Recruit watch: Zane Musgrove

The NRL market has been in full swing for 2023 with several stars switching clubs ahead of the new season.

NRL.com takes a look at the major transfers and how your club will benefit from a star arrival.

Zane Musgrove (Dragons)

Age: 26
Position they’ll fill: Prop 
Contracted until: 2024

What Musgrove can bring

After three seasons at the Wests Tigers Musgrove arrives to bolster a Dragons pack which lost a glut of experience over the off-season, with the Auckland-born prop looking to build on a last-up campaign which saw him play more than seven games for the first time since 2017. 

The aggressive edge he brings will be a welcome addition to a side who bid farewell to three of their chief enforcers in Tariq Sims (Storm), Josh McGuire (Warrington) and George Burgess (retired) last year. 

While that part of Musgrove's game has seen him make a few trips to the Judiciary in recent times, if he can channel it in the right way it will be an important factor for the Dragons in 2023 if their pack is to become one which is feared in the NRL. 

Last season Musgrove averaged 89 run metres and 21 tackles per game for the Wests Tigers, and he proved to be a durable option as well, appearing in all 24 of their games. 

Why it’ll work

After losing over 600 games of NRL experience through the loss of McGuire, Sims and Burgess alone, the Dragons desperately needed to bring in some experience in the engine room for this season.  

Musgrove – who despite only playing 62 games in his career so far has been around since 2016 – gives them that, along with still likely being in his physical prime at the age of 26. 

The one-time Samoa Test prop will likely command a starting spot from the outset in Anthony Griffin's side and should be a feature in a pack which is lacking depth right now, although that could change with the Dragons still having three roster spots open for the upcoming campaign.