The St George Illawarra Dragons have locked up young middle third-forward Hamish Stewart on a new deal in what will be a major boost for the joint-venture.
The Dragons have an excellent crop of young forwards in the system, with Stewart, alongside the Couchman brothers, Loko Pasifiki Tonga, and second-rower Dylan Egan being the leading lights.
Stewart, however, was under threat of other clubs being able to make offers from November 1, given that he has a player option in his deal for 2027.
It meant he could have left the Red V at the end of 2026.
But that has now been taken off the table, with the Dragons confirming that the middle forward has agreed to a new long-term deal through to the end of 2029.
“I’m really happy to be re-signing here at the Dragons – the club I grew up supporting. It’s home for me and making my NRL debut here was a dream come true,” Stewart said in a statement.
“Knowing I’ll be here for the next few years is unreal and I’m excited to see what we can achieve over the coming years with the squad that we have.”
It’ll likely be the first of a string of key re-signings for the Dragons as they look to lock down several key future assets and stop the flow of local juniors leaving the club that has been a headache in recent times.
Adding to the importance of the re-signing of Stewart is the fact that St George Illawarra have lost long-time middle forward Jack de Belin to the Parramatta Eels for 2026 after refusing to make an offer.
Stewart is the most likely candidate to start in the number 13 jumper for Shane Flanagan’s side throughout 2026 and beyond, and could find himself playing big minutes as part of a team looking to be on the improve.
Shane Flanagan said the club had been pleased with Stewart’s progress.
“We’ve been really pleased with Hamish’s progression over the past few seasons, and we’re excited to have locked him down long-term,” Flanagan said.
“Since coming up into our NRL squad, the thing that’s stood out most is his work ethic. He’s a really good trainer and has all the necessary traits to grow into a leader for our club. He’s fit, athletic, and skilful and made some real strides this year as a player. He’s a local junior who’s come through our system here and loves the club, so we’re really excited to be able to keep him here.”
To date, the 21-year-old, who debuted in Round 1 of the 2025 campaign, has played 19 games. It likely would have been all 24 throughout 2025 if not for concussion issues.