Signature Battle: Dragons forced into fight for star’s signature despite an offer being on the table

The five-eighth made his NRL debut in 2024.

The St George Illawarra Dragons are reportredly no guarantee of retaining Lyhkan King-Togia beyond the end of the 2025 NRL season.

The young five-eighth was handed his debut by coach Shane Flanagan at the end of the 2024 campaign, coming from relative obscurity to do so.

After commencing the year in junior age groups, a handful of NSW Cup games were deemed enough by the head coach to bring him into the first-grade set up, where he impressed immediately, as he did at every level he played in 2024.

But News Corp are reporting he is yet to re-sign with the Dragons beyond the end of next year despite an offer being on the table.

The four-game NRL player will likely attract interest from rival clubs on an open market which is viewed as skinny for quality halves options ahead of the 2026 campaign.

King-Togia has been able to talk with rival clubs since November 1.

A star of the future, that tag may not be able to apply in 2025 given the Dragons’ release of Ben Hunt and lack of other options to play in the halves.

Clint Gutherson has been signed from the Parramatta Eels and could yet be used at five-eighth if Flanagan elects to retain Tyrell Sloan at fullback, but otherwise, the path may be clear for King-Togia to have his first full season in the top grade.

What is clear is that opportunities will exist for King-Togia in 2025 as Kyle Flanagan moves into the number seven jumper vacated by the club’s former captain, who himself is still looking for a new club but is believed to be in talks with the Dolphins, Brisbane Broncos, Sydney Roosters and Canterbury Bulldogs.

King-Togia’s decision may yet hinge on whether any of the current rumours regarding the Dragons turn into the truth, with the club linked to all of Daniel Atkinson, Brodie Croft, Bevan French, Adam Doueihi and Lachlan Ilias in recent times as potential replacements for Hunt in the halves.

The Dragons did finally have some positive news on the retention front this week with props Ryan and Toby Couchman both re-signing.

Still, King-Togia now headlines a list of players currently off-contract at the end of 2025 and able to talk to rival outfits, with Jack de Belin, Raymond Faitala-Mariner, Kyle Flanagan, Michael Molo, Christian Tuipulotu and youngsters Dylan Egan, Sione Finau and Jacob Halangahu also on that list.

One of the club’s most promising talents, King-Togia made four first-grade appearances this season, with his maiden match being against the Gold Coast Titans in Round 24 – he even started at five-eighth in one of the matches.

Now 19, the five-eighth moved to the Illawarra Steelers SG Ball Cup program last year before making the leap to the Jersey Flegg Cup and the NSW Cup.

“I really like being here. It was a good decision to move and it’s good to debut at the Dragons,” King-Togia told Dragons Media earlier this year.

“It’s a good club and we’re going in the right direction. Hopefully, we can keep going.

“Debuting was definitely a goal. I wasn’t expecting it, but I’m just heaps grateful to be getting the opportunity and getting the rewards for the hard work.”