The Dragons are now 0-3. Their season hinges on the next three weeks
St George Illawarra were unlucky not to return home from Las Vegas with a contest point.
They gave Melbourne the lead with 20 minutes left in the second round, but the visitors kicked into gear and scored five tries.
But the toughest defeat so far was Sunday’s 30-20 result against Parramatta.
What you wouldn’t give to be a fly on the wall in the Dragons’ coaching box in the second half at CommBank Stadium.
25,573 fans felt it was only a matter of time before the Dragons came out on top of the Eels, especially towards the end of the game.
They showed all the courtesy of a 6-1 penalty count. Parramatta forward Charlie Guymer was penalized for interfering with a quick touch on Jacob Liddle in an offside position, which made the Dragons’ job even easier.
But the Dragons lacked the polish and patience to secure victory.
They were sluggish in attack and continued to sideline Moses Suli, who was out with an ankle injury. The attack became so predictable at one stage that Phil Gould asked on Nine commentary why Valentine Holmes hadn’t bothered to turn from the right side of the field and get involved.
Flanagan received some backlash while in Vegas for admitting that the Dragons might not win the championship this year and that their window will open in the coming years as future generations get a little more playing time.
However, they have now lost all three of their opening matches. They last started 0-3 in 2020, when the Dragons lost six of their first eight games and coach Paul McGregor was fired later in the year.
The last thing Flanagan can afford is for losing to become a habit. The next three weeks are vital for the Red V, with the Titans away, North Queensland and Manly at home. No game is easy in the NRL but on paper these are the three games the Dragons can win right now.
The Dragons looked good early on as they took a 14-6 lead as Luciano Leilua and Jaydn Su’A scored past soft defence.
But two minutes after Su’A crossed the line, the Dragons booked Ryan Couchman for a hip-drop tackle on J’maine Hopgood. Hopgood did not return and this will be taken into account when the match review committee announces the charges on Monday morning.
Holmes was also reported for a shoulder strain in the second half.
The Eels currently have two wins in the bank, but a similar effort against Penrith next weekend could bring them to the bottom of the cricket scoring table.
Their first four-point shot was awarded a penalty try after Su’A caught out an unmarked Jonah Pezet, who appeared in support to catch Kitione Kautoga’s pass.
They lost Hopgood, while Jordan Samrami did not return in the second half after suffering a knee injury.
If the Eels had lost, there would have been great emphasis on selecting bin Guymer to take on Liddle. Captain Mitchell Moses argued that he wanted to appeal the strip penalty, only for Liddle to restart the game before pleading his case.
The name that stood out again in the blue and gold was Isaiah Iongi, who always looked safe under the high ball, especially when the pressure increased as the game went on. His only spill should have resulted in a try from Kyle Flanagan, but Flanagan should have been pinged for a knockout.
