Having finally stepped out of the shadow cast by Adam Reynolds, Lachlan Ilias must now follow in the footsteps of Ben Hunt.
It’s not quite the league equivalent of batting after Bradman, but Ilias will once again be measured against the playmaker who preceded him. Wearing the No.7 jersey at any club brings more than its fair share of scrutiny, but few halfbacks have had the spotlight on them so early in their NRL career.
Ilias is the latest and perhaps most important recruit St George Illawarra have made in their roster overhaul. While much has been made of the additions of Clint Gutherson, Damien Cook and Valentine Holmes, it will be Ilias’ job to steer his team around the park in a bid to return to finals football.
The move was made possible after returning Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett reiterated the club’s previous stance: that Ilias was not going to be the first-choice halfback. When the Dragons signed the Greek international to a two-year deal, it ended a period of purgatory that began when he suffered a horrendous broken leg playing NSW Cup in April, followed by news that he was surplus to requirements for next season.
From the moment Reynolds decided to shift to Brisbane at the end of 2021, debate has raged over whether the Pride of the League should have done more to retain him.
That decision put undue pressure on Ilias, particularly when the team’s performances tailed off after their preliminary finals finish in 2022.
Dragons recruit Lachlan Ilias.Credit: Credit: Dragons
The decision to replace Hunt, another veteran departing a proud Sydney club starving for success, will bring the sort of scrutiny Ilias felt at Redfern. However, the 24-year-old felt at ease with his lot when speaking at the Robert Stone Memorial Dragons Golf Day at Beverly Park Golf Club.
“I haven’t really thought about it too much to be honest,” Ilias said of taking over from Hunt. “I just think of this as a fresh start. I am happy to be here, I really want to lead the boys around. We have a really good group of boys here. I’m just excited to work hard with them and win a lot of games.”
It’s been four years since Reynolds left for Brisbane and the Rabbitohs have yet to settle on his long-term replacement. It’s a task that could fall to English recruit Lewis Dodd, who will soon experience the kind of scrutiny Ilias felt during his time in the cardinal and myrtle.
“I think anyone can think what they want,” Ilias said. “I obviously got thrown in, but someone had to get thrown in. I just took it as a challenge.
Lachlan Ilias (above) has emerged out of the shadow of Adam Reynolds.Credit: Getty Images
“I think I’m more experienced, and I am ready for that responsibility now. So I’m not saying I wasn’t then, but I’m more so now. I’m really looking forward to it and I think this is the right club to do it at.”
A former teammate knows what Ilias is going through. When Hunt’s departure was formalised, fellow Rabbitohs recruit Damien Cook implored Dragons coach Shane Flanagan to sign Ilias. Cook witnessed not only Ilias’ talent, but also his ability to handle the constant comparisons to Reynolds.
“External pressure may have looked like that because Adam Reynolds is a quality player and with what he has done in the game too,” Cook said.
“But Lachie is a completely different player to Adam. I felt like he was quite hard done by, especially last year. I’m excited he’s got his fresh start and looking forward to him playing the best footy we know he can.”
Ilias is still on restricted duties as he recovers from his leg injury, but will soon commence full training and be ready to partner halves partner Kyle Flanagan at the start of the season. It will be a chance to add Ilias’ 53 first-grade games and make an early impression on his former club; the Dragons play the Rabbitohs in the pre-season Charity Shield, and then again in Wollongong in round two. Not that Ilias feels animosity towards the Rabbitohs.
“Shane gave me the opportunity to come and play halfback here,” he said. “Wayne was nice and honest and said I wasn’t getting first crack at Souths. I appreciated him being honest. I told [manager] Braith [Anasta] from the start I wanted to play halfback somewhere, and Shane was really good about it.”