The St George Illawarra enter 2026 with expectations rising among fans, pundits and club personnel alike.
After finishing 15th in 2025, the Dragons put together a season that, while low on ladder position, was high on effort and close contests.
The Red V fought in game after game, with around a dozen matches decided by six points or less. They competed hard against some of the competition's best, grinding out big wins over teams such as Penrith and the Melbourne Storm, showing resilience that many hadn't seen from this joint venture for a long time.
Shane Flanagan arrived as head coach in 2024 after a premiership-winning tenure with the Cronulla Sharks. The belief at the club is that Flanagan's experience, tactical nous and eye for talent can rebuild the Dragons into a long-term competitive force. He has been given control of recruitment, development pathways and playing culture, and has blooded a series of young players from the 2024 SG Ball premiership winning side that demolished the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in the grand final.
Some of that young talent has already transitioned into 1st grade, and several of those players will take natural progression into 2026. The Dragons lost a few players to the Bulldogs after that SG Ball premiership, but most of the core that brought success at that level remain at the club and are pushing for NRL football already.
Despite the optimism, there are still question marks around key positions. There is genuine curiosity and pressure around whether Daniel Atkinson, a recruit from the Sharks, can solve the halfback problem at the club. There are lingering fan discussions and media noise over Kyle Flanagan's position in the halves, with some supporters referencing past nepotism claims and calling for clearer direction in the spine.
The joint venture's traditional fanbase in both Kogarah and Wollongong is passionate and vocal, and expectations are that this club should be much more competitive than their 2025 ladder position suggests.
The Dragons begin their 2026 campaign in Las Vegas against the Bulldogs, a match that could be treated almost like a grand final for both sides. For the Bulldogs it's a homecoming on the world stage, and for the Dragons it is an opportunity to beat a rival early, build confidence and set a tone for the season.
What the St George Illawarra showed in 2025 was that they could hang with strong opposition and compete across 80 minutes. What they need to improve is turning those close contests into consistent wins, finding stability in key spine positions, and converting gritty effort into football outcomes that matter on the ladder.
For that to happen, there are at least five players who will need to raise their performance in 2026. The Dragons' finals hopes, the security of the coaching staff, and the belief taking hold among supporters will hinge on those improvements.
3. Moses Suli
Why his role is so important
Moses Suli is one of the most physically imposing centres in the NRL, and when he is on, he gives the Dragons something very few clubs can replicate. His size, power and ability to bend the line instantly changes the way opposition edges defend. Teams cannot afford to sit soft on him, and when he gets early ball, he forces defenders to compress, which creates space for his winger and his back rower.
In a Dragons side still building stability in the halves and still developing its younger outside backs, Suli's role becomes even more important. He is one of the few players in their backline who can generate momentum without perfect ball. He can turn an average shift into a winning shift simply by winning contact and dragging defenders into him.
With the Dragons trying to become a finals contender again, they need Suli to be more than just a highlights player. They need him to be a consistent week to week weapon who sets the tone physically, and who brings reliability to an edge that will be under constant pressure.
What needs to improve
Suli's biggest issue has never been talent. It has always been consistency. He can look unstoppable in one match and then go quiet in the next, not necessarily because he is playing poorly, but because his involvement drops.
In 2025 there were signs of improvement in his all-round game. His try tally was surprisingly low, only scoring one try for the season, but his try assists actually improved, which suggests he was doing a better job of drawing defenders and putting players around him into space. His running metres were also stronger, showing he was taking more yardage carries and doing more of the hard work.
Defensively, his tackle efficiency sat around the 93 percent mark, which is solid, but the bigger issue is not always what shows up in the tackle stats. Centres can have decent tackle efficiency and still be guilty of the most damaging defensive error of all, the misread.
A defensive misread rarely shows up on a stat sheet if the attacker goes straight through a gap untouched. There is no missed tackle recorded if the defender never gets a hand on them. That is where Suli has to tighten up. His decision making, his patience, and his trust in the inside and outside defenders must improve.
He also needs to lift his defensive workload slightly. Even if some teams avoid running directly at him because of his contact, the Dragons still need him to be more active in shutting down shifts, jamming correctly, and communicating on his edge.
Why his improvement matters
The Dragons already know what they get from Moses Suli when he is at his best. They have seen him dominate games, bend the line, and physically overwhelm opposition centres.
But for St George Illawarra to climb into the finals conversation, they need that version of Suli far more often. They cannot afford a season where he plays brilliant footy in patches and then fades for long stretches.
If Suli brings consistent effort, stays involved, and sharpens his defensive decision making, the Dragons suddenly have a genuine elite centre pairing threat, and a backline that can trouble any team in the competition.
With a third pre-season under Shane Flanagan, improved cohesion around him, and better stability coming into the spine, this is the year where Suli has no excuses left. If he takes that next step, it will go a long way toward turning the Dragons from brave battlers into a genuine finals threat in 2026.
