Billy Slater has heaped praise on St George Illawarra’s senior players after the embattled club finally snapped a 15-game losing streak.
After almost 300 days without a victory, the Dragons caused the biggest upset of the year on Sunday afternoon, holding off a late comeback against the Broncos.
Dragons players celebrate a drought-breaking win Getty
It marked the third-straight year the Dragons had defeated Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium, with all three wins coming with an identical 30-26 scoreline.
Local junior Hamish Stewart passionately led the team song post-game for the first time since club stalwart Jack de Belin’s off-season departure and the elation on the players’ faces after an agonising stretch of results told the full story.
The young crop of forwards led by Stewart, Dylan Egan, Loko Pasifiki Tonga and the Couchman twins have received plenty of plaudits – not just for their efforts in the breakthrough win, but even throughout the losing streak.
Toby Couchman finished with a team-high 215 run metres, his brother Ryan had 41 tackles without a miss, Stewart made a game-high 45 tackles and set up his side’s first try and Pasifiki Tonga produced his best game at NRL level.
However, it was the more experienced players – Clint Gutherson, Valentine Holmes and Damien Cook – who stepped up against the reigning premiers.
Even players like Kyle Flanagan and Moses Suli had better games than usual.
Holmes in particular returned to form, scoring a double in what was comfortably his best display across a dozen games in 2026.
Valentine Holmes celebrates a try against the Broncos. Getty
Slater said while the young guns have been pulling their weight, it was the veterans that needed to draw a line in the sand to earn a win.
“They created the sniff [of winning],” he said on Nine’s The Billy Slater Podcast.
“You can’t just turn up and say ‘hang on, we’re a chance of winning today’ … you’ve got to go out there and create it.
“I heard [interim coach] Dean Young after the game and he spoke about there being some great young talent coming through, particularly in the forwards – but it’s the senior players that drive everything.
“When you’re in a hole, they’re the ones who need to perform well so everyone else can follow. The senior players stood up and said enough is enough.
“That creates a vibe which is infectious within the group and this win will do amazing things. It will give them plenty to celebrate in team meetings, because they wouldn’t have had too many celebrations in reviews of late.
“It puts a good feel around the week now and they can go into this weekend with a really positive attitude.”
St George Illawarra will face local rivals Cronulla in round 14.