The St George Illawarra Dragons have organized a board meeting to decide the future of head coach Shane Flanagan.
After a disappointing sixth consecutive defeat to start the 2026 season, the team fell to the Manly Sea Eagles in Wollongong on Friday evening.
This loss marks their tenth straight defeat, dating back to the last four matches of the previous year, and the Red V were met with boos from an unexpectedly large crowd at WIN Stadium.
As frustration mounts among the fans, the club's board is likely to follow suit, with mounting pressure on Flanagan after the Dragons found themselves 16-0 down in the first half, only to struggle defensively in the latter half despite a comeback attempt.
Should the board choose to dismiss Flanagan, assistant coaches Michael Ennis or Dean Young may step in as interim head coach.
The pressure from fans directed at Flanagan, the players, and the football staff led by Ben Haran is anticipated to persist this week following the loss against Manly, even with several changes made to the lineup.
While the Dragons showed slight improvement in their performance, it might not be enough to secure Flanagan's position, especially with formidable upcoming matches against teams like the South Sydney Rabbitohs and Sydney Roosters on Anzac Day, along with the Newcastle Knights, before facing the Penrith Panthers at Magic Round.
The team has held candid discussions, and their support for Flanagan remains strong, epitomized by Luciano Leilua's remarks on Triple M Radio post-game, where he expressed disappointment in the team's performance and apologized to fans, emphasizing the team's struggle with execution.
"the effort is there, we just lack execution," Leilua stated.