Latest news with #KyleFlanagan
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Shane Flanagan in eye-opening admission about son Kyle after Dragons extension
Shane Flanagan says his son Kyle knows the Dragons are looking at new halves options and has dropped a major hint about a positional switch for the No.7, after inking a new two-year deal with St George Illawarra. The Dragons have backed the former premiership-winning coach to remain at the helm until the end of the 2028 season, despite the fact they are likely to miss out on the NRL finals for a second successive year under Flanagan. The veteran coach was off contract at the end of next season, but in announcing his extension on Friday, the Dragons say they're fully behind his vision to restore the glory days to the Red V. Club bosses say the new deal for Flanagan - who led Cronulla to the NRL premiership in 2026 - 'reaffirms the club's commitment to stability, growth, and a long-term vision for success both on and off the field'. "Shane has played a critical role in setting the foundation for where this club is heading," Dragons CEO Tim Watsford said in a statement. "He's re-instilled belief in our playing group, coaches and supporters together with reiterating the privilege of wearing the Red V." The Dragons currently sit 11th on the ladder ahead of their home grudge match against Flanagan's former side Cronulla on Saturday. They are mathematically still a chance of playing finals footy but would likely need to win all five of their remaining games, with tricky fixtures against top-four contenders the Warriors and Panthers still to come as well. Flanagan's men have shown signs of improvement under the second-year coach in 2025 but a crippling casualty ward has not helped their cause. Huge question marks also still remain about whether the Dragons have the playmakers to take the club to the next level. Shane Flanagan says Dragons are exploring halves options The signing of Sharks playmaker Daniel Atkinson for next season will certainly help, but it remains to be seen who will parter him in the halves at the Dragons in 2026. Flanagan's son Kyle has done a commendable job in the No.7 role this season but has often copped the brunt of criticism when the team loses, and forced the coach to reject claims of nepotism by continuing to pick him. But coach Flanagan says his son knows they are actively looking at other options in the halves, and hinted that Kyle could find himself in a new role in 2026. 'Nothing changes for Kyle. He's just gotta keep doing his job," the Dragons coach said after confirming his extension. 'He knows we're looking for players in the halves. At the moment I think he's our best option but down the track he'll maybe transition into another position. He'll just keep working hard on his game.' Flanagan's extension follows the recent appointments of Watsford as Dragons CEO and former NRL head coach Daniel Anderson as the club's head of recruitment and pathways. Flanagan was previously juggling his head coaching role with recruitment, but the addition of Anderson from the Roosters will allow him to narrow his focus. And the Dragons coach believes the Red V are only a couple of quality signings away from challenging for a premiership. 'I'm super excited about what lies ahead,' Flanagan told News Corp. 'I think we need one or two rep players to become a genuine premiership contender. A couple of class players and we'll get there. We've got Val (Holmes), Gutho (Clint Gutherson) and Cookie (Damien Cook) and we need a couple more to complement all the younger ones coming through." RELATED: Sharks hit back at 'soft' draw claims as finals race blown wide open Billy Slater's warning to Titans about star's future amid dramas at club Teammate detail behind Eels grand final star's fresh push to leave club The emergence of talented youngsters such as Toby Couchman, Hamish Stewart and Lyhkan King-Togia gives Flanagan reason to be optimistic. Coupled with the new leadership team and structures put in place at the Dragons, Flanagan says he's excited by what lies ahead and grateful for the club's support. "The playing group is full of talent and I'm excited by the prospect of realising success for the Red V over the coming years," Flanagan added. "It's clear the club is putting structures and processes in place to deliver outcomes for years to come and to be entrusted by the board and management is something I don't take for granted." with AAP
Sydney Morning Herald
02-08-2025
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
Dragons defy wind and rain to topple ladder-leading Raiders
The Dragons deserved the two points, especially after falling short against North Queensland last weekend, and getting dudded in the final minute against Canterbury prior to that. Coach Shane Flanagan nearly put a hole through the glass separating the coaching and media box when the Raiders were given a repeat set in the final minute while camped on the Red V's line – but in the end he had nothing to worry about. Kyle Flanagan's kicking game was terrific, especially a sideline conversion from the south-eastern corner that was directly into the wind. The conditions were so bad, club officials had to close the hill before kick-off for safety reasons because of lightning, rain and wind. The empty grass evoked memories of the competition when it was played behind closed doors during COVID in 2020. The Dragons will still need a miracle to make the eight, but the two points moves them clear of the pack of teams still slugging it out for the wooden spoon. They don't deserve the dreaded gong when you consider how many of their losses have been by six points or less. Loading Raiders forward Hudson Young was placed on report for a shoulder charge on Hame Sele – the contact was minimal – while David Klemmer was also cited for a tackle on Ata Mariota, which forced the prop off the field for a head injury assessment. Feagai opened the scoring for the Dragons, Matt Timoko hit back for the visitors, before the Dragons slotted a couple of penalty goals on offer, including one for a late Joe Tapine hit on Kyle Flanagan. The Dragons will be up for their local derby against Cronulla next week. The Raiders are still knee-deep in this title race, and the quicker they can forget the trip to Wollongong, the better. Stuart will try to ignore it, a bit like he tried to do with the miserable weather on the sideline.
