Kyle Flanagan & the coach

[Dragons Chris]

His biggest issue was his hammer...

That's a unique form of defence. You ever tried running at someone who wants to belt you with a hammer?

 

[AyiosYiorgos]

That's a unique form of defence. You ever tried running at someone who wants to belt you with a hammer?

Im not sure what your comment means?

 

[Dragons Chris]

Im not sure what your comment means?

Something along the lines of the best defence is a good offence.

 

[Justadragon]

For starters what were your expectations when Flanno took over as coach the over the last 2 years?

Ryles was offered the job for 800K a year for 4 years. He had apparently agreed to it and then decided he didn't want the job. It was probably the smartest decision Ryles will ever make as a coach. If Flanno didn't take the job, the only other 2 "applicants" were Dean Young and Ben Hornby. I would not have taken the job, if I was an aspiring career coach, as I thought taking the job was coaching career suicide. None of our last 3 coaches have got other head coaching jobs in the NRL since they got sacked by us.

We were either favourite or second favourite for the wooden spoon when Flanno took over and last year and this year. That is because of our roster, not Flanno. As I have previously pointed out. We have struggled to sign any top players for a very long time. The signing of Koloamatangi was our biggest signing since who knows when. I was also surprised to see him sign with us. He won't be here until next year.

We started off 24 favourite for the spoon and were in the top 8 for much of the year. We over achieved in 24. If we made the finals that year, it would have been a minor miracle and Flanno would have been coach of the year.

Last year we were either favourite or second favourite for the spoon again. We had so many injuries. Which coaches do any of you think would have done any better than Flanno did the last 2 years, with the roster he had and injuries we had last year?

We are again favourite for the spoon this year too. So in my opinion anything better than 14th will be satisfactory. Next year, we will have an improved roster and a good forward pack.

As soon as Flanno took over, I said it would take at least 3 to 4 seasons to get a decent roster to work with and that was only a maybe. Flanno blooded many juniors last year. That will hopefully show results in the next 2 years.

Bennett didn't blood many juniors. When Price took over he was reluctant to blood juniors and spoke of having more experienced players in his side. McGreggor and Griffin were much the same and we developed a stigma of not promoting our juniors. As a young player recently said to me.

It is like a jockey can't win on a donkey or a racing car driver can't win if his car is slower than the rest of the cars in the race. Watsford and Anderson have to get Flanno a faster car so to speak.

I think it is fair enough to give Flanno until 2028 to see what he can do with us and our young juniors coming through combined with who ever he can sign by then. The scary part is, that Dean Young looks to be earmarked to take over from Flanno, unless he gets a coaching job somewhere else in the mean time.

If the team is not doing well and it's due to the halves, if Flanno dosen't drop Kyle, it will be the end of him. The media will roast him. Hey if Kyle is the best option we have then no problems, but will we ever know that a better option exists before its too late.

 

[RedV01]

I've been overall supportive of Flanno. Disagreed with some of his recruitment and retention decisions but now DA is in charge of that, I think it'll help Flanno a lot.

I agree with Watsford vis-a-vis Kyle. He was forced into the halves due to Hunt leaving, Amone being suspended and Ilias being rubbish.

But after the in my opinion, infamous interview a couple of months back where he said:

1. LKT had an indifferent year.
2. Kyle has been good for 2 years.
3. Kyle will be starting the year in the halves with Atkinson.
4. Kyle has a good kicking game.

After that I'm having doubts about Flanno. To say No.1 is correct. It's true. But to then say No.2 and No.4 just after is seriously deluded. As for No.2, Flanno should be working with LKT to get better in what he was lacking with an eye to having him ready to partner with Atkinson in round 1. That's the way I see it but I'm happy for him to go with Kyle for the first few rounds. I just hope if Kyle isn't consistently much better, Flanno drops him. because if he doesn't, I think it might fall upon a new coach to drop him.

I was more surprised when he said, Ask other coaches (how good Kyle is). So Flanno seeks advice from rival coaches now? Good to know.

