New deal for Kyle Flanagan at NRL's Dragons

Five-eighth Kyle Flanagan has signed a new NRL contract with St George Illawarra, a day after the club announced breakout playmaker Daniel Atkinson would join from 2026.

Flanagan will now remain with the Dragons through 2027, having bounced between Cronulla, the Sydney Roosters and Canterbury earlier in his career.

"Kyle was an integral part of our team this year and will continue to be an important player for us moving forward," said coach and father Shane Flanagan.

In round one, Flanagan is set to return from the four-match ban he incurred for biting Bulldogs captain Stephen Crichton late last season.

The match - coincidentally against Canterbury - will be Flanagan's 100th in the NRL.

He and new halves partner Lachlan Ilias will be in charge of marshalling the Dragons' attack and defying low external expectations set for the post-Ben Hunt era.

The pair is set for increased competition in the halves come 2026 after Saints confirmed Atkinson would be joining on a three-year deal.

Atkinson announced himself on the NRL stage as the Sharks' back-up playmaker this year, excelling when the eventual preliminary finalists went long stretches without Braydon Trindall or Nicho Hynes.

Clint Gutherson, Damien Cook and Valentine Holmes headline a suite of new faces arriving at the joint venture for 2025, when they will aim to bounce back from a disappointing end to the season.

After a solid first campaign under coach Flanagan, St George Illawarra had their high hopes of a return to finals thwarted by their round-26 loss to struggling Parramatta.