LeagueNews.co | Jess Malloy
The St George Illawarra Dragons are reportedly targeting Daniel Anderson to lead their recruitment department, marking a significant development as the club seeks to improve its performance.
Anderson currently serves as head of recruitment at the Sydney Roosters, where he has been for a lengthy period and has also enjoyed coaching success in the NRL.
The situation escalated after the Roosters signed Joel Carbone, a recruitment expert from the Canberra Raiders, a move that reportedly left the Raiders "fuming."
With this shake-up at the Roosters, Anderson's potential move to the Dragons comes at a time when the club is in search of an experienced figure to alleviate pressure on coach Shane Flanagan.
The Dragons haven't made the finals since 2018, when Paul McGregor was at the helm.
Now, as they look to rebuild their roster, they have identified Anderson as their preferred candidate.
Michael Chammas, a league reporter for the Sydney Morning Herald, highlighted on Nine's 100% Footy that while the Dragons have considered various candidates, "Anderson was the clear favourite." He added, "Now nothing is finalised.
Daniel has been at the Roosters for a long time, he's coached in the NRL and had some success.
And now the Dragons are in conversations about bringing him to the club...
but if things progress as they have in the last few weeks then Daniel Anderson could be at the Dragons."
The Dragons have been searching for a suitable head of recruitment for several years, a mission David Riccio, a veteran league journalist, noted during an appearance on SEN radio.
Riccio said, "As far as the Dragons are concerned, this is a mission they've been on for some time.
I'm talking two years in an attempt to find a head of recruitment that can oversee that roster management alongside Shane Flanagan, his staff and obviously the new CEO (Tim Watsford)."
Anderson's experience could be pivotal for the Dragons as they strive to construct a competitive roster aimed at returning to finals football.