Anthony Seibold is out the door as Manly coach and almost immediately, the attention has turned to Shane Flanagan and the winless Dragons.
The pressure has started to mount on the St George Illawarra coach just four rounds into the season, with the joint venture stranded on the bottom of the ladder.
Flanagan took over the job at the start of 2024 with results on the field failing to improve and if anything, they are starting to get worse.
READ MORE: Axed star's 'deflated' admission to Thaiday before unlikely twist
READ MORE: 'Think about it every day': Kyrgios' biggest tennis regret
READ MORE: Fresh blow for Warriors skipper two games after ACL return
In his first season at the helm, the Dragons bottled a prime opportunity to play finals and then parted ways with their two best players, Zac Lomax and Ben Hunt.
Last year, it was a case of what could have been as the Red V lost countless close games – including three by just one point – before finishing with four-straight defeats.
The ghosts of 2025 have remained a constant presence early in Flanagan's third year.
A golden-point loss to Canterbury. A second-half lead collapsing against Melbourne. A horrible attacking display against Parramatta.
The latest loss to fellow cellar dwellers Gold Coast has shone a light on how poorly the side is going, continuing to trend backwards under Flanagan's guidance.
While the coach is signed until the end of 2028, that will matter little if things don't turn around soon according to league great and Illawarra product Josh Morris – even if Flanagan has "runs on the board" from his time at Cronulla.
"It's eight losses in a row now if you count the four to end the season," he said on 2GB's Continuous Call Team Offload podcast this week.
"Dragons fans are just as passionate as Manly fans, they want to see success and if they don't get it, the drums will get louder and louder each week.
Watch the 2026 NRL season live and free on Nine and 9Now.
"One thing I will say about Flanno is he has quite a young squad there and he's probably the right type of person to instil the toughness and grittiness.
"He does have runs on the board of bringing clubs out of the doldrums into premiership-winning teams and we've got to remember that as well."
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWf613YN1S1/?utm_source=ig_embed&
St George Illawarra have been one of the NRL's biggest under-performers for the past decade, making the finals just once in that period, back in 2018 under Paul McGregor.
Over the past year, the club have attempted to rebuild off the field as well as on it, hiring Tim Watsford as chief executive and Daniel Anderson as head of recruitment, before landing the enormous marquee signing of Keaon Koloamatangi for 2027 and beyond.
But according to veteran News Corp journalist Andrew Webster, discussions about Flanagan's place as coach will start if the Dragons don't return to winning ways.
"They have extended him out to bring stability, particularly around recruitment – but that's only gonna go so far if you're not winning games," Webster said on the Offload podcast.
"If they're not going well by Anzac Day and they don't perform in that match, that's always a drama at the club. If they don't get at least one win out of those three matches heading into the Roosters match, then Dragons management are gonna have to have some pretty tough conversations with Shane Flanagan.
"Having spoken to people at the club – that's definitely at play."
Flanagan's men have a chance to rectify some of the early-season performances over the next fortnight, with fixtures against the Cowboys and Sea Eagles.
The pressure is on, however, for the coach to make changes to the Dragons lineup, with one name on the tip of everybody's tongue – Kade Reed.
The teenager turned heads in the trials and is seen as the club's long-term halfback. But question marks remain about whether Reed is physically and mentally ready for NRL, with coach Flanagan tempering expectations for a debut before the season.
Reed could potentially come into the side this week with Kyle Flanagan sidelined after a nasty concussion in round four, while Lyhkan King-Togia is another option.
"Dragons fans have been agitating to try and see Kade Reed in the halves," Morris said.
"They liked what they've seen in the trials and what happened to Kyle, while it was disappointing, he won't play next week and that will force Shane's hand.
"He will have to put someone new in the halves. If he plays well, does he keep him there or does he bring Kyle back? That's gonna be the question people will ask."
Reed is small in stature but has earned praise for his toughness coming through the lower grades and would provide some spark and youthful exuberance in the spine.
Three-time NRL premiership winner Luke Keary believes the time has come for the Dragons to take a gamble on the 19-year-old, with an eye towards the future.
"I think Kade Reed comes into the side, just throw him in," Keary said on The Bye Round.
"I think you're at that point where yeah, he's probably not ready – but like [interim Manly coach] Kieran Foran said, when are you ready? Just throw him in. From what I've seen in the trials, he's gonna offer them something that they haven't had in a long time.
"I think [Daniel] Atkinson is playing steady enough to help him and they're not getting absolutely dominated, so you're not throwing him in an incapable team.
"I think you just bite the bullet."
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.