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Eamonn Tiernan is the NRL Editor at foxsports.com.au and he writes Extra Time fortnightly.
Dragons coach Shane Flanagan has set the record straight on comments he made about the club’s focus already being on 2025.
In Flanagan’s first game in charge, St George Illawarra stunned all and sundry on Saturday night with a performance that hasn’t been seen from the Red V in years.
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They dominated in attack and defence as Ben Hunt’s side put the cleaners through big Tino’s Titans in a disastrous start for new Gold Coast coach Des Hasler.
The thumping 28-4 victory came after a tumultuous summer for the Dragons, which saw plenty of pundits tip them to finish last.
Premiership winners and respected voices Braith Anasta, Greg Alexander and Byran Fletcher all tipped the Dragons to collect their first ever wooden spoon in 2024, as did former Kangaroos star Steve Roach.
But Flanagan was all smiles on Saturday night after coaching his first game since 2018 and declared: “I was sitting back quite happy that people were tipping us to come last because it won’t happen.”
But let’s rewind to last month when Flanagan said: “Our focus is 2025… we’ve made some changes in 2024… but our real focus will be for 2025 and 2026”.
The Dragons look more than ready to compete this year and Flanagan clarified his comments during a sit down with foxsports.com.au.
“I did say that and I meant that from a recruitment perspective. We’re looking to 2025 in that department but I haven’t taken my eye off the ball in 2024,” Flanagan said.
“This season is important, we need to show what sort of football team we are and what sort of team we’re building here.
“This side will be very strong defensively, very similar to all the sides I’ve coached, we’ll have resilience and steel in us and at some point we’re going to win games 14-12 and that’s the team I want to be and then add touches of class over the next couple of years.
“So first we’ll get the tough, resilient defensive model and then our classy players can put some points on.
“We’re not looking all at 2025, we’ve got our eyes clearly focused on 2024 as well.”
Flanagan doesn’t know how to beat around the bush and his direct approach was exactly what the club needed after years of underperforming.
Foxsports.com.au asked the veteran coach if his players have appreciated his tough love approach since he arrived last November.
“I hope so because that’s my approach. I just think in this environment, you’ve got to be tough because it’s a tough game,” Flanagan said.
“You can’t take shortcuts, you’ve got to be fit, you’ve got to be strong and tough mentally.
“Then you’ve got to go out there and put your body on the line and push yourself to sometimes extraordinary levels.
“I’m not going to pussyfoot around it, I’ll tell them when they’ve done a good job or haven’t done a good job because I think in this environment you can be really honest.
“I’m not gonna lie to them, I’m not going to sugarcoat things, I’m going to be really honest to them.”
Flanagan endured a brutal summer, missing out on a host of big-name signings amid his star No. 6 Junior Amone being deregistered by the NRL.
Then there were immediate headaches for two of the players he did manage to sign, one-time Maroons fullback Corey Allan and Samoan international Luciano Leilua.
Allan ruptured his ACL at training just a few weeks after joining with the club and Leilua was suspended for their season opener following a drink driving charge.
Sloan hat-trick marks Flanagan era! | 00:39
But Flanagan, who was deregistered by the NRL in 2018, said his time away from the game had made him a better coach.
“I’m glad to be back. Everyone knows the circumstances why I wasn’t coaching, but really good coaches have had periods out of the game,” Flanagan said.
“Look at Des (Hasler) and different people have had periods of time out and come back. I think it’s made me a better coach, I’m probably a little bit more organised and less reactive.
“I’m definitely a lot more tolerant to things like the media. I always thought people were trying to get us rather than trying to work with us.
“But yeah I think I’ll be better for it and I haven’t lost any of the hunger and desire to win.
“That’s just my competitive nature, I want to win everything. I want my teams to win and if they don’t I take it personally, which some people tell me I shouldn’t.
“But if I’m the coach and they’re my players running out onto the field, I take it personal, it’s just the way I am.
“I know Sticky (Ricky Stuart) is very similar in that you know, that’s my football team out there… I think you’ve gotta take it personally as a coach.”
The Dragons’ critics already have egg on their face after Round 1, but with six Origin-capped players and another six who have played Test football, the club could play finals this year.
It will come down to Flanagan getting the best out of Ben Hunt, Zac Lomax, Jaydn Su’A, Jack Bird, Jack de Belin and the Molo brothers.
“We’ve got rep players scattered right through the team who, if we’re really honest, have just underperformed (in recent years),” Flanagan said.
