Tyrell Sloan is set to retain the St George Illawarra No.1 jersey with the youngster on track to hold off a challenge from Zac Lomax at fullback.
Sloan had been under pressure to keep his spot after an injury-plagued off-season, battling a thumb complaint along with a syndesmosis tear suffered in the Koori Knockout.
The injuries hampered new coach Shane Flanagan's plans to toughen up the 21-year-old and coincided with Lomax spending time training at the back.
Well aware he needed to improve in defence, Sloan vowed late last year to fight for the No.1 jersey, declaring he wanted to hold off any competition to be the club's fullback.
That desire now appears likely to be fulfilled with Flanagan confirming Sloan is on track to start at the back in round one against Gold Coast on March 9
"I’d say Tyrell Sloan will be more of a chance (of playing No.1)," Flanagan said.
"At fullback Tyrell Sloan could be anything. He could be a superstar.
"Zac Lomax will be in the team so it’s not too much of a concern for me. I’ve got two really good players.
"I’ve got to train Zac there because I think he can do a really good job there because he’s powerful and he’ll bring the ball back strongly.
"They’ve got different qualities but at some stage during the year he’s going to have to play fullback. But Tyrell, I say, will (start there)."
Flanagan also confirmed Jack Bird would move out of the back row.
Bird has been training at centre and will likely start the season there, but will also act as a back-up half if either Ben Hunt or Kyle Flanagan are unavailable.
"If we’ve got an injury in the halves then I say Birdy will be our first halves replacement because he does a good job there," Flanagan said.
"He did it as a kid and played there at the Sharks for us.
"But Birdy has predominantly been training at centre and that’s where he played for me at the Sharks as well and did a really good job.
"He’s smart defensively and he carries the ball strongly out of the back end of the field.
"If you look at back-rowers these days they’re tall, big and athletic. Birdy would like to tell you he is, but he’s not."
Bird's centre shift will create something of a squeeze in the backline.
One genuine option is for Lomax to shift one out to start at left wing, allowing he and Sloan to swap roles through games and both act as fullback at different stages.
That would allow Bird and Moses Suli to start in the centres, ensuring the latter is not squeezed out of the starting side after being re-signed last month.