 

[Mailroomsgi]

Such a stupid thing from Shane to say. Like what coach is going to say on the record to a journo - “yeah Kyle’s crap and nowhere near good enough to lead a side to top 4”

I’m hoping we have a cracking year and things are looking up no doubt but my god he comes out with some absolute horse shit

He just needs to shut his mouth and let coaching/results speak for themselves and then this coach/son narrative won’t be an issue

 

[GCRV]

Such a stupid thing from Shane to say. Like what coach is going to say on the record to a journo - “yeah Kyle’s crap and nowhere near good enough to lead a side to top 4”

I’m hoping we have a cracking year and things are looking up no doubt but my god he comes out with some absolute horse shit

He just needs to shut his mouth and let coaching/results speak for themselves and then this coach/son narrative won’t be an issue

The only thing that will stop this talk is winning many more games.

 

[jodragon40]

From a coaching perspective we have a decent engine room, we have a new halves pairing. If the forwards can consistently make the advantage line and give the halves the time and space to execute our attacking structures and play eyes up footy then there will be no excuses for our playmakers.

I hope that our 7 can play 7 and our 6 play 6. We should know by round 6.

 

[Justadragon]

Such a stupid thing from Shane to say. Like what coach is going to say on the record to a journo - “yeah Kyle’s crap and nowhere near good enough to lead a side to top 4”

I’m hoping we have a cracking year and things are looking up no doubt but my god he comes out with some absolute horse shit

He just needs to shut his mouth and let coaching/results speak for themselves and then this coach/son narrative won’t be an issue

If your name is Cleary, then I have no issues with the coach talking his son up

 

[RedV01]

If your name is Cleary, then I have no issues with the coach talking his son up

Does he ever do that? He's usually pretty coy. But then again, it's not like every man and his dog are on his case for refusing to see the obvious.

 

[Justadragon]

Does he ever do that? He's usually pretty coy. But then again, it's not like every man and his dog are on his case for refusing to see the obvious.

Agree, when your son is the number one player in the world and you have won multiple premierships in a row as coach, there really isn't much that can be said is there.

 

[Eric]

Good. Shady cops are bad news. As JDB would tell you. But the questions remain:

1. Why don't you expect KF goes back to reserve grade to develop his game?
2. So willing to accept mediocrity, at best, just cause the coach has a vested interest?

TBH, I really don't care but I think a lot of others don't appreciate every thread being turned into a Kyle and Shane Flanagan-fest. Some for, some against, some neutral like me. Flanno just has to get the wins coming and that will shut up all the talk. Or has to drop him if the wins aren't coming. Simple as that. But I believe most people appreciate it not being talked about on every thread.

 

[jodragon40]

TBH, I really don't care but I think a lot of others don't appreciate every thread being turned into a Kyle and Shane Flanagan-fest. Some for, some against, some neutral like me. Flanno just has to get the wins coming and that will shut up all the talk. Or has to drop him if the wins aren't coming. Simple as that. But I believe most people appreciate it not being talked about on every thread.

Agree

 

[Frank Facer]

I have to say Frank, you are really negative! That's ok. Actually I like it. A different point of view is surely good.
As far as I know, Ryles being a rookie coach started making all kinds of demands. Club correctly told him "no".
There were many more options other than Hornby and Dean Young.
Flanno is a better choice than Ryles. Flanno just needs someone from above to intervene and force him to drop Kyle. After that, a gigantic weight lifted of his and the teams shoulders.

I don't see it as being negative. I am actually being positive and realistic. I am beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Before Flanno took the job, we had not made the semis for 5 years and were either favourites for the spoon or second favourites with Wests the only contender spoon favourite in Flannos first year of coaching us. Wests had got the spoon the 2 years before Flanno arrived and won the spoon the year Flanno arrived. We were favourites for the spoon because of our roster, not because of Flanno, being our coach. I have said many times, besides Bellamy, I think Flanno was the best coach we could have got. You certainly can't say that is being negative. I said I wouldn't have taken head coaching role, because I thought it would have been coaching career suicide. That to me is being realistic. None of our previous 3 coaches have had any NRL head coaching roles since. These are all facts. The only thing that could be debated was if Flanno is the best coach we could have got, which I said he was. I couldn't be any more positive about our coach. I said it was going to take at least 3 or 4 years for Flanno to get a team together to make the top 8 and I am being quite patient and positive about our chances next year.

