Keaon Koloamatangi is the biggest free agent signing of the most recent NRL silly season – but the Dragons-bound star’s move is about more than just money.
In one of the biggest contract stunners in recent memory, Koloamatangi turned his back on an offer to stay with South Sydney, as well as a lucrative deal with Parramatta, to link up with St George Illawarra on a five-year deal from 2027 onwards.
The contract is worth a reported $5 million, making him one of the game’s highest-paid forwards alongside the likes of Payne Haas, Joseph Tapine and Addin Fonua-Blake.
His impending arrival is seen as the light at the end of the tunnel and a legitimate beacon of hope for the Dragons, who haven’t played finals since 2018 and have struggled to land marquee, in-demand players for many years, which has been well-documented.
Koloamatangi is the club’s biggest coup since Ben Hunt eight years ago and sits right up there with Gareth Widdop, Darius Boyd, Jeremy Smith and Wayne Bennett as the best signing they have made since St George and Illawarra first merged in 1998.
While the money on offer from the Eels and Dragons was similar, the extra year on a seven-figure salary is seen to be what swayed him to join the club.
The 28-year-old has a young family and wanted to set himself up for life, which the Dragons contract certainly should do for one of the game’s real nice guys.
But if you dig a little bit deeper, there’s more than just dollars and cents behind it.
Firstly, the opportunity to reunite with two former Rabbitohs teammates in Jaydn Su’A and Damien Cook was a major factor for Koloamatangi’s switch.
Speaking to Wide World of Sports, Cook conceded while he wanted to “stay away” and let Koloamatangi make his own mind up, it was certainly a hot topic between them.
“We had conversations, I’d be lying if I said we didn’t,” the Dragons captain said.
“We are very close. I spent a lot of time with him over at Souths watching him come through and develop his game over the years.
“Obviously I was very keen to get him here, knowing the quality player he is, but he’s still got a lot to improve on as well and he can take his game to another level.
“I wouldn’t say I put pressure on him, but I was there to answer any questions he had. It’s a tough process to go through, especially when you’ve been at one club for so long.
“I tried to stay away and make sure I let him make his own decision, but at the same time making sure he knew how much I wanted to have him here to play alongside him.”
Su’A, who joined the Bunnies around the same time Koloamatangi was bursting onto the scene as a first grader, believes he can add plenty to the Dragons on and off the field.
“We had a few discussions, but he had five million reasons to come,” Su’A laughed.
“I’m excited to have him there, he’s obviously an international quality player and the more quality like that we have, the better we’re gonna be.
“I know he’s gonna bring a lot of energy and laughs to the club and he will get on well with all the boys here. He’s a good person and no doubt a real good footy player.
“Hopefully I don’t have to come up against him many more times now.”
The chance to link up with Su’A and Cook, two of the senior players at the Dragons, is only the tip of the iceberg as the joint venture searches for long-term success.
Koloamatangi will headline a forward pack littered with young guns Jacob Halangahu, Dylan Egan, the Couchman brothers, Loko Pasifiki Tonga and Hamish Stewart.
“I’m also excited by the challenge of going to the Dragons, working with their young forwards, and basically getting out of my comfort zone, which would help me grow as a player, a father and man,” he told The Sydney Morning Herald.
Su’A believes the “sky is the limit” for many of those up-and-coming products, who he believes could be wearing the famous Red V jersey for the next decade.
“We have a lot of juniors coming through who are going to be quality,” he said.
“They are pretty raw at the moment but with some experience, the sky is the limit.
“Jacob is gonna be a good player, the Couchies and Dylan Egan and Hamish are gonna be 200-plus game players for the club. Loko is there as well, the sky is the limit for him.
“The fans can be excited for that next generation coming through. I’m looking forward to playing with them and helping them with their careers.”
It’s an interesting period for Su’A himself, who has tasted higher honours at both State of Origin and international level in the past for Queensland and Samoa.
The aggressive back-rower is signed until the end of 2026 with an option to extend for next year and is hoping to continue cementing himself as a leader at the Dragons – even if one particular person doesn’t see him that way.
“I think I am [a leader] – my coach [Shane Flanagan] doesn’t agree,” he laughed.
“There’s a lot of players that I connect well with. It’s a hard question to answer, but if the boys look at that as inspiration or something to follow, I guess I’m doing my job.
“I think there are talks underway [to re-sign], I’m not sure how deep they are.
“I still have an option for next year so whatever happens, happens. I’m enjoying my time here, I’ve been here for five years now and it’s basically my home away from home.
“I’d like to stay, but we’ll see what happens.”
Cook – the oldest player in the Saints squad, who turns 35 in the middle of the year – is also hopeful of sticking around and extending his stellar career.
“I’m definitely keen to keep going,” the former NSW and Kangaroos hooker said.
“Pre-season is a great way to tell how you’re feeling and I’ve come out the back of it in really good shape. I always talk to the high performance staff about how my numbers are compared to my last few years and it’s still right up there.
“The most important thing is I still love going into training every day and the moment where you lose that love, that’s probably the time to move on.
“At the moment I still love it and the move down here for me has been great, it was a bit of a freshen up that makes me want to keep going.
“We’re looking to get another year and once that happens, you take it year-by-year, so we will see how that goes. I’m confident we’ll get through a few things and get it done.”
St George Illawarra will play their first trial on Saturday against the Knights, ramping up preparations for their season opener against the Bulldogs in Las Vegas on March 1.
