St George Illawarra coach Shane Flanagan says Luciano Leilua’s latest stint on the sidelines generally is a silver lining because the blockbusting ahead prepares for his first NRL recreation for the Dragons since 2019.
The 27-year-old was launched final month by North Queensland to rejoin the joint-venture membership on a three-year deal.
Leilua was stood down by the Cowboys after pleading responsible to low-range drink driving in February and subsequently suspended by the NRL for one match for not disclosing to his membership or the governing physique that he had been charged.
Now he has acquired himself prepared to come back off the bench towards the Dolphins in Redcliffe on Sunday.
Dragons prop Blake Lawrie mentioned Leilua had introduced loads of vitality to the squad.
“He is able to go. You possibly can inform he is he is loving it again right here and he is acquired a smile on his face,” Lawrie mentioned.
“He is a ball of vitality in and across the change rooms and on the (coaching) subject. It is an enormous in.”
Leilua, with 124 NRL video games below his belt, went from the Dragons to Wests Tigers after which the Cowboys earlier than returning to the Crimson V.
“He is any individual you’ll be able to lean on as nicely, by way of the footy aspect of issues. He is extra skilled and simply older,” Lawrie mentioned.
“And clearly he is performed fairly a couple of NRL video games since he is gone away and are available again.”
Flanagan mentioned the wait to unleash Leilua had been value it.
“It was good to get him concerned in our techniques and the way in which we do issues,” he mentioned.
“He might be prepared and itching to go. He’ll come off the bench and might be on within the first half in some unspecified time in the future.”
Flanagan addressed studies that winger Zac Lomax was searching for to talk to Parramatta about a right away launch, after being sad to not play centre.
Lomax had one among his greatest video games on the wing final week within the 28-4 win over Gold Coast.
“An sad participant does not carry out like he did final week,” Flanagan mentioned.
“We all know he desires to play centre however he desires to play first grade for the Dragons as nicely.
“He’s keen to co-operate and has been excellent at coaching when he is right here.”
