NRL 2023: St George Illawarra Dragons season preview
After St. George Illawarra missed a chance to reach the finals last season, 2023 stands at a formidable crossroads.
The club have given no indication of head coach Anthony Griffin’s future beyond this year, while the looming legal battle with young Wilden Junior Amone will only have a negative impact on the squad.
While there is still plenty of talent in the Red V roster, particularly in defence, their recruitment has been average at best and their forward pack will still struggle against the top teams.
The sports news a preview of the Dragons season below – including their best 17, the key to their success and the predicted end for 2023.
DRAGON TOP 30 SQUAD | DRAGONS OFF CONTRACT LIST | DRAGONS ROUND 1 PREDICTED TEAM
BEST 17th
| POSITION | PLAYER |
|---|---|
| 1 | Tyrell Sloan |
| 2 | Mat Feagai |
| 3 | Moses Suli |
| 4 | Zac Lomax |
| 5 | Mikaele Ravalawa |
| 6 | Jayden Sullivan |
| 7 | Ben Hunt |
| 8th | BlakeLawrie |
| 9 | Jacob Lidl |
| 10 | Franz Molo |
| 11 | Jaydn Su’A |
| 12 | jack bird |
| 13 | Jack de Belin |
| 14 | Moses Mbye |
| 15 | Zane Musgrove |
| 16 | Ben Murdoch-Masila |
| 17 | Tyrell Fuimaono |
SQUAD CHANGES
WIN:
Ben Murdoch-Masila, Jacob Liddle, Zane Musgrove, Nick Tui-Loso
LOSSES:
Tariq Sims, George Burgess, Andrew McCullough, Jackson Ford, Jack Gosiewski, Josh McGuire, Poasa Faamausili
DEPTH RATING
It’s no secret that St George Illawarra lack good centre-forwards. The club’s pack has been a major issue for many years, with front row rotation having been among the worst in the competition in recent years.
Anthony Griffin has done very little to improve the situation as the additions of Ben Murdoch-Masila and Zane Musgrove are unlikely to give fans much hope considering they were fringe players in the bottom four clubs in 2022.
Aside from frontline props Blake Lawrie and Francis Molo, the rest of the front row rotation is worrisome. Aaron Woods has left his best footy far behind, Josh Kerr is struggling to consolidate his position, Michael Molo and Jaiyden Hunt are very inexperienced, while untested players like Josh Coric and Nick Tui-Loso may be pushed to a point where they aren’t quite ready for.
The situation in the second row is a bit better, with the likes of Jack Bird and Jaydn Su’A likely to fill the roles, but there’s not much quality behind it.
The only positive for the Dragons is their back line, particularly wide open, with some talented youngsters complimenting established players like Moses Suli and Mikaele Ravalawa, while Ben Hunt will steer the ship at centre-back.
Mat Feagai had a breakthrough last year, Zac Lomax has all the skills in the world but just needs to clean the errors and penalties from his game, while the likes of Max Feagai and Sione Finau will be pushing hard from below.
STRENGTHS: External back
WEAKNESSES: Forward
RATING: 4/10
Overall, this Dragons roster looks pretty shaky. Their rotation in the front row is a major problem and they lack much of the desired penetration through the middle of the field that all top clubs possess.
Capable of scoring a lot, the St. George backline is tasked with making lots of yards given their weak forward package.
THE KEY
Outside of the obvious in Ben Hunt, the other man with a massive job to do this year is the enforcer Franz Molo.
Signed as a good-money QLD Origin player, the front rower didn’t have a great first season at the Red V, spending time on the touchlines in 2022 due to injuries and suspensions. It didn’t help that there was some clear confusion over Molo’s role, which was pushed in and out of the starting position by Anthony Griffin throughout the year.
Molo is an aggressive player who can turn the momentum of a game with a single carry or tackle, but he lacked consistency last year averaging just 92 yards per game.
If the Dragons have a chance to play finals football and gain a foothold in the middle of the park, Molo needs to be among their best players week in and week out.
BEGINNERS WATCH
Half of the newly recruited brothers in the Red V, Haele Finau comes to the club with plenty of potential and ambitions for the top grade.
Finau, a talented and clever hooker, has signed a development deal for the season but has already signed for the club’s top 30 for 2024 and could potentially make the leap sooner if he impresses in pre-season.
The 22-year-old has played 25 Queensland Cup games and progressed through the grades in the hugely successful Storm system but will join the Dragons in hopes of securing an NRL berth.
“Haele manipulates the ruck really well. He’s pretty explosive out of the dummy half. He sees the game really well. I think he’s going to be one of those players who can manage the game from the whore position,” said his manager Michael Cincotta The Daily Telegraph.
“At the under-20 level, he also played as a halfback for Melbourne. He is an exciting candidate because he can also cross the border.”
After Andrew McCullough’s retirement in the off-season and Jacob Liddle’s insecurity as a longtime hooker, Finau has a lot to prove and is a player St George Illawarra fans should look forward to.
His younger brother Sione has also signed a development deal and is a full-back with many assets.
DANGER TIME
Rounds 11-15: Cowboys [A]roosters [H]dolphins [A]Panthers [A]Rabbits [H]
St George Illawarra have started the season on relatively good terms with some easier games and a bye to start the year.
But it will be mid-campaign that could determine or nullify the Dragons’ Finals chances as a difficult five-week stretch leads to their midseason departure.
Beginning with a tough away game against the Cowboys in Round 11, the team will be forced to hit back against the coveted Roosters at the Kogarah Oval the following week.
An away trip to Redcliffe to take on the Dolphins might serve as some respite, but it will be short-lived before a trip to Penrith to take on the incumbent Premiers. Looking to end their dangerous spell, St George meets old rivals South Sydney at home.
That time will be a key indicator of where the Red V are this year – if they manage to walk away with two or three wins from those five games, it could set them up well going home.
PREDICTED END: 12
With the aforementioned issues regarding the club’s forward pack and the ongoing drama surrounding Junior Amone, this is shaping up to be a tough season for the Dragons.
While they should have enough talent across the park to escape the bottom four, things could change very quickly if a key player like Ben Hunt gets injured.
Anthony Griffin is also fighting for his career and the first six weeks of the competition will be crucial – not only for the coach and his future, but also for the small finals hopes of the Dragons.