A Long Road Back for Dylan Egan
St George Illawarra Dragons will be welcoming back local junior Dylan Egan this Saturday, nearly a year after the young player suffered a severe ACL injury during Magic Round in 2025. The journey back to the field has been a long and challenging one, but Egan’s determination and passion for the club have never wavered.
During the lonely stages of his rehabilitation, away from the team and unable to play with his teammates, Egan found strength in the same childhood dream he had always cherished. He remembered the excitement of watching the Dragons lift the premiership trophy in 2010 when he was just six years old. This connection to the club’s rich history became a cornerstone of his return.
Egan shared what drove him through the tough times: “Probably just that six-year-old dream that I had back when I was a kid in 2010 watching the NRL Dragons win the premiership.” He has always supported the Dragons and dreamed of becoming a player himself. Now, he is eager to put on the jersey again and represent the club to the best of his abilities.
Egan returned to the NSW Cup last weekend, scoring a double on his comeback. His teammates were there to support him, and it meant a lot to both him and his family. “It meant a lot to me and my family, for the lads to be there on the weekend,” Egan said. “I can’t wait to go out there with them on the weekend and repay them.”
The hardest part of his rehab journey was seeing his teammates struggle on the field without being able to help. Despite the hard work behind the scenes, it was painful not to be able to contribute to the team’s success. “It’s a long and lonely journey in rehab, as a lot of players will know, but a lot of hard work has been put in,” Egan said. “I can’t wait to get out there on the weekend and play with the lads.”
Egan admitted that watching the game from the sidelines was the toughest part. “Probably watching is probably the toughest part,” he said. “I know with my rehab, there’s always something I can do. I can come in, I can train harder. I can put in extra time, but for that, where you’re almost helpless, and just got to sit down on the sideline and watch. It’s probably the hardest part.”
This weekend will mark the first time since his SG Ball days that Egan will share the field with his former Steelers teammates Toby and Ryan Couchman, Hamish Stewart, and himself. The match will take place in Wollongong, where the club will celebrate ‘Grassroots Round’. “I try to keep it real simple. It’s just another game for me,” Egan said. “This is probably the first game with the two Couchies, Hamish and I, get to play together since SG Ball. So that’s really exciting for us, and yeah, I can’t wait to just get out there.”
Dragons skipper Clint Gutherson praised Egan, calling him ‘Eagle’ and highlighting how excited the Illawarra junior was to be back playing in the top grade. “It’s great. Those long-term injuries, you always see him doing all the hard work behind the scenes and you just want them playing and ‘Eagle’s’ been stoked to be back,” Gutherson said. “He’s out of that physio room and rehab room, and he’s back with us, and he had a great game the other week in NSW Cup, and he’s excited to be back.”
In his eight games last year, Egan recorded three tries, averaged 68 run metres, and totalled 268 tackles at a tick over 97 percent efficiency. Recently extended until 2029, it’s a strong indication that he will be an essential foundation for the Dragons’ engine room for many years to come.
The 21-year-old has already drawn comparisons to Liam Martin, showcasing high effort and a hard-working attitude from the second row. Interim head coach Dean Young has built a good relationship with Egan, allowing for open discussions about where he can improve and instilling confidence in him for his comeback.
“Deano’s another person that I’m really, really tight with,” Egan said. “He is someone I can go and talk to, and will tell me upfront what I need to work on and is very straight arrow.” Both Young and Egan are known for their all-effort approach, despite playing in different generations for the Dragons.
“I think Dean probably coaches similarly to how he plays, all effort,” Egan added. “I know he’s happy if you put in 100% effort and things might not go your way, but as long as you put in that effort, then that’s all they can ask, and that’s what I pride myself as a player.”
The Dragons will face the formidable Newcastle Knights in Wollongong on Saturday afternoon as they look to secure their first win of the 2026 campaign.
