JACKSON HASTINGS’ transfer link to the St George Illawarra Dragons has been emphatically shut down by both the Dragons’ head coach Shane Flanagan and Hastings’ agent.
Hastings, who currently plies his trade with the Newcastle Knights, has been linked with the rebuilding Dragons in recent days.
But, Australian publication, The Daily Telegraph, has revealed there is absolutely no truth in the reports, stating: “There is a rumour doing the rounds that St George Illawarra are interested in signing Jackson Hastings. Coach Shane Flanagan says it’s not right and Hastings’ manager Liam Ayoub insists he is staying at the Newcastle Knights.”
Hastings became quite the cult hero in the UK during his three-and-a-half year spell in the northern hemisphere, helping the Salford Red Devils to the Super League Grand Final in 2019.
The Red Devils were eventually beaten by St Helens, but the halfback’s influence was such that he was awarded the Steve Prescott Man of Steel for the best player in Super League that year.
Ahead of the 2020 Super League season, Hastings made the move to the Wigan Warriors where he again starred, helping the Warriors make the 2020 Grand Final where he was again bested by Saints.
Those performances earned the 28-year-old a move back to the NRL with the Wests Tigers in 2022, but he played just 16 games as a move to Newcastle loomed.
It’s fair to say that Hastings’ time with the Knights has been more of a success, with the Hunter club making it to the NRL Finals in 2023.
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