St George Illawarra Dragons may have missed out on Jack Welsby but could continue to probe Super League to find a replacement for the now de-registered Junior Amone.
There are a number of options they could consider from the Betfred Super League now that their Welsby pursuit has gone up in smoke though some would have to be targets for 2025.
Lewis Dodd will be on their wish list and they stand a chance at getting him sooner rather than later with his contract expiring at the end of the year.
They are also likely to consider the likes of Josh Drinkwater as well as Lachlan Lam but the latter would require a transfer fee if they wanted him even for 2025 given his new deal at Leigh Leopards.
Serious About Rugby League understands that the club is willing to probe the Super League market going forward.
Head Coach Shane Flanagan has been blunt about their situation after Welsby elected to stay at St Helens.
“Of course we are disappointed but that’s the game we are in. We have moved on already,” Flanagan told News Corp.
“There will be other options over the next 12 months … our focus now is getting ready for season ‘24.
“The team has trained at an elite level for eight weeks and we break for Christmas knowing we have achieved our physical performance goals.”
The publication has reported that the Dragons have increased their advances in North Queensland second-row pairing Heilum Luki and Kulikefu Finefeuiaki in a bid to bolster their forward options.
Luki has a player option for the 2025 season but could opt for a move away from Townsville and sign-on with a new club from the cessation of next season.
Finefeuiaki, 19, is also able to discuss his future with interested rivals as he to is yet to confirm his future beyond the 2024 season.
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