Dragons poach recruitment guru Daniel Anderson from Sydney Roosters

St George Illawarra CEO Tim Watsford has overseen the biggest signings of his young Dragons career as he looks to revive the struggling Red V.

St George Illawarra has had a mixed season on the field but has taken a giant stride ­towards stability off it by confirming the arrival of recruitment guru Daniel Anderson and the retention of chair Andrew Lancaster for a further three years.

Anderson, recognised as one of the best talent scouts in the game, started with the Dragons on Monday as he works towards providing coach Shane Flanagan with the ammunition to take the club back to the ­finals.

The decision to retain Lancaster as chair may be more significant. The WIN chief executive, who is also a board member of the Nine Network, was due to finish his three-year term at the end of the season.

Under the terms of the agreement between owners WIN and St George, the chair role is meant to rotate to a St George representative. In a sign of unity, the owners have agreed to retain Lancaster for another three years.

Daniel Anderson joined the Dragons on Monday. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

For a club that has often been accused of being fractured along ownership lines, it shapes as a seminal decision.

At the same time, it is a smart decision given Lancaster’s rising stature in the game.

Lancaster, who this masthead recently crowned the 13th most influential figure in rugby league, has the ear of the code’s heavy hitters and significant clout at the top end of town.

In a further sign of his growing influence, he was recently appointed to a committee put together by head office to review the salary cap and his partnership with new chief executive Tim Watsford ensures the Dragons have the right people in place to succeed off the field.

Anderson is now poised to play an influential role in whether that success off the field can be matched on it. He and Watsford will work in lock step with Flanagan as they look to revive the Red V.

Dragons chair Andrew Lancaster. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers

Their first port of call will be to find a playmaker capable of turning the side into contenders. Watsford last month confirmed the club was in the market for an elite half to work with some of the talent emerging through the club’s pathways program.

Anderson could prove pivotal on that front given the role he played at the Roosters in securing some of the most talented young playmakers in the game.

The Roosters have a slew of gifted halves coming through their system and the plan will no doubt be to do the same at the Dragons.

They will have to be smart given the Dragons will be operating in a market which threatens to be skewed by the imminent arrival of the Perth Bears and Papua New Guinea.

Originally published as Dragons poach recruitment guru Daniel Anderson from Sydney Roosters