St George Illawarra Dragons and their new Head Coach Shane Flanagan have more or less failed in their pursuit of St Helens star Jack Welsby.
Flanagan confirmed that the club began talks with the St Helens fullback and England vice captain ahead of a potential move to replace Junior Amone.
This sparked St Helens into action and they were swift to begin talks with the fullback about a new deal which has reportedly been agreed with Welsby signed on to stay at the club until the end of the 2028 season in a major move for the former Super League Champions.
This leaves St George with a big decision to make ahead of the new season due to the uncertainty around Junior Amone. The Tonga international was arrested after he and his father were accused of threatening a person with a hammer and they were both found guilty recently.
Amone’s father has handed a prison sentence but he himself avoided jail time. He was handed a correctional sentence including 300 hours community service.
This is why St George moved for Welsby with the NRL likely to punish Amone for the incident which leaves the club requiring recruitment in the spine.
Now that Amone has been officially de-registered by the NRL the Dragons are very likely to consider further options in Super League. They could move for Welsby’s teammate Lewis Dodd who has been linked with a move to the NRL recently. There are other options for the club as well.
The Dragons have announced the signing of Corey Allan on a one-year deal, effective immediately but this happened before their move for Welsby.
The 25-year-old joins the club from the Roosters, having played 63 NRL games for the Rabbitohs, Bulldogs and Roosters across fullback, centre and wing since debuting in 2019.
He also played fullback in a winning State of Origin decider for Queensland in 2020.
“Corey’s experience and versatility will be a big plus for us this season,” said Dragons coach Shane Flanagan.
“Having previously represented Queensland as well as playing in some quality systems, he will add plenty of value to our roster.”
Will Allen be the last player added to their squad or will the Dragons move for a Super League player?
