The Dragons giving local junior Tyrell Sloan permission to negotiate with rival clubs is an indictment on their ability to unearth and develop talent from one of the game’s biggest nurseries.
The Daily Telegraph reported Sloan has been given permission to leave the club before his deal expires in 2026, after he was dropped for the Round 17 clash with the Eels.
Sloan is free to explore his future at a rival club despite being contracted with the Red V until the end of 2026.
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The 23-year-old has scored 39 tries in 70 NRL games since his debut in 2021, including nine in 11 games this year, but his deficiencies in defence and under the high ball have cost him a spot in the team and now potentially his future at the club.
Sloan was shifted to the wing this season for recruit Clint Gutherson with a view to learning from the veteran before taking back the No.1 jersey when he retires.
However, it appears Shane Flanagan’s patience with Sloan has finally run out.
Veteran journalist Andrew Webster believes it is disappointing that Sloan wasn’t able to become a local junior success story at the club.
“It’s sad because he had so much potential,” Webster said on NRL 360.
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“When he is on he is on, but there are parts of his game that aren’t up to NRL standard at the moment.”
Paul Crawley believes Sloan’s axing was inevitable after his error-ridden performance in the derby against the Sharks.
“Watching that game against the Sharks a couple of weeks back it was obvious he wasn’t going to keep his spot going forward,” Crawley said.
“He came up with multiple errors. That collision with Gutho under the high ball that day. It was kind of like it was coming.”
Braith Anasta believes Sloan has the potential to be a superstar in the NRL and likened him to Nicho Hynes with his lack of confidence at times.
“He is a player that you look at him and he is similar to Nicho Hynes in a way in that you can tell that he is just struggling with confidence and belief,” Anasta said.
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“But when he is on he has got so much talent. The kid could be a freak. Like in open space he is beautiful to watch.
“And even under the high ball in good field position. He struggles with it coming out of his own end and his carries have got to be better.
“But there is just so much to this kid that could be special. It seems like he is getting in his own way.”
Webster believes Sloan started the year strongly in a new role, but he wasn’t able to maintain consistent form, which has been an issue throughout his career.
“Earlier in the year he was looking like he was enjoying not having the pressure of playing fullback,” Webster said.
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“He was playing on the wing and it looked like it was set up for him to take over from Gutho when the time came, but it hasn’t worked out that way.”
However, Webster believes Sloan’s situation is an extension of the Dragons’ main issue, which is an inability to use their nursery to create NRL stars.
“For me as a long-suffering Dragons fan it goes deeper than this,” Webster said.
“I don’t understand how a club with one of the biggest nurseries in the competition and have been for decades, cannot unearth an organising halfback.
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“It has been a problem for that club for decades and I know they have got King-Togia coming through and Kade Reed, but before that it was Junior Amone and Bud Sullivan.
“The Dragons just have this inability to keep halves.
“Or keep players,” Crawley interjected.
“Look at the winger for Canberra this year Savelio Tamale.”
Webster continued: “Or keep players, but in particular decent quality halves when they have a nursery like the one that they do.”
