St George Illawarra have moved on from Matt Lodge after signing Emre Guler from Canberra on a two-year deal, effective immediately.
The 27-year-old had been in the nation’s capital since 2018 and clocked 94 appearances for the club during his seven-year stay.
Yet the prop was clearly on the outer last season under Ricky Stuart as he went from making 25 appearances the year prior to just 11 in 2024.
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St George Illawarra Dragons sign Emre Guler from Canberra
Shane Flanagan has been vocal all summer about wanting to sign another front-rower to supplement his pack.
The Red V were close to bringing in Lodge after his exit from Manly in the off-season but the enforcer reportedly wanted a top-30 contract that the club were unwilling to offer.
Guler has since been brought in after being granted a release from the final year of his deal at the Raiders.
"I’ve said consistently we need to bring another experienced middle into our roster for 2025," Flanagan said upon the announcement of the signing.
"Emre certainly fits that bill. With his size and experience he will add plenty of value to our roster as well as help to mentor our emerging crop of middle forwards."
The former Junior Kangaroos player was a member of Canberra's 2019 grand final side but had fallen down the pecking order behind the likes of Morgan Smithies, Ata Moriata and Trey Mooney.
Guler is another part of a hefty recruitment drive as Flanagan attempts to return the club to the finals for the first time in eight years.
Clint Gutherson, Valentine Holmes and Damien Cook were brought in to provide an experienced core after the team were guilty of producing inconsistent displays on far too many occasions last season.
Lachlan Ilias was also brought on board to be their new halfback after the tumultuous saga between their former skipper and No.7 Ben Hunt finally came to an end last year.
The Queensland and Australia representative was released from his deal and returned home to Brisbane, with Flanagan immediately getting to work on rebuilding his roster with the money his release generated.
Meanwhile, Guler’s arrival could also spell the end of Francis Molo’s time at the club.
The 30-year-old has been granted leave away from the club after expressing his desire to move during the pre-season.
Molo’s exit would leave a massive hole up front though after he started 23 games for the Dragons last season. In fact, he has been a mainstay of the club’s pack ever since arriving from North Queensland in 2022.
He has registered 62 appearances across a three-year period but could now be free to depart due to Guler's arrival.