Can you please tell me exactly what those demands were that Ryles made? I have heard or read about what you are saying, but nothing has been made factual about those demands. I may even agree with the demands Ryles made. He apparently had agreed to take the job for 4 years at 800K a season and then backed out at the last minute. I heard/read that Phil Gould advised him not to take the job. The same Phil Gould who did our end of year review after we finished second last in 2019 and said McGregor wasn't the problem. Ryles also was said to be next in line to take the Melbourne head coaching role, when/if Bellamy retired or left Melbourne the following year. Ryles went back to Melbourne to be assistant coach, instead of taking the job to coach us.

St George Illawarra "advertises" for coaching applicants, like a private or public company does. I don't know of any other clubs who advertise for potential applicants like we do. Ryles didn't even apply for the job. It was said Ben Creagh approached him to take the job. To my knowledge the only other applicants were Dean Young and Ben Hornby. I am not sure if Flanno applied for the job or was approached by us. We also approached Billy Slater to coach us for 2021 and beyond, but he too declined the offer. I would have been happy if Slater took the job of our head coach, as I think he would make a good head coach. I wonder if he will take over from Bellamy when/if he retires or moves to somewhere else?

In 2020, when Griffen took the job. The only other applicants I can think of were Dean Young and David Furner. I am not sure if Shaun Wane applied for the job or not. I know he was mentioned by some at some stage. In 2020 Craig Fitzgibbon was approached for the head coaching role for 2021, but he declined the offer and took the Cronulla job the next year. That makes 3 coaches we approached to take the head coaching role who knocked us back in the space of 3 years.

Can you please tell me who the other options were besides Dean Young and Ben Hornby, when Flanno took the job?

As for Kyle. I have said many times, who else should we or more pointedly could we have signed to play in our halves besides Kyle? I know we were one of the clubs who tried to sign Dearden and it was said Dearden received offers of up to a mil a season, but he chose to stay in Nth Qld for a reported 700K a season. I wonder if we were the club who offered him a mil a season? I also said I was very happy with the signing of Daniel Atkinson and think/hope he will be a good signing. Besides Galvin and Cherry Evans, I can't name any really good halves who signed with other clubs. Since Flanno took the head coaching job. I believe Galvin and Cherry Evans already had their future clubs sorted before any news broke of them leaving Wests and Manly. Cherry Evans is probably only a one year deal, before he retires. We have been and are said to be in the market for a top line halfback or 5/8. Who do you or anyone else suggest we sign to play halfback or 5/8 in 2027? You all know who I have said I want us to sign, but many of you don't agree with who I say.

I couldn't be any happier or more positive about us signing Koloamatangi. I was very happy with us signing Val Holmes. I doubt we would have signed him, if Flanno wasn't our coach. Flanno also signed a captain and leader on and off the field in Gutho. He identified our lack of leadership and Gutho was a good signing in that regard. I also think he was better than any other fullback we had at our club. I can't name any other good fullbacks we could have signed in the last 2 years. I also think we have some very good young forwards in the Couchman brothers, Egan, Stewart, Pasifiki Tonga and Halangahu. I would say we have the best crop of young forwards in the comp. I was very disappointed in Latu leaving us, as I think he will be very good. I rate Liddle very highly and think he would even be good coming off the bench for NSW if they were to pick 2 hookers.

If the bookies have or had us favourites for the spoon, they do so, based our roster. I didn't make us spoon favourites. There is an old saying "A coach is only as good as the cattle he has to work with". Flanno had us in the top 8 for much of 2024 and we only fell away at the end of the season. It also coincided with Kyle not playing the last 4 games or so. I thought we overachieved in 2024. So Flanno exceeded expectations in 2024. In 2025 after starting the year off as spoon favourites we had so many injuries and still managed to avoid spoon. I doubt any other coach would have done any or much better with the roster and the injuries we had in 2025. By blooding so many juniors last year, that may pay dividends for us over the next few years. I also don't think we will get the spoon this year, like the bookies do, but will be surprised if we make the 8. If we do make the top 8 this year Flanno will be in line for coach of the year. I think we will be top 8 contenders next year. I also want Flanno to keep the job and be successful and even win premierships as our head coach.

