Dragons missed three big fish in a week. Patience for Flanno’s rebuild is already running out

After missing out on Dearden and Fonua-Blake, Flanagan admitted to The Daily Telegraph that the double blow was a setback and revealed two new targets with a renewed focus on building the club from within.

“Of course we are disappointed but that’s the game we are in,” Flanagan told The Daily Telegraph.

“We have moved on already. There will be other options over the next 12 months … our focus now is getting ready for season ‘24.

“The team has trained at an elite level for eight weeks and we break for Christmas knowing we have achieved our physical performance goals.”

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The Dragons have now reportedly earmarked Cowboys back-rowers Kulikefu Finefeuiaki and Heilum Luki as potential targets to strengthen their pack.

One or both of those two would undoubtedly make a difference, especially Finefeuiaki who is a potential superstar of the future, but neither are the immediate game changer that Fonua-Blake or Dearden would have been.

Fonua-Blake ultimately chose the Sharks because they are in a far better position to challenge for a title, which is what the Dragons and Flanagan are up against.

Like the Tigers in recent years, the Dragons are now up against it to lure big names to the club because the best players in the comp also want to win and win now.

That’s why it is a massive long shot that Manu would leave a club that competes for the title every year to join a team that narrowly missed the wooden spoon in 2023.

Flanagan is adamant Hunt will see out the remaining two years of his contract, but sceptics will say, ask Hunt how he feels if the Dragons are in a similar spot on the ladder after the 2024 campaign.

Building a club from within and using local juniors is definitely key to building a healthy roster that regenerates your top 30, but you still need to have the right young players in the right positions to help your club improve in the win-loss columns.

The club have also likely lost arguably their best young talent in Junior Amone, whose contract looks set to be deregistered by the NRL over his role in a hammer attack on a tradie.

Dragons’ recruitment and pathways manager Shane Millard revealed to The Daily Telegraph the Dragons’ plans for developing young talent from within, with players as young as 14 identified long before they reach NRL level.

“If you’re talking about creating DNA at the NRL level, that’s too late. It starts at the junior rep level,” Millard told The Daily Telegraph.

“You can only do that if the coach heads up the program. He wants a certain standard to everything from physical development to skills, and even their character as people. He knows he’s got to hammer that message home at an early age.”

The Dragons are following the lead of the best in the business in the Panthers, who use their junior nursery and pathways system to regenerate their top 30 NRL squad.

But this is a long game and the Dragons may not see the fruits of their labour in that department for another generation.

The players the Dragons have identified as genuine NRL prospects from both the Illawarra and St George regions include lock Hamish Stewart, 19, centre Hayden Buchanan, 17, Australian Schoolboys star Finau Latu, 18, rising halfback Kade Reed, 17 and exciting fullback Ben Rumble, 19.

All these young players have the potential to break into first grade inside the next five years, but how many become bona fide NRL stars is still unknown and they won’t help the Dragons win in the next two or three seasons.

Not only do the Dragons have to land some new big fish, but they also have to make calls on the futures of 16 players coming off-contract in 2024.

Corey Allan, Talatau Amone, Jack de Belin, Tom Eisenhuth, Mathew Feagai, Max Feagai, Francis Molo, Michael Molo, Ben Murdoch-Masila, Cody Ramsey, Tyrell Sloan, Jaydn Su’A, Moses Suli, Savelio Tamale, Alec Tuitavake and Paul Turner all come to the end of their deals next season.

A decision on Amone might be made for the Dragons, while of that crop only Su’A and Suli are guaranteed starters in 2024.

Sloan has massive potential, but Flanagan is considering shifting the bigger body in Zac Lomax to fullback, which makes his future at the club uncertain.

The positions the Dragons need to improve in, in order to climb the ladder are in the forward pack and the spine.

Of the players coming off-contract (see list below) in the spine in 2024, the best by position are Manu (fullback), Ezra Mam (five-eighth), Adam Reynolds (halfback) and Mitch Kenny (hooker).

All four are extremely unlikely to leave their clubs let a lone join the Dragons.

In the pack Matthew Lodge (prop), Braden Hamlin-Uele (prop) and Angus Crichton (second row) are the pick of the forwards coming off-contract.

