'Good attitude': dumped Dragon backed to battle back
Lachlan Ilias is low on confidence after some poor performances but coach Shane Flanagan says the axed St George Illawarra halfback is too good to not wear the No.7 again.
Ilias was not the only one to blame for the Dragons' damaging 46-18 loss to Sydney Roosters on Anzac Day but a change needed to be made to allow him to find some form, Flanagan said on Friday.
A shortened pre-season was one of the reasons Flanagan gave for Ilias being short on belief to start the year; Ilias was still recovering from a serious leg fracture when he signed for the Dragons.
But the coach is confident we haven't seen the last of Ilias in the Red V's first-grade team, adding the former South Sydney playmaker's positive approach will boost his quest to return to the starting side.
"He's a first grade halfback, and he just needs to go and find a little bit of form and a bit of confidence," Flanagan said ahead of the Dragons' Magic Round clash with Wests Tigers on Saturday night.
"He's trying really hard, his kicking's been good and he'll go back.
"He's got a real good attitude, no one wants to get dropped but he'll go back and work hard and we'll see him again."
Multiple Dragons underperformed in the Anzac Day thumping; Flanagan hinted some of Ilias' teammates could consider themselves lucky to have held their spots.
"He (Ilias) was one of many that didn't turn up that day, there could have been a lot of others, but ... I just felt that we needed a change," he said.
"We've gone that way, whether it's the right way or the wrong way, we'll soon find out."
Ilias' replacement at halfback is 19-year-old Lyhkan King-Togia, whom Flanagan backed to show composure beyond his years in his return to first grade.
King-Togia, who played four NRL games at the end of 2024, announced a two-year contract extension with the Dragons on Tuesday.
Flanagan said the new deal would not put any more pressure on the young half than he faced when called up late last year.
"He's real cool, calm and collected, doesn't get over-excited or show any frustration and he'll handle it really well," Flanagan said.
"We had to win footy games to make the finals last year, and you wouldn't have seen any change in Lyhkan's temperament or demeanour going into those games, and he's been fine this week as well."
The coach has big plans for the incoming halfback and believes he could be the young playmaker of the future the Dragons have been searching for.
"Every club's looking for young halves, and we've got one we think can take us a little bit further," he said.
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There's already been a lot of bad news for Dragons fans tonight and here's more: there is still 20 minutes left. 9.23pm on Jun 6, 2025 Katoa, Isaako put Dolphins within reach of 50 No mistakes from Katoa this time. This time the Dolphins halfback drives a low kick from just outside his 30-metre line and it's a perfectly placed 40-20. His team now gets a shot at the Dragons line and you get the feeling they'll make the most of it. And they do. It's only takes a few tackles for the Dolphins to create an overlap on the right, Val Homes forced to come inside to stop Jake Averillo who finds an unmarked Jamayne Isaako out wide. Isaako misses the conversion but it hardly matters at this point. Dolphins lead 44-2 with 22 minutes left 9.18pm on Jun 6, 2025 Rare attacking raid for Dragons Finally – a mistake by Isaiya Katoa. 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