Stewart, Reh named 2026 Dragons Medal recipients

Author: St George Illawarra Dragons
Timestamp: Tue 15 Sep 2026, 10:02 PM

Hamish Stewart and Kasey Reh have been named the St George Illawarra Dragons’ 2026 Dragons Medal winners at the club’s annual awards ceremony.

Stewart became the youngest male player in club history to win the Dragons Medal, capping a remarkable rise for the 22-year-old.

A Gerringong Lions junior and Dragons Academy graduate, Stewart was one of only two Dragons to play in every match this season, tallying five tries and nine try assists — the most by any non-hooking forward in the premiership — along with a competition-leading 996 tackles, 18 offloads and an average of 94 run metres.

Having debuted in last year’s season opener, Stewart has quickly established himself as one of the premiership’s hardest-working defenders and developed into a genuine attacking threat through his damaging ball-running, playmaking and aerial ability.

Reh, a Western Suburbs Red Devils product, continued her rapid rise by adding the Dragons Medal to an already impressive list of accolades, which includes a Dally M Rookie of the Year award, three Prime Minister’s XIII selections, two Under 19s State of Origin Player of the Match honours and a Tarsha Gale Cup Player of the Series award.

Still only 20, Reh was tasked with leading the team around the park and appeared in every match, finishing eighth in the premiership for kicks with 94 and sixth for kick metres with 2,488, while also recording five forced dropouts and 263 tackles.

Dragons CEO Tim Watsford said the night was about recognising individual excellence rather than celebrating the season as a whole.

“Our results fell well short of the standards we set for ourselves, and we own that,” Watsford said.

“But that does not mean we should overlook the individuals who continued to perform, lead and uphold the standards we expect.

“Hamish and Kasey have both shown enormous maturity, consistency and professionalism, and their recognition tonight is thoroughly deserved.

“For Hamish to become the youngest male player in our history to win the Dragons Medal is a significant achievement, while Kasey has taken on enormous responsibility at just 20 years of age and handled it with great composure.

“They represent the type of players we want to continue developing at the Dragons — talented, hard-working, team-first people who understand what representing the Red V requires.”

Dylan Egan, a fellow Gerringong Lions junior and Dragons Academy graduate, was awarded the club’s Immortals Trophy, which recognises players who demonstrate outstanding commitment, dedication and attitude across all aspects of their rugby league preparation, training and performance.

The 22-year-old returned from a long-term ACL layoff in Round 10 and quickly made his mark, finishing the season with 16 appearances. He made 671 tackles at close to 96 per cent efficiency, averaged 85 run metres, and captained the Club for the first time in Round 24.

Ella Koster, an Albion Park-Oak Flats Eagles junior, was recognised with the NRLW Coach’s Award after appearing in all 11 matches this season, scoring three tries, breaking 23 tackles and tallying 333 tackles — the seventh-highest mark in the premiership — at over 90 per cent efficiency.

Head Coach Nathan Cross praised the 21-year-old’s maturity, attitude and professionalism throughout the season.

Loko Jnr Pasifiki Tonga and Tahlia O’Brien were named the club’s Emerging Talent recipients.

Pasifiki Tonga made 18 appearances across the season, averaging 117 run metres and making 531 tackles at over 97 per cent efficiency, while O’Brien grew into one of the NRLW side’s most dependable outside backs, scoring three tries, assisting on five others and averaging 69 run metres.

Stewart and Teagan Berry were named Red V Members Player of the Year winners in recognition of their strong campaigns.

It marked Berry’s fourth consecutive Red V Members Player of the Year award in the same season she became the first Dragon to reach 50 NRLW appearances.

In the lower grades, Jacob Webster took home the NSW Cup Player of the Year award, while Eden Hodges was named Jersey Flegg Player of the Year.

Webster averaged 131 run metres and made 672 tackles at over 95 per cent efficiency in 18 NSW Cup outings before earning an NRL debut in the Dragons’ Round 23 win over the Sharks.

He remained in first grade for the rest of the season, featuring in three wins from five outings and proving a reliable contributor off the bench for Head Coach Dean Young.

Hodges, meanwhile, produced an outstanding Jersey Flegg campaign, scoring 15 tries and assisting on 20 others in 18 matches as the squad surged towards the minor premiership.

The Shellharbour junior was also named the competition’s Player of the Year by the NSWRL.

Off the field, Egan and Koster received the Community Involvement Award for their work with local schools, junior clubs, youth organisations and charities.

Egan was also named to the NRL Community Team of the Year for his support of grassroots programs including The Best You Can Be, Junior League Respect sessions and the St Vincent de Paul Society’s Vinnies Van initiative.

Koster, a proud Gweagal and Wiradjuri woman, earned a place in the NRLW Community Team of the Year for her work across school visits, junior rugby league clinics, cultural events and community programs.

Madison Mulhall was awarded the Mark Coyne Trophy for Career Development for her work as a full-time Psychology and Sport & Exercise Science student.

Pathways and Operations Manager Travis Roche was named Club Person of the Year in recognition of his commitment to the Dragons, generosity, initiative, and communication skills.