Frustrated Flanagan flags further changes at Dragons

Frustrated Dragons coach Shane Flanagan will continue to make whatever changes are necessary to iron out the kinks and make the Red V a more consistent force in 2024.

Less than a week after upsetting Manly 20-12 at WIN Stadium, the Dragons succumbed 30-10 to Newcastle at a wet, wild and windy McDonald Jones Stadium on Friday night.

“They kicked better, they scored three tries off kicks, last-tackle plays, credit to them. They handled it better,” Flanagan said after the Knights taught his team a lesson in wet-weather football.

“Those three kick tries probably was the thing that changed it, and the late try that Kalyn [Ponga] picked up from another kick, we just didn't do that well.”

After opening their campaign with a 28-4 victory over the Titans at Cbus Super Stadium, the Dragons were humbled 38-0 by the Dolphins and 46-24 by the Cowboys before bouncing back to shock the Sea Eagles.

“That’s exactly what it is, it's inconsistent and we know we need to get to the bottom of it,” Flanagan said.

“Whether it's the talent in the dressing-room or if there’s something else underlying, I need to get to the bottom of it, but it’s definitely inconsistent.

“We should have been better tonight. Credit to the opposition, it was terrible conditions but they handled it better than we did.

“We know we can go when we need to but we're not consistent enough and we need to find out why. As I said, tonight was tricky conditions but it’s not an excuse."

Trailing 24-10 early in the second half, Flanagan switched Zac Lomax to fullback and Tyrell Sloan to the right wing, despite Lomax scoring a try and creating another for captain Ben Hunt with a spectacular no-look flick pass.

Flanagan was unhappy with Sloan’s lack of commitment at the back but would not give an assurance that Lomax, who will leave the Dragons at the end of the season, remains at fullback for their next game against Wests Tigers.

“The three tries [conceded]. It just wasn’t good enough,” Flanagan said.

“He [Sloan] is a young kid and he needs to learn it’s a tough game and you need to put your head where people are going to put their boots and there’s going to be collisions. It didn’t happen in the first three tries so I knew I needed to make a change and I’m not afraid to do those type of things.

I need to make change at this club, that’s my job and I’m going to make change.

Dragons coach Shane Flanagan

Flanagan said there was “even more to change”, which could include keeping Hunt at the Dragons beyond the end of next season.

Hunt is contracted to the end of 2025 but seems keen to extend that commitment into 2026, which is a remarkable change of direction after he sought a release last year and often spoke publicly about his desire to leave the club.

“I haven’t got too much to say on it at the moment but I definitely feel like I can play on. There’s been a lot of things that have changed,” Hunt said.