The Roar
The Roar

Advertisement

Dragons add Raiders prop Paul Vaughan to 2017 squad

Paul Vaughan has signed with the Dragons for three seasons starting in 2017.
21st October, 2016
11

The Dragons have picked up NSW Origin hopeful Paul Vaughan for the 2017 NRL season after the Raiders agreed to release the prop.

The signing confirms one of the post-seasons worst kept secrets. The hulking prop will link with the Dragons on a three-year contract believed to be in the region of $1.75 million.

Vaughan has played his entire 85 game career to date with the Raiders but fell out of Ricky Stuart’s top 17 following the arrival of Junior Paulo and Joseph Tapine and the emergence of young stars Clay Priest and Luke Bateman.

It’s a massive boost to the Dragons heavily derided forward pack, which now features Australian international Tyson Frizell, English international Mike Cooper, and man-mountain Mose Masoe, who missed the entirety of 2016 with an ACL injury.

Dragons recruitment manager Ian Millward trumpeted the “welcome addition”.

“Paul is a big-sized front-rower who has played representative rugby league for several seasons now,” Millward said.

“His experience and presence will be a welcome addition to our current forward pack.”

Vaughan will start training with the Dragons in their first pre-season block next month and said he was excited by the talent he would be playing alongside.

Advertisement

“I’m very happy to be joining the Dragons who have such a rich history and looking forward to starting the pre-season alongside my new teammates,” Vaughan said.

In further signing news, Souths back-up hooker Damien Cook has knocked back an offer from premiers Cronulla to extend his stay at the Burrow until at least the end of 2019.

Cook’s extension now creates an interesting tussle for the No.9 jersey with incumbent NSW hooker Robbie Farah after his well-publicised departure from the Wests Tigers. The former Tigers hooker is expected to get first crack at the starting role.

It’s a welcome headache for the Redfern club after hooker Cameron McInness signed with the Dragons last month.

close