Latest news with #Ilias
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Lachlan Ilias act piles pressure on Shane Flanagan after brutal Dragons snub
Lachlan Ilias has responded to his axing having starred in the NSW Cup for his club with the Dragons going down to the Wests Tigers at NRL level. Dragons fans were left divided last week when coach Shane Flanagan opted to drop Ilias back to NSW Cup after their mauling at the hands of the Roosters. The coach admitted a number of players could consider themselves fortunate not to be dropped, but Ilias was snubbed. This was controversial considering many felt Shane's son, Kyle Flanagan, was not living up to the hype in the No.6 jersey. Instead, it was the halfback that made way for Lyhkan King-Togia. King-Togia put in a solid performance for the Dragons against the Wests Tigers and showed he is meant to play in the NRL. He recorded two try assists and two line break assists with his ball-playing a real highlight. However, the Tigers still prevailed 34-28 and left the Dragons stranded on eight points. In the meantime, Ilias was a star in the Dragons' 60-26 win over the Magpies in NSW Cup. Flanagan admitted Ilias would return to first-grade if he was able to find confidence again and it appears the youngster has started on the right path. Ilias found his running groove having scored two tries and ran for 102 metres in the victory. He also recorded a try assist of his own. And it will be interesting to see how Flanagan reacts to Ilias' display. There were plenty of calls for King-Togia to remain in the No.6 jersey for the Dragons after the young star showed plenty of promising signs in his first game of NRL in 2025. But if Ilias continues to find his form, and the Dragons don't, then it could be Kyle Flanagan facing the axe. Regardless, coach Flanagan has more selection decisions to make heading into round 10 as the Dragons take on the high-flying Warriors at home. Egan, Stewart and king-Togia were our stand out players — Justin Murphy (@Murphy220687) May 3, 2025 King togia got speed , good kick game and good vision looks to have a solid future — 46VET🇼🇸🇦🇺 (@46vet_) May 3, 2025 After plenty of speculation to why Ilias made way after the Roosters game, Flanagan said he wanted Ilias to rediscover his confidence back at NSW Cup level. "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 Magic Round. "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." Ilias was at fault for an attempted 40/20 kick that went out on the full against Parramatta, and helped hand the Eels victory in golden point in round five. He also copped a public reprimand from the coach for failing to ice victory late on against Souths in round two, resulting in Braith Anasta to make a shock admission about his client's hopes of hanging onto the No.7 jersey. And Ilias axing at the hands of King-Togia comes as a double-blow after the young gun signed a contract extension this week that shows he's part of the club's plans moving forward. Regardless, Flanagan was made to defend his decision and explained why his son held onto his jersey in the halves after the latest loss to the Roosters. 'But Kyle has been one of our best players this year,' the Dragons coach told . 'When that happens, it does make it easier. Kyle has scored four tries, and he's been setting up tries. His form has been fine... If he doesn't play well, he doesn't play. He'd be gone. There's no difference. I treat Kyle exactly the same as everyone else.'
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dragons coach rejects claims about son Kyle in admission about Lachlan Ilias axing
Dragons coach Shane Flanagan says he treats his son Kyle like any other player in the squad and has rejected suggestions of favouritism after defending his decision to axe Lachlan Ilias. Coach Flanagan dropped his son's halves partner Ilias from the first-grade squad earlier in the week and called up young playmaker Lyhkan King-Togia for Saturday night's NRL Magic Round showdown against the Wests Tigers. King-Togia returns to the Dragons' starting side after featuring briefly at the end of last season when the younger Flanagan was suspended. The 19-year-old's inclusion comes at the expense of Ilias, who paid the price for his inconsistent form in 2025 after being criticised for failing to ice a couple of games the Dragons felt they should have won earlier in the season. Ilias' manager Braith Anasta warned that he might be dropped if his game management didn't improve and veteran league reporter David Riccio suggested this week that defensive weaknesses were also behind the No.7s axing. However, many fans still questioned why coach Flanagan made the decision to dump Ilias and not his son Kyle, amid claims from some that nepotism was behind the call. But the former premiership-winning coach rubbished those suggestions and insisted his son's form has been better than Ilias so far this season. And the coach said he'd have no issues making the same call to drop Kyle if the situation changed at the 10th-placed Dragons, who have a 3-4 record heading into Saturday night's game. 'But Kyle has been one of our best players this year,' the Dragons coach told . 