Dean Young benches Kyle Flanagan in bold first move as Dragons caretaker coach
Dean Young has made the first significant move of his audition to become the permanent St George Illawarra Dragons head coach, benching halfback Kyle Flanagan just one day after his father's exit from the club. Young was officially named as the Dragons' caretaker coach on Monday following the news that Shane Flanagan, who had overseen a disappointing 0-7 start as head coach, had parted ways with the organization.
Major coaching shake-up at the Dragons
Flanagan Sr, along with football boss Ben Haran and assistant coach Michael Ennis, have all departed the Dragons within the past 48 hours. Young wasted no time putting his personal stamp on the team ahead of Saturday's crucial Anzac Day clash with the Sydney Roosters at Allianz Stadium.
"Kyle's position this week will be to cover the halves if something happens to them, or to cover the hooker position if something happens to Damien Cook," Young explained on Tuesday. "I've got a really good relationship with him. I spoke to him about the reasons why, which will stay between us."
New faces in the lineup
Highly rated halfback Kade Reed will start in the No.7 jersey for his NRL debut, while Ryan Couchman will replace the suspended Jaydn Su'A in the backrow. Valentine Holmes has been spared the axe despite struggling to contain Latrell Mitchell in last week's loss to South Sydney.
However, the decision to consign Kyle Flanagan to the No.18 jersey will undoubtedly be the biggest talking point leading up to the match. After stints at Cronulla, the Roosters, and Canterbury, the 27-year-old was brought to the Dragons to serve as a utility player under his father's coaching.
The exits of Junior Amone and Ben Hunt thrust Flanagan Jr back into the NRL firing line, where he has struggled to live up to expectations. The decision to drop him from the starting team will be widely interpreted as a clear sign that Young is unafraid to make tough decisions as he bids to become the Dragons' long-term head coach.
Young's deep connection to the club
"No one knows the club like me. I was a ball boy when I was five and I've been here for 10 years as a player," Young declared. "I've been here multiple times as an assistant coach. I've got strong views on where the club's at."
Young has previously served as an assistant at the North Queensland Cowboys and with the NSW Blues. He has even given up his role with Laurie Daley's State of Origin side to fully commit to the Dragons during this critical period.
"Watching them last weekend you think, 'Jeez it's going to be hard to turn it around'," Daley told Sky Sports Radio on Tuesday. "But one thing I know about Dean is he's a hard worker, very knowledgeable and has great relationships with people."
Competition for the permanent coaching role
The closest challenger to Young's hopes of landing the job on a full-time basis appears to be fellow 2010 premiership-winning teammate Ben Hornby. The ex-Dragons halfback has been an assistant at South Sydney for the past six years and has earned rave reviews for his work under legendary coach Wayne Bennett.
Hornby also demonstrated remarkable calmness as a caretaker when Jason Demetriou was sacked in 2024. "He had a little stint as interim head coach here a couple years ago and I couldn't fault him," said Rabbitohs skipper Cameron Murray. "It was like he's been doing it for 20 years. He's a pretty incredible guy and any club would be lucky to have him as a head coach."
Murray added, "It's probably what he's learned best from Wayne, the simple fundamentals of what create good footy teams and just being consistent with that." Hornby achieved a 6-11 record during the 2024 season, which included an impressive five-game winning streak.
Hornby's coaching strengths
Back-rower Tallis Duncan highlighted Hornby's exceptional communication skills and his ability to explain complex gameplans in simple terms. "He was obviously such a smart footballer when he played, but I feel like sometimes that wouldn't translate to explaining it down to probably dumb forwards," Duncan joked. "But he's got that ability so he can break down the game in a way to make everyone understand it."
As the Dragons prepare for their Anzac Day showdown, all eyes will be on how Young's bold selection decisions translate to on-field performance. The caretaker coach's handling of the Flanagan situation represents his first major test in what promises to be a closely watched audition for the permanent coaching position.
