Dragons part ways with Flanagan after winless start to season

The St George Illawarra Dragons have parted ways with coach Shane Flanagan after a winless start to the NRL season.

The Dragons slumped to their seventh-straight loss to start the year on Saturday night when they fell to South Sydney 30-12.

Having lost their last four games of the 2025 campaign, the club has now dropped 11 on the trot and officials decided now was the time to change coaches.

After taking charge at the start of 2024, Flanagan finishes with a 19-36 record as Dragons coach.

General Manager of football Ben Haran will also depart the club.

“I care deeply about this club and the playing group, and after discussions with the club, we agreed this was the right time for a change," said Flanagan.

“I’d like to thank the players, staff, members and fans for their support and I wish the club well for the future.”

Talking at a press conference on Monday morning, CEO Tim Watsford said a decision on an interim coach will be made in the coming days as the Dragons look to regroup before Saturday's Anzac Day showdown with the Roosters.

"This is clearly a significant moment for the club," Watsford said. "We understand the frustration and disappointment our members and our fans feel and we know that results have not met expectations of this proud club.

"This club knows the standards that are expected of it and we know we are not meeting them."

Having coached the Sharks to a drought-breaking premiership in 2016, St George Illawarra officials were confident Flanagan would lead the club out of a challenging period when he took over from Anthony Griffin.

The mentor's tenure started with plenty of optimism and there were positive early signs for the club.

St George Illawarra finished 11th in 2024, just two points outside the top eight to lay the foundation for what was hoped to be a run to the finals last season.

The arrival of Clint Gutherson, Damien Cook and Valentine Holmes shaped as the senior players required to get the team over the hump but injuries and a string of losses in close games ultimately crippled the Dragons' chances in 2025.

After a promising start to the campaign Flanagan was handed a two-year contract extension, however the side fell away late to lose their last four games and slump to 15th on the ladder.

The arrival of new recruit Daniel Atkinson couldn't trigger a turnaround to start the season and the Dragons currently sit last on the ladder as the only winless team in the competition.

"This is a great sport, it's great when it's going well, but it's really tough when it's not and the impact not just of the results and the performance is enough pressure put on people in that regard but the immediate impacts of social media haven't been great," said Dragons chairman Andrew Lancaster.

"You don't build a club or business by looking back, you look forward and see what you can do.

"We have been speaking to Shane and the football staff along the way. This is not something you just do because you choose to on a Monday morning."

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