“So we just need them to live up to our expectations and we’ll recruit new players but we can look forward to a really good year this year too.
“We’ve just got to make sure we start believing and trusting (each other).”
Flanagan shifting Lomax from the centres to the wing left the outside back, who is contracted until 2026, looking to leave but the coach has refused a release this season.
“Zac’s position… over the next month that will sort itself out. He can play centre, wing and fullback,” Flanagan said.
“He’ll play where’s best for the team and he’ll be ok in all of it… but at the moment he’s just gotta do what’s best for the team.”
LOMAX HARNESSING HIS FRUSTRATION
Make no mistake, Lomax was absolutely steaming when Flanagan told him he’d be starting the season on the wing – and that’s a good thing.
Coaches love players with because it’s raw energy that can usually be harnessed and used to the team’s advantage.
They also love players who are incapable of shirking responsibility in the high pressure moments, the guys who want the ball in their hands when the game is on the line.
Some players would be content sitting out on the wing and scoring tries while making just a handful of tackles. Not Lomax.
Lomax sees himself as a centre, fullback or even a half. But not a winger.
Foxsportsports.com.au spoke with the Dragons star on the eve of the season and while he was saying all the right things, his body language might as well have been shouting his frustration from the top of the WIN Stadium grandstands.
“I’d love to be a centre for sure, right centre, that’s what I believe is my best position but at the moment wing is my best position for the team,” Lomax said.
“I’d love to (be closer to the action) but it sort of depends on where I’m playing too… It’s hard to dictate if I’m standing out wide.
“Flanno just said he doesn’t want the errors in my game. I’ve just been training wherever has been best for the team.
“I’ve just been trying to develop personally, in the gym just getting as strong as I can and more powerful and I feel I’ve been able to do that so it will be interesting to see how it all pans out.”
Lomax proved why he’s on $800,000 per season with how he responded to what he saw as a demotion in Round 1.
He ran for a career-high 255 metres from his 24 carries that produced 10 tackle busts, two linebreaks and a try.
Lomax’s big pay packet attracts big headlines and foxsports.com.au asked the 24-year-old if he believes he receives more criticism than others.
“Oh I’ve got no doubt, absolutely. I’ve played a few different positions now so it’s chopped and changed with different coaches, and different coaches like different things… and being in a couple of rep teams, it comes with it,” he said.
“The only reason there’s been headlines is because we haven’t had success at the Dragons as of late, that’s the only reason. When you start winning, it goes away.
“But it is what it is, that’s rugby league, there’s always stories. That’s just the way it is, you can give it as much energy as you want but at the end of the day it’s all talk, as long as we’re coming here and competing and enjoying ourselves at training and that’s all that matters.
“I just want to enjoy myself and have fun playing footy and just win more games than last year, that’s the focus, I’m not getting too far ahead of myself.”
HUNT’S UNEXPECTED PARTNER IN CRIME
Dragons halfback Ben Hunt spent the second half of last year requesting a release because he felt unsupported in attack – and then his halves partner Amone got deregistered.
But Flanagan refused to release his best player and found a new five-eighth, his son Kyle, to help free up Hunt in attack – and remarkably it has worked straight away in Round 1.
In a performance nobody saw coming, Flanagan and Hunt worked in tandem beautifully against the Titans in thumping win that temporarily put the Dragons on top of the ladder.
Hunt was honest when asked if even he saw the team’s performance coming, confessing: “probably not the attacking side of it”.
“I knew we were going to work really hard but I didn’t know we were going to win by the score that we did… it was really pleasing,” Hunt said.
Foxsports.com.au asked Hunt what his first impressions have of Flanagan.
“Kyle’s extremely fit and he’s got a real good footy brain on him,” Hunt said.
Flanagan era begins with HUGE win | 06:10
“He’s got a real good kicking game and can really lead and direct the forwards around which is definitely something that’s going to help me.
“We bounce off each other a little bit and help each other around the field.”
Hunt believes 21-year-old Amone, who was convicted of serious assault charges in December, deserves a second chance. Hunt even said there are active NRL players who have “done worse things”.
“He’s a good young kid, Junes,” Hunt said.
“He had a bit of misfortune there, probably made some bad decisions but the whole time he’s been here at the Dragons I could never fault him.
“He was always very well mannered and respected his elders, I always found him to be a really good bloke.
“I think he’ll be back in the NRL one day, I definitely think he should get a shot, there are some people who have done worse things and got another shot, well I think anyway.
“He’s got the talent, so I don’t see why not.
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