Embattled Flanagan hit with Su’A send-off, Souths loss

By Jasper Bruce

Embattled Shane Flanagan insists he’s still the man to turn St George Illawarra around, but things won’t get any easier after form player Jaydn Su’A was sent off in the Dragons’ 30-12 loss to South Sydney.

Latrell Mitchell torched the Dragons’ right edge with four tries, vindicating Wayne Bennett’s decision to keep him at left centre and leave fullback duties to the returning Matt Dufty, who starred against his old firm.

It was a case of deja vu for Flanagan at Accor Stadium on Saturday night as the Dragons were again competitive in patches, but not for long enough to prevent an 11th consecutive loss.

The Red V’s latest defeat means they are winless entering their most important fixture of the regular season, the traditional Anzac Day clash with the Sydney Roosters.

Even with the Dragons four competition points behind second-last on the NRL ladder, Flanagan insisted he remained the right coach for the club.

“Of course,” he said.

“(The Souths loss) puts pressure on me and puts the club under pressure.

“We’re not winning footy games and I understand that. It’s the business of winning and we’re not winning.

“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.”

The Dragons were down 20-12 when Parramatta recruit Su’A flew out of the line to flatten Cameron Murray with a late and high shot in the 69th minute.

Referee Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski consulted with the bunker before Su’A became the first player since round 22, 2024 to be banished from the field.

As the Rabbitohs marched up the pitch, Mitchell burst through the line for a third try of the night, before a fourth put the result well and truly beyond doubt.

Mitchell had earlier scored from a scrum play that embarrassed his opposite man Val Holmes, and nabbed a second try burrowing out of dummy half.

“I’m just really proud of him, Latrell,” said Bennett.

“He likes to play fullback but we made a decision earlier in the season about his position in the centres and we had to make one change to that backline today, which was outstanding.”

Meanwhile, Michael Maguire claimed Brisbane’s heroic NRL win over Wests Tigers was one of the proudest victories of his coaching career as the Broncos’ depth faces a fresh test with Payne Haas set for a stint on the sidelines.

Haas will go for scans in the coming days on a medial ligament injury that threatens to rule him out for the next month and perhaps threaten his chances of lining up for NSW in the State of Origin series opener on May 27.

The durable prop clutched at his knee before limping off in the first half at Campbelltown Sports Stadium.

He will join a bulging list of unavailable players that includes Patrick Carrigan (suspension) and Reece Walsh (cheekbone) ahead of next week’s meeting with Canterbury.

“Looking across my coaching career, that’s up there with one of the great ones,” said Maguire, whose side nabbed a 21-20 win courtesy of an Adam Reynolds field goal.

“The way the boys rallied around each other and the togetherness of the group was on display.”

As well as facing the Tigers without Carrigan and Walsh, Maguire also had playmaker Ben Hunt, first-choice hooker Cory Paix, his deputy Blake Mozer and utility Billy Walters sitting on the sidelines.

In Auckland, an early try double from flying winger Alofiana Khan-Pereira against his former team has set the Warriors up for a 28-20 win over Gold Coast that kept them firmly in the top three on the NRL ladder.

Scoring four tries in the first half while keeping their opponents scoreless, the Warriors (5-2) had to endure some shaky moments as the Titans rallied strongly with four tries of their own in the second half of Saturday’s clash in Auckland.

Khan-Pereira opened the scoring after just five minutes and also got the second try with a spectacular dive in the corner in the 22nd minute following a flicked pass from Chanel Harris-Tavita.

Then Harris-Tavita somehow wrestled the ball down in a collision of bodies with replays showing the ball touching the line for a try.

Not to be outdone, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak produced his own trademark dive for a try in the corner before Tanah Boyd added a late penalty to make it 22-0 to the hosts at the break.

However, the second half was almost all the Titans.

Jojo Fifita finally got the visitors on the scoreboard after 51 minutes with a try in the right corner.

The Warriors responded quickly from a Titans’ error as Leka Halasima charged forward and sent the ball to Erin Clark, who made space for a wrap around with James Fisher-Harris, before going in next to the posts.

The Warriors were leading 28-4 but suddenly their defence became shambolic as the Titans came back through quick reactions and even quicker feet from Sialetili Faeamani who scored in the 68th minute.

They then cut the Warriors to pieces with more quick attack through Tino Fa’asuamaleaui for Arama Hau to score and bring the score back to 28-14 after 72 minutes.

The visitors crossed again through Kurtis Morrin in the 78th minute to further close the gap before time ran out for them.

Warriors coach Andrew Webster had praise for Khan-Pereira who arrived at the club from the Titans in the off season.

“Loffie looked pretty confident for a new kid on the block,” Webster said. “He’s fitted in, he’s bought into what we’re doing.

“He’ll be really proud of some moments tonight.”

There was also plenty of praise for workhorse Jackson Ford who led the tackle count for the Warriors with 48 to go with 20 hit-ups and 226 metres gained.

“It helps interchange because he just stays out there,” said skipper Mitch Barnett, who returned to the side from injury.

“He’s a guy that probably should bring you off at stages, but he just keeps going and just keeps leaving people on the ground. He’s in every kick chase. He doesn’t miss his assignments.”