Mikhail Gorbachev
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Lachlan Ilias | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | 9 May 2000||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 184 cm (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 92 kg (14 st 7 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Position | Halfback, Five-eighth | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: [1] As of 25 April 2025 |
Lachlan Ilias (born 9 May 2000) is a Greece international rugby league footballer who plays as a halfback for the St George Illawarra Dragons in the National Rugby League (NRL).
Background
Ilias was born in Australia, but is of Greek, Italian, and German heritage.[2] He grew up in the Sydney suburb of Five Dock. He played schoolboy rugby union for Trinity Grammar and was in the 2018 Australian Schoolboys Rugby team.[3] He also played junior rugby league with Leichhardt Wanderers in the Balmain junior district.[citation needed]
Career
Early career
Ilias signed a development contract with Wests Tigers in 2017.[4] In 2018, after a meeting with Anthony Seibold, Ilias transferred to the South Sydney Rabbitohs for the 2019 season.[5]
2021
Ilias made his debut for South Sydney at halfback in his side's 20−16 victory over the St. George Illawarra Dragons at Sunshine Coast Stadium in round 25 of the 2021 NRL season, Ilias also scored a try on debut.[6]
2022
In round 15 of the 2022 NRL season, Ilias was substituted shortly after half-time during South Sydney's 32-12 loss against St. George Illawarra. South Sydney were down 32-0 at half-time, and Ilias had knocked the ball on from the opening kick off.[7] Ilias played 26 games for South Sydney in the 2022 NRL season including all three of the clubs finals matches as they reached the preliminary final for a fifth straight season. Souths lost in the preliminary final to eventual premiers Penrith 32-12.[8]
Ilias made his international debut for Greece against France on 17 October 2022 at the 2021 Rugby League World Cup.[9]
2023
In round 4 of the 2023 NRL season, Ilias kicked a field goal during golden point extra-time to win the game for South Sydney over Manly 13-12.[10] Ilias played a total of 24 games for Souths in the 2023 NRL season as the club finished 9th on the table and missed the finals.[11]
2024
After South Sydney lost their opening two games of the 2024 NRL season, Ilias was demoted to reserve grade and replaced with Dean Hawkins.[12] In round 5 of the NSW Cup season, Ilias suffered a fractured tibia during South Sydney's match against the New Zealand Warriors. It was announced that Ilias would miss a minimum of three months.[13] On 29 April, it was announced by the South Sydney club that Ilias was free to negotiate with other teams at the end of the 2024 season.[14] On 25 November 2024, Ilias signed a two-year deal with the St. George Illawarra Dragons.[15]
2025
In round 1 of the 2025 NRL season, Ilias made his club debut for St. George Illawarra against Canterbury which ended in a 28-22 loss. The following week, Ilias came under fire from head coach Shane Flanagan following the clubs loss against his former side South Sydney. Flanagan said of Ilias “The people who needed to make the decisions didn’t make them or the right ones and didn’t get us into field position".[16]
Statistics
As of 17 April 2025
Year | Team | Games | Tries | Goals | FGs | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2021 | ![]() |
1 | 1 | |||
2022 | 26 | 5 | 20 | |||
2023 | 24 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 21 | |
2024 | 2 | |||||
2025 | ![]() |
6 | ||||
Totals | 59 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 45 |
References
- ^ Rugby League Project
- ^ Stamocostas, Con (27 May 2019). "The Greek Australians aiming to qualify Greece to their first ever Rugby League World Cup". Neos Kosmos.
- ^ "Rabbitohs sign freakish teen rugby union talents Joseph Suaalii and Lachlan Ilias". 12 February 2019.
- ^ "NRL 2021: Lachlan Ilias will make his debut for Souths after being snatched from the Tigers". Archived from the original on 21 October 2021.
- ^ St John, Mark (3 June 2021). "Reynolds' heir apparent one of six Rabbitohs re-signings: Transfer Centre". Fox Sports.
- ^ "NRL Round 25 team lists". NRL.com. 31 August 2021.
- ^ "'Saw the confidence drop away': Matty Johns labels Ilias' hooking 'unfair' after Dragons flogging". www.foxsports.com.au. 16 June 2022.
- ^ "Penrith Panthers defeat South Sydney Rabbitohs 32-12 to qualify for third straight NRL grand final". www.abc.net.au. 24 September 2022.
- ^ "Rugby League World Cup: France 34-12 Greece - Les Bleus beat debutants". www.bbc.co.uk. 17 October 2022.
- ^ "'Give me the ball': Souths rookie's clutch golden-point play as Manly robbed of certain try - 3 Big Hits". www.foxsports.com.au. 25 March 2023.
- ^ "'Absolute madness': Potential Latrell switch slammed as a 'band aid' for broken Bunnies". www.foxsports.com.au. 5 September 2023.
- ^ "'He's a scapegoat': NRL world fumes over brutal Rabbitohs axing". www.news.com.au.
- ^ "Warrior facing HUGE ban from NRL judiciary over gruesome hit which fractured Souths star's leg". www.foxsports.com.au. 8 April 2024.
- ^ "'Didn't see it coming': Lachlan Ilias left blindsided as young halfback free to leave Rabbitohs". wwos.nine.com.au. 29 April 2024.
- ^ Staff Writer (25 November 2024). "Ilias signs on for two seasons". St George Illawarra Dragons. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
- ^ "Star responds to brutal Flanno bake, backs under-fire half while stressing Dragons 'aren't far off'". www.foxsports.com.au. 18 March 2025.