‘Don't cop that': Braith Anasta ‘put on spot' over Dragons saga, NRL outcast
The club is in a unique situation with Kyle the son of coach Shane Flanagan, leading to plenty of scrutiny during what has been a disappointing campaign.
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Furthermore, backup halves Ilias and Jonah Glover have been knocking the door down in reserve grade, leading the Dragons' NSW Cup team to 10 wins from their past 12 games.
Glover and Ilias missed out once again this weekend, with Flanagan picked at halfback for this weekend's clash against Canberra.
Ilias, who joined the Dragons from Souths in the off-season, has played in seven NRL games in 2025. After a heavy loss to the Roosters in Round 8, Ilias was dropped and hasn't been able to win his spot back.
Foxsports.com.au's Paul Crawley believes Flanagan simply wouldn't be continued to be picked if his dad wasn't the Dragons' coach.
'I would argue if Flanno wasn't the coach, I don't think Kyle would still be in the team,' Crawley said on NRL360.
'Because you've got to own up to the fact he tries his guts out – no one ever accuses him of not trying his guts out. But his kicking game hasn't been great. His game management hasn't been great. He doesn't pose a great attacking threat.
'You've got Ilias, who Shane Flanagan brought to the club – he brought him to the club to play halfback. He got dropped because of his game management. He (Ilias) went back and did what he had to do in reserve grade.
'They've lost their last four games and Flanno has dug his heels in and he's not gonna change. He's just not gonna change. But is that because Kyle's his son? Or because Kyle is just a player that he really believes is really playing to the best of his ability and Lachie can't come in and do something better?'
Ilias is managed by NRL360 host Braith Anasta.
Anasta said he was 'put on the spot' by a question from The Daily Telegraph's Dean Ritchie, who asked Anasta how Ilias was going 'emotionally and form wise'.
'That's a tough one. That's a tough one to ask,' he responded.
'I can't win here … Shane and the Dragons will think I'm having a crack – but if you want my honest opinion, he's gone back and did everything he's asked of. They've won 10 out of 11 games. And then pretty much because they lost one on the weekend, that's why he's not playing this week? I don't cop that.
'I've sat pretty quiet here. I don't want to get involved. It's hard for me. But he couldn't do any more.
'Unfortunately for him, I'm trying to keep him up because he's losing hope. I'm sure the other kid there, (Jonah) Glover is as well.
'Maybe I shouldn't say this, but I had to – because that's how I feel.'
Earlier this week, the Dragons officially announced the hiring of former NRL coach Daniel Anderson to be the club's Head of Recruitment.
One of Anderson's biggest tasks this off-season will be to search for the club's next marquee halfback.
Rather bluntly, Dragons CEO Tim Watsford has publicly said that Flanagan won't be the club's halfback next season.
'Kyle was brought in as a 14 or utility to play a role,' Watsford said earlier this month.
'At the time, we had two halves in Benny Hunt and Junior Amone. That was where the club was heading.
'At the end of last year, we signed Daniel Atkinson from the Sharks and he will come in and play half in 2026.
'Kyle is there fulfilling a role for 2025 and fulfilling it well. Now, we're in the market and we'll be in the market for a marquee halfback.
However, Crawley believes that Flanagan's continued insistence on selecting his son at halfback is 'doing the club damage' as the veteran journalist said it could be sending potential free agent targets a poor message.
'There's another layer to that too – another layer to the story in the fact the Dragons senior management has come out in recent weeks and said they're chasing a top line number 7,' Crawley said.
'Well, you'd have to question of the young guys coming through would you want to send a young 7 to the Dragons knowing that there's every chance Kyle stays at 7? They've shown no trust in the bloke they bought last year to play 7.
'I think it's doing the club damage – they might not want to admit it, but it's the truth.'
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Combined with a proven track record of try-scoring, we believe he has a lot of upsides. "We are excited to see what AJ can do here at the Knights." Kepaoa will be added to Newcastle's top-30 roster, joining the likes of James Schiller, Fletcher Hunt and uncapped Taj Annan in vying for a first-grade spot behind preferred starting wingers Dom Young and Greg Marzhew, and centres Bradman Best and Dane Gagai. The Knights also confirmed the signing of Eels playmaker Matthew Hunter, who will join the club for the next three seasons. Originally from Townsville, Hunter has played nine NSW Cup games for Parramatta this year, scoring five tries, setting up five more and making just as many line-breaks. The 20-year-old, whose nine reserve-grade games have been at five-eighth, will be on a development contract in 2026 before rising to the top-30 roster for the following two years. "Matt is a talented half or five-eighth, who I believe could also play fullback," O'Sullivan said. "He has jumped out of the ground in NSW Cup this year, playing in red hot form, scoring tries and creating try assists on a frequent basis. "With a great feel and instinct for the game, and given time to develop his body, we strongly believe he will be an NRL player of the future. "Matt is a great young man, from a very supportive family and we look forward to watching him prosper here at the Newcastle Knights." The signing announcements come after the Knights confirmed the retention of veteran centre Gagai, and the return of Raiders prop Pasami Saulo, this week. Newcastle's roster is going through an overhaul under O'Sullivan. He signed Eels half Dylan Brown earlier this year, has let go of Jayden Brailey and Kai Pearce-Paul, and is set to move on the likes of Jackson Hastings, Adam Elliott and Jack Hetherington at season's end. Tyson Frizell's future remains up in the air. 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"With a great feel and instinct for the game, and given time to develop his body, we strongly believe he will be an NRL player of the future. "Matt is a great young man, from a very supportive family and we look forward to watching him prosper here at the Newcastle Knights." The signing announcements come after the Knights confirmed the retention of veteran centre Gagai, and the return of Raiders prop Pasami Saulo, this week. Newcastle's roster is going through an overhaul under O'Sullivan. He signed Eels half Dylan Brown earlier this year, has let go of Jayden Brailey and Kai Pearce-Paul, and is set to move on the likes of Jackson Hastings, Adam Elliott and Jack Hetherington at season's end. Tyson Frizell's future remains up in the air.
