Despite facing a challenging defeat, Kade Reed will continue as St George Illawarra's halfback, according to Dean Young.
Young, in his inaugural outing as interim coach, chose to debut Reed during the historic Anzac Day match against the Sydney Roosters, shortly after the dismissal of Shane Flanagan.
The Roosters showcased their dominance at the Sydney Football Stadium, extending the Dragons' losing streak to 12 matches, with eight of those losses occurring this season.
Although Reed took over the number seven jersey from Kyle Flanagan, he still managed to shine in moments throughout the game.
Early on, Reed appeared to orchestrate the game's opening try with a precise cut-out pass to Mat Feagai, but an earlier knock-on led to the score being disallowed.
As the first half progressed, Reed generated some much-needed attacking tension for the Dragons, executing a clever chip that resulted in a goal-line dropout.
The Dragons almost scored in the subsequent play, as Val Holmes managed to catch Reed's bold cross-field kick.
On the following play, Reed shifted the ball right, allowing Setu Tu to secure the Dragons' first try of the match.
"I was proud of him," Young said of Reed.