Lachlan Ilias believes he is better placed to fill Ben Hunt's boots than he was Adam Reynolds', as he readies for a second crack in the NRL at St George Illawarra.
Ilias went from South Sydney offices on Monday to Dragons training on Tuesday, ending an eight-month saga after being dropped from the NRL in March.
The 24-year-old has had anything but an easy run into his NRL career.
Ilias entered the NRL in 2022 as the most scrutinised young halfback in the competition, after the Rabbitohs prioritised his future over re-signing club legend Reynolds.
It started with a preliminary final in his first year, before the Rabbitohs' record-breaking capitulation in 2023.
Ilias was then dropped after two games in 2024, had his leg broken in NSW Cup, and was told by returning coach Wayne Bennett he wouldn't play at No.7 with the Rabbitohs in 2025.
At the Dragons he now faces another challenge, asked to replace another big-name half in Hunt after the Queenslander's drawn-out exit was completed last month.
But Ilias believes he is a different player to the one who was handed the No.7 jersey at the Rabbitohs in 2022.
"Anyone can think what they want (about what replacing Reynolds meant)," Ilias said.
"I obviously got thrown in, but someone had to get thrown in. I just took it as a challenge.
"I think I'm more experienced and I am ready for that responsibility now. I'm not saying I wasn't then, but I'm more so now.
"I haven't really thought about (that scenario) too much. I just think of this as a fresh start. I am happy to be here, I really want to lead the boys around."
Ilias expects to be back in full training around Christmas, leaving him two months to prepare alongside his new halves partner Kyle Flanagan.
The playmaker admitted he had initially struggled with the broken tibia and subsequent hospital stay, before eventually accepting his fate.
But he said his contract situation had never weighed too heavily on his mind, after being given permission by South Sydney in April to look elsewhere.
"Only because I had the extra year at Souths anyway, so there wasn't really a rush to go anywhere," Ilias said.
"Wayne was nice and honest and said I wasn't getting first crack at Souths. I appreciated him being honest.
"I (said) from the start I wanted to play halfback somewhere."
Ilias also has Damien Cook to thank for his arrival, who immediately contacted Dragons coach Shane Flanagan to tell him to pursue Ilias once Hunt's exit was complete.
"That's just because I believe in him," Cook said.
"I know how much he wants to play half, he is a halfback and that's what he wants to be.
"I felt like he was quite hard done by, especially last year. I'm excited he's got his fresh start and looking forward to him playing the best footy we know he can."
