2024 review: St George Illawarra Dragons

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Overpromise, or underdeliver? Justin Davies assesses how the Dragons' 2024 campaign unfolded in their first season under Shane Flanagan.

It was another case of so close yet so far for St George Illawarra Dragons who were inches from finals football but ended up in a disappointing 11th place. 

Shane Flanagan is still molding the Dragons squad under his own image but we did glimpses of that in 2024 with some impressive wins spliced with heavy defeats that left fans shaking their heads and wondering why they even started watching rugby league. 

They started with an opening win against the Titans before they were more up and down than a rollercoaster at Luna Park. Nothing shows that more than having two wins against Tigers and Warriors before being humbled on ANZAC Day against the Sydney Roosters. 

One thing Dragons fans will take from the campaign will be their first win in Melbourne since 1999 and Wollongong remaining a fortress for the side. Things are judged by finals football so the Dragons have taken a small step but need another leap to get into the top eight. 

There are questions headed into next season with Ben Hunt again in the spotlight, there are still holes in the backline and their pack needs work before climbing the ladder. They have found some good young talent which might help in that regard in 2025. 

Turning Point

One of the turning points for the club was their origin period win against Penrith Panthers which gave them belief for a finals berth. Also, their drought breaking win against Melbourne Storm might be the true highlight of the season. 

Otherwise, Dragons turning point was their late season fade which ultimately saw them miss the finals despite being in the top eight for much of the season. They finished the season with three straight losses that ended up making it another lost season for the joint venture. 

What Worked?

Dragons were gritty in moments and when they turned up, the team functioned well and were able to repel teams from their line. Dragons also enjoyed beating up on lower sides beating Tigers and Titans twice. 

It looked like the majority of the squad had bought into Shane Flanagan's ideas and it gave their fans hope of a return to the finals for the first time in over five years. Flanagan will hope get a similar buy in next season and improve again. 

What Didn't Work?

When things went wrong for the Saints, it went horribly wrong. Two heavy losses to the Roosters, a blanking against the Dolphins back in Round 2 and losing both local derbies against the Sharks highlight the fact. 

Once again, attack was a struggle for the joint venture club. Their point difference was terrible across the whole season and was one of the factors which cruelled their finals chances. The halves duo of Ben Hunt and Kyle Flanagan rarely worked and has let to questions over the former's future at the club. 

Ultimately, inconsistency was the problem for the Dragons. They only won back-to-back games twice in 2024. Nothing highlights that more than the 44-40 loss to Parramatta which saw them concede points for fun then produce a late fightback to earn a respectable loss (well not according to Shane Flanagan) that ended their finals chances. 

2024 week-by-week

Best Players

Despite his initial reluctance and signing for Parramatta Eels, Zac Lomax had a fantastic season scoring 14 tries and kicking 63 goals. His form led him to making the New South Wales side and fantastic series with his high flying ability another highlight for him. 

Up front, Jaydn Su'A stood out for the Dragons. His charging runs which bent the line helped put the Dragons on the front foot and he also found the stripe nine times and was named the side's Player of the Season. 

Some honourable mentions go to Christian Tuipulotu in the centres whose strength was evident in his work from yardage and close to the line. Jack De Belin was tireless like usual in the pack alongside Raymond Faitala Mariner. 

Rookies

The Dragons had a few rookies make their debut in 2024 including half Lyhkan King-Togia who made sporadic appearances off the bench while Alec Tuitavake and Villiame Fifita who came over from the Sea Eagles also saw time early in the season. Savelio Tamale made a debut in the final round against Canberra who ironically he will be playing for in 2025. 

The south coast area is always a hotbed for rugby league talent so the Dragons will hope to bring through some more talent in the coming years. 

2024 player record

Season snapshot

Coach: Shane Flanagan
Captains: Ben Hunt (22), Jack De Belin (2)

Biggest home crowd: 40,727 (vs. Sydney in round 8)
Average home crowd: 15,036

Top pointscorer: Zac Lomax (202)
Top tryscorer: Zac Lomax (14)

Club awards

Dragons Medal: Jaydn Su'A
Club Person of the Year: Ben Murdoch-Masila
Red V Members Player of the Year: Zac Lomax
Immortals Trophy: Tom Eisenhuth
Geoff Selby Memorial Trophy for NRL Emerging Talent: Lykhan King-Togia
Community Involvement Award: Jacob Liddle
Mark Coyne Trophy: Jesse Marschke
Knock on Effect NSW Cup Player of the Year: Savelio Tamale
Knock on Effect NSW Cup Coaches Award: Jonah Glover
Jersey Flegg Cup Player of the Year: Ashton Ward

Predicted 2025 Line-up

based on current signings at time of writing

1. Tyrell Sloan
2. Christian Tuipulotu
3. Moses Suli
4. Valentine Holmes
5. Mathew Feagai
6. Kyle Flanagan
7. Ben Hunt
8. Francis Molo
9. Damien Cook
10. Jack De Belin
11. Luciano Leilua
12. Jaydn Su'a
13. Tom Eisenhuth

14. Blake Lawrie
15. Michael Molo
16. Toby Couchman
17. Raymond Faitala-Mariner