2023 Preview: St George Illawarra Dragons

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Buckle up Saints fans, I think 2023 is going to be another wild ride for the joint venture as they try to get themselves back into finals footy.

Let's face it, 2022 was another terrible season for the Dragons. They finished tenth which was a flattering position, and I am unsure if the prospects for 2023 look much brighter besides Ben Hunt putting the team on his back.

Anthony Griffin's big recruits for the new campaign have been Jacob Liddle from Wests Tigers and bringing back Ben Murdoch-Masila from his time in the Super League. One to watch will be Nick Lui-Toso who joins them from the Queensland Cup.

Dragons will get to have their feet up for Round 1 with receiving the bye (thank you Dolphins) so it will be two points without any work! The first six weeks after that for the Dragons features two games against the Titans, as well as clashes with the Broncos and Dolphins alongside the derby v Cronulla, and a trip to the capital which could see them pile up some competition points.

Otherwise, it might be another bitter winter for the Dragons as a team which prides itself on being one of the bigger clubs continues to struggle to remain relevant and avoid becoming another number in the 17-team NRL.

It has been an inglorious start to the campaign already with a few incidents and the standing down of five-eighth Talatau Amone which has heaped more pressure on Anthony Griffin, and a worryingly poor showing in the pre-season against St Helens and South Sydney. The experienced coach was under some scrutiny to end 2022 and that won't get any easier if 2023 is another bust.

Why they'll win it?

Because they are the best clearly? Oh you were serious! Well, if there is a few salary cap related scandals which get them to eighth, anything can happen.

If I have to be serious, it would have to be on the back of Ben Hunt. The star playmaker makes the team tick and he will need to get every drop of sweat and blood out of this middling squad.

Why they won't?

The team is a few rungs below being a side that is competing for the Premiership.

The Dragons have meandered since their win in 2010, only a pair of finals wins to their name, lurched from coach to coach sprinkled in a few scandals and they are irrelevant.

Anthony Griffin has continued his exhuming of the mid 2010s Broncos team alongside recruits from last year's spooners... which is a bold strategy cotton.

Key Players

We will get the easy name out of the way first. Benjamin Hunt Esq.

He re-signed for two more years with the joint venture and once again will be pendulum for how their season will swing.

The other big questions for the Dragons headed into the season are two of the other spine positions in fullback and five-eighth. Tyrell Sloan had a shattering outing in the Charity Shield which won't inspire much confidence in the fan base with Cody Ramsay out for the season (we hope he gets better soon!)

Looking at five-eighth, Jayden Sullivan should get first crack at the position. The youngster has shown in his brief appearances that he brings a spark to the side. If he is allowed to just use his running game combined with Hunt's kicking, it might surprise some teams.

One other aspect I would like to highlight is hooker. Jacob Liddle has come across from Tiger town and will be the starting dummy half for the side. If Liddle can give the Dragons good service from hooker, it might help the forward pack get on top and hopefully lead to a few more wins.

Rookie Watch

Some of the Dragons youngsters got a run out in the battle of the Saints a few weeks ago which will be valuable experience against the English champions. I don't think we will see a lot of new blood tossed into the side unless the Dragons are way out of the race in the final few rounds.

The editor has said I need to give a name though and I will plump for Treigh Stewart, who played some fullback and showed his guile with a slicing run which produced a four-pointer.

2023 Dragons squad

Player movement

Gains: Jacob Liddle, Zane Musgrove (Wests Tigers), Ben Murdoch-Masila (Warriors), Nick Lui-Toso (Northern Pride)

Losses: Daniel Alvaro (Toulouse, during 2022), Tariq Sims (Melbourne), Josh McGuire (Warrington), Jackson Ford (Warriors), Jack Gosiewski (North Queensland), Poasa Faamausili (Dolphins), George Burgess, Andrew McCullough (retired)

Predicted Best 17

1. Tyrell Sloan
2. Mat Feagai
3. Moses Suli
4. Zac Lomax
5. Mikaele Ravalawa
6. Jayden Sullivan
7. Ben Hunt
8. Blake Lawrie
9. Jacob Liddle
10. Francis Molo
11. Jack Bird
12. Jaydn Su'A
13. Jack de Belin

14. Moses Mbye
15. Michael Molo
16. Zane Musgrove
17. Ben Murdoch-Masila

2023 Dragons fixtures

Some statistics thanks to RLP.