Source :- THE AGE NEWS
It’s not often you hear a coach concede before a ball has been kicked that their team can’t win the competition, even if they know that to be the case.
But for Dragons coach Shane Flanagan it makes no sense to set “stupid expectations” of a rebuilding St George Illawarra team that finished third from the bottom last season.
Dragons coach Shane Flanagan at the NRL fan festival in downtown Las Vegas.Credit: Getty Images
Flanagan raised eyebrows in the lead-up to the round-one headliner against Canterbury at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday Australian time, admitting that “we probably know that we’re not going to win the comp this year”.
It was doubtful Flanagan was telling St George Illawarra supporters anything they didn’t know.
They are considered outsiders to be near the top eight, let alone challenge for a first premiership or grand final appearance in 16 years.
If it sounded defeatist, Flanagan said he was just being honest about the Dragons’ immediate prospects, believing they will be better placed next year, by which time he hopes his play-making combination will be bedded in and Kangaroos forward Keaon Koloamatangi will have joined from South Sydney on a five-year $5 million contract.
The club mascot greet fans in the lead-up to the game against the Bulldogs.Credit: Getty Images
“I’d love to say we’re good enough, we’re the big dogs to go at it this year,” he said on the eve of the clash with the Bulldogs. “We’ll win a lot of good footy games this year. But I’m just realistic.
“We’ve obviously had a lot of new staff come in, some new players come in, Keaon [is] coming in next year. We’d like to think we’re going to get maybe two, three more signings, big ones, for next year. We’re building towards that.”
Flanagan said making the finals for the first time since 2018 was the goal for the Dragons, a tough enough task as it is.
He also sought to temper expectations around new halfback Daniel Atkinson, who was an understudy to Nicho Hynes and Braydon Trindall at Cronulla and will partner Flanagan’s son Kyle in the halves.
“He’s definitely ready from a physical and mental perspective,” Flanagan said of Atkinson.
“He’s a lovely young boy and he’s trained well over the pre-season. He’s got all the attributes to be a halfback in the NRL. It’s going to take time, but with Daniel, he hasn’t played halfback for an NRL team for three or four years, maybe longer.
“So he’s going to grow into that position. We just expect him to do two or three things really well and build his game week-to-week over the year.”
If it all reads like the Dragons are in for another difficult season, and maybe a rough night against Canterbury, then the club’s long-suffering fans have at least been warned.
There are thousands of them in Las Vegas, embracing the adventure and fresh start of a first round abroad.
After the frenzy of the fan festival at Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas, Dragons players were appearing on match eve at a bar at the heart of the Strip to rally more support.
Flanagan hopes playing in the United States and everything that comes with it can lift the team.
“I think this experience has been fantastic for all the boys, the staff, the game,” he said.
“We’ve got a few players [so young] that can’t even go to the casinos and drink and everything over here, so that’s a good thing.
“Imagine how they felt last night on Fremont Street. I’ve been around the game for a fair time and I’ve never seen anything like it. For a young 19-year-old football player to experience that is only going to put them in good stead.”
