NRL 2024: Hame Sele’s return to St George Illawarra exposes glaring roster management issues

Hame Sele’s return to St George Illawarra after a five-year hiatus has exposed a long-term problem with the club’s roster management.

St George Illawarra forward Hame Sele. Picture: Courtesy St George Illawarra

When Hame Sele left the Dragons at the end of 2018, he never envisaged that he would put a St George Illawarra jersey on again.

In fact he did not know if he would put on any NRL jumper again. Thrown on the scrap heap after just 18 first-grade games, Sele’s career was at the crossroads. That was before he received a lifeline from the Panthers.

His five games at Penrith was enough to land him a contract at South Sydney where he played 49 games in four years, including 18 matches last season, mostly as a starting prop.

Now the 27-year-old Kingsgrove Colts product returns home with the hopes of leading a Red V revival at his junior club.

“I didn’t see myself coming back,” Sele said.

“It was always a dream to stay and play for that one club I grew up playing for through the juniors. I thought I would be a one-club player but it didn’t happen.

“My first year I played a lot of games but my second year I was struggling to get games under my belt. It was hard. They went with experienced players back then and I had to prove myself, but I wasn’t really given an opportunity.

“It was a hard time for me and my family. We had our first child when we were last here at the Dragons. Now I’m back with a whole squad myself.

“I feel like I have a lot to prove.”

Hame Sele is back at Dragons training. Picture: Supplied

Sele arrives as a father of three girls with another child on the way in January. He and partner Maria got engaged in Fiji in November, after Sele made his Test debut for Tonga in their series loss to England.

Sele was new coach Shane Flanagan’s first signing, agreeing a three-year deal last July.

“I sat down with him once and I liked what I heard,” Sele said. “With ‘Flanno’ and the new coaching staff, since I’ve been back, there has been a lot of positive change. I feel like we are heading in the right direction.”

Much has changed for Sele since he last played at the Dragons. Paul McGregor was in charge and only Jack de Belin, Blake Lawrie and Zac Lomax remain from the team.

Sele, too, joins what has become something of a rarity in recent seasons – a St George junior playing for the Dragons.

“It’s massive achievement and honour to be a St George junior,” Sele said.

“Growing up and watching the Dragons and coming through the system all I ever wanted to be was a Dragon.”

Now the task is to help rebuild the Dragons, who haven’t played finals football in five years and only narrowly avoided the wooden spoon last year.