There's something almost refreshing about a footy coach who refuses to sell you a dream he doesn't believe in. Shane Flanagan, in his third year steering the Red V, has done exactly that, and fair dinkum, the NRL world has sat up and taken notice.
As reported by the Sydney Morning Herald, the St George Illawarra Dragons coach weighed in on his team's chances in 2026 with characteristic bluntness, telling media it would be a
"stupid expectation"to suggest the Dragons could win the premiership this season. Flanagan was unequivocal: 2026 is a building year, not a title year.
Queensland Maroons coach and NRL legend Billy Slater has since responded to those comments, adding further fuel to what has become one of the more genuinely interesting conversations of the season's opening week. Whether Slater endorsed the honesty or challenged it, the fact that Flanagan's words generated this kind of reaction tells you everything about how unusual they were in a sport where coaches typically deal in vague optimism and carefully managed expectations.
Here's the thing about Flanagan's comments, though: they weren't defeatism dressed up as realism. They were something more considered. He told reporters the Dragons will win plenty of games this season and that a finals finish is the genuine, achievable goal. He's not lowering the bar; he's setting it at the right height.
Context matters here. The Dragons kicked off their 2026 season against the Canterbury Bulldogs in Las Vegas, a marquee fixture in front of 45,719 fans at Allegiant Stadium. They pushed a genuine premiership contender all the way before going down in golden point. That is hardly the performance of a rabble. But Flanagan, now in his third season at the helm, knows better than most what this squad still needs before it can genuinely challenge in September.
The Dragons have not made the NRL top eight since 2018, a drought that has tested the patience of even the most devoted Red V faithful. Flanagan inherited a club that had been drifting for years, and his brief has always been about cultural and structural repair as much as on-field results.
The halves combination is the clearest illustration of where the Dragons are in their rebuild. Dan Atkinson, stepping into the No. 7 jersey, has not worn it at NRL level in several years, having last played halfback in the Queensland Cup back in 2022. Alongside Kyle Flanagan, it is a combination built on potential, not yet on established big-game experience. Flanagan senior has been measured in his praise of Atkinson, noting the young playmaker has all the physical and mental attributes for the role but acknowledging it will take time for him to grow into the position week by week.
I reckon that's the honest assessment of a coach who has learned, probably the hard way, that overpromising in rugby league is a quick path to a miserable season. The Red V faithful deserve honesty more than they need hype.
There is a legitimate counter-argument, of course. Some in the game will argue that publicly conceding you cannot win the competition hands opponents a psychological edge before a ball is kicked in anger. Coaches like Craig Bellamy and Wayne Bennett have built entire cultures around the idea that every team in the draw believes it can go all the way. Even the act of naming finals as the ceiling, rather than the premiership, can subtly shift a playing group's ambitions.
And it is worth keeping in mind that the Dragons have genuine assets building on the horizon. Keaon Koloamatangi, a powerful forward, is arriving next year to bolster what is already becoming a handy young pack. Flanagan has flagged two or three more significant signings are in the works. The Dragons are not simply treading water; the trajectory is clearly upward.
At the end of the day, what Flanagan has done is set a measurable, honest benchmark for his team in 2026. A finals appearance after an eight-year absence would represent genuine progress. Fail to make the eight and the pressure on him will rightly intensify. But if the Dragons do get there, and play with the kind of spirit they showed in the Nevada desert on the weekend, nobody will be complaining about a coach who refused to oversell the destination.
Look, there's something this game has been missing for a while: a senior coach willing to tell the truth in plain language and let the footy do the talking. That's the kind of performance that makes you fall in love with the sport all over again, even when it comes from a press conference rather than a last-minute try.