NRL: Issac Luke leaves Dragons to join Broncos

The Dragons’ season from hell just got worse after they agreed to release an international star after he’d played just three games for the club.

The Dragons are a club in disarray.

St George hooker Issac Luke will leave the club to join Brisbane as the Dragons’ miserable season gets worse.

The joint-venture club is the only team yet to win a game in 2020 as it fails to bounce back from a horror 2019 when it finished second-last.

First reported by the Sydney Morning Herald, the Dragons have granted Luke a release from his contract amid suggestions the Kiwi international was frustrated with a lack of opportunity.

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However, Luke took to social media and maintained the move was all about his family.

“I’m extremely huumbled to have been apart of the St George Illawarra Dragons during the preseason as well as playing a couple of games with them,” Luke wrote.

“With support from the club and their understanding they were happy to release me to take an opportunity in Brisbane where my family and I were going to live after footy finished.

“This has nothing to do with what has been going on here and I advise youse (sic) all to wake yoursleves up.

“I’m doing this for my family.

“My wife has followed me through my career and through all that we always said that we will finish in Brisbane.

“Brisbane Broncos gave us an opportunity to go home. And we are taking it. I can’t wait to rip in.”

Luke has played just 150 minutes of footy this year, stuck behind captain and first-choice hooker Cameron McInnes.

Issac Luke’s stay was short but not sweet.

The inexperienced Broncos will welcome the arrival of Luke, who has played more than 270 NRL games for Souths, the Warriors and Dragons. He may line up for the Queensland club as soon as next week.

Brisbane’s No. 9 stocks have been depleted after youngster Jake Turpin was injured following the defection of club stalwart Andrew McCullough to the Newcastle Knights.

Luke only arrived at the Dragons this season when he was offered a lifeline after being cut loose by the Warriors. But three games into his stint with the Red V and the 33-year-old was already looking for a way out.

It’s another grim blow for the Dragons, who during the week opted against sacking coach Paul McGregor when an emergency board meeting was called after a shocking 22-2 loss to the Bulldogs.

The Dragons are yet to score a try in the two games since the season restarted, going down 18-0 to the Warriors before being belted by Canterbury.

Reports have since emerged young guns Tristan Sailor — the son of former Bronco and Dragon Wendell Sailor — and Jason Saab are both looking to quit the club.

Manly centre Moses Suli also turned down a big-money offer of $2 million over three years from St George to remain at the Sea Eagles for far less money.

However, McGregor told The Daily Telegraph he wasn’t concerned about a player exodus.

“Issac came and saw me a couple of weeks ago about a few matters,” McGregor said. “Nothing to do with mine and his relationships. It’s about some other things. He asked for a release two weeks ago.

“The reason he came to the club was to support Cameron (McInnes) and Cameron was coming back from a broken leg. The whole thought process was to be the back-up to Cameron and play some interchange footy.”

The Dragons play the Sharks in a local derby on Sunday.