Dean Young is building out his coaching staff for the 2027 season and is targeting someone familiar to join him at the St George Illawarra Dragons.

After the Red V finished this season at the bottom of the ladder, the club will undergo a massive roster shake-up.

While signing the likes of Scott Drinkwater, Keaon Koloamatangi, Luke Metcalf, Connor Watson, Phillip Sami and Kodi Nikorima in the top 30, The Daily Telegraph is also reporting that Nathan Fien, who played with Young at the Dragons, is being targeted by the current Dragons coach for the Red V staff.

Fien played in the 2010 premiership-winning Dragons side with Young under coach Wayne Bennett when they broke the Dragons' 31-year premiership drought.

The former Maroons and Kiwi representative came off the bench and scored a try in the 2010 decider against the Sydney Roosters.

Fien's work as an assistant coach at the Dolphins under Kristian Woolf has intrigued the Dragons, who want to add him to their team for the 2027 season.

The Dragons are also interested in reuniting Fien with Dragons' new recruit Kodi Nikorima, who just played his last season at the Dolphins.

The Dolphins signed Fien to their coaching staff ahead of the club's inaugural season under Wayne Bennett, but he has since helped create the NRL's best attacking side in 2025 and played a role in the club's run to their first finals campaign, finishing in the top four this season, including a win that secured a home preliminary final against the Sydney Roosters last week.

Young has a better roster as he approaches his first pre-season as the full-time Dragons coach, who will not only add six NRL players from other clubs with a lot of talent and experience, but also has a current crop of young players for the future, having extended Toby and Ryan Couchman, Dylan Egan, Jacob Halangahu, Loko Pasifiki Tonga, Hamish Stewart and Jacob Webster.

Stewart was a shock surprise at the Dally M ceremony on Wednesday, winning back-rower of the year alongside Manly's Hamuole Olakau'atu.

The Couchman brothers and Stewart also represented Australia in the Prime Minister's XIII match against Papua New Guinea on Saturday afternoon, where Australia won 60-10 in Port Moresby.