St George Illawarra have received some much needed good news ahead of their first trial match with the re-signing of Matt Dufty.
The Dragons host Newcastle at Jubilee Stadium, Kogarah on Saturday night in their opening pre-season hit out.
It has been a horror off-season for St George Illawarra, with representative forward Jack de Belin charged with sexual assault and captain Gareth Widdop granted a release from his contract to return to England at the end of the season.
There had also been speculation that the 23-year-old Dufty may leave the club with the signing of Corey Norman to play five-eighth likely to force the shifting of Widdop to fullback this season.
But the retention of the Penshurst RSL junior until the end of the 2021 season has seen the Dragons lock down one of the brightest young prospects in the game.
“I'm very happy about re-signing for another two years. It wasn't a difficult decision. The Dragons is somewhere where I think I could play my best footy and where I wanted to stay,” Dufty said.
“I feel like a weight has been lifted. I've had it over my head for a while now and I'm glad the positive discussions I've had with the club has ended this way.
“I'm really excited for this year to come. I'm not sure where I'll play but it's a good headache for [coach Paul McGregor] to have.
“We have all been playing different positions, trying to get our different combinations sorted and with the strike force we have, it's exciting to see how we all play.”
Dragons director of rugby league pathways and list management Ian Millward said the club was pleased to keep Dufty in the red V.
“He's a local junior who has gone through our pathway system and we know he's a person we want here long-term at this club. He's a passionate Dragons player who brings a real skill set to the team,” Millward said.
“We have been in deep discussions and negotiating with Matt and his agent since last year. He was aware of our discussions with Corey Norman at all times and he knew where his future lied at our club at all times.
“As for this year, we're really excited by 2019 with the depth and quality of our roster. In regards to what positions everyone plays, that's up to the coach. [The coach] is excited by not only the spine he has in 2019 but also 2020 and 2021.”
Kick-off on Saturday night is at 6.30pm.