The Dragons need to land some key recruits to convince other players they are a destination worth coming to, but they also need to win games to attract talent.

It is the chicken and the egg scenario that is hampering Flanagan’s rebuild from the get go.

The Dragons may need to plead for patience and time for Flanagan to rebuild the club on and off the field.

But in the cutthroat world of the NRL, especially at a club that has underachieved for a long time, patience has a habit of running out.

OFF-CONTRACT IN 2024 BY POSITION

FULLBACK

Corey Allan, David Armstrong, Bailey Hodgson, Daine Laurie, Joseph Manu, Nick Meaney, Khaled Rajab, Cody Ramsey, Tyrell Sloan, Joseph Suaalii, Leon Te Hau

WING

Solomon Alaimalo, Kane Bradley, Zac Cini, Nick Cotric, Kyle Feldt, Dean Ieremia, Edrick Lee, Corey Oates, Jordan Pereira, Jordan Rapana, James Schiller, Tim Sielaff-Burns, Bailey Simonsson, Reimis Smith, Siteni Taukamo, Young Tonumaipea, Raymond Tuaimalo Vaega, Daniel Tupou, Junior Tupou, Sunia Turuva, Semi Valemei

CENTRE

Euan Aitken, Paul Alamoti, Grant Anderson, Daejarn Asi, Bradman Best, Mathew Feagai, Max Feagai, Dane Gagai, Morgan Harper, Delouise Hoeter, Kayal Iro, Josiah Karapani, Asu Kepaoa, Brenko Lee, Krystian Mapapalangi, Taylan May, Taane Milne, Tesi Niu, Marion Seve, Jeral Skelton, Billy Smith, Moses Suli, Savelio Tamale, Isaiah Tass, Valynce Te Whare, Izaac Thompson, Enari Tuala

FIVE-EIGHTH

Talatau Amone, Adam Doueihi, Kieran Foran, Tyson Gamble, Jye Gray, Luke Keary, Jarome Luai, Ezra Mam, Anthony Milford, Hayze Perham, Paul Turner

HALFBACK

Jake Clifford, Dean Hawkins, Jamie Humphreys, Shaun Johnson, Zack Lamont, Luke Metcalf, Kodi Nikorima, Niwhai Puru, Adam Reynolds, Ryan Rivett, Toby Sexton, Chad Townsend, Thomas Weaver

HOOKER

Jayden Berrell, Gordon Chan Kum Tong, Zach Dockar-Clay, Jake Granville, Mitch Kenny, Freddy Lussick, Peter Mamouzelos, Jake Simpkin, Tyson Smoothy, Billy Walters, Zac Woolford

PROP

Jesse Bromwich, Thomas Burgess, Jesse Colquhoun, Mat Croker, Sione Fainu, Braden Hamlin-Uele, Peter Hola, Samuel Hughes, Valingi Kepu, Liam Knight, Matthew Lodge, Makahesi Makatoa, Terrell May, Jordan McLean, Shaquai Mitchell, Tepai Moeroa, Francis Molo, Michael Molo, Jirah Momoisea, Ofahiki Ogden, Chris Patolo, Aaron Pene, Ky Rodwell, Pasami Saulo, Jamayne Taunoa-Brown, Martin Taupau, Alec Tuitavake, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Jarrod Wallace, Aaron Woods

SECOND-ROW

Jacob Alick, Shawn Blore, Billy Burns, Michael Chee-Kam, Angus Crichton, Tom Eisenhuth, Luke Garner, Klese Haas, Coen Hess, Zac Hosking, Brodie Jones, Karl Lawton, Ativalu Lisati, Ben Lovett, Sam McIntyre, Ben Murdoch-Masila, Joe Stimson, Jaydn Su’A, Wil Sullivan, Jackson Topine, Ben Trbojevic, Toni Tupouniua, Corey Waddell, Elliott Whitehead, Jack Williams

LOCK

Jack de Belin, Matthew Eisenhuth, Zac Fulton, Max King, Isaac Liu, Damon Marshall, Trey Mooney, Tyrone Peachey, Ray Stone, Tevita Taumoepenu, Jazz Tevaga