Shane Flanagan’s long-term extension at the Dragons has been called into question as he persists with a halves pairing of son Kyle and Daniel Atkinson, despite the side’s lack of attack.
The Dragons came 15th last season and extended Flanagan until the end of 2028, but on the early signs this season they have gone backwards and along with the Titans, who are one place below them in last, they are the only teams without a win from three games.
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Fox League’s Paul Crawley believes the Dragons should have waited before extending Flanagan, given their poor season in 2025.
“The reason they extended Flanagan at the end of last year was supposedly to create stability, it hasn’t created stability,” Crawley said on NRL 360.
“For the life of me I can’t understand when they’d finished 15th last year why they had to extend him after that until 2028.
“There was no one beating down the door. They’ve started the season zero and three. We saw on the weekend in that loss of Paramatta, they had multiple opportunities to win that game.
“But the elephant in the room remains. They’ve got two halves that aren’t getting the job done.
“They had so much opportunity to win that game and every time you bring up the name Kyle Flanagan, you get accused of bullying and it’s unfair on the family and everything like that. “Well, at the moment, it’s still not working. They’ve brought in Atkinson and tried to turn him into a No.7 with only limited experience. He’s younger than Kyle, who is 27, he’s 25. He hasn’t played near as much first grade.
“Flanagan’s played over 125 NRL games now. He’s played the majority of his career as a No.7. He hasn’t played it as a No.6, but it’s almost like it’s been switched this year, so it puts the pressure on Atkinson.”
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Braith Anasta agreed saying: “I think it’s unfair that all the pressure is on Atkinson.”
However, The Daily Telegraph’s Dave Riccio pointed out that the reason the Dragons got Atkinson to the club was for the opportunity to become an NRL No.7 because he was stuck behind Nicho Hynes and Braydon Trindall at the Sharks.
“The reason Daniel Atkinson left the Sharks was to be a starting halfback in the NRL,” Riccio said.
“The Dragons gave him that opportunity of his dream to be a starting halfback in the NRL. He’s three games into that journey.”
Crawley warned the Dragons’ issue is not so much Atkinson playing halfback, but that his five-eighth in Flanagan is also a halfback and struggles with his running game.
“He is three games into that journey, but that halves combination I don’t think it’s going to take the Dragons to where they want to go,” Crawley said.
“Kyle Flanagan is not a five-eighth. When he took the line on the other day, he didn’t have the strength, the size, the speed to get through.
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“If that’s Ethan Strange, who is a five-eighth, he goes through. That’s my concern with the Dragons at the moment.
“They bought Keaon Koloamatangi for next year, and he’s a great signing, but I don’t see the problem at the Dragons there.
“Kyle signed for another year and the club spoke about going out and getting a top flight No.7. Atkinson’s the bloke they landed on.
“I’m not saying he’s not going to be a good player. What I’m saying is it stared us in the face the other day. They had so many opportunities within that game.”
With the exception of Koloamatangi, Flanagan has struggled to land a big fish and arguably only got the Souths star because they paid overs and the Rabbitohs knew Payne Haas was coming.
Crawley noted Flanagan has brought ageing players at the back end of their careers to the club in Clint Gutherson, Damien Cook and Valentine Holmes, who are nearing the end of their careers.
“This is where their recruitment’s not right,” Crawley said.
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“Since Flanagan’s arrived he’s bought Clint Gutherson. Jason Ryles I criticised him when he let Gutho go, but hindsight tells you, by signing Isaiah Iongi and letting Gutherson go was the right move.
“Gutho has been a tremendous competitive player over the stretch of his career, but he is getting towards the back end. He hasn’t got the speed he once had. And he’s still signed for another year beyond this.
“You’ve got Damien Cook there and he’s playing well, but he’s getting another year, so Flanagan’s got his fingerprints over his squad. He shouldn’t have got an extension when he did.”
However, Ricco countered that hindsight is a cop-out and the Dragons needed some veteran leadership when they landed those players.
“You can’t have your cake and eat it too,” Riccio said.
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“You can’t say he was a good signing at the time and now it’s not. You’ve got to get the players into the club first.”
However, Crawley believes the Dragons and coach Flanagan are burying their heads in the sand if they think a halves combination of Flanagan and Atkinson will be good enough at NRL level.
“At the start of the season, I had concerns when I looked at the Dragons and I’m thinking to myself, of all the rosters in the competition, when it comes to attack, I think they’re the most limited,” Crawley said.
“And yet he’s got halves there, who they created so many opportunities there the other day and it won’t work.”
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