Shane Flanagan's St George Illawarra Dragons rebuild is now two seasons old, but the coming years feel like the first time the Red V will realistically be able to push for improving results.
The Dragons actually went backwards in 2025, but that wasn't helped by the back-end of their season where they suffered an enormous injury toll.
But things are looking brighter heading into the future for the Dragons.
Daniel Atkinson arrives in 2026, and their talented crop of young forwards will be better for the run.
By 2027, it feels as if the Dragons should be on a collision course with the top eight, or maybe higher.
That said, there are still recruitment decisions to be made as Flanagan carefully constructs his squad moving forward. Ageing veterans may need to be replaced, the jury is still out on the halves, and the wings look a real issue.
Current St George Illawarra Dragons 2027 squad
Daniel Atkinson, Ryan Couchman, Toby Couchman, Dylan Egan, Kyle Flanagan, Clint Gutherson, Jacob Halangahu, Valentine Holmes, Josh Kerr, Lyhkan King-Togia, Jacob Liddle, Loko Pasifiki Tonga, Cyrus Stanley-Traill, Moses Suli, Nick Tsougranis
Off-contract at the end of 2026
Damien Cook, Mathew Feagai, Emre Guler, Lachlan Ilias, Blake Lawrie, Nathan Lawson, Luciano Leilua, Hame Sele, Tyrell Sloan, Christian Tuipulotu
Current best 17 for 2027
1. Clint Gutherson
2. No player signed.
3. Valentine Holmes
4. Moses Suli
5. No player signed.
6. Lyhkan King-Togia
7. Daniel Atkinson
8. Loko Pasiki Tonga
9. Jacob Liddle
10. Josh Kerr
11. Dylan Egan
12. Jacob Halangahu
13. Toby Couchman
Interchange
14. Kyle Flanagan
15. Ryan Couchman
16. Nick Tsougranis
17. Cyrus Stanley-Traill
As it stands, the Dragons have 13 players locked away for 2027, but absolutely zero first choice wingers.
Tyrell Sloan will likely depart at the end of 2026, Christian Tuipulotu probably won't be re-signed until he can prove his hamstrings will last more than a few games at a time, and the jury is still out on the likes of Mathew Feagai and Nathan Lawson.
Elsewhere, the club could be in the market for a new fullback. Clint Gutherson won the club's player of the year, but as he approaches the end of his career, fullback may not be his calling card.
The halves are still a question mark, and while there is an extremely talented crop of forwards on the way through, the Red V clearly need a forward pack leader, or maybe even two, to take them into the future.
One of the issues for the Dragons throughout 2025 for the Dragons was a lack of ability to win when it mattered, and a lot of that was down to the experience they did have in the forwards not having the agility to keep up with a game that is just getting faster and faster by the year.
That needs to be addressed in the coming recruitment window.
They will, in the meantime, be hoping to re-sign Jaydn Su'A, who has an option in his favour for 2027, but the rest of the off-contract list may well all be allowed to depart.
Option 1: Tino Fa'asuamaleaui (Gold Coast Titans)
As much as the Dragons need backline players to fill their side, we are going to start with the biggest name available - someone they simply must open the cheque book for.
The Titans star has confirmed he will hit the open market from November 1 before working out whether to take his player option on the Gold Coast.
He wants to win, and win now, and that's something that just looks unlikely on the glitter strip.
The Dragons may not be in a ‘win now' position, but by 2027, one would think they are going to start getting closer to it. In fact, one or two big name forwards and they might just be there.
Fa'asuamaleaui is not going to come cheap, but the Dragons have plenty of money to play with, and the Queensland Origin player could be the type of star they need to break their finals drought and become genuine contenders.
Whether he plays at lock or prop really doesn't matter. The job he will do, and the way he will help the young forwards coming through at the club, would be enormous.
