Weekend Read: The NRL stars the struggling St George Illawarra Dragons must target
In light of a playmaker crisis at the club, Dragons coach Shane Flanagan should be moving heaven and earth for an audience with Jarome Luai, writes BRENT READ.
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The poor old Dragons can’t take a trick. Injury at the Koori Knockout was bad, notably sidelining Tyrell Sloan in the lead-up to the most important pre-season of his young career.
Mind you, it was nothing compared to the sledgehammer blow that landed this week and threatens to have a ripple effect across the NRL as November 1 fast approaches.
The guilty verdict handed down to Junior Amone is likely to mean the Dragons attack the open market with even more gusto than expected.
They were already cashed up and ready to land some big blows. The prospect of Amone spending time in the big house – and potentially being sacked by the club – combined with the ongoing uncertainty around the future of Ben Hunt, means a playmaker must now become a priority for the Dragons.
It may be problematic for 2024 but big names loom in 2025 and the Dragons need to land at least one. No need to panic just yet. The good news is they have options, although they will need to open the purse strings.
If I am coach Shane Flanagan, I am moving heaven and earth to get an audience with Jarome Luai. Throw seven figures at him and somehow convince him the club has the sort of future he covets.
Say what you like about Luai, but he is a serial winner with three premiership rings and more looming on the horizon.
He is only 26 and while he may polarise, he knows how to get his side over the line. The Panthers’ winning percentage when he plays soars north of 80 per cent.
Statistics don’t always tell the whole story but it says something that the Panthers win 80 per cent of their games with Luai – an even better winning percentage than his superstar halves partner Nathan Cleary.
Luai isn’t worth a million dollars to everyone but his new management company Black Money have a genuine feel for the superstar market given they have negotiated deals for the likes of Latrell Mitchell and Jack Wighton.
They will have a fair idea of his worth and it is unlikely the Panthers can go that high – they are expected to tap out at $800,000 a season given they have other players they need to keep.
The Dragons need a spark and have funds at their disposal. They need to land a blow and if not Luai, then who? Sydney Roosters superstar Joey Manu is a logical target and his name has already been mooted.
Yet the Roosters don’t often lose players they want to keep and chair Nick Politis has made it clear Manu is going nowhere. The wildcard may be North Queensland half Tom Dearden, who has an offer on the table from the Cowboys but is yet to shake hands on a new deal.
Dearden has become an elite player in Townsville and is only 22. So much upside. As has Ezra Mam, who is yet to sign a new deal at the Brisbane Broncos and will be a priority target for a handful of clubs if the Broncos can’t tie him down in the next fortnight.
The left-field option for the Dragons is England where St Helens half Lewis Dodd continues to be linked with a move to the NRL along with Wigan half Harry Smith.
Smith was named in the England side for the upcoming Tests against Tonga while Dodd is understood to have been ruled out with injury. One or both could be on the move over the next 12 months.
The Dragons will be monitoring their futures closely as they assess all their options in a bid to reinvigorate the Red V. This is where Flanagan’s ability to sell the dream will be put to the test.
Flanagan has taken a short break in Western Australia before kicking off pre-season but he has kept his finger on the pulse, biding his time until he can make some big moves on November 1.
History suggests few work the market better. He didn’t always have the greatest resources at Cronulla but he managed to make the most of what he had and the Sharks became an attractive proposition to players looking for a change.
Flanagan turned them into a premiership contender. The Dragons are a different proposition. Some would suggest a more attractive one as well. They have the resources at their disposal. They have history on their side.
Flanagan, you would argue, has more to work with off the field at St George Illawarra. The challenge is to fix the product on the field. The coming weeks will be crucial. The shop window is about to open and the Dragons need to act quickly and decisively.
A big star would be handy.
*****
Australian boxing is flying at the moment. Tim Tszyu is leading the charge as he prepares to head to America and take on the cream of the sport. Big fights and big money await.
If things had gone to plan for heavyweight Justis Huni, he would be walking the same path. Instead, Huni is in Cancun trying to kickstart a career that was expected to take him to the pinnacle of the sport.
Huni is only 24 but he has always been in a hurry. He won the Australian title in his first professional fight and talked about taking the fast-track to a world title.
The past year has taught him the value of patience as injuries have slowed his rapid rise through the ranks. He still has time on his side as he looks to shake off the ring rust against the dangerous Andrew Tabiti in Mexico.
He also has access to some potential super-fights thanks to his partnership with promoter Eddie Hearn, one of the most powerful men in the sport through his promotions company, Matchroom.
Hearn’s stable includes former champion Anthony Joshua and English slugger Dillian Whyte. Joshua may be a bridge too far for Huni just yet but Whyte shapes as a realistic opponent should he dispose of Tabiti.
Huni is an unbelievable talent. His footwork and fast hands made him an amateur star and ensured he cruised through the early fights in his professional career. His victims included rugby league star, a fight that helped lift his profile on home soil but did nothing for him on the international landscape.
An impressive win over Tabiti next week will help on that front and move Huni within touching distance of the top 10 in the WBO, sending a reminder to the sport of his talents at a time when the heavyweight division is dominated by two men – unbeaten Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk and Britain’s Tyson Fury.
He needs to keep winning and keep climbing the rankings. Beat Tabiti and a trans-Tasman bout with WBO No. 6 Joseph Parker – a man who has been in the ring with some of the biggest names in the fighting game – shapes as a logical next step.
“Andrew Tabiti (20-1) has fought some of the best fighters from around the world and won,” Huni’s manager Mick Francis said.
“Justis is the fresh face of heavyweight boxing and at only 24 years old, he has a bright future in the sport.”
Only if he takes care of Tabiti.
Originally published as Weekend Read: The NRL stars the struggling St George Illawarra Dragons must target
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