I am also hopeful that the appointment of Daniel Anderson and Tim Watsford will be beneficial.

Can you please tell me where or how I am being negative?

 

[Frank Facer]

TBH, I really don't care but I think a lot of others don't appreciate every thread being turned into a Kyle and Shane Flanagan-fest. Some for, some against, some neutral like me. Flanno just has to get the wins coming and that will shut up all the talk. Or has to drop him if the wins aren't coming. Simple as that. But I believe most people appreciate it not being talked about on every thread.

I agree

 

[Frank Facer]

From a coaching perspective we have a decent engine room, we have a new halves pairing. If the forwards can consistently make the advantage line and give the halves the time and space to execute our attacking structures and play eyes up footy then there will be no excuses for our playmakers.

I hope that our 7 can play 7 and our 6 play 6. We should know by round 6.

I think this year, we have one very good young prop in Toby Couchman, who I think could even push for NSW this year. I think he have another very promising young inexperienced prop in Pasifiki Tonga. I think Ryan Couchman is a very good prospect, but am not sure if he is a prop, but again very young and inexperienced. Kerr is alright as a bench prop, but isn't top line. I don't think our engine room is that good yet, but next year with the addition Koloamatangi and Toby and Pasifiki Tonga a year older, I think we will have a very good engine room by then. Who am I missing?

 

[jodragon40]

I don't see it as being negative. I am actually being positive and realistic. I am beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Before Flanno took the job, we had not made the semis for 5 years and were either favourites for the spoon or second favourites with Wests the only contender spoon favourite in Flannos first year of coaching us. Wests had got the spoon the 2 years before Flanno arrived and won the spoon the year Flanno arrived. We were favourites for the spoon because of our roster, not because of Flanno, being our coach. I have said many times, besides Bellamy, I think Flanno was the best coach we could have got. You certainly can't say that is being negative. I said I wouldn't have taken head coaching role, because I thought it would have been coaching career suicide. That to me is being realistic. None of our previous 3 coaches have had any NRL head coaching roles since. These are all facts. The only thing that could be debated was if Flanno is the best coach we could have got, which I said he was. I couldn't be any more positive about our coach. I said it was going to take at least 3 or 4 years for Flanno to get a team together to make the top 8 and I am being quite patient and positive about our chances next year.

Can you please tell me exactly what those demands were that Ryles made? I have heard or read about what you are saying, but nothing has been made factual about those demands. I may even agree with the demands Ryles made. He apparently had agreed to take the job for 4 years at 800K a season and then backed out at the last minute. I heard/read that Phil Gould advised him not to take the job. The same Phil Gould who did our end of year review after we finished second last in 2019 and said McGregor wasn't the problem. Ryles also was said to be next in line to take the Melbourne head coaching role, when/if Bellamy retired or left Melbourne the following year. Ryles went back to Melbourne to be assistant coach, instead of taking the job to coach us.

St George Illawarra "advertises" for coaching applicants, like a private or public company does. I don't know of any other clubs who advertise for potential applicants like we do. Ryles didn't even apply for the job. It was said Ben Creagh approached him to take the job. To my knowledge the only other applicants were Dean Young and Ben Hornby. I am not sure if Flanno applied for the job or was approached by us. We also approached Billy Slater to coach us for 2021 and beyond, but he too declined the offer. I would have been happy if Slater took the job of our head coach, as I think he would make a good head coach. I wonder if he will take over from Bellamy when/if he retires or moves to somewhere else?

In 2020, when Griffen took the job. The only other applicants I can think of were Dean Young and David Furner. I am not sure if Shaun Wane applied for the job or not. I know he was mentioned by some at some stage. In 2020 Craig Fitzgibbon was approached for the head coaching role for 2021, but he declined the offer and took the Cronulla job the next year. That makes 3 coaches we approached to take the head coaching role who knocked us back in the space of 3 years.

