The St George Illawarra Dragons are reportedly set to lose star young forward Corey Ackers.
Part of the Dragons' crop of talented young forwards, Ackers is joined by the likes of Loko Pasifiki Tonga, Hamish Stewart, Finau Latu and Dylan Egan as the next crop of players to form the future of the joint-venture.
Shane Flanagan has indicated there will be a refresh of the forward pack in 2025 with a number of those players likely to debut, but Ackers may not be one of them.
News Corp are reporting that Ackers was due to be on an NRL development deal this year, but after an injury over the off-season, the Dragons approached the young forward in an attempt to change his contract status to a NSWRL pathways deal.
That could ultimately see Ackers look for a way out of the joint-venture altogether, although it's unclear at this stage whether any other clubs will make a play for the 19-year-old, who played in the Dragons SG Ball premiership team in 2024.
Injury then cut the second half of his season short as he looked to progress beyond the under-19 level.
The Arncliffe Scots, Brighton Seagulls and Kingsgrove Colts junior brings plenty to the table, with his running and ball-playing game noted in the middle third in the field as key attributes.
Ackers did train with the NRL squad in the lead up to the 2024 season and is doing so again in 2025, with the forward expected to play in either the Jersey Flegg or NSW Cup competitions, regardless of what deal he is on for 2025 should he remain with the Dragons.
While he has been highly rated by coaches, it's also clear he has been jumped in the pecking order at the Red V by other youngsters around him.
It has been rumoured that Pasifiki Tonga in particular could debut early in the season amid a shortage of middle forwards for the Dragons. The giant forward played for the NSW under-19 team in the junior State of Origin series last year.
While coach Flanagan said the club have ten players capable of playing in the middle just last week, there are enough rookies that depth is an issue for the joint-venture who have a single spot left in their Top 30 for 2025.
Given the recent release request for Francis Molo, the form woes of Blake Lawrie and the slow progression of Michael Molo, there are real concerns around the engine room for the Dragons heading into 2025, with the Dragons set to open their campaign at home against the Canterbury Bulldogs.
