Big ban for Jaydn Su’A adds to Flanagan’s woes
Jasper Bruce |
Under-fire Shane Flanagan will need to continue the fight for his job without Jaydn Su’A after the St George Illawarra star received a three-game ban from the match review committee.
Queensland representative Su’A became the first player since 2024 to be sent from the field when he flattened Cam Murray with a late, high shot in the Dragons’ 30-12 loss to South Sydney.
Saturday’s loss was the Dragons’ 11th in a row, and leaves them winless heading into their biggest game of the regular season: the traditional Anzac Day clash with the Sydney Roosters.
If he accepts an early guilty plea to the offence of grade-three shoulder charge, Su’A will miss that game as well as fixtures against Newcastle and Penrith.
Ryan Couchman, who has served a four-game dangerous contact ban, and Jacob Halangahu are both options to start in the second row on Anzac Day.
Su’A’s absence will be a bitter pill to swallow for under-fire Flanagan given the Parramatta recruit has been one of the Dragons’ best in their dire start to 2026.
Flanagan was too busy in the closing stages of the loss to process the extent of Su’A’s tackle.
“To be honest, I had so many things running through my head and didn’t look at it too many times. I saw it happen, it was pretty close in front of me. I’ll have to look at it again,” he said.
But on one point Flanagan was brutally clear: another loss means another week of pressure.
“We’re not winning footy games and I understand that. It’s the business of winning and we’re not winning,” he said.
“I go to work every day and all I can do is do my best, prepare the players the best I can. If it doesn’t work and they’ve got to make a decision, I’ve got to live with that.”
Hooker and co-captain Damien Cook said there was nothing more Flanagan could be doing to rouse the Dragons from the mire.
“He’s done everything he can. It’s up to us,” he said.
“We lost in yardage tonight, our discipline in yardage, our discipline with the ball, we didn’t put enough pressure on them, didn’t get down the other end.”
AAP