Can you please tell me who the other options were besides Dean Young and Ben Hornby, when Flanno took the job?

As for Kyle. I have said many times, who else should we or more pointedly could we have signed to play in our halves besides Kyle? I know we were one of the clubs who tried to sign Dearden and it was said Dearden received offers of up to a mil a season, but he chose to stay in Nth Qld for a reported 700K a season. I wonder if we were the club who offered him a mil a season? I also said I was very happy with the signing of Daniel Atkinson and think/hope he will be a good signing. Besides Galvin and Cherry Evans, I can't name any really good halves who signed with other clubs. Since Flanno took the head coaching job. I believe Galvin and Cherry Evans already had their future clubs sorted before any news broke of them leaving Wests and Manly. Cherry Evans is probably only a one year deal, before he retires. We have been and are said to be in the market for a top line halfback or 5/8. Who do you or anyone else suggest we sign to play halfback or 5/8 in 2027? You all know who I have said I want us to sign, but many of you don't agree with who I say.

I couldn't be any happier or more positive about us signing Koloamatangi. I was very happy with us signing Val Holmes. I doubt we would have signed him, if Flanno wasn't our coach. Flanno also signed a captain and leader on and off the field in Gutho. He identified our lack of leadership and Gutho was a good signing in that regard. I also think he was better than any other fullback we had at our club. I can't name any other good fullbacks we could have signed in the last 2 years. I also think we have some very good young forwards in the Couchman brothers, Egan, Stewart, Pasifika Tonga Halangahu. I would say we have the best crop of young forwards in the comp. I was very disappointed in Latu leaving us, as I think he will be very good. I rate Liddle very highly and think he would even be good coming off the bench for NSW if they were to pick 2 hookers.

If the bookies have or had us favourites for the spoon, they do so, based our roster. I didn't make us spoon favourites. There is an old saying "A coach is only as good as the cattle he has to work with". Flanno had us in the top 8 for much of 2024 and we only fell away at the end of the season. It also coincided with Kyle not playing the last 4 games or so. I thought we overachieved in 2024. So Flanno exceeded expectations in 2024. In 2025 after starting the year off as spoon favourites we had so many injuries and still managed to avoid spoon. I doubt any other coach would have done any or much better with the roster and the injuries we had in 2025. By blooding so many juniors last year, that may pay dividends for us over the next few years. I also don't think we will get the spoon this year, like the bookies do, but will be surprised if we make the 8. If we do make the top 8 this year Flanno will be in line for coach of the year. I think we will be top 8 contenders next year. I also want Flanno to keep the job and be successful and even win premierships as our head coach.

I am also hopeful that the appointment of Daniel Anderson and Tim Watsford will be beneficial.

Can you please tell me where or how I am being negative?

Once again very comprehensive reply Frank Facer but on this occasion I agree with what you have said.

We have already seen the benefits of Anderson and Watsford and our coach, well he is walking around with a premiership ring on his hand.

We wont be finishing last this season. Its another year of our rebuild, and you watch our alleged loyal supporters go out of their minds when again we don't make the top 8 this season. It will be akin to the French Revolution guillotine the coach, the players, the board. It will be mayhem.

But for those of us that have some football brain we can see the light at the end of what has been a very long and dark tunnel.

My view is we hit rock bottom during the Griffin years, I'll discipline, poor culture in fighting, people in positions of authority both on and off the field left us the club nobody in the RL world wanted to be a part of.

But now we have rebuilt and yes last year we finished off poorly but with such an inexperienced team with many injuries that year was as close as we were going to get to that dreaded wooden spoon.

This year my hope is that we climb back into the top 10. Next year all things falling into place we play semi finals football.

