'Grown up a lot': Kerr opens up on emotional move ahead of Dragons return
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Dragons forward Josh Kerr admits he needed to leave the club to evolve before returning a better man ahead of the 2026 campaign.
The 29-year-old is preparing for his first appearance in the Red V since 2023 when he steps out for the side's Witzer Pre-Season Challenge clash with the Knights on Saturday night.
After making his debut for the Dragons in 2019, the Redcliffe product returned home to join the Dolphins midway through their inaugural season and steadily evolved into a key figure in their pack.
Nearly three years later, Kerr signed a two-year deal with St George Illawarra and has quickly made a positive impact throughout the pre-season.
Josh Kerr Try
The prop recognises he needed to leave Wollongong to grow up but returns with a fresh perspective on football and life.
"It's been good to be back," Kerr told NRL.com. "The first few days when I came back, it was sort of like I never left. The culture here is elevated, it's the best I've seen it since I've been at the club. It's good to be back, it's feels like my second home so I'm grateful.
"I have grown up a lot but I've still got that little kid inside me. I moved away, I had a few things going on when I was here but I went away, got engaged, bought my first house and had my first kid. A lot of things have changed for me and I get to come back with more of a mature mindset but you still can't get rid of that kid inside me."
Match: Dragons v Knights
Round 1 -
home Team
Dragons
away Team
Knights
Venue: Jubilee Stadium, Sydney
Kerr will lead a young Dragons pack in Saturday's pre-season clash against the Knights, with the Couchman brothers and Jacob Halangahu among the promising forwards to take the field.
The match is the second in double-header also featuring North Queensland and Canterbury as all four teams kickstart their preparations for the Las Vegas season opener on February 28.
Kerr burst on to the scene when he played for the Indigenous All Stars in 2019 before he had even made his NRL debut.
The Redcliffe junior made his first appearance for the Dragons later that season and was viewed as one of the most promising young forwards in the competition.
Kerr was a member of the Maroons Origin squad in 2020, however his career stalled soon after and he struggled to retain his place in the St George Illawarra side by mid-2023.
The Dragons later cleared the path for a move to the Dolphins, where he slowly found his feet on and off the field.
Kerr's life has accelerated in the past year, with the forward becoming a dad and getting engaged. With his life thriving off the field, the 29-year-old is eager to hit the ground running in his St George Illawarra return.
Post match: Indigenous captain Josh Kerr
"The goalposts in life shifted once I became a dad," Kerr said. "I was adamant on my way or the highway on a lot of things because I've worked so hard to get to where I am in rugby league.
"This job is like catching lightning in a bottle. It takes a lot of work, but also a lot of luck as well. I've always been afraid of putting my focus somewhere else in case I lost it but when I had my little kid and heard his cry for the first time, I just knew my responsibility as a man was to make sure I did whatever it took to take care of him, put a roof over his head and be the best dad I can be.
"I'm still doing my best for footy but being a father is another thing that's been added to my life, which has been crazy."
Having returned to Wollongong with a new outlook, Kerr has quickly emerged as a leader of a young Dragons pack.
Las Vegas Game Plan: Dragons young forwards ready to fire
The veteran looked up to the likes of James Graham, Tariq Sims and Cam McInnes when he first broke into the St George Illawarra squad and recognises how important they were in progressing his development.
It's a similar role Kerr hopes to play for a talented group that includes Hamish Stewart, Dyan Egan and Loko Pasifiki Tonga, and it hasn't taken long for the veteran to have an impact on his young teammates.
"He's been a great leader for us young blokes," Stewart said. "He's a lot more mature than I heard he was and he does little things like grabbing us to do extras, getting the group together and talking about what we're trying to do.
"He's been great for us young blokes and the whole squad in general since coming back here for pre-season."
Rugby league returns on February 7 when the Witzer Pre-Season Challenge kicks off. Catch all the action live on Fox Sports and Kayo.
