The St George Illawarra Dragons finally showed positive signs in 2024 after six years without finals action.
Shane Flanagan's arrival as head coach saw some difficult decisions made - decisions that have continued since the end of the season with Ben Hunt's departure following the early call to let Zac Lomax walk at the end of 2024.
The duo's departure - which have been hardly replaced for 2025 - mean the club will have plenty of cash and roster spots to throw around on the open market heading into 2026.
And they certainly need acquisitions right throughout the side if they are going to become a premiership force in the coming seasons, as they last were under the coaching of Wayne Bennett all the way back in 2010.
We will run the rule over all 17 clubs on Zero Tackle as the 2026 recruitment period gets underway to determine who their top targets are. Today, the Dragons…
Current 2026 St George Illawarra Dragons squad
Damien Cook, Mathew Feagai, Valentine Holmes, Blake Lawrie, Luciano Leilua, Francis Molo, Loko Pasifika Tonga, Mikaele Ravalawa, Hame Sele, Tyrell Sloan, Hamish Stewart, Jaydn Su'A, Moses Suli
Off-contract at end of 2025
Corey Allan, Ryan Couchman, Toby Couchman, Jack de Belin, Dylan Egan, Raymond Faitala-Mariner, Viliami Fifita, Sione Finau, Kyle Flanagan, Jacob Halangahu, Jacob Liddle (mutual option), Michael Molo, Christian Tuipulotu
Current best 17 for 2026
1. Tyrell Sloan
2. Mikaele Ravalawa
3. Moses Suli
4. Valentine Holmes
5. Mathew Feagai
6. No player signed
7. No player signed
8. Blake Lawrie
9. Damien Cook
10. Francis Molo
11. Luciano Leilua
12. Jaydn Su'A
13. No player signed
Interchange
14. No player signed
15. Loko Pasifika Tonga
16. Hame Sele
17. Hamish Stewart
The Dragons head into the 2026 recruitment window with a bare bones best 17 at the present time.
Of most pressing concern is that there are no halves signed at all, and no chance of Ben Hunt being at the club given he was released ahead of 2025.
Kyle Flanagan - provided he plays as he did in 2024 - is every chance of being re-signed, and the boost there is that he can play in either the six or the seven.
The Dragons will then undoubtedly go to market for at least one, and maybe two other options in the halves.
A winger will also likely be on the agenda, although re-signing the potential breakout talent Sione Finau could yet end that as an issue.
The starting forward pack looks solid, as does the young depth options, but they are certainly a couple of good options short of being able to push for the premiership. It would also all look a lot more solid if they get Jacob Liddle and Toby Couchman's re-signings over the line.
Essentially, Shane Flanagan is heading into this recruitment window with something of a blank slate and a very wide open cheque book.
The Dragons need a halfback. They need a leader. They need a long-term player to lead the show.
Sam Walker is surely the best option on the open market.
He is a player the Roosters will be desperate to re-sign, and certainly they have the war chest of money to do so, but the Dragons must come in hot with a big offer.
Last year, they went after Tom Dearden in the halves and missed out. They can't afford the same result with Walker, no matter how unrealistic it may seem on the surface.
The future State of Origin player has the potential to be the type of player you build your club around for the next decade.
Tyran Wishart is the other half option the Dragons should be heading after. A utility who can play fullback, five-eighth, halfback and hooker, there is a very real chance the Storm will pick up their club option on the youngster and make all of this a moot point.
But while he is on the market, the Dragons should be one of a host of clubs chasing him.
The potential advantage the Dragons have is Wishart is an Illawarra junior. Just how appealing would a guaranteed starting spot be back where he grew up?
Money will need to talk as well, but Wishart's future - up until Melbourne take a club option on him at least, and if they do - will be one of the competition's more intriguing storylines.
If the Dragons do go hunting outside backs to replace Mikaele Ravalawa and add depth to their current youngsters, they could do far worse than cutting some costs on a big name and signing Blake Wilson.
Another young player with the ability to find the tryline and get through the hard yards, he is yet to be re-signed by the Bulldogs.
That may be even more surprising given the club are in talks over the future of Josh Addo-Carr, with the former Origin star potentially being let go.
What is clear is that Wilson is a starting calibre winger - and not next year, but now. The Dragons could likely offer him that for 2026.
There is little doubt the other priority in this year's free agency run for the Dragons has to be in the forwards.
They need middle third players capable of standing up and making a difference alongside those they already have locked down.
Matterson, at his best, is among the best forwards in the competition, and also possesses an ability to play in the middle and on the edge, meaning he brings plenty of versatility to the squad and match day 17.
The biggest hindrance for Matterson is the fact he has bounced through a number of clubs throughout his career, but the positives of signing him far outweigh the negatives at a club like the Dragons.
The biggest sticking point may well be a player option in his favour at Parramatta for 2026.
The other thing the Dragons clearly need more of is experience and leadership through the middle third, and the club more broadly.
It's something that Shane Flanagan has clearly identified with his signings of Damien Cook and Valentine Holmes, as well as the club's reported push for Clint Gutherson ahead of 2025.
The open market for prop forwards - a position the Dragons need to continue adding in - is skinny.
But Christian Welch would be a superb option to fit those issues for the Dragons.
The former Melbourne Storm captain has representative experience under his belt and is an absolute professional.