'When that happens, it does make it easier. Kyle has scored four tries, and he's been setting up tries. His form has been fine... If he doesn't play well, he doesn't play. He'd be gone. There's no difference. I treat Kyle exactly the same as everyone else.' Ilias has taken on the bulk of the kicking duties during games for the Dragons this season and the young Flanagan will have to step up in that department as his new halves partner King-Togia is not a noted kicker. But the Dragons coach admits that while Ilias is low on confidence after a rocky start to life as a St George Illawarra player, he sees no reason why the 24-year-old can't return to the first-grade side after also being dumped by Souths last year, before suffering a serious leg injury. 'He is trying hard. His kicking has been good. He has a really good attitude. No one wants to get dropped. We'll see him again," coach Flanagan said about Ilias. 'It's a tough one. It's one you don't want to have to make, telling players they aren't in the first-grade team. 'I just thought Lachie was down in a bit of confidence. He is a first-grade halfback. He needs to go find some form and confidence. He has had a lot of time out. He didn't have a great pre-season because he was still recovering. He'll be back." The Dragons coach admitted he needed to make a change after his side copped an Anzac Day hiding at the hands of the Roosters, with Ilias the man to miss out off the back of his early season struggles. "He was one of many that didn't turn up (against the Roosters). There could've been a lot of others. I felt we needed a change. We've gone that way. RELATED: Tedesco lands telling blow on Edwards in message to Laurie Daley Burgess 'interested' in NRL coaching role as Arthur 'aura' shot down Fans demand answers to Souths 'curse' after $25 million switch Ilias was at fault for an attempted 40/20 kick that went out on the full against Parramatta, and helped hand the Eels victory in golden point in round five. He also copped a public reprimand from the coach for failing to ice victory late on against Souths in round two, leading Anasta to make a shock admission about his client's hopes of hanging onto the No.7 jersey. And Ilias axing at the hands of King-Togia comes as a double-blow after the young gun signed a contract extension this week that shows he's part of the club's plans moving forward. The 19-year-old has been locked down by the Red V until the end of the 2027 season and the coach says he'll be up for Saturday night's NRL clash with the Tigers after impressing in reserve grade over the last month. 'Lyhkan has been playing really well for five or six weeks,' Flanagan said. 'He deserves his shot. He doesn't get overexcited or show frustration. He will handle it really well.' with AAP
Perth Now
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
'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.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dragons tie down young gun in fresh blow for Lachlan Ilias after manager's warning
Lachlan Ilias' future at the Dragons is under a fresh cloud, with the halfback tipped to be axed for Magic Round and replaced by young playmaker Lyhkan King-Togia, who has just re-signed with the club. The Dragons confirmed on Tuesday that King-Togia had signed an extension until the end of the 2027 season, with the 19-year-old tipped to replace Ilias in the halves for Saturday night's NRL showdown against the Tigers at Suncorp Stadium. King-Togia is set to be upgraded to the Dragons' top-30 roster from next season and is in line to make his return to the NRL this weekend. While the news is an exciting development for the teenage playmaker, it's a brutal blow for Ilias, who was warned by his manager Braith Anasta earlier this month that he probably only had "two or three weeks" to turn his form around or face the axe. Those comments came after Ilias' game management was criticised in the wake of two bad losses earlier this season. The halfback was at fault for an attempted 40/20 kick that went out on the full against Parramatta, and helped hand the Eels victory in golden point in round five. He also copped a public reprimand from coach Shane Flanagan for failing to ice victory late on against Souths in round two, leading Anasta to make a shock admission about his client's hopes of hanging onto the No.7 jersey. 'He's got to be better, the (Eels game) was a big miss from him. He had the opportunity there to ice it and he went for the 40/20 and he got it wrong. You just can't do that,' Anasta said on NRL 360 after the round five loss. "I don't think he'll have 10 rounds, I think it's the next two or three weeks really.' RELATED: NRL boss flags major bunker change as players warned over ugly trend Why Terrell May is a 'must-pick' for Origin as Blues coach drops hint Luai rejects ugly claim about Galvin as Tigers young gun breaks silence Anasta's assessment seems to be spot on with coach Flanagan set to dump Ilias to reserve grade after his underwhelming start to the season. The same thing happened to the halfback at Souths last year before a broken leg scuppered any hopes of Ilias breaking back into the Rabbitohs' first grade side. The 24-year-old moved to the Dragons hoping for a fresh start but things have not exactly gone to plan so far in 