The Dragons have taken another step towards securing their future halves pairings by re-signing Kyle Flanagan for two more years.
The playmaker will remain with the club until the end of 2027, following the announcement on Wednesday that Sharks utility Daniel Atkinson will join the club in 2026.
Flanagan impressed in his first season with the Dragons, appearing in 20 games and bringing his career total to 99 NRL games. Following Ben Hunt’s departure from the club, he appears to be partnering with off-season recruit Lachlan Ilias in the halves throughout 2025.
Shane Flanagan, Dragons coach, is excited about the prospect of competition for starting halves positions in the coming years.
“Kyle was an integral part of our team this year and will continue to be an important player for us moving forward,” he told us.
“He will play his 100th NRL game at the start of next season, and his experience and versatility will continue to be valuable assets to us.
“With Daniel Atkinson joining the club from 2026 that competition for spots across the key spine positions will strengthen the whole squad.”
The announcement comes just a day after Atkinson’s three-year contract with the Dragons was confirmed.
The 23-year-old will finish the final year of his contract with the Sharks before joining St George Illawarra in 2026 on a deal that will keep him with the club until the end of 2028.
Atkinson impressed in Cronulla’s 19 games in 2024, filling in for Braydon Trindall and Nicho Hynes, and is expected to take on more playmaking responsibilities at the Dragons.
“We’re very pleased to welcome Daniel to the club in 2026,” said Shane Flanagan.
“He’s a classy player who has shown an ability to cover multiple positions as well as a strong competitor who will come in and improve our squad as a whole.”
Meanwhile, the Rabbitohs have signed playmaker Jayden Sullivan for the 2025 season, after he was released by the Wests Tigers.
The 23-year-old made his NRL debut for the Dragons in 2020 and played 27 games over four seasons before joining the Wests Tigers in 2024 and making nine appearances.
Jayden is a great talent and we believe he can play his best football here at the Rabbitohs under Wayne Bennett’s guidance,” said Rabbitohs head of recruitment and retention Mark Ellison.
Jonah Pezet, another playmaker who signed a four-year extension with the Storm until the end of 2029, also put pen to paper in the run-up to Christmas.
Pezet played five-eighth in the first three NRL matches of the 2024 season before being sidelined in April due to an ACL injury sustained in the Queensland Cup.
“Continuing my career with the Storm is a special feeling. The club has put a lot of faith in me from a young age and maybe I can repay that over the next few years,” Pezet said.
Following a two-year contract with the Cowboys, England international John Bateman will serve as a mentor to the North Queensland pack.
The forward will join the club immediately after being released from the final two years of his Wests Tigers contract.
Bateman has signed with the Cowboys for the 2025 and 2026 seasons, joining a pack that includes Reuben Cotter, Heilum Luki, Jeremiah Nanai, and Griffin Neame, and North Queensland officials hope he will mentor his younger teammates on and off the pitch.
“We have been looking for an experienced forward who can play in the middle or on the edge,” Cowboys General Manager of Football Michael Luck said.
“John’s game is built around defensive intent and a willingness to compete in any situation, two areas we’ve made it clear we want to improve significantly in 2025.”
“Along with what he does on the field, we also believe he will be a valuable mentor for our younger forwards in Heilum Luki, Jeremiah Nanai and Griffin Neame.”
Cameron McInnes, the Sharks’ inspirational captain, will continue to lead the club’s chase of premierships after his contract was extended until the end of 2026.
McInnes’ new one-year contract follows a season in which he led Cronulla to the preliminary final and made his long-awaited State of Origin debut for NSW.
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