Former Cronulla head coach and current St George Illawarra recruitment boss Shane Flanagan looks set to attack his old side to secure a familiar catch.
According to reports from The Daily Telegraph, Flanagan currently holds an interest in bringing current Shark Briton Nikora across to the Dragons following the completion of his contract at Shark Park.
As it stands, the 24-year-old Kiwi remains under lock and key for the 2022 season, however, with no deal to remain in the Shire beyond this point, the second-rower could be coaxed to depart.
While Nikora is said to have expressed a desire to link up with his international coach, Michael Maguire, at Wests from 2023 onwards, Flanagan's ties to the Mount Maunganui product could well be enough to bind.
After playing school footy with the vaunted Keebra Park High on the Gold Coast, Nikora was brought to Cronulla by Flanagan during the Sharks' premiership year of 2016. And although it would take until 2019 to see first-grade action, the Māori All-Star has grown to become a solid contributor across the past three seasons.
Despite never playing under Flanagan directly during the 56-year-old's two stints as head steward of the Sharks, a working relationship between the pair has been struck.
Although 2022 could well be his last in black, white and blue, Cronulla remains keen to see Nikora ink an extension, but as stated by Phil Rothfield, they will only do so if the price is right.
Should Flanagan and the Dragons prove able to lure the four-time Kiwi international across from their greatest rivals, it could well come at the cost of losing Jack Bird, who has already baulked at the club's initial $500,000 per annum extension.
Bird's deal at Kogarah is set to expire at the completion of the 2022 NRL season.
