Voss: Big questions over Young's tactics after Round 10 Knight-mare

SEN’s Andrew Voss has called out St George Illawarra Dragons interim coach Dean Young for bowing down to public pressure and selecting players who are “not up to first grade” standard.

The Dragons are still winless in 2026 and have conceded 106 points in their past two matches. Young now faces his toughest task yet as his side take on the top of the table Penrith Panthers in Magic Round.

Voss believes the performance in Round 10 against Newcastle was arguably worse than the ANZAC Day disaster as the team had a fortnight to prepare for their clash against the Knights.

“They copped a belting from the Knights. It was all over by halftime,” Voss said on SEN 1170.

“Dean Young was put on the spot (in the press conference) and he said he saw improvement.

“He just said that the improvement was ‘training’. If I’m a Dragons fan, I want to hear a little more than that.

“I’m not here to kick them while they’re down but that answer (was bad). I need to hear more than training has improved.

“The 1-7 for the Dragons, what they ran out over the weekend and the effort areas, places them last in the competition. That’s an honest assessment on their performance.

“Tyrell Sloan is not giving you enough at fullback. The two wingers have mistakes in them.

“Valentine Holmes just isn’t there and Clint Gutherson is not a right centre. I knew that after 10 minutes on Saturday and Bradman Best for Newcastle was licking his chops.

“Kade Reed and Lyhkan King-Togia, the potential is there but they are not first graders at this point.

“Two weeks in and I can see why Kade Reed was not used by the previous regime.

“If he’s not getting great support from those deafening beside him, I don’t know what they are going to do at Magic Round this Sunday.

“The Penrith left edge is just going to go to town.

“The Dragons have a few training sessions and I think they need 400% improvement because they are that far off the pace.

“The Panthers could put forty on that left edge alone. That’s how bad and dire it is for the Dragons at the moment.

“I feel desperately sorry for them.”

The Dragons sit last on the ladder with an 0-9 record and -185 points differential. It is the worst start to a season since the 2006 South Sydney Rabbitohs who were 0-9 after Round with a -150 points differential.