Kyle Flanagan Reflects on His Father's Departure from the Dragons

Kyle Flanagan has finally addressed the recent fallout from his father Shane Flanagan's exit from the St George Illawarra Dragons.

Shane's tenure as head coach ended abruptly after the team faced seven consecutive losses at the beginning of the 2026 season in April, leading to Dean Young stepping in for the rest of the year until a permanent head coach is appointed.

In the wake of his departure, Young opted to give 20-year-old prodigy Kade Reed the starting role as chief playmaker in their annual Anzac Day match against the Sydney Roosters, which resulted in Flanagan being placed on the six-man bench.

However, Reed soon underwent finger surgery, paving the way for Flanagan to return to the halfback position and guide the team once again.

"It's definitely been a challenge," Flanagan remarked regarding his father's exit from the club.

"The old man's sort of come out the last couple of weeks and said his part in it. For me, I'll probably touch on it a bit further down the track."

"There have been a few challenges thrown at the club and different individuals, but you come to work to get better and do your job for the team. That is the way I approached every day - come here, be a better man and go home to my family."

"I'm just focused on doing my absolute best for the team. I love competing with my teammates and helping this team and this club win, that's what my focus is."

Flanagan has experience in the NRL, having played 79 games with teams like the Cronulla Sharks, Sydney Roosters, and the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs before joining his father in Wollongong.