St George Illawarra has had a huge day on the player retention front after key forwards Ashton Sims and Justin Poore re-signed with the NRL club.

Sims re-signed till the end of 2008, while Poore, also a local junior, will remain with the Dragons until 2009.

With the June 30 anti-tampering deadline fast approaching, the signings are a major coup for the club, as both 21-year-olds could have potentially commanded more money on the open market.

Commenting on the signing of Poore, Dragons coach Nathan Brown said: "Justin is tough competitor who continues to develop and improve each week and I am very happy he will remain a Dragon.

"Covering the loss of a player the calibre of Luke Bailey is never going to be easy, but I am confident Justin will continue to step-up and lead our team forward."

And on Sims' retention, Brown offered: "Ashton is a talented and skillful player who fits well with our team and structure.

"We are sure he will continue to improve and I am pleased that he has chosen to remain with us for the next two seasons."

Only last week, the Dragons re-signed gun halfback Mathew Head, while a host of other stars - including Mark Gasnier, Dean Young and Matt Cooper - committed long-term to the club earlier in the season.

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