Dragons go from bad to worse and are the NRL’s new laughing stock

April 25, 2026 — 6:17pm

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The hopes and prayers of the Dragons hierarchy that Monday’s messy split with coach Shane Flanagan – and the hastily convened press conference that followed – wouldn’t be the most shambolic episode of their week were not answered on Saturday afternoon.

A new coach and a new halfback made diddly-squat difference as St George Illawarra plummeted to comical new depths, becoming the competition’s laughing stock after a 62-16 defeat on the biggest regular-season day on the rugby league calendar.

Without any of the spark Kieran Foran has appeared to ignite at Manly since Anthony Seibold’s exit, the Dragons somehow find themselves in an even more dire position six days on from Flanagan’s unsurprising departure. This is a club that now looks an unbackable favourite for the wooden spoon and they only have themselves to blame.

They ran into a slick, ruthless Roosters outfit and could do with an old-fashioned truth session – perhaps over a few schooners at a Wollongong pub on Sunday – to thrash out their issues ahead of a bye week and a clash with Newcastle on May........

© The Age