“In the market”: Dragons CEO reveals club not sold on halves

St George Illawarra Dragons CEO Tim Watsford has confirmed the club are still in the market for a halfback.

The Dragons attack has come under ferocious pressure from fans and the media throughout the course of the season, with coach Shane Flanagan under increasing pressure to axe son and halfback Kyle Flanagan to reserve grade.

To this stage though, Flanagan has survived, with other players around him, including original halves partner Lachlan Ilias, being axed instead.

Ilias' axing has resulted in a remarkable run of form for the club's NSW Cup side who sit at the pointy end of the ladder, but neither the former Rabbitoh or Jonah Glover, who ironically signed with South Sydney for next year this week, have been able to break into first grade.

The Dragons have already signed Cronulla Sharks utility Daniel Atkinson from the start of 2026, and all the talk out of the joint-venture has been that he will play halfback, potentially in partnership with Lyhkan King-Togia at five-eighth, but Watsford, speaking to The Dragons Den Podcast, revealed the club are still in the market for a marquee halfback.

“Kyle was brought in as a 14 or utility to play a role. At the time, we had two halves in Benny Hunt and Junior Amone in and around the club," Watsford told the podcast.

“That was where the club was heading. At the end of last year, we signed Daniel Atkinson from the Sharks and he will come in and play half in 2026.

“Kyle is there fulfilling a role for 2025 and fulfilling it well. We're in the market and we'll be in the market for a marquee halfback — fact.

“I think there's a real misconception out there that Kyle in particular has been put into a role to be that elite halfback.

“He is performing a role and doing it really, really well.”

The Dragons will be unlikely to add any reinforcements for 2026 given there are few top tier players still left off-contract, but should have money available to attack the free market from November 1, when players off-contract at the end of 2026 become available.

The issue for the Red V is that, while money will exist, they have regularly had to pay what is considered 'overs' for decent players to join given their lack of success dating back to 2011 when former head coach Wayne Bennett left the club.

The joint-venture have played just three finals series since then, and it's become painstakingly obvious that issues run deeper than the on-field product.

Add that to the fact the Perth Bears join the competition for 2027 with a blank chequebook, and the joint-venture will face an uphill battle to secure talent, with leading names like Jahrome Hughes and Luke Metcalf currently due to be off-contract.