Dragons turn to cut-price rookie

Adam Clune is aiming to become St George Illawarra’s cut-price saviour after being named to make his first grade debut.

Albion Park junior Adam Clune will make his debut for the Dragons on Monday. Picture: Robb Cox, NRL Photos

Adam Clune is aiming to become St George Illawarra’s cut-price saviour. On a base-level NRL contract worth $75,000, the little-known playmaker will make his first-grade debut for under-pressure Dragons coach Paul McGregor against Canterbury on Monday.

Clune, who turns 25 on the day of his debut, will partner $1m man Ben Hunt in the halves with Corey Norman shifting from five-eighth to fullback. Matt Dufty has been axed from the No 1 jumper and is out of the team.

Experienced duo Trent Merrin and Isaac Luke have also both been added to the team after being overlooked from the Dragons side that was embarrassed 18-0 nil against the Warriors last weekend.

The winless Bulldogs have got five-eighth Kieran Foran back from injury to partner Lachlan Lewis in Dean Pay’s struggling team.

McGregor’s raft of team changes comes as he attempts to elevate the Dragons from 14th on the NRL ladder and amid intense criticism from angry fans and bemused commentators who have questioned the club’s leadership and direction.

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But it’s the selection of Clune that indicates McGregor understands he’s running out of time.

Hunt and Norman were recruited specifically to pair as the Dragons halves following the departure of former captain Gareth Widdop last year.

But now, that hugely expensive plan has been aborted and it’s Clune, who works part-time for the RLPA and has completed a finance degree at university, that is the beneficiary. At 25, Clune becomes the club’s second-oldest half to make his NRL debut for St George Illawarra since Darren Nicholls in 2018.

A member of the Dragons’ 2014 and 2015 NYC squads, Clune has failed to give up on his NRL dream despite watching many of his junior representative teammates Dufty, Jacob Host, Luciano Leilua, Jackson Hastings and Hame Sele forge their way into the NRL.

An Albion Park junior, Clune is a clever ball-player with genuine pace and it’s with that skill-set that allowed him to deliver 54 try assists in 54 Canterbury Cup appearances and was deservedly crowned Canterbury Cup Halfback of the Year last year.

He recently earned a contract extension with the Red V that saw him upgraded into the club’s Top 30 squad and on the minimum wage.

In a recent interview with the NRL, Clune said his 2020 dream was to play first grade for the Dragons this season.

“The last few years I have been part-time and combined footy with work and uni, which is great because I have been able to keep my mind busy, but to be able to just focus on footy and make that my priority is a great opportunity,” Clune said. “My focus is to get fitter, faster, stronger and improve each day.”

The Daily Telegraph