St George Illawarra have locked in NSW State of Origin hopeful Paul Vaughan until the end of the 2021 NRL season.

The 26-year-old prop has enjoyed a sparkling start to his career at the Dragons after joining the club this season from Canberra, where he fell out of favour.

“I’ve always said I wanted to stay here for as long as I can so with this deal I won’t be off-contract again until I’m in my 30s,” Vaughan said in a statement on Tuesday.