The top forward available for the 2025 campaign, Addin Fonua-Blake, has drawn interest from and met with a number of NRL teams in Sydney.
The St George Illawarra Dragons are one of these teams; they are reportedly in talks to sign the 2023 Dally M Team of the Year member and have emerged as a strong contender for his signature.
The Warriors forward, who was a junior for the Dragons, has been associated with the team for a long time. He has assisted players like the then-teenage Blake Lawrie in becoming better players.
Lawrie has given his approval for the pursuit of Fonua-Blake for the 2025 season. Lawrie is currently the starting forward for St George.
It’d be enormous. Naturally, I would love to play with him,” Lawrie stated to the AAP.
“I recall his time at Manly. He is a front-row player with the finest footwork. He is undoubtedly one of the top three, if not the top, prop in the competition this year at the Warriors. He may be argued to be the top choice.
“To play alongside him, it will make everyone’s job a lot easier,” he stated.
“Due to his prominence and exceptional skill as a player. Being a top-tier athlete, he is deserving of respect.
“With the type of game he plays, the stats and numbers speak for themselves. It takes him three to four plays to bring him down.
With the Dally M Prop of the Year playing against the Wests Tigers on Thursday and the Canterbury Bulldogs on Friday, the Dragons aren’t the only team keeping an eye on Fonua-Blake.
The recent bombshell from the star prop revealed that he was asking to be released from the remaining portion of his contract, which is set to expire at the end of 2026.
Although he will play for the Warriors in the near future, it is very likely that he will be released at the end of that campaign and sign with a rival team for the 2025 season.
As per the terms of his release from the club, he can only be freed if he signs with a Sydney-based club, according to The Sunday Telegraph.
The aforementioned teams have been eliminated from the competition for Fonua-Blake: the Brisbane Broncos, Canberra Raiders, The Dolphins, Gold Coast Titans, Melbourne Storm, Newcastle Knights, and North Queensland Cowboys.
Additionally, the article disclosed that the Sydney Roosters have ruled themselves out of a possible trade for one of the league’s top forwards.
