Shane Flanagan’s Job Hangs in the Balance: A Damaging Narrative Receives a New Boost

A haunting narrative looms over St George Illawarra coach Shane Flanagan, so damaging it risks rendering his position untenable, if it hasn’t already.

As the beleaguered Dragons coach struggles to retain his role, scrutiny over his coaching strategies has resurfaced this week, marking a troubling trend.

Plummeting to the bottom of the ladder, promising young prop Loko Pasifiki Tonga is reportedly seeking an exit from the club, despite being contracted until the end of 2027. This has ignited further flames on an already raging inferno.

The 20-year-old forward is highly regarded, having excelled in various junior divisions while representing NSW U19s and Australian Schoolboys.

Despite participating in 10 first-grade matches last season under Flanagan, Pasifiki Tonga has yet to make his debut in the top league this year for St George Illawarra.

Just last weekend, he showcased his strength in the NSW Cup, accumulating over 250 run metres and scoring a try as the Dragons triumphed over the Sea Eagles.

Yet, when the NRL team was announced on Tuesday, he found himself further down the list, omitted from the 19-man squad.

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Shortly thereafter, dual international and player agent Mat Rogers — who holds Pasifiki Tonga in his representation stable, though he does not directly manage the Dragons standout — made concerning allegations about why the 195cm front-rower wishes to depart the club.

“They clearly have an opinion that he’s not quite up to standard,” Rogers remarked on SEN. “He feels he’s not being properly developed, and I tend to agree.”

“He’s uncertain of what is expected of him, which is problematic. There’s a very frustrated young man who’s putting in the hard yards and performing excellently.”

“He believes he deserves a proper opportunity. It’s not bitter sentiment, just a feeling that he’s not receiving proper guidance.”

The Sydney Morning Herald has since reported on the exchanges between Pasifiki Tonga’s manager, Craig Clifton, and the club’s chief operating officer, Ben Creagh.

Clifton highlighted the situation as “untenable,” stating that his client has become “confused and demoralised” due to his exclusion from NRL, especially after Flanagan mentioned following the Dragons’ round six loss that he had limited options for team selection.

“If I had someone better sitting on the sidelines, I’d definitely play them,” he asserted.

Wide World of Sports has reached out to St George Illawarra for a statement. The club has dismissed the claims from Pasifiki Tonga’s camp, asserting that he understands what he needs to do to return to the NRL, while also denying any desire to facilitate his release.

This all unfolds just days after the Dragons confirmed that star back-rower Jaydn Su’A will be leaving at the end of the season, despite being one of the team’s standout performers.

Su’A had a contract option for 2027 but is believed to be heading to Parramatta.

The statements from both Rogers and Clifton echo the sentiments of Lachlan Ilias, who, after joining the Red V last year, found himself dropped early in the season and never reinstated, despite aiding the NSW Cup team in reaching the grand final.

Ilias claimed he received little to no feedback from Flanagan after his demotion.

“I don’t think I was given a fair shot to regain my spot after I was dropped,” the now-Titans playmaker shared on the Unscripted podcast last November.

“The only feedback I received after being dropped came after we had won 10 or 11 consecutive games in the Cup, then played poorly against Newtown, and that was when I got told I had played badly.”

“I did everything I could, and I don’t know if I could have done more to earn my return to the team. The boys in NRL weren’t performing well, but we were doing great, so the morale was high in the Cup team.”

“We were building connections in Cup, putting our best efforts forward… I don’t think either myself or the other boys in the Cup team were afforded a fair chance to get back into the NRL.”

“I don’t wish to disparage anything, but I believe there were several missteps, and I feel that the best team wasn’t selected week after week.”

“I am a bit resentful that I wasn’t given a proper opportunity. I feel like I did all I could to return and integrate back into the side.”

In fairness to Flanagan, there are younger players who have shown improvement under his leadership, notably the Couchman twins and Hamish Stewart. Additionally, the team has performed competitively in numerous matches throughout 2024 and 2025.

However, it’s not only current players who have raised concerns. Ben Hunt’s departure from St George Illawarra came after a year with Flanagan, and their issues resurfaced when the coach mentioned the veteran in a press conference, attributing some of the squad’s struggles to Hunt’s exit.

“If you cast your mind back 12 or 18 months, our marquee halfback [Ben Hunt] departed the club,” Flanagan remarked to reporters last week.

“When your halfback exits with no future strategy in place, it’s challenging to immediately transition and say ‘he’s departed, what’s next?’ Most clubs have a three or four-year plan.”

Hunt rebutted in the SMH, asserting: “I believed I had become too old with entrenched habits.”

James Maloney, who played a pivotal role in Cronulla’s 2016 grand final win under Flanagan, previously commented on the coach’s significant shortcomings.

“I didn’t learn a thing from him,” Maloney remarked, as reported at the time by The Sydney Morning Herald.

While harsh critiques from Maloney and Hunt’s veiled responses don’t paint a rosy picture, Flanagan maintains strong ties with several past players from his stint at the Sharks, particularly former captain Paul Gallen.

Although Gallen has remained tight-lipped regarding the ongoing situation at the Dragons and the pressure mounting on the coach, Flanagan’s credentials at the NRL level remain intact, and he holds a title to his name—a feat many current coaches cannot claim. However, the clock is ticking for Flanagan to rectify the situation at the Dragons, and the narrative embroiling his methods and capacities is unlikely to alleviate the pressure.