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St George Illawarra coach Anthony Griffin said Zac Lomax and Daniel Alvaro will be assessed to play in round 21 once they return to the team's bubble on Sunday.
St George Illawarra duo Zac Lomax and Daniel Alvaro will have their fitness evaluated for an immediate NRL return once they rejoin the team's bubble on Sunday after spending a fortnight in hotel quarantine in Queensland.
The pair served a one-match suspension for attending Paul Vaughan's infamous barbecue that breached NSW Health orders but were then forced into quarantine for not signing a declaration required by the Queensland government.
The pair will be released from quarantine on Sunday with hopes they can slot into the side to face Canberra in round 21.
"I'd imagine (they'd come straight in), they've had limited opportunity with where they've been, but they've done as much as they could," said Dragons coach Anthony Griffin on Friday.
"We sent some gym gear over to them and they're allowed to have an hour or so where they can get out of their rooms, so we'll see them and assess them on Sunday morning to get an update to where they are."
The Dragons are desperate to get Lomax back into the side in particular.
The 21-year-old NSW Origin hopeful has played just eight games this season through injury, then suspension, and now quarantine requirements.
His future at the club is also up in the air after he stirred controversy on Instagram on Thursday.
In a social media cull, Lomax unfollowed the Dragons on Instagram, causing fans to go into a spin speculating about his future at the club.
But Griffin wouldn't buy into it when asked on Friday.
"That's above my pay grade there with Instagram. I've got no idea how that operates," he said, adding that he hadn't spoken to the young centre about what it means.
In the meantime, Griffin has pieced together a rookie squad for Saturday's clash with South Sydney.
Rising star Tyrell Sloan was named at No.1 after fullback Matt Dufty was dropped, while Corey Norman has been named in the centres with Jayden Sullivan at five-eighth.
"Sloan's been going really well. Our performance last week wasn't good enough and we weren't happy with that as a club and as a group," Griffin said of the positional switches.
"Sloan's got a good relationship and football combination with Sullivan, and we're down on troops obviously so we've only got the bare 17 or 18 who are fit to play."
This week Blake Lawrie, Jack Bird, Jack De Belin and Josh McGuire serve their one-match suspensions for the biosecurity breach.
The Dragons are fighting for their spot in the top eight but Griffin said the young players in the squad have handled the pressure impressively.
"They've been fantastic," he said.
"They've all got fantastic attitudes.
"They're getting their opportunities quicker and in more important games than they probably would have if we were full strength."
