The Dragons are reportedly targeting Daniel Anderson, the current Roosters recruitment boss, to lead their rebuild under coach Shane Flanagan.
The 58-year-old has an extensive coaching resume in the NRL, leading both the Warriors and Eels to Grand Final appearances.
He then took his talents to the front office, joining the Bondi based club in a recruitment and retention role.
However, in 2022 he was involved in a tragic body surfing accident that left him a quadriplegic.
This life-altering event put his career on hold until 2023 where he made a remarkable comeback to resume work with the Roosters.
He's now seen as a key architect in reshaping their ageing roster into one of the NRL's most exciting young squads.
The Sporting News takes a look at the key decisions that have turned the tri-colours into premiership contenders over the course of Anderson's tenure.
MORE: Major NRL club targeting Sydney Roosters recruitment boss
Daniel Anderson's roster building strategy
Since those Roosters Grand Final side's in the late 2010's, there's been a clear change in tact which has led to the top-30 of today.
Whilst it is hard to know exactly which moves to attribute to Anderson given the sway Nic Politis and Trent Robinson have over the roster, his appointment as recruitment manager coincides with several trends.
The first of those being a clear directive to build from within.
Since 2019, the tri-colours have brought through the likes of Nat Butcher, Lindsay Collins, Sam Walker, Naufahu Whyte, Joseph-Aukuso Sua'ali'i, Siua Wong and Blake Steep.
Whilst the Bondi club doesn't have the most robust junior league base in the competition, Anderson clearly has an eye for talent early and puts his trust in the coaching staff to develop them into NRL stars.
This is a strategy likely able to be replicated at the Dragons who have a significantly larger catchment of New South Wales to nurture young footballers from Kogarah through the South Coast.
However, this would be the strategy of most other NRL clubs who look to their junior pathways as an indicator of future success.
So what makes Anderson's strategy unique?
The vital ingredient to the Roosters success in building out a competitive roster is being willing to experiment.
Since 2019, the tri-colours have looked to hit home runs in every season.
Splash signings like Josh Morris, Sonny Bill Williams, Matt Lodge, Kevin Naiqama, Connor Watson, Brandon Smith, Dylan Napa, Spencer Leniu, Dominic Young, Michael Jennings and Mark Nawaqanitawase have all walked through the doors in Bondi.
Of those names, only three remain on the current roster.
It's not about identifying the right free agent, it's about attacking areas of need with volume; and the Roosters aren't married to the outcome of these transactions as they've shown to be quick to move players on if they don't live up to the hype.
They're also willing to look to other competitions and codes.
Sonny Bill and Nawaqanitawase both arrived after having played the 15-man game, whilst Naiqama and Napa were returning from stints in the Super League.
Their ability to attract these free agents is aided by the fact that they're one of the NRL's biggest brands.
However, it's not unreasonable to assume that this approach would work for the Red-V.
Strong reliance on junior development, mixed with scattershot gambles on free agents signed on 'prove-it' deals to supplement the roster.
If Anderson's time in the eastern suburbs is anything to go by, his tenure with the Dragons should really excite their starved fanbase.