LeagueNews.co | Jess Malloy
Shane Flanagan, the head honcho at St George Illawarra Dragons, has spilled the beans on why he decided to switch Tyrell Sloan out to the wing during Friday night's showdown against the Newcastle Knights.
According to reports from zerotackle.com, Flanagan didn't mince his words and declared that Sloan simply wasn't cutting the mustard in the first half.
In a bold move, Flanagan shifted Sloan to the wing and brought in Zac Lomax to take over the fullback duties.
Despite the shake-up, the Dragons couldn't quite turn the tide against the Knights in the less-than-ideal weather conditions.
Their kicking game and ball handling left a lot to be desired, leaving the visitors struggling to keep up.
When grilled about the decision post-game, Flanagan didn't beat around the bush and bluntly stated that Sloan's defensive efforts in the early stages were lacking.
He made it clear that he's not afraid to make tough calls and switch things up when necessary.
"[He] Just wasn't good enough.
He is a young kid and he needs to learn it's a tough game and you need to put your head where people are going to put their boots and there will be a collision," Flanagan said during his press conference, giving Sloan a tough love lesson in the school of hard knocks.