Jack Bostock, Dylan Egan and Hamish Stewart.

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Three NRL superstars who kicked off their careers playing touch football at North Dalton Park, just a stone's throw from St George Illawarra Dragons' new Fairy Meadow state-of-the-art training centre.

The Wollongong Devils touch football team competing at the 2019 Junior State Cup in Wagga featured NRL stars past and present. From the back row and circled are Nathan Fien, Jack Bostock and Dylan Egan, and front row Hamish Stewart and Ashton Ward. Picture supplied.

Rabbitohs player Ashton Ward and Dolphins assistant coach Nathan Fien also featured in the Wollongong Touch Association's representative program in their early years before going on to bigger and better things.

The accompanying photo shows these players and coach Fien representing the Devils at the 2019 Junior State Cup in Wagga.

Dragons' warhorse Egan, speaking ahead of St George Illawarra's clash against the Newcastle Knights on Friday, joked it was a shame the Couchman twins, Toby and Ryan, weren't good enough to make the Devils' junior representative teams.

"Touch was very important in the growth of my career. I loved playing it, learning the fundamentals of just the catch and pass, and getting all that skill stuff. I reckon it helps a young player come through 100 per cent.

"It's just a shame that the Couchies could never crack that arena, but they've made it here, so we'll leave that there," Egan joked.

Ryan Couchman may have missed out on higher honours in touch football, but the Thirroul Butchers junior and Dragons forward is one step closer to it in rugby league, after training with the NSW Blues side ahead of game two of Origin in Melbourne.

The NSW side includes Newcastle Knights second-rower Dylan Lucas, who played his junior football with the Albion Park-Oak Flats Eagles and Wests Devils, as well as Dolphins winger Jack Bostock.

The Figtree-born and raised Bostock was called into the squad this week as a replacement player for the match in Melbourne on Wednesday, with Mark Nawaqanitawase promoted to make his debut on the wing.

Couchman said he enjoyed his three days in camp with the NSW side.

"It was really good. I was there for a few days and learned a lot. It was pretty cool just training with them, and I really enjoyed it," he said.

"I've always had a fire to play in that arena. It's always been a dream of mine, and hopefully one day I can.

"It's good to see players from here do well, but I'm not looking at that so much.

"I've got a job to do for the Dragons. Hopefully we can play good footy and get some wins.

"But I want to shout out to Jack [Bostock]. I played a lot of junior footy with him, and he's a good mate of mine, so I'm really happy for him."

Couchman said the Dragons were looking forward to returning to action on Friday night after a last-round bye.

St George Illawarra have played six games since their last outing against the Knights, when beaten 44-10 in Wollongong by the visitors.

Couchman said the Dragons were keen to put up a better showing in Newcastle on Friday night, adding the Red V was showing signs of improvement in recent weeks under the coaching of Dean Young.

"We're starting to see what we want our side to look like; it's a good feeling. Deano's been great; he's instilled a lot of confidence in us.

"Now it's just about putting it together for the full 80, and hopefully we'll see that over the next few weeks," Couchman said.

"Deano's stripped it all back.

"Obviously, we're struggling. He's made it pretty simple and clear on our roles, puts a lot of confidence in each individual to go there and do the job, and we've got a lot of confidence in him, too."

The 22-year-old said being more consistent was key for St George Illawarra heading forward.

"Our focus has been on us. We have improved, and we're training well; hopefully, we can show that against the Knights," Couchman said.

"They're a quality team, and we will have our work cut out, but it's about us.

"We've got to get ourselves right. I think if we get ourselves right and we play our style of footy, we compete higher, kick them in the corners, it nullifies that a lot.

"They've got some quality individuals that we've had a look at and, yeah, hopefully we can nullify them a little bit.

"They're great players, so they'll play well, but we've just got to do our best."

With Jaydn Su'A ruled out for the season with a pec injury, Dragons' head coach Dean Young has brought in Luciano Leilua onto the interchange for the round 16 clash against the Knights at McDonald Jones Stadium.

Christian Tuipulotu has been named in jersey No.22 as he eyes a return from a hamstring injury, while Daniel Atkinson has been named to start at five-eighth in his 50th NRL match.