Tyrell Sloan has vowed his spectacular St George Illawarra farewell will not be his final act in the NRL, declaring he will "definitely be back" following a match-winning performance against Parramatta.
Sloan will head to Castleford alongside Damien Cook in 2027, the departing Dragons leaving the NRL at contrasting stages of their careers but on a collective high after a fairytale finish in Wollongong.
Playing his 97th and final game for his junior club, Sloan scored a first-half try before drilling a 43-metre two-point field goal in the 74th minute to seal a dramatic 24-22 comeback victory at a sold-out WIN Stadium.
It was the first field goal of Sloan's NRL career and ensured the 24-year-old departed the Dragons with one of the most memorable moments of his six seasons in the Red V.
"I don't reckon it'll be the last time you see me in the NRL. I'll definitely be back," Sloan told ESPN.
"Regardless of what jersey I put on, I'll always have the Red V at heart."
Sloan is preparing to join Castleford on a two-year deal from next season, alongside Dragons teammates Damien Cook and Mathew Feagai.
While the long-range strike appeared improbable to most inside the stadium, Sloan revealed it was a skill he had repeatedly attempted between training drills - often to the frustration of coach Dean Young.
"It was just off the cuff, some things we do throughout the week. I was actually practicing this for fun," Sloan said.
"Youngy usually gets pissed off because in between drills I'm just trying to slot them from 40 out and kicking all his balls away that he's using for the next drill.
"We had a little laugh there. He goes, 'Maybe I'll let you do a little bit more.'
"I wasn't sure if it was going over looking from our end, but luckily it did. The boys got around me, which was a really good feeling."
The victory could not prevent the Dragons from collecting the first wooden spoon in the joint venture's history, but it provided a fitting send-off for a host of departing players and snapped the club's 400-day wait for a victory in Wollongong.
For Sloan, a Dapto junior who progressed through the Dragons' pathways before making a try-scoring NRL debut in 2021, the reality of leaving his only NRL club had not yet sunk in.
"I guess it hasn't really sunk in, the possibility of leaving," he said.
"If I'm not here, I'll be watching the Red V from afar and cheering them on because, at the end of the day, it's always going to be a big part of my career and they'll always have my heart, for sure."
While Sloan expects another NRL chapter, Cook's journey in the competition has reached its conclusion.
The 35-year-old finished with 263 NRL appearances after beginning his career with the Dragons in 2013, spending two seasons with Canterbury and nine with South Sydney before returning home to captain St George Illawarra across the past two years.
Cook initially believed he had kept his emotions under control after full-time, before spotting former Rabbitohs teammates Jai Arrow, Cody Walker and Cameron Murray in the crowd and then reuniting with his family.
"I thought I was going all right, and then I saw a couple of the teammates, the Souths boys, and got a bit emotional," Cook told ESPN.
"It really got me when I saw my family, especially my wife.
"It was pretty special to have those guys turn up. I spent a long time there and a lot of time with them.
"That's one of the great things about the game - it gives you those mates and those memories."
Cook admitted the finality of his NRL retirement may not fully register until his former teammates return for preseason training without him.
"I think it probably will more when preseason starts and I'm not going back to preseason," he said.
"I'll sit back at home while they're getting flogged in the heat and I've got to worry about training in minus-five degrees. That'll be different.
"But I know in my heart it's the right time. I made the decision early for my family and myself, and I've never looked back.
"It has given me a good chance to really enjoy the rest of the season."
Asked what advice he would give the version of himself who debuted for the Dragons 13 years ago, Cook provided a fitting summation of his career.
"Keep working hard to get it, because it's going to be a hell of a ride," he said.
"It's going to be good fun, so enjoy it. Try and soak it up as much as possible."