 

[Dragons Chris]

I don't see it as being negative. I am actually being positive and realistic. I am beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Before Flanno took the job, we had not made the semis for 5 years and were either favourites for the spoon or second favourites with Wests the only contender spoon favourite in Flannos first year of coaching us. Wests had got the spoon the 2 years before Flanno arrived and won the spoon the year Flanno arrived. We were favourites for the spoon because of our roster, not because of Flanno, being our coach. I have said many times, besides Bellamy, I think Flanno was the best coach we could have got. You certainly can't say that is being negative. I said I wouldn't have taken head coaching role, because I thought it would have been coaching career suicide. That to me is being realistic. None of our previous 3 coaches have had any NRL head coaching roles since. These are all facts. The only thing that could be debated was if Flanno is the best coach we could have got, which I said he was. I couldn't be any more positive about our coach. I said it was going to take at least 3 or 4 years for Flanno to get a team together to make the top 8 and I am being quite patient and positive about our chances next year.

Let me address this point by point.
Ok. If Flanno knocked us back, Young and Hornby weren't the only remaining options.

Can you please tell me exactly what those demands were that Ryles made? I have heard or read about what you are saying, but nothing has been made factual about those demands. I may even agree with the demands Ryles made. He apparently had agreed to take the job for 4 years at 800K a season and then backed out at the last minute. I heard/read that Phil Gould advised him not to take the job. The same Phil Gould who did our end of year review after we finished second last in 2019 and said McGregor wasn't the problem. Ryles also was said to be next in line to take the Melbourne head coaching role, when/if Bellamy retired or left Melbourne the following year. Ryles went back to Melbourne to be assistant coach, instead of taking the job to coach us.

Not exactly but it was pretty widely reported he wanted freedoms from overweight the previous coaches didn't have.

Ryles was told Bellamy would most likely retire and he was next in the line. Later Bellamy backflipped so Ryles went to Parramatta.

St George Illawarra "advertises" for coaching applicants, like a private or public company does. I don't know of any other clubs who advertise for potential applicants like we do. Ryles didn't even apply for the job. It was said Ben Creagh approached him to take the job. To my knowledge the only other applicants were Dean Young and Ben Hornby. I am not sure if Flanno applied for the job or was approached by us. We also approached Billy Slater to coach us for 2021 and beyond, but he too declined the offer. I would have been happy if Slater took the job of our head coach, as I think he would make a good head coach. I wonder if he will take over from Bellamy when/if he retires or moves to somewhere else?

Seems to be quite common. Potential coaches are approached by clubs, they don't apply.

In 2020, when Griffen took the job. The only other applicants I can think of were Dean Young and David Furner. I am not sure if Shaun Wane applied for the job or not. I know he was mentioned by some at some stage. In 2020 Craig Fitzgibbon was approached for the head coaching role for 2021, but he declined the offer and took the Cronulla job the next year. That makes 3 coaches we approached to take the head coaching role who knocked us back in the space of 3 years.

Can you please tell me who the other options were besides Dean Young and Ben Hornby, when Flanno took the job?

Brad Arthur, David Furner, any number of assistant or ESL coaches.

As for Kyle. I have said many times, who else should we or more pointedly could we have signed to play in our halves besides Kyle? I know we were one of the clubs who tried to sign Dearden and it was said Dearden received offers of up to a mil a season, but he chose to stay in Nth Qld for a reported 700K a season. I wonder if we were the club who offered him a mil a season? I also said I was very happy with the signing of Daniel Atkinson and think/hope he will be a good signing. Besides Galvin and Cherry Evans, I can't name any really good halves who signed with other clubs. Since Flanno took the head coaching job. I believe Galvin and Cherry Evans already had their future clubs sorted before any news broke of them leaving Wests and Manly. Cherry Evans is probably only a one year deal, before he retires. We have been and are said to be in the market for a top line halfback or 5/8. Who do you or anyone else suggest we sign to play halfback or 5/8 in 2027? You all know who I have said I want us to sign, but many of you don't agree with who I say.

Don't send Sullivan on his way. Ashton Ward gave Kyle a bath in the game late last season. Bennett picked out a Manly reserve grader to be their halfback. How many more are there? Kyle is not first grade standard. Simple as that. He was never going to be the answer.

Where do you get the info Dearden is on 700k? I thought he'd be on significantly more. Like around 900k.

