Dragons give Flanagan 'last chance saloon' with halves switch

Paul Kent dissects the Dragons’ desperate halves reshuffle on Kenty Blitz, warning Shane Flanagan faces the axe if results don’t come immediately while breaking down recruitment failures, refereeing frustrations and the NRL’s early chaos.

Halves gamble

Kent said the Dragons’ switch of Daniel Atkinson to six and Kyle Flanagan to seven was inevitable but now leaves no excuses for the struggling club. “Kyle was playing a lot of halfback anyway when he was wearing the six jersey,” Kent said. “It was a bit of a conjob from the coaching staff… now there’s just no excuses.”

He revealed mounting pressure on Flanagan, saying the club is seriously reviewing his future. “The more you poke around, the more you hear they’re looking at the coaching situation if they don’t get results this week,” Kent said. “It’s the last chance saloon for the Dragons.” The host against sacking Flanagan now, insisting he’s still the right man despite criticism.

Kent defended the recruitment strategy as a calculated risk to bring experience quickly. “Coaches recognise the roster isn’t competitive enough so they bring in experience to turn things around,” he said. “If you go straight to young kids and they get burned early, you’re stuck.”

Roster balance

The conversation turned to roster management, with Kent explaining why clubs like St George Illawarra struggle with pathways. “You’ve got to have the right balance of veterans and rookies in your halves or outside backs,” he said. “St George have let it get out of shape.”

He praised incoming recruitment boss Daniel Anderson but urged faster action. “They’ve got to be more ruthless — get guys in quicker, get them out quicker,” Kent said. “Some clubs like Canterbury make it happen.” Kent contrasted this with Penrith’s long-term planning, saying Matt Cameron likely has next year’s roster “almost finished”.

Kent dismissed suggestions to drop the Illawarra name, calling it a “smother” for deeper issues. “The joint venture argument is irrelevant — nothing stops talent scouts from anywhere,” he said. He noted the club’s history of grand finals despite the joint venture setup.

Referee woes

Kent vented frustration at captains constantly questioning referees, using Mitchell Moses as the prime example. “The referees have got to say ‘bugger off’ and march them 10 metres,” he said. “Don’t explain every penalty — carry a rulebook and tell them to read it on the sideline.”

He criticised tactics like delaying scrum packs to flood the defensive line. “That’s a professional foul — put them in the sin bin,” Kent said. “Clubs will stop it if the coach says ‘feed the ball next time’.” Kent called for fewer bunker interventions and stricter enforcement of no-touching rules.

Recruitment reality

Kent explained the delicate balance of salary cap management and player turnover. “The coach wants results today, but the GM looks three years ahead,” he said. “You need square pegs for square holes — right number of veterans against rookies.”

He highlighted how coaches like Des Hasler provide salary guidance to CEOs. “Hasler would say ‘he’s worth 7-850k’, giving the club a negotiation starting point,” Kent said. The veteran journalist warned against assuming all club executives know their jobs. “You talk to CEOs and GMs and walk away shaking your head,” he said.

Kent noted few ex-players enter administration, preferring coaching or media. “That’s where the money and longevity is — a good CEO earns more than most coaches,” he said.

Cowboys momentum

Kent praised North Queensland’s resurgence, highlighted by Jackson Peru’s four-year extension. “Three weeks ago no one wanted to sign for Todd Payton — three wins changes everything,” he said.

He defended Payton as a good coach hampered by past recruitment issues. “Rookies are running the club now and don’t know the job,” Kent said. “Michael Luxton came in as a clubman with no experience.” Kent said success requires constant roster evolution “like the ocean — it never stops”.