
Dragons show faith in Lyhkan King-Togia with new contract as he prepares for possible NRL return at Magic Round
The 19-year-old has been in stellar form in NSW Cup and is fresh from setting up three tries in his side's 30-point win over the Sea Eagles.
The Dragons Academy graduate has been rewarded for his consistent form with a new two-year deal that means he will progress into the club's top 30 squad in 2026.
King-Togia showed promising signs at the back end of last season when he played four NRL matches, with the young gun in line to return to first grade in Brisbane this weekend with Ilias tipped to be dropped after a mixed start to life at his new club.
'Locking down Lyhkan for another couple of seasons is exciting for the club,' Dragons coach Shane Flanagan said.
'He got a taste of first grade at the end of last year and has been playing good footy to start this season for our NSW Cup team.
'He's an exciting young half on the up and we're looking forward to watching him continue to improve over the coming seasons.'

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Sydney Morning Herald
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The Age
an hour ago
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Why the Sydney Roosters should be thanking Bryan Fletcher and The Footy Show
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Braidon Burns will replace Taulagi on the wing but the club expects to have the former Queensland representative back for next week's clash with Canterbury. "We named him this week in the thought he might improve but he tried to get some running done on Thursday and was no good," said North Queensland coach Todd Payten. Craig Bellamy is not expecting miracles from an understrength Melbourne, but luckless Jonah Pezet could be forgiven for thinking his NRL comeback is one. The Storm and North Queensland will be without a combined total of nine State of Origin representatives for Saturday's clash, the most for any game this weekend. Covering for the absences and injuries in the outside backs, Melbourne have been forced to name Joe Chan to play centre for the first time in his NRL career. Elsewhere, Penrith junior Ativalu Lisati has been named for only his third game, while journeyman winger Kane Bradley comes in for his second game of the year. "You don't expect miracles from them," Bellamy said of the reinforcements. "But they've been training with us all year, we haven't got anyone in over the last few weeks. "It (the Origin period) is always tough but it's tough for a lot of teams." But there is a silver lining in the NRL comeback of Pezet, who had been earmarked as the Storm's next halfback before enduring more than a year of knee injury hell. The playmaker was last seen in the NRL in round three last year, rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament playing reserve grade a month later. Some 336 days later in March, Gosford-born Pezet returned to the field for feeder side North Sydney, only to injure the same knee and book in for more surgery. But Pezet has since made it through two games of NSW Cup and will start on Bellamy's bench after making it through captain's run in Townsville. "There's some guys that are going to get a chance tomorrow, a chance to impress and a chance to play a bit of first grade," Bellamy said. 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