I couldn't be any happier or more positive about us signing Koloamatangi. I was very happy with us signing Val Holmes. I doubt we would have signed him, if Flanno wasn't our coach. Flanno also signed a captain and leader on and off the field in Gutho. He identified our lack of leadership and Gutho was a good signing in that regard. I also think he was better than any other fullback we had at our club. I can't name any other good fullbacks we could have signed in the last 2 years. I also think we have some very good young forwards in the Couchman brothers, Egan, Stewart, Pasifiki Tonga and Halangahu. I would say we have the best crop of young forwards in the comp. I was very disappointed in Latu leaving us, as I think he will be very good. I rate Liddle very highly and think he would even be good coming off the bench for NSW if they were to pick 2 hookers.

Hypothetical.

If the bookies have or had us favourites for the spoon, they do so, based our roster. I didn't make us spoon favourites. There is an old saying "A coach is only as good as the cattle he has to work with". Flanno had us in the top 8 for much of 2024 and we only fell away at the end of the season. It also coincided with Kyle not playing the last 4 games or so. I thought we overachieved in 2024. So Flanno exceeded expectations in 2024. In 2025 after starting the year off as spoon favourites we had so many injuries and still managed to avoid spoon. I doubt any other coach would have done any or much better with the roster and the injuries we had in 2025. By blooding so many juniors last year, that may pay dividends for us over the next few years. I also don't think we will get the spoon this year, like the bookies do, but will be surprised if we make the 8. If we do make the top 8 this year Flanno will be in line for coach of the year. I think we will be top 8 contenders next year. I also want Flanno to keep the job and be successful and even win premierships as our head coach.

Yes but this is Flanno's team. Blocka is the only one left who Flanno didn't sign or extend.

I am also hopeful that the appointment of Daniel Anderson and Tim Watsford will be beneficial.

Me too.

Can you please tell me where or how I am being negative?

Ok. Not being negative. I take it back. No interest in arguing over it.

 

[Justadragon]

I don't see it as being negative. I am actually being positive and realistic. I am beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Before Flanno took the job, we had not made the semis for 5 years and were either favourites for the spoon or second favourites with Wests the only contender spoon favourite in Flannos first year of coaching us. Wests had got the spoon the 2 years before Flanno arrived and won the spoon the year Flanno arrived. We were favourites for the spoon because of our roster, not because of Flanno, being our coach. I have said many times, besides Bellamy, I think Flanno was the best coach we could have got. You certainly can't say that is being negative. I said I wouldn't have taken head coaching role, because I thought it would have been coaching career suicide. That to me is being realistic. None of our previous 3 coaches have had any NRL head coaching roles since. These are all facts. The only thing that could be debated was if Flanno is the best coach we could have got, which I said he was. I couldn't be any more positive about our coach. I said it was going to take at least 3 or 4 years for Flanno to get a team together to make the top 8 and I am being quite patient and positive about our chances next year.

Can you please tell me exactly what those demands were that Ryles made? I have heard or read about what you are saying, but nothing has been made factual about those demands. I may even agree with the demands Ryles made. He apparently had agreed to take the job for 4 years at 800K a season and then backed out at the last minute. I heard/read that Phil Gould advised him not to take the job. The same Phil Gould who did our end of year review after we finished second last in 2019 and said McGregor wasn't the problem. Ryles also was said to be next in line to take the Melbourne head coaching role, when/if Bellamy retired or left Melbourne the following year. Ryles went back to Melbourne to be assistant coach, instead of taking the job to coach us.

St George Illawarra "advertises" for coaching applicants, like a private or public company does. I don't know of any other clubs who advertise for potential applicants like we do. Ryles didn't even apply for the job. It was said Ben Creagh approached him to take the job. To my knowledge the only other applicants were Dean Young and Ben Hornby. I am not sure if Flanno applied for the job or was approached by us. We also approached Billy Slater to coach us for 2021 and beyond, but he too declined the offer. I would have been happy if Slater took the job of our head coach, as I think he would make a good head coach. I wonder if he will take over from Bellamy when/if he retires or moves to somewhere else?

