NRL 2023: How Shane Flanagan is rebuilding the Dragons, Zac Lomax set for fullback switch

Dragons star Zac Lomax could be set for a shock position switch next season, as incoming coach Shane Flanagan prepares to face off against his future team.

Incoming Dragons coach Shane Falanagan could give Zac Lomax first crack at fullback in 2024.

Zac Lomax will be given next pre-season to develop as a fullback as incoming St George Illawarra coach Shane Flanagan continues his overhaul of the Red V roster.

A duel between Lomax and current No.1 Tyrell Sloan has emerged as Flanagan cuts a swathe through the Dragons’ salary cap and recruitment.

Current squad members Josh Kerr and Moses Mbye have already been released, freeing up significant salary cap space, while forwards Zane Musgrove and Jaiyden Hunt and halfback Jayden Sullivan have all been granted permission to negotiate with rival clubs.

Sullivan recently asked for a release from the final two seasons of his contract and is a frontrunner to join Wests Tigers next season after touring the club’s facilities on Thursday.

Newcastle have also expressed an interest in signing the 21-year-old half.

Zac Lomax could start the 2024 season at fullback, as Shane Flanagan continues his roster overhaul. Picture: NRL Imagery.

The Dragons won’t contribute to Sullivan’s $500,000 salary should he sign with a rival club next season.

The fast work to reconfigure the Dragons’ roster with the possible release of the aforementioned players has the potential to provide the club with close to $1 million in salary cap space to spend next year.

Such a financial windfall could also provide the Dragons with the option of saving their pennies in 2024 to make a major dent on the open market for 2025.

The Dragons are keeping a close watch on off-contract Bulldogs centre Paul Alamoti while they have also indicated to Broncos prop Payne Haas that they want to be part of any discussion that sees the star forward go to the open market on November 1.

The Dragons have already started to use a portion of their cap spend by signing South Sydney prop and Dragons local junior Hame Sele to a three-year deal.

St George Illawarra claimed the signature of Sele over the Rabbitohs and Bulldogs.

“We’re excited to bring a local St George junior back to the club, particularly one who is now an established and consistent starting NRL forward,” Dragons General Manager of Football Ben Haran said.

“Hame’s qualities as a player and a person will make him a welcome addition to our roster as we move forward as a club.”

Flanagan has close to $1m in salary cap space to spend for 2024 after releasing the likes of Josh Kerr and Moses Mbye. Picture: AAP.

Flanagan is also getting busy at the lower-end of the top-30 roster.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal the Dragons have fought off interest from the Melbourne Storm to re-sign promising young winger Sione Finau to a new two-year deal.

Finau originally joined the Dragons last season alongside brother Haele this year on a development deal from Melbourne. He has played 13 NSW Cup games, scoring six tries.

The likes of Billy Burns, Dan Russell and Connor Muhleisen will have an opportunity to impress for new contracts when they run out against Manly on Saturday night with Flanagan watching on from his vantage point as the Sea Eagles assistant coach.

Lomax has shown in the past month that he has tremendous upside in his game and an opportunity to duel with Sloan at fullback in the upcoming pre-season will be presented to the 23-year-old.

Lomax, who is on about $700,000 this year, signed his bumper six-year contract in 2019 with the hopes of becoming St George Illawarra’s long-term fullback.

It is understood that when the club re-signed Lomax, under former coach Paul McGregor, they did so with the belief that he would transition into the No.1 jersey.

Instead his appearances at fullback have been fleeting.

Of Lomax’s 89 first grade games, he has started just two at fullback. The last of those was in game one of the 2020 before he was replaced by Matt Dufty.

Sloan has had a mixed season with smatterings of incredible attacking highlights matched by a genuine need for development in defence and game-awareness.

Current Dragons fullback Tyrell Sloan has had a mixed season in 2023 and could battle Lomax for the No.1 jersey next year. Picture: Getty Images.

Another player Flanagan is eager to get more out of is former NSW State of Origin star Jack Bird.

Plagued by a stop-start year compounded by nagging knee injuries, Bird has had a poor season by his standards.

Flanagan, who shares a close relationship with Bird that dates back to their time together when winning the 2016 premiership at the Sharks, recently met with the 28-year-old.

Newly-appointed high performance consultant Andrew Gray was part of the meeting which was designed to map out a plan for Bird to start 2024 in the best physical condition of his career.

Bird was told that the positions of centre, backrow and lock were there for him to target should he meet the demands that have been set on him to regain his full fitness.

Another key addition to Flanagan‘s coaching staff is that of new strength and conditioning coach Nathan Spencer.

Spencer spent two years as the head of strength with the Orlando Magic in the NBA and also has experience of working at the NSW Institute of Sport.

Originally published as NRL 2023: How Shane Flanagan is rebuilding the Dragons, Zac Lomax set for fullback switch