It had appeared as if Tariq Sims might have played his last game for St George Illawarra, but he could yet line up in the Red V again.
There’s still a chance St George Illawarra forward Tariq Sims will play for the Dragons next season, despite being told to explore his options.
The veteran has one year left to run on his deal, which is believed to be worth around $800,000, but the Dragons have refused to extend his contract beyond the end of the 2022 season.
Sims has spoken to several clubs and has been linked with the Sydney Roosters, but no deal has been done yet.
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The Dragons are holding out hope the second-rower will line up for the Red V next year, even after telling him his services won’t be required in 2023.
According to Nine, St George officials are optimistic Sims will play for the Dragons in 2022 if he can’t secure a deal at another club.
The 31-year-old has played 204 NRL games and made 104 appearance for the Dragons since joining from the Newcastle in 2016.
Sims enjoyed a solid year for St George and played all three games in NSW’s State of Origin series win this year.
Speaking to the Dragons’ website earlier this month, he hinted he would be eager to stay on at the club as its roster undergoes some upheaval.
“The skeleton of our squad is really starting to take shape,” Sims said.
“A couple of those boys, it was their first pre-season and they weren’t really meant to be getting a look in this year.
“We started to see glimpses of it towards the back end of the year which is really exciting.
“We will be working tirelessly. We have a little break with our families, have some downtime, and then turn back up in November ready for next year.”
The Dragons have recruited Jaydn Su’A from the Rabbitohs, Moses Suli from the Manly Sea Eagles and Aaron Woods from Cronulla, as they look to rise up the NRL ladder after finishing 11th in 2021.
“We’ve lost a lot of big boys this year and next year we gain a lot of blokes,” Sims said.
“Unfortunately that’s the beauty of the beast in rugby league.
“But we’ve got a great coaching staff, great strength and conditioning team.
“I’m sure they’ll be licking their lips to get a hold of them and whip them into shape.”
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