St George Illawarra Dragons coach Shane Flanagan has issued a stern warning to his players ahead of their trip to Las Vegas for the NRL season opener, making it clear that discipline will be paramount with no room for loose behavior in the notorious party city.
Business Over Pleasure in Vegas
Flanagan emphasized that the Dragons are traveling to the United States for serious competition, not leisure. "We're going there for business. We're not going there to play," he stated, contrasting with last year's participating NRL teams who were based in Vegas without curfews. While acknowledging some downtime for players to experience unique activities unavailable in Wollongong, Flanagan insisted on tight controls, joking about retractable leashes being ineffective. "There's no loose leashes. What are those ones, the retractable ones? We've got one of them and it doesn't work. It's really tight," he said.
Key Role for New Playmaker Daniel Atkinson
Amid this disciplined approach, new recruit Daniel Atkinson is poised to become a central figure in Flanagan's rebuilding efforts, now in its third season. Though not starting in the Pre-Season Challenge opener against Newcastle Knights, Flanagan hinted that Atkinson and his son Kyle Flanagan will likely be the starting halves for the round one clash against Canterbury Bulldogs in Las Vegas. "They're going good. It's not set in stone, but they're definitely training well," Flanagan noted, praising Atkinson's infectious attitude and recent move to the Wollongong area.
However, Flanagan clarified that Atkinson will not take on the game-manager role previously held by Ben Hunt, instead focusing on his strengths as a ball-runner. "He's hungry to be the main man. But [Atkinson] won't be the game manager, as such, he's got his own individual game," Flanagan explained, adding that game management will be a shared responsibility across the team.
Learning from Close Losses
The Dragons are determined to improve after a disappointing 2025 season where they finished 15th, with 10 of their 16 losses coming by eight points or less. Flanagan attributed this to a lack of experience, particularly in close games, and is betting on 2026 to bring the discipline and consistency needed to stop "treading water." "Last year I had to teach a lot of blokes about first grade. We had eight players make their debut and it's hard to teach them about playing to win," he reflected. "But this year, just playing in the NRL is not a pass mark, we're gonna win."
Flanagan is hopeful that Atkinson and other off-season recruits like David Fale, Setu Tu, and returning prop Josh Kerr will help turn close defeats into victories. The Dragons will test their progress in upcoming matches, including the Pre-Season Challenge and the Charity Shield against South Sydney Rabbitohs, before heading to Vegas for the high-stakes season opener.
