End of Season Reviews: St George Illawarra Dragons and Dolphins

As the 2024 NRL season nears its conclusion, it’s time to look back on the teams that fell short of September and what they got right and wrong in their respective seasons.

In this edition, we look at the two sides that came within inches of making a finals appearance in the St George Illawarra Dragons and The Dolphins.

St George Illawarra Dragons

Ladder: 11th
Record: 11-13 (-126)

The Dragons entered the 2024 season as the joint favourites to take out the wooden spoon, with many questioning the side’s ability to get points outside of the three byes. However, under coach Shane Flanagan, the Dragons quickly surpassed all expectations and became one of the surprise stories of the season.

Although the Red V faithful had plenty to cheer about in 2024, it was the old habits of seasons gone past that began to rear their ugly head in the latter stages of the season. With their own destiny in their hands, the Dragons capitulated in the final weeks of the year and ultimately fell one win short of an incredible top eight finish.

Highlight: Beating Penrith and Melbourne

When the Origin period hit, the Dragons were firmly in the hunt for a finals spot but had been unable to claim a big scalp in 2024. With many labelling the Dragons as nothing more than a feel-good story, the Saints came out and took down the reigning Premiers in an emphatic fashion, shortly before a complete team performance saw them take down a full-strength Storm side. Although the Penrith win can be attributed to missing several Origin stars, it was a performance that Dragons fans hadn’t seen their side produce in years.

Lowlight: 60-12 loss to the Roosters on ANZAC Day

Although the Dragons showed glimpses of a thriving attack, the defensive issues that had plagued them in the last couple of years continued to have an effect on their 2024 season. This was evident in the side’s famous ANZAC Day clash against the Sydney Roosters where they were completely played off the park.

Going into the sheds down 30-6, it was very clear that the bubble had burst and the Dragons had some serious issues to work on in defence. It didn’t get any better for the merger club, conceding another 30 points in the second half and being handed a 60-12 loss on one of the biggest fixtures of the NRL season.

Best Player: Zac Lomax

Zac Lomax had one of the most memorable seasons in recent memory, starting off the year being dropped from his favoured centre position only to become arguably the game’s best winger. The Dragons junior didn’t take long to prove his worth on the wing and catapulted into Origin conversations from an early stage in the season.

Lomax would go on to star for the NSW Blues on debut and continued to carry his form into clubland with the Dragons. The 24-year-old finished the season with 14 tries in 21 appearances, whilst leading the Dragons in total runs and total run metres for the season.

Honourable Mention: Ben Hunt, Jaydn Su’A and Jacob Liddle

What they need for 2025: Clarity on Ben Hunt’s future

The Ben Hunt saga has lingered around for well over a year and it’s time for the Dragons to draw a line in the sand. Hunt was reportedly subject to immense criticism in his post-season review and it looks like the writing is on the wall for the Maroons star. The halfback is critical to everything the Dragons do in attack so if they are looking to move him on, it is essential to get it done in a timely manner so coach Shane Flanagan can begin preparing for what is a massive 2024.

Early 2025 prediction: 13th

Without Ben Hunt it’s hard to see the Dragons pushing for a finals spot again and considering the lack of depth on the open market, it could get worse before it begins to get better for the Red V.

Grade: B –

Considering where the majority of fans predicted the Dragons to finish 2024 can be viewed as a success but the tailspin towards the backend of the year does leave a bad taste in the mouth.

The Dolphins

Ladder: 10th
Record: 11-13 (-1)

Everyone’s second favourite team, the Dolphins entered 2024 with plenty of hope after a successful inaugural season and two big-name signings set to make their mark. The Dolphins started the season very strongly, winning seven of their first ten games before eventually coming back down to earth in the mid stages of the season.

Wayne Bennett’s side quickly fell victim to an evergrowing list of injuries and suspensions, causing them to slide significantly during the Origin period. The poor form wasn’t helped by rumours of Bennett coaching both the Dolphins and Rabbitohs at the same time and despite being consistently denied by the super coach, the facts were hard to deny. After signing for Souths, Bennett could only muster three wins from the next 12 games, leaving the Dolphins’ finals hopes hanging in the balance. The Dolphins would eventually go on to miss the top eight after losing to the Knights in the final game of the regular season.

Highlight: Beating Brisbane 40-6

Despite their only ever being four clashes between the Dolphins and Broncos, the battle of Brisbane is quickly becoming one of the biggest matches on the NRL calendar. After going down to the team from Red Hill earlier in the season, the Dolphins were out for revenge against an already-eliminated Broncos side. The Dolphins took an early lead and never looked back, playing their big brother off the park to walk away with a 40-6 win.

Lowlight: Form after Bennett’s Souths announcement

As previously mentioned, the Dolphins saw a significant dip in form during the Origin period and whilst injuries and suspensions didn’t help, the majority of the blame fell to coach Wayne Bennett. The 74-year-old has often been in this position before but never has he seen a dip in form as he did with the Dolphins this year. Bennett was criticised by many for supposedly giving up on the Dolphins and focusing his attention on the rebuild at South Sydney last year. Although it was adamantly denied by all parties, the timing of the announcement coinciding with just three wins from the next 12 games was more than just a coincidence.

Best Player: Max Plath

In just his first full season of first grade, Max Plath asserted himself as one of the game’s most exciting players with a string of sensational performances. With new signing Tom Gilbert ruled out in the early stages of the season, Plat stepped up and took his chance to become a full-time starter. Plath displayed his flexibility as both a ball-playing lock and utility hooker to become one of the Dolphins' most important players.

Honourable Mention: Jeremy Marshall-King

What they need for 2025: Forming an identity under Kristian Woolf After spending two seasons as the perennial plucky underdogs under Wayne Bennett, the Dolphins will be under some pressure to exceed expectations in 2025 under new coach Kristian Woolf. Although Woolf comes with a wealth of success in the Super League, he is unproven in the NRL and will need to instil his way of coaching into the team in order to start the post-Bennett era off in a positive manner.

Early 2025 prediction: 6th

After narrowly missing the finals this year, the young Dolphins will be sure things for a top eight spot next year and could contend for a top four finish if Woolf can lock down a consistent spine.

Grade: B-

Although the Dolphins exceeded expectations again this year and nearly made finals, the midseason form slump has to be accounted for.