The St George Illawarra Dragons may have lost Ronald Volkman and Corey Allan before the season began, but a youngster is standing out in pre-season training.

This player is former Australian Schoolboys representative and current train-and-triallist player Hayden Buchanan, who can play either in the centres or second-row.

The Wide World of Sports has reported that Buchanan has joined the Dragons and has impressed club officials throughout pre-season training with the top squad.

Still 18, the Illawarra Steelers junior enters his first pre-season after a successful season in Gerringong's Group 7 premiership win last season and is likely to become a future stalwart in the club's outside backs.

However, it is understood that Buchanan's chances of debuting their season are highly improbable but not impossible.

Hayden Buchanan spoke on the club's website regarding his first NRL pre-season, rugby league journey and the position he feels most comfortable in - moving from the forwards into the outside backs.

"Absolutely loving it, to be honest, can't believe we get paid to come and train (and) play footy," Buchanan said via dragons.com.au.

"I moved around a bit when I was really little, so I started playing for the Yapoon Seagulls when I was about five," he said on his journey to the NRL.

"I played two years there and I moved to Mona Vale and played a year there at seven and eventually moved to Gerrygong since eight and played there all my juniors.

"My whole life I've pretty much grown up playing forwards - so edge back-rower and a lock.

"First year of Harold Mats, I trialled at centre, didn't think I would be big enough to play in the forwards anymore, and they said they liked my speed there, and I've stayed in the outside backs.