St George Illawarra’s troubled pre-season has been rocked by reports a number of the NRL club’s players have been allegedly involved in a violent altercation in Wollongong.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that police are investigating an incident at the Illawarra Hotel on Thursday night, which then spilled to a nearby convenience store.

A 26-year-old man suffered a head wound and was taken to Wollongong Hospital in a stable condition about 11pm.

The Dragons open their season against Wests Tigers next Sunday having been hammered 38-20 by South Sydney in the Charity Shield last Saturday.

They will also start the new campaign without the services of star player Josh Dugan who is sidelined for five weeks with a knee injury.