Clint Gutherson's role for maligned teammates as Dragons lament 'total mess'
Clint Gutherson admits he has a crucial role to play with maligned halves pairing Kyle Flanagan and Lachlan Ilias at the Dragons this season. And St George-Illawarra coach Shane Flanagan admits the situation around disgruntled prop Francis Molo - who has been a controversial no-show at training during the off-season - is a "total mess" that he doesn't have an answer to.
The Dragons will get a first proper look at their new-look halves combination of Flanagan and Ilias in competitive action this weekend, when they take on the Roosters in Sunday's Pre-Season Challenge. Ilias was brought to the club to replace representative star and former skipper Ben Hunt, who joined the Broncos after spending seven seasons with the Red V.
Ilias had a season to forget for the Rabbitohs in 2024 after being dumped from first grade by former coach Jason Demetriou, before suffering a serious leg injury that scuppered his hopes of returning to the NRL. The halfback was once regarded as Adam Reynolds' long-term replacement at No.7 for Souths but was told he was free to leave the Bunnies and is hoping to resurrect his career at the Dragons.
The 24-year-old Ilias will look to form a deadly halves combination with playmaker Flanagan, who has also had his share of detractors during an eight-year NRL career across four different clubs. Speaking about his teammates after being named Dragons co-captain alongside fellow new recruit Damien Cook, former Eels skipper Gutherson says one of his key roles will be to help convince the halves duo that they belong at NRL level.
"You've got to show them that you believe in them and that you trust in them," Gutherson told AAP. "I think that's what us older guys do, they get the best out of their younger players. It showed in the scrimmage match with Manly (last week), the belief we had in both our halves and it's about building on what we want to do as a team and let them take control of it.
"It's never going to be perfect … They're probably the two most scrutinised positions on the field and people are very quick to judge when they don't get instant success. I think Lachie was doing a great job at Souths and they were probably looking for someone to pin it (their failures) on and then with the injury it was just unfortunate. I think Kyle, people just want to see him down and out, but as captain, as a leader, you want to instil that you believe in what they're doing - that's something we've worked really hard on."
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Gutherson and Cook have been named at fullback and hooker, respectively, in a strong Dragons squad for Sunday's pre-season game against the Roosters. And the former Parramatta fan favourite says they both "have a point to prove" after being let go by their former clubs, with Cook allowed to leave the Rabbitohs under veteran coach Wayne Bennett. Valentine Holmes is another Dragons recruit that was allowed to leave after the Cowboys granted the Maroons star an early release, and he'll start at centre in Sunday's game.
The Dragons' preparations for the new season have been rocked by Molo's stunning stand-off with the club, and his decision not to return to training since an incident last month. Molo - who is one of the team's best middle forwards - reportedly had a "disagreement" with a member of the Dragons' coaching staff and has not been seen at the club since.
The Red V signed Emre Guler from the Raiders to help strengthen their playing stocks but Molo appears to be agitating for an early release from his contract. And Dragons coach Shane Flanagan admits he's not sure if the prop will play for them at all this season after describing the situation as a "total mess".
'I met with the NRL to see where we sit from a salary-cap perspective. There were a couple of things to work through with our roster," the Dragons coach News Corp. 'We are going through the legal process of his contract... It's a legal minefield. Frank is on sick leave until his sick days run out and then I have no idea what will happen. We might not get him back this season, who knows."
with AAP
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