St George Illawarra Dragons head coach Shane Flanagan has announced that the team is pursuing additional key signings in preparation for the upcoming 2027 NRL season.
In recent days, Flanagan has made headlines after indicating that the Dragons are not expected to claim the premiership this year.
During a media session in Las Vegas, the coach addressed his realistic expectations for the season opener against the Canterbury Bulldogs, emphasizing a focus on development rather than unrealistic ambitions. He aims to build towards a stronger 2027, especially with the inclusion of Keaon Koloamatangi and potentially more signings.
"We haven't said we've got a plan, but obviously we've had a lot of new staff and new players come in and Keaon [Koloamatangi] coming in next year and we'd like to think we're gonna get two or three more signings," he stated, as reported by Wide World of Sports.
"I'd love to say that we're good enough to go with the big dogs this year. We'll win a lot of footy games this year, but I'm just realistic - don't set stupid expectations."
He added, "If I said to Danny that we're gonna win the comp, that might have got more attention."
"Every side would be saying finals without a doubt and we're on that as well … finals is every team in the competition's goal."
After finishing 15th last season due to a challenging injury toll, the Dragons aim for improvement in 2026. With Daniel Atkinson as their new halfback and a younger forward pack, they have also let go of experienced player Jack de Belin during the off-season.
Despite numerous close losses in 2025, including three by a single point, the Dragons showcased their potential by defeating several top four teams and hope to build on this success as they aim for finals qualification for the first time since 2018.