealed head coach Dean Young was the reason he re-signed with the club.
Pasifiki Tonga has had a rollercoaster of a 2026 season.
He kicked it off outside of the NRL side, constantly being overlooked by former coach Shane Flanagan, who was axed at the end of Round 8.
In the lead-up to that decision made, Pasifki Tonga, rated a likely future Origin player and one of the brightest prospects in the sport, set alarm bells ringing by requesting a release at the Red V over a lack of opportunities.
He was manouvered onto the bench in Flanagan's final weeks, and has had a majorly increased role under Young, who has now been made the permanent head coach of the club on a two-year deal, with an option to extend that time into 2029.
The prop's manager, speaking to Channel Nine, revealed Young was the reason he re-signed, and went as far as to say that Pasifiki Tonga likely wouldn't look to change clubs while Young is there, with his contract for now locked in to the end of 2029.
"For Loko, (the decision to re-sign) was about who was coaching the club,” he said.
“Dean is getting the best out of Loko as a front-rower. Loko trusted that Dean would bring the players in to that great forward pack so that the club can improve.
“His goal is to work hard and keep that starting position. He will do his job.
“He loves the club, he wants to be there and he wants the club to be successful. He is very happy to be part of the Dragons' rejuvenation that seems to be occurring down there for 2027 and beyond.”
Young has already been credited by incoming fullback Scott Drinkwater, who he worked with at the North Queensland Cowboys as a major benefit to the club, while the Dragons have also re-signed both of the Couchman brothers and Jacob Halangahu since re-signing Young.
It's a major tick to the club's football department who took the risk of employing Young fulltime after he took over from Shane Flanagan on an interim basis, with other candidates in the mix.
The 21-year-old, who was born in Auckland, has ticked every box in his recent starting efforts, with the last eight games seeing only one effort under 40 minutes, while he has made more than 100 metres in all bar three of those games, and is also tackling at a very impressive 97 per cent.
Pasifiki Tonga is viewed as a future forward pack leader, although the Dragons now have six young guns re-signed, with Tonga joined by the aforementioned trio of the Couchman brothers and Halangahu, as well as the duo of Hamish Stewart and Dylan Egan, who are all locked in until at least the end of 2028.
