NRL: Stanley looks to No 1 reward with Dragons

Kyle Stanley. Photo / Getty Images

Having rejected big money offers from other clubs to re-sign with St George Illawarra, young gun Kyle Stanley has claimed first dibs on the soon-to-be vacant No 1 jumper.

Stanley has agreed to a three-year deal which will keep him with the NRL premiers until the end of the 2014 season - by which time the impressive 20-year-old hopes to have made the fullback position his own.

The role looks likely to be up for grabs at the end of the year as test star Darius Boyd is set to follow Wayne Bennett in quitting the Dragons.

And while international wingers Brett Morris and Jason Nightingale - with Bronx Goodwin - have been mentioned as possible successors to Boyd, Stanley remains the front-runner to snare the job.

He is being used off the bench as a back-up dummy half, and played all his junior football in the halves, but Stanley says a switch to fullback would not pose too many problems.

"If the opportunity comes I'd definitely take it with both hands, fullback these days is just like a second five-eighth," he said.

"At least I'd get my hands on the ball and be ball-playing at the back and hopefully doing what Darbs [Boyd] did this year.

"It'll come pretty natural to me if I play there next year.

"We'll just see what the outcome is with what everyone is doing next year - hopefully we can get that sorted in the next pre-season."

While reluctant to name which clubs had shown an interest in recruiting him, Stanley said he turned down more money to remain with the joint venture.

The Hurstville United junior said he felt part of the club, and the elevation of assistant coach Steve Price to replace Bennett next year also made his decision to stay on easier.

"I've been under him for three or four years - I came into the 20s side when I was 16 and he was coaching there ... I've got a pretty good relationship with him," Stanley said of Price.

"He had a chat with me the day before I signed - he's helped me a lot.

"I had a few offers from other clubs, but what kept me here was the culture we have - there's no money that can pay for that.

"Clubs are chucking money at me and obviously I took it into consideration, but I love the Dragons. I played all my junior here - that was obviously a big factor in it as well."

- AAP