Such is his good form that the St George Illawarra Dragons have acted swiftly to secure the services of Paul Vaughan, who has burst onto the scene and made people take notice of his play and form on a consistent basis.
Since joining the Dragons at the beginning of the year, the prop has played in 95 games to date and knowing how good he has been, the club felt keeping him around as long as possible was crucial.
The new deal will see Vaughan remain a Dragon until the end of 2021, with the Italian international pleased to have it all sorted.
“At the start of the season, I wanted to start afresh and prove myself all over again. That was one of the biggest things I needed to do,” Vaughan said.
“I think I’m halfway to doing that – I just need to keep playing consistent football.
“I’ve always said I wanted to stay here for as long as I can so with this deal I won’t be off-contract again until I’m in my 30s.”
Crucial for future success, Vaughan shapes as a genuine long-term prospect in the front-row and one that can take his game to the elite level if he is consistent enough.
“We’ve identified him as a future leader and we’ve also been impressed by the way he’s integrated and interacted with the younger forwards,” said St George Illawarra Dragons Director of Rugby League Pathways, Ian Millward.
“Paul has been a tremendous acquisition to the Dragons. By re-signing him, it was a good opportunity to get stability in our forward pack and have that platform there for our halves.”