Yet another former Gerringong Lions junior is hitting the big time in the NRL with young second-rower Dylan Egan making his debut for St George Illawarra on Saturday against Melbourne.

The 20-year-old forward will line up on the interchange bench alongside his childhood friend Hamish Stewart with another Gerringong product, Tyran Wishart, starting at halfback for the Storm.

It’s a proud day for the Group Seven club and it comes after Egan also signed a two-year contract extension on Tuesday.

The new deal will keep him at the club until the end of the 2027 season.

St George Illawarra coach Shane Flanagan said Egan deserves his crack at first grade after impressive performances in the junior representative ranks and at NSW Cup level.

“Dylan has been on a path towards NRL for a long time and it’s great to be able to both extend his contract at the club and give him an NRL debut at the same time,” Flanagan said.

Dylan Egan playing for Gerringong. Photo: Game Face Photography

“He’s a local junior who has come right through our pathways and Academy system.

“As a player he’s got a big motor and can play on an edge or in the middle.

“He’s got a great work ethic and a smart approach to his game and we’re really pleased to be able to extend his time at the club.”

Egan played two seasons of Harold Matthews Cup and two seasons of SG Ball Cup with Illawarra.

He was the captain of Illawarra's SG Ball outfit in 2023 and made the leap up to Jersey Flegg and the NSW Cup later that year.

In 2024, the 20-year-old played in 1871 of a possible 1,920 minutes at Knock-On Effect NSW Cup level making 849 tackles – the highest among all Dragons and third in the competition – at near 96 per cent efficiency whilst tallying 11 line breaks and 45 tackle breaks.

Egan captained Kiama High School’s open rugby league side to a grand final win in the NSW State Combined High Schools competition, the University Shield, in 2022.

The Kiama High team in 2022.

He was also named player of the tournament.

After being mobbed by teammates when it was announced that he would be tackling the Storm this weekend, Egan called his mum to let her know the good news.

“It means a lot to me and my family. And I’m just keen to go and do you proud on the weekend, hopefully,” he said.

“It’s the club I grew up supporting and I’m very excited to put the jersey. Watching Hamish in Round 1 too, I know how much it means and I’ll try and do the same.”