The St George Illawarra Dragons have quietly entered the conversation around the future of one of the NRL’s most promising young fullbacks.
The Dragons are understood to be interested in Wests Tigers star Jahream Bula, with Zero Tackle reporting multiple discussions are believed to have taken place in recent weeks as the Red V assess their long-term options at fullback.
Bula remains contracted to the Tigers until the end of the 2026 season, but has a mutual option in his favour for 2027, and there is no suggestion a decision on his future is imminent.
The Dragons have reportedly tried to keep the discussions quiet, but in their current position a pursuit of Bula makes a lot of sense on several fronts for their future.
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Whilst Clint Gutherson played well in his first season at the Dragons, he will turn 32 years old this season and his speed at the back has taken a noticeable dip since his halcyon days at Parramatta.
Gutherson has been spoken about as a potential half or centre in a position switch, with centre where he plyed his trade at Manly when debuting in the NRL and both spots suiting his current attributes.
Once thought of as the Dragons’ likely long-term fullback, faith in Tyrell Sloan appears to be at an all-time low, with the former fullback playing wing in 2025 to mixed results.
Whilst creating moments of excitement with some scintillating pace resulting in highlight-reel tries, Sloan was also dropped at times and has not shown enough development to give the Dragons brass faith he could move back into the number 1 jersey.
All this culminates in a pursuit of Bula making plenty of sense on paper, as the Dragons look to plan long term with a spine that has currently just added young half Daniel Atkinson from neighbouring Cronulla.
Bula emerged as one of the Tigers’ brightest prospects since making his NRL debut, standing out with his speed, footwork and composure despite the club’s ongoing struggles in his rookie year.
His rapid development has not gone unnoticed across the league, with several clubs believed to be keeping a close watch on his situation as the fullback market begins to take shape.
At this stage, the Dragons are firmly in an early phase, while Bula weighs up his options amid growing interest from around the NRL.
With movement expected across the fullback market over the coming seasons, Bula’s situation is shaping as one to watch, with fullback arguably the most important position in the modern game there will certainly not be a lack of interest.