The Age
02-08-2025
- Sport
- The Age
Dragons defy wind and rain to topple ladder-leading Raiders
The Dragons deserved the two points, especially after falling short against North Queensland last weekend, and getting dudded in the final minute against Canterbury prior to that. Coach Shane Flanagan nearly put a hole through the glass separating the coaching and media box when the Raiders were given a repeat set in the final minute while camped on the Red V's line – but in the end he had nothing to worry about. Kyle Flanagan's kicking game was terrific, especially a sideline conversion from the south-eastern corner that was directly into the wind. The conditions were so bad, club officials had to close the hill before kick-off for safety reasons because of lightning, rain and wind. The empty grass evoked memories of the competition when it was played behind closed doors during COVID in 2020. The Dragons will still need a miracle to make the eight, but the two points moves them clear of the pack of teams still slugging it out for the wooden spoon. They don't deserve the dreaded gong when you consider how many of their losses have been by six points or less. Loading Raiders forward Hudson Young was placed on report for a shoulder charge on Hame Sele – the contact was minimal – while David Klemmer was also cited for a tackle on Ata Mariota, which forced the prop off the field for a head injury assessment. Feagai opened the scoring for the Dragons, Matt Timoko hit back for the visitors, before the Dragons slotted a couple of penalty goals on offer, including one for a late Joe Tapine hit on Kyle Flanagan. The Dragons will be up for their local derby against Cronulla next week. The Raiders are still knee-deep in this title race, and the quicker they can forget the trip to Wollongong, the better. Stuart will try to ignore it, a bit like he tried to do with the miserable weather on the sideline.
News.com.au
08-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
‘He insists it's a gee-up': Dragons come clean on burger celebration
The Dragons were forced to investigate and later clarify post-try celebrations by their players after a report claimed there were concerns it was being made in relation to Kyle Flanagan. Flanagan's place in the team has been a constant source of debate, to the extent that rival coach Ricky Stuart even leapt to his defence in the aftermath of the Raiders' win over the Dragons. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. Now, The Sydney Morning Herald's Danny Weidler reported on Sunday that an on-field gesture had led to allegations of a player-led bullying campaign at the club. Weidler reported that sources close to the playing group told him that the 'burger' sign which some players made after scoring tries was meant to insinuate that someone is a 'Derrick'. CEO Tim Watsford, however, denied that was the case in an interview with the Herald and said as much to The Daily Telegraph's Brent Read, explaining it is a 'term of endearment' and more of an inside joke that only the players themselves would understand. Phil 'Buzz' Rothfield, meanwhile, said on NRL 360 that he spoke with Damien Cook's agent, who then asked the Dragons hooker for more of an explanation. 'He insists, and he did one too, it's an in-house gee-up thing,' Rothfield said. If true, it would only add another layer to the Flanagan drama at the club, but NRL 360 co-host Braith Anasta said he found the claim 'very hard to believe'. 'Unless you've got solid evidence of that, because this is personal because it's his teammates and suggesting he's being visibly called a burger by his teammates on the field while they're standing next to him and you've got no real evidence of that apart from hearsay,' Anasta said. 'We talk about being critical of players, and Kyle is no exception to that in terms of his performance, but this is different. This is personal. This is probably what Ricky Stuart was referring to. You're going beyond criticism of performance.' 'It's a horrific insinuation that teammates would do this sort of thing,' added Read.
ABC News
07-07-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
InZane Rugby League: John Lang - Kyle Flanagan plays his best football under Shane
On Inzane Rugby league on ABC Sport, Zane Bojack and former Raiders halfback Sam Williams spoke to 2003 Panthers premiership coach John Lang about the complexities of coaching son Martin in the NRL amid the continued criticism of Kyle Flanagan by social media. Lang also explained how inspirational Arthur Beetson was in the very first State of Origin game in 1980 as Josh Papalii tries to emulate big Artie in Wednesday's decider. He revealed he knocked back the Queensland coaching gig due to financial restraints at Cronulla-Sutherland when he was head coach. Sam Williams also gave his opinion about the criticism of Kyle and Shane Flanagan and suggested the Bulldogs are reaping what they sowed after disrupting their line up mid-season with the signing of Lachie Galvin.
