Lachlan Ilias in major Dragons development amid Shane Flanagan call on Ben Hunt's successor
Hunt's exit has left the Dragons searching to find his replacement.
Lachlan Ilias has emerged as a potential answer to the Dragons' halfback puzzle, following the exit of Ben Hunt. And the forgotten Souths halfback has been given a glowing endorsement from his former Rabbitohs teammate and St George-Illawarra recruit, Damien Cook, who is pushing for coach Shane Flanagan to sign the talented No.7.
Ilias was regarded as the long-term halfback for South Sydney but endured a rough patch at the start of the 2024 NRL season before being dropped to reserve grade by former Rabbitohs coach Jason Demetriou. The 24-year-old then suffered a horrific leg injury while playing in reserve grade that ended any hopes of the halfback fighting his way back into the Bunnies side.
The Rabbitohs have since signed two other halfbacks in the form of English import Lewis Dodd and former Manly young gun, Jamie Humphreys - who Souths coach Wayne Bennett may well view as another option at hooker or a bench utility. It appears as though Dodd is the favourite to partner Cody Walker in the halves for Souths next year though, leaving Ilias' prospects very much up in the air.
Ilias still has another year left on his current deal and the Bunnies could be open to letting him leave early, although it's understood Bennett views the playmaker as another bench utility option. But Cook says he'd love to see Flanagan bring his former teammate to the Dragons to replace Hunt as halfback, after describing the backlash he copped last season during the Rabbitohs' miserable run of form as "unfair".
"I think Lachie is a great halfback, he's a great defender, he's still got plenty to learn, and he hasn't had the chance to show what he's capable of," Cook told The Sydney Morning Herald. "I know he loves Souths, but I'll be letting him know what I think. He's a halfback, not a dummy-half... He will be a part of their best 17 (at Souths), but they've also got other halves ahead of him. I know Lachie would love it at the Dragons."
Dragons waiting to see which club Ben Hunt ends up at
Flanagan has already made it clear that he'd like to wait and see which club Hunt ends up at before making a move for another halfback. His reasoning is that Hunt's arrival could push another player out at that respective club and potentially open the door for the Dragons to pounce.
Flanagan's side have been linked with a number of other halfbacks but their reported pursuit of Super League star Brodie Croft has hit a major roadblock. Croft has a clause in his Leeds Rhinos contract that would allow him to leave for an NRL club but the English club insist the date to exercise that clause has passed and he will remain their player next season.
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Another halfback being linked with a move to the Dragons is versatile Sharks playmaker Daniel Atkinson, who enjoyed a breakout season for Cronulla in 2024. Atkinson excelled in the halves alongside Braydon Trindall in the absence of Nicho Hynes but would appear to be stuck behind the pair and resigned to accepting an interchange role in 2025.
Atkinson is off contract at the end of next season and thus free to negotiate a deal with rival clubs from 2026 onwards. But veteran league journalist Brent Read told Triple M that Cronulla's salary cap situation could see Atkinson allowed to leave early. "That's the main name we've been hearing," Read told Triple M about Atkinson's links to the Dragons. "That may be more attractive than some other guys (who are on the market)."