2025. Ilias helped steer the Dragons to a win against Manly a fortnight ago, but the heavy defeat to the Roosters on Anzac Day and his struggles earlier in the season spell bad news for Ilias' prospects. The performances of halves partner Kyle Flanagan have also come under fire this season, with fans questioning why the coach's son is not the one on the chopping block. But with King-Togia expected to be promoted to the starting side for Magic Round, it's understood the 19-year-old will partner Flanagan in the halves as he looks to cement a first-grade spot this season. Although he has been out of form & his 5th tackle options are poor our forwards havent really given him a shot Thats been a on going issue for a few seasons now Flanagan reminds me of a Ben Hornby not to creative but solid in defence we will need someone to steer the boys around — Raven 87 (@Capt_Raven87) April 29, 2025 Illias hasn't been good, but to not drop your own son looks shocking. Big eyes on their game this weekend — T-Bag 🇦🇺 (@Thomas58974615) April 28, 2025 Kyle has kicked a measily 10 times all season compared to Illias 81. How the hell does he get given the 7 jersey this week it is a deadset joke and i guarantee there is some players who can feel the nepotism and don't like it one bit. Let's see Kyle's amazing kicking game on sat. — LJ (@xLJACK7x) April 29, 2025 What about Flanagan? If coach benches Ilias there will be uproar given his son is just as bad — Mark Duggan (@MarkDug45709302) April 28, 2025 Ilias has taken on the bulk of the kicking duties during games for the Dragons this season and Flanagan will have to step up in that department as King-Togia is not a noted kicker. But veteran NRL journalist David Riccio says it's weaknesses in his defensive game that has ultimately cost Ilias his spot. "It's not so much what the attack looks like, surely there's an element of that though," Riccio told SEN radio on Tuesday. "But I think it comes back to defence... just how much traffic is sent down Lachlan Ilias' edge and how many results opposition sides have been getting by targeting Lachlan Ilias." St George Illawarra have Dan Atkinson coming to the club from Cronulla next season, meaning halves pair Flanagan and Ilias were likely to be fighting over one spot anyway. Depending on how King-Togia fares against the Tigers on Saturday night, that could be a three-way battle in 2026. King-Togia is viewed as a highly touted junior at the club and played four games for the Red V in 2024, when Flanagan was suspended towards the back-end of the season. The Dragons also have 22-year-old Jonah Glover impressing in NSW Cup, but King-Togia is expected to get the nod and coach Flanagan says he's delighted the youngster has committed his immediate future to the Dragons. "Locking down Lyhkan for another couple of seasons is exciting for the club," coach Flanagan said of his re-signing. "He got a taste of first grade at the end of last year and has been playing good footy to start this season for our NSW Cup team. He's an exciting young half on the up and we're looking forward to watching him continue to improve over the coming seasons."
7NEWS
29-04-2025
- Sport
- 7NEWS
Dragons halfback Lachlan Ilias axed as replacement Lyhkan King-Togia gets bumper new deal
St George Illawarra have placed their faith in the teenager set to replace Lachlan Ilias in their halves, re-signing Lyhkan King-Togia ahead of his NRL call-up. The Dragons confirmed on Tuesday the 19-year-old had signed until the end of 2027, and is set to be upgraded to the club's top-30 roster from next season. The news comes just hours before King-Togia is expected to be named in the Dragons' No.7 jersey to face Wests Tigers at Magic Round. Shane Flanagan's anticipated decision to axe Ilias comes after the club's sputtering start to 2025. After arriving at the Dragons in November on a two-year deal while recovering from a broken leg, Ilias has had a difficult start to life in Wollongong. His game management came under fire in tight losses to South Sydney and Parramatta, and his own manager Braith Anasta warned the half could be dropped. Ilias helped steer the Dragons to a win against Manly a fortnight ago, but the Anzac Day loss to the Sydney Roosters is expected to prompt changes. The call to demote Ilias is another setback for the 24-year-old, who was also dropped from the Rabbitohs' halves last March before breaking his leg in NSW Cup. St George Illawarra have Dan Atkinson coming to the club next season, meaning five-eighth Kyle Flanagan and Ilias were already likely fighting over one spot. King-Togia could also be in that battle as a highly touted junior at the club. He played four games at the end of last year, when Flanagan was suspended. The Dragons also have 22-year-old Jonah Glover impressing in NSW Cup, but King-Togia is expected to earn the call-up ahead of him for Saturday. 'Locking down Lyhkan for another couple of seasons is exciting for the club,' coach Flanagan said of his re-signing. 'He got a taste of first grade at the end of last year and has been playing good footy to start this season for our NSW Cup team. 'He's an exciting young half on the up and we're looking forward to watching him continue to improve over the coming seasons.'
