'I expect to be here': Norman lifts lid on Dragons, form and future

Under-fire Dragons star Corey Norman will discuss his positional future with interim coach Dean Young on Monday and expects to see out the final year of his estimated $850,000 contract with the club.

Norman returned to the Red V scrumbase in Paul McGregor's last game in charge of the club on Friday, having a hand in both tries as St George Illawarra secured a 14-12 upset of his old club Parramatta.

The 29-year-old's form since arriving at the joint-venture club has fluctuated between landing him a Queensland Origin debut last year and being dropped just two weeks ago.

Given only the first season of Norman's lucrative three-year Dragons deal – believed to be worth around $2.5 million – was subsidised by the Eels, St George Illawarra are understood to have been willing to offload him to a rival NRL outfit for next season.

The Dragons expect to have Norman on their 2021 books at this stage given little interest in him elsewhere.

The prospect of a potential swap with ex-captain Gareth Widdop at Warrington was shot down as quickly as it was raised earlier this month, with Norman adamant he will not be moving to England, or anywhere else for that matter.

"There's no chance of me going to England. It's too cold," Norman said after the Eels win, admitting the reports of a UK move had caught him off-guard.

"I spoke to my manager and cleared it up. There is no chance I am going over there.

"I'm still contracted here for another year so I am keen to stay here.

"I expect to be here next year. I want to finish the year strong and move onto next year.

"When you're in a side that is getting done and you're a main ball player it falls on you. That's rugby league and that's what happens if you're not getting the result. It is what it is."

Like almost every member of the red and white spine, Norman has been shuffled between positions at times over the past 18 months as McGregor tried to get the Dragons firing.

Norman has played largely at five-eighth since joining the club last year, but finished 2019 with six games at fullback – where he also lined up in round four for a loss to Canterbury – and has also had Adam Clune and Ben Hunt alternating as his halves partners.

NRL.com understands Norman's role in the halves was the cause of disagreement between the Dragons' controversial selection panel comprised of McGregor, Young and assistant coach Shane Flanagan.

The No.6 makes no bones about his middling form in a struggling Dragons side this season.

Now having been first demoted from, and then returned to first grade, Norman plans to discuss his positional future with Young when he takes charge of training as interim head coach on Monday.

"I definitely want to be playing in the halves," Norman said.

"We have a meeting on Monday and we'll see what happens.

Of his round 13 axing Norman said: "It is what it is. I wasn't going to mope around and kick stones. Did I agree with it? Probably not. I just got on with training, did my part and did what I have to do.

"[My form] hasn't been good at all. I won't shy away from that. It hasn't been good at all so I want to finish the year strong to make that talk go away.

"As a team we're not going really well. We got a win [on Friday] that was good. There are six rounds and just want to finish strong."