Tyrell Sloan is coming into the most important year of his young NRL career – and the Dragons fullback is going the extra mile to help bring the club back to the promised land.
The local junior burst onto the scene over two years ago and has become the club's first-choice fullback, but faces an uncertain future with his contract expiring at the end of 2024.
The arrival of head coach Shane Flanagancould also see pressure mount on Sloan, who has had a mixed run in the No.1 jumper, with many questioning his efforts without the ball in hand.
LIVE UPDATES: Follow the action from Australia vs Pakistan MCG Test
READ MORE: Raiders recruit dead after Christmas eve accident
READ MORE: Tubby's issue as Khawaja rips ICC 'double standards'
The 21-year-old suffered an injury during October's Koori Knockout, putting a dampener on his pre-season training, but there's light at the end of the tunnel according to his new coach.
"Sloany's two or so weeks back into running, and the injuries were really disappointing because I had big plans for his November/December," Flanagan told The Sydney Morning Herald.
"He's put that behind him now and he won't stop during the break, he'll continue to train these two weeks because he's had a lot of time off and every day's crucial for him.
"He'll do his own training and that's just because he's been out and hasn't really been able to run or lift weights for a fair while with his arm in plaster.
"His Christmas break looks a little bit different. He certainly hasn't shied away from it, he was onboard with training through.
"He's got a great attitude towards that extra work … all these players do."
Sloan has played 36 first grade matches for St George Illawarra since making his debut, crossing for 17 tries and showing glimpses of his enormous potential.
After missing out on a number of high-profile targets, Flanagan has landed young playmaker Ronald Volkman for 2024, while also re-signing hulking centre Moses Suli.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.