Sele family reunion set to take over Vegas as forward eyes injury-free year

Dragons forward Hame Sele is planning a family reunion in Las Vegas as he looks to put two years of injuries behind him in 2026. 

There were fears Sele would be forced to hang up the boots when he was diagnosed with pericarditis after experiencing heart pain during a match in late 2024.             

The lock was eventually cleared to return at the start of last season before injuries restricted him to just six NRL games in 2025.

Sele enters the new year with a clean bill of health and has his sights on earning selection for the Dragons’ season opener against the Bulldogs at Allegiant Stadium.

A Tongan international, Sele has extended family in both Los Angeles and Utah and it didn’t take them long to request tickets for the clash in Las Vegas.

“I have family in LA and Utah so after I played [Australian Schoolboys in 2014] I went over there and spent Christmas with my family,” Sele told NRL.com. “They took me to Vegas and showed me around. We drove the strip, there were bright lights everywhere so it was mad.

“They’re all going to the game so I’ve already asked for a lot of tickets and hopefully I’ll get to play in Round 1 and will see them all in Vegas.”

Sele was among the Dragons’ best in last week’s opening Pre-Season Challenge clash against the Knights, running for 151 metres in a 28-18 victory.

The forward is set for his second hit-out in Saturday’s Charity Shield, with a host a big names expected to make their first appearance of the season against the Rabbitohs.

Had things gone differently throughout the last 18 months, however, Sele would be watching from the sidelines rather than lacing up the boots.

The forward started in St George Illawarra’s Round 23 clash with the Bulldogs in 2024 but left the field after 21 minutes with chest pain and shortness of breath. He was taken to hospital and went through extensive testing to determine the cause of the issue.

Sele was eventually diagnosed with pericarditis, a condition which causes inflammation of the tissue surrounding the heart.

While he never doubted his ability to get back on the field, the forward conceded he went through some challenging times mentally throughout the past 18 months.

“It’s always hard when you get injuries and footy’s still going but you’re not playing,” Sele said. “Your main focus is on getting healthy and getting back on the pitch but it’s hard when the team’s doing well and you get left behind.

“You have to prove yourself again from square one, prove you are an asset to this team and you bring an important role to the team. It was hard at times but I backed myself and I worked hard to get back here.”

Sele slowly ramped up his training volume in the 24-25 summer and was cleared to return in last year’s Pre-Season Challenge. The 2025 campaign, however, did not go to plan as he battled a string of injuries.

The 29-year-old eventually found his feet at the back end of the season and helped the Dragons NSW Cup side progress to the grand final.

Sele now has a full pre-season under his belt and is determined to secure his place in the starting forward pack for Round 1 and beyond.

“I just want to play a whole year of football,” he said. “I haven’t strung a few games together for a few years so it’ll be good to stay injury free this year.

“We’ve got a good squad here, I can tell we’re building something special with Flanno and the team we’ve got. We’ve got a lot of strike all over the park and I want to be part of that so hopefully I can this year and share in what the Dragons are building this year.”

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