Trial by fire: Inside the fall of the Dragons

April 17, 2026 — 7:15pm

You have reached your maximum number of saved items.

Remove items from your saved list to add more.

Save this article for later

Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime.

At 7.12 am on Wednesday, Shane Flanagan used the club’s group chat to summon 10 of his players to individual meetings with him.

There were already a slew of meetings scheduled for the day, as is common practice at all NRL clubs.

However, some of the St George Illawarra players required for an additional five-minute catch-up with their coach feared their immediate playing futures could be on the line after the club’s winless start to the season.

Their fears were soon allayed. Each filed in and out of their individual fireside chats with Flanagan, which were no more consequential than any other commitment that day. However, it speaks to the mindset at a club where some of its players are walking on eggshells and communication, at least from an outward-facing perspective, has been nonexistent.

During the club’s longest losing streak – a barren 10-game run that began in 2025 and includes six consecutive losses to open this season – there hasn’t been a single public utterance from anyone at the Dragons’ shiny new $65 million centre of excellence at Fairy Meadow. Not from chairman Andrew Lancaster, chief executive Tim Watsford, chief operating officer Ben Creagh or recruiter Daniel Anderson.

In the hours preceding their latest loss, to Manly at Wollongong, the Dragons’ merchandise truck lost control on the descent down Mount Ousley and flipped onto its side. A season that was a figurative car crash became a literal one. If the hierarchy has a plan to get things back on track, long-suffering fans have yet to hear it.

As despondent players trudged out of the dressing sheds after the Sea Eagles loss, there was little appetite to address the awaiting........

© Brisbane Times