Dragons Face Harsh Reality After Disappointing Defeat
Dragons coach Shane Flanagan was visibly shaken after his team’s 32-0 loss to the Cowboys in Kogarah on Saturday night. The defeat left him searching for answers, with the team now 0-5 to start the season for the first time in the joint-venture club’s 26-year history. Players were met with boos from the crowd at full-time, adding to the sense of despair.
Flanagan expressed his frustration, stating that the team is not in sync and that he needs to find solutions. “We’re just not in sync at the moment. I’ve got to come up with some answers, got to come up with some changes,” he said. “That’s hard, but as I said, it’s not good enough for this club. I don’t accept it, I’m not happy with it, I’m terribly disappointed, and I’m sorry.”
Co-captain Damien Cook echoed Flanagan’s sentiments, admitting that the performance was poor. “Tonight was just bad. It’s all us in the playing group, we need to have a hard look at ourselves, make sure we’re all individually doing our job better,” Cook said. “Because we’ve shown at times that it works against some top teams, and what we tossed up tonight was just bad, and it’s disappointing … I’m sorry to the fans.”
Injuries and Struggles in the Halfbacks
The situation worsened for the Dragons when co-captain and fullback Clint Gutherson pulled up sore in the final minute of the match. He limped off the field with an undisclosed injury, leaving Flanagan unsure of its severity. However, he mentioned that Gutherson was icing his hamstring in the sheds.
With young playmaker Lyhkan King-Togia performing no better than Kyle Flanagan in the opening four games, the question remains about who should pair Daniel Atkinson in the halves. Flanagan has faced criticism for selecting his son each week, and with Kyle ruled out due to a heavy concussion in the previous game, King-Togia had the chance to prove himself.
However, both Atkinson and King-Togia struggled on Saturday. Their kicking game was below average, and they failed to create momentum for the Dragons when they had chances to score. “I’ll have a look at them, they weren’t great,” Flanagan said of the halves.
Defensive Struggles and Setbacks
The defensive line was equally problematic, as North Queensland exploited weaknesses in the middle of the field. Jaxon Purdue scored two tries, and the Cowboys also showcased speed on the outside. Even when Reuben Cotter was sin-binned for a professional foul, the Dragons failed to capitalize. Instead, the Cowboys added to their lead after a misplaced pass from King-Togia was picked up by Braidon Burns, who ran the length of the field to score.
Burns later left the field in the second half after injuring his ankle. Despite these setbacks, the Dragons’ struggles continued, and the pressure on Flanagan grew.
Pressure on Coaches and Future Challenges
While scrutiny grows on Flanagan, North Queensland’s win eased pressure on their coach, Todd Payten, who was under the microscope at the start of the season. The Dragons will now have to wait another week to try to snap their losing streak when they face the similarly desperate Sea Eagles in Wollongong next Friday.
Despite the scoreline, the first 29 minutes of the game were fairly evenly matched, with Scott Drinkwater scoring the only try of that period after kicking a 40-20. However, by half-time, the Dragons were down 16 points, and the crowd at Jubilee Stadium booed the players off the field.
It was unclear whether the fans were upset with their own players, the Cowboys, or referee Wyatt Raymond, whose penalty to the Cowboys just before half-time resulted in a second try for Purdue. The penalty was awarded after Murray Taulagi received a boot to the throat from Dragons winger David Fale, who stuck his leg out in a Billy Slater-esque movement as he was going up to catch the ball.
The second half did not bring improvement for the home side. After North Queensland kept the Dragons out during the Cotter sin-bin period, they added 16 more points. With the team facing a difficult path ahead, the focus will be on finding solutions and regaining momentum.
