How long does Flanno have to turn things around?

Following the Dragons' 0-6 record to begin 2026, Denan Kemp and Chad Townsend have debated how long Shane Flanagan has to turn the ship around at St George Illawarra.

In his first season in charge, the former Sharks coach finished 11th in 2024, having won 11 games (six more than the previous year under Anthony Griffin).

However, the 2016 Premiership coach has struggled since, having finished in the bottom three last year and is now in last place with the worst point differential in the competition.

With their deterioration, which has seen them lose their last 10 games, the former Broncos and Warriors winger thinks he has far less time to turn the ship around.

“They’ve gotten progressively worse,” Kemp told SEN’s Saturday League Kick-Off.

“They went from I think they finished 11th or so (in 2024). Last year, they finished 15th. They are now zero and six.

“If you had asked me this three weeks ago, just because he's won a premiership and the history that Shane Flanagan had, I would've said give him till the end of the year.

“I think now with the fact that it's against Manly too. We're not talking about a top-tier side here. We're talking about another team that's also struggling.

 “I would be putting a deadline on Flanagan and probably giving him a month and saying, ‘Mate, if things don't turn around, this is probably the date in which we're probably going (to) have to look somewhere else’.”

This was a sentiment shared by Chad Townsend, who agrees that his former coach shouldn’t be sacked this week.

But believes that the club may be forced to make a call by next month should this form continue.

“I didn't think sacking the coach was the right thing to do, and I still don't think that,” Townsend added.

“I don't think sacking the coach is going to change things right now.

“I'll probably go to Magic Round.

“Where it's like if you get to Magic Round and there's still no improvement, well, unfortunately, we've probably just got to make a decision for what's best for the football team.”

The Dragons’ next match is against the Rabbitohs at Accor Stadium next Saturday.

Kick-off takes place at 5:30pm AEST.