After missing out on the next great rookie, the St George Illawarra board has unanimously endorsed Shane Flanagan as the club's next head coach.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Preferred candidate Jason Ryles' decision to knock back the role points to the scale of the rebuild required. Fortunately, Flanagan has form in that area.
The foundation of his pitch for the role - the glaring blemish of the supplements scandal aside - was the way he took Cronulla from its knees to its maiden premiership.
He's facing an arguably tougher task taking over a joint-venture that's made one trip to the finals in the last decade. In that vein, here are the five burning issues he'll confront when stepping into the chair.
What to do with Ben Hunt.
Flanagan's already given himself a head-start in that regard having spoken with the skipper prior to even getting the nod for the gig.
It saw Hunt given the assurance that he will play halfback as part of a Flanagan regime. It's an important step given Flanagan, with Dean Young, was part of a selection committee that saw Hunt shifted to dummy-half during the 2020 season.
It was a card Anthony Griffin played briefly this season in an effort to save his job. It was perhaps something Hunt was willing to do for close mate Griffin and no one else, having made it clear it's not something he's willing to entertain long-term.
As list manager, Flanagan also had a role in securing the two-year extension Hunt signed at the end of last season, so it's hard to see any disconnect between the pair, who've remained close through the former's various roles at the club.
Lingering questions over Hunt's future remain. The odds of Flanagan's rebuild netting a premiership within the final two years of Hunt's deal are long.
At the same time, they are no longer than they were when he inked his extension. His personal qualities are such that many would not begrudge him chasing a title, but fans are entitled to expect a contract freely signed should be seen out.
His closeness with ousted coach Griffin can't be replicated, but it appears Flanagan's appointment will swing the stay-or-go ledger back in the club's favour.
Jayden Sullivan, Talatau Amone, or both?
The push for Hunt to shift to dummy-half, where he's the incumbent for both Queensland and Australia, was twofold.
For one, there were major question marks over the club's depth at hooker following the retirement of Andrew McCullough with a year to run on his contract.
Moses Mbye, Griffin's subsequent preference at dummy-half, is off-contract this season, while Jacob Liddle was at a career cross road having been deemed surplus to requirements by the lowly Tigers.
He was re-signed before being dumped to reserve grade by Griffin. Since interim coach Ryan Carr took over, the 26-year-old looks well on the way to establishing himself as an 80-minute hooker.
The latter got the jump amid Sullivan's injury woes the past two seasons and established himself as Hunt's halves foil through 2022.
Legal dramas and a no-fault stand-down have left him looking a distracted player, with criminal matters still to be played out in court. A minor injury paved the way for his return after Sullivan got the jump in round one.
Sullivan now looks the preferred option under Carr, who dropped Amone to the bench from where he played just four minutes against Souths last week.
He's free to negotiate with rivals from November 1 this year, with his contract running until the end of 2024. Sullivan's signed until the end of 2025.
The thought of the pair emulating their effort in steering the Steelers to the 2019 SG Ball crown has long been the dream, for the Illawarra faithful in particular.
Still, you'd be hard-pressed to find any club that has successfully managed to keep two stand-out young halves at their club into their mid-20s. The degree of difficulty in this instance may precipitate a tough call.
Get recruitment in order.
Not to kick a bloke on the way out, but recruitment did not prove a strong suit of Griffin's. Calls were questionable from the outset.
The two first orders of business were an always-doomed pitch to recruit Israel Folau and the decision to let then-skipper Cam McInnes go in order to bring McCullough to the club.
McCullough wasn't able to see out the deal and became one of a number of players past their prime to arrive at the club. In Griffin's defence, a number were on deals propped up by former clubs, but it was a strategy doomed to fail.
What Flanagan will have is space to move. It's what makes the Dragons job more attractive than many gave it credit for.
Only Hunt and Zac Lomax are on hugely significant coin until the end of 2025, the latter's the only rich deal running until the end of 2026.
People questioned the wisdom of Jack de Belin's rich four-year with player option deal, but he's taken up the option on the final year of it for 2024. Only nine members of the club's current top 30 are signed beyond that.
There's potential for not just big, but quick, roster regeneration, with one of the game's richest talent springs at Flanagan's finger tips. It may not prove as lengthy a rebuild as it currently appears.
Do you keep Ryan Carr?
If the players had their way, the answer's an unequivocal yes.
You can't not be impressed by the way the Dragons interim coach has conducted himself since being thrust into the role a month ago.
The 2-2 ledger the Dragons boast since is only half of it. At just 34, Carr has shown he's not averse to big decisions, recalling Lomax and Liddle from reserve grade, putting the former back to his preferred edge and giving a Sloan-Sullivan-Hunt-Liddle spine room to develop.
More than that, there's been a notable spring in the players step. The dressing room following Saturday's win over the Rabbitohs was as joyous as its been in a long time.
There's often talk of succession plans in coaching these days. Wayne Bennett did it successfully with his handover of the Rabbitohs to Jason Demetriou.
He's now doing the same with Kristian Woof at Redcliffe. The jury's out on the Tigers attempt at it, with Tim Sheens set to hand the reins to Benji Marshall in future.
To think Flanagan, having sat five years out of the head coaching game, would simply hand back the clipboard after three years is hard to fathom.
Having a 34-year-old Carr around long-term seems more palatable, if it remains beneficial to most parties. The club would be well-advised to keep him around as long as it can.
Unite St George Illawarra.
A joint-venture is always ripe for splitting. Flanagan's eventual appointment is evidence of that given the credible reports that sections of the St George faction were dragged to it kicking and screaming.
While it's undoubtedly a rebuild, the Red V faithful have already been asked for more than warranted patience. There's no reason the Dragons can't reach the finals next season.
Fans all-too-readily divide themselves along joint-venture lines when times are tough. They were largely united in welcoming Flanagan's appointment, but the only truly unifying force will be on-field success.
Our news app has had a makeover, making it faster and giving you access to even more great content.
Download The Illawarra Mercury news app in the Apple Store and Google Play
Mitch Jennings
Sports writer. Sport is my passion, rugby league my first love.
Sports writer. Sport is my passion, rugby league my first love.