In 2020, when Griffen took the job. The only other applicants I can think of were Dean Young and David Furner. I am not sure if Shaun Wane applied for the job or not. I know he was mentioned by some at some stage. In 2020 Craig Fitzgibbon was approached for the head coaching role for 2021, but he declined the offer and took the Cronulla job the next year. That makes 3 coaches we approached to take the head coaching role who knocked us back in the space of 3 years.

Can you please tell me who the other options were besides Dean Young and Ben Hornby, when Flanno took the job?

As for Kyle. I have said many times, who else should we or more pointedly could we have signed to play in our halves besides Kyle? I know we were one of the clubs who tried to sign Dearden and it was said Dearden received offers of up to a mil a season, but he chose to stay in Nth Qld for a reported 700K a season. I wonder if we were the club who offered him a mil a season? I also said I was very happy with the signing of Daniel Atkinson and think/hope he will be a good signing. Besides Galvin and Cherry Evans, I can't name any really good halves who signed with other clubs. Since Flanno took the head coaching job. I believe Galvin and Cherry Evans already had their future clubs sorted before any news broke of them leaving Wests and Manly. Cherry Evans is probably only a one year deal, before he retires. We have been and are said to be in the market for a top line halfback or 5/8. Who do you or anyone else suggest we sign to play halfback or 5/8 in 2027? You all know who I have said I want us to sign, but many of you don't agree with who I say.

I couldn't be any happier or more positive about us signing Koloamatangi. I was very happy with us signing Val Holmes. I doubt we would have signed him, if Flanno wasn't our coach. Flanno also signed a captain and leader on and off the field in Gutho. He identified our lack of leadership and Gutho was a good signing in that regard. I also think he was better than any other fullback we had at our club. I can't name any other good fullbacks we could have signed in the last 2 years. I also think we have some very good young forwards in the Couchman brothers, Egan, Stewart, Pasifiki Tonga and Halangahu. I would say we have the best crop of young forwards in the comp. I was very disappointed in Latu leaving us, as I think he will be very good. I rate Liddle very highly and think he would even be good coming off the bench for NSW if they were to pick 2 hookers.

If the bookies have or had us favourites for the spoon, they do so, based our roster. I didn't make us spoon favourites. There is an old saying "A coach is only as good as the cattle he has to work with". Flanno had us in the top 8 for much of 2024 and we only fell away at the end of the season. It also coincided with Kyle not playing the last 4 games or so. I thought we overachieved in 2024. So Flanno exceeded expectations in 2024. In 2025 after starting the year off as spoon favourites we had so many injuries and still managed to avoid spoon. I doubt any other coach would have done any or much better with the roster and the injuries we had in 2025. By blooding so many juniors last year, that may pay dividends for us over the next few years. I also don't think we will get the spoon this year, like the bookies do, but will be surprised if we make the 8. If we do make the top 8 this year Flanno will be in line for coach of the year. I think we will be top 8 contenders next year. I also want Flanno to keep the job and be successful and even win premierships as our head coach.

I am also hopeful that the appointment of Daniel Anderson and Tim Watsford will be beneficial.

Can you please tell me where or how I am being negative?

A big read Frank and quite succinct, I'm not sure if Des Hasler was in the mix at some stage or if he knocked us back early because he was secretly in negotiation with the Titans. We all know how that ended up and I'm glad he didn't go to the Dragons, but we will never know. I think the appointment of Watsford and DA has already been extremely beneficial to the club, we have multiple examples of what they have done sitting before us.I think Flanno was involved in the background as well but he did really need the other 2 to help him as he wasn't having much luck on his own. I also dont know what Haran provides but it cant be that good whatever it is.

 

[Dragons Chris]

A big read Frank and quite succinct, I'm not sure if Des Hasler was in the mix at some stage or if he knocked us back early because he was secretly in negotiation with the Titans. We all know how that ended up and I'm glad he didn't go to the Dragons, but we will never know. I think the appointment of Watsford and DA has already been extremely beneficial to the club, we have multiple examples of what they have done sitting before us.I think Flanno was involved in the background as well but he did really need the other 2 to help him as he wasn't having much luck on his own. I also dont know what Haran provides but it cant be that good whatever it is.

Hasler had already agreed to terms at the Titans.