All he wanted was an NRL premiership. Now Mark Gasnier wants to be the player he once was again.

He may say he jumped on the bandwagon 18 months into a two-year project begun with the appointment of Wayne Bennett, but Gasnier had his own battle to get himself physically right for the extreme demands of the NRL.

The 29-year-old gradually found his feet after his return from French rugby union against Penrith in round 17, but says he can still get a lot better.

"I still feel like I've got a lot of improvement to go," he said.

"I did work hard this season but I think it will be really nice to have an off-season under my belt and work hard in that regard.

"I haven't had an off-season for about three years now.

"In rugby over in France you have three of four weeks off but then you go straight back into playing.

"You don't have an off-season, you don't have 16 weeks of training so I think that will benefit me."

Gasnier in the kind of form that made him a NSW and Test regular could be just one difference for the Dragons as they look to build on their drought-breaking success in 2011.

Several of their roster will leave to ease salary cap pressure, among them Neville Costigan (Newcastle), Jeremy Smith (Cronulla), Jarrod Saffy (Melbourne Rebels), Ricky Thorby (North Queensland), Luke Priddis (retiring), Michael Lett (Canterbury) and youngsters Beau Henry (Newcastle) and Kalifa Faifai-Loa (North Queensland).

To compensate, Wayne Bennett has so far signed Wests Tigers backrower David Gower and Penrith youngster Daniel Penese.

The Dragons will also get improved prop Dan Hunt back from an Achilles injury and three-quarter Peni Tagive from a serious knee injury.

Significantly adding to their firepower, hooker Nathan Fien should be available for much more of the season after breaking his leg in round one this year and returning in round 22.

"We had a lot of injuries, myself (included), and a lot of players played Origin this year," Fien said.

"But the depth of the squad that Wayne's assembled and the systems that are in place, anyone on their given day can step in and do the job for us so I think the future's very bright for the red V."

Costigan will join the Knights on a three-year deal after resurrecting his ailing career, which had included his sacking by Brisbane in their premiership year of 2006, at the Dragons.

"I've tried doing my best week in week out for the Dragons and that's the best way I could thank them," he said.

"I'm leaving here on a high note."

Whether the red and whites can build a premiership dynasty as the cap bites remains to be seen, but the Bennett-instilled determination will definitely be there.

"Obviously there's a lot of blokes moving on next year, salary cap and all those sorts of issues, so you never know who's going to be here in two years time, three years time," winger Brett Morris said.

"Hopefully we can keep the core group together and it will be something that we'll be striving for, to be here next year."

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