Monday Buzz: St George Illawarra Dragons are NRL’s ‘Reject Shop’ team surging for finals

Almost half the Dragons team that beat the Storm on Saturday night were unwanted or axed by their previous club. Remarkably, Shane Flanagan has put this team of misfits and cast-offs into finals contention, writes PHIL ROTHFIELD.

The St George Illawarra team that is surging towards a finals berth is like a rugby league reject shop.

Almost half the team that beat Melbourne Storm on Saturday night are discards who were either unwanted or axed by their previous clubs.

Raymond Faitala-Mariner and Kyle Flanagan got ditched by the Bulldogs and no one but Saints wanted them.

Jacob Liddle was even offloaded by the wooden spooners, the Wests Tigers.

Tom Eisenhuth was unwanted at Melbourne Storm and had to settle for a minimum-wage deal at Saints.

Winger Christian Tuipulotu got axed by Manly and the Roosters.

The Dragons celebrate their upset victory over Melbourne on Saturday. Picture: Josh Chadwick/Getty Images

Moses Suli had been previously punted by Wests Tigers and the Bulldogs before he went to Manly and then the Dragons.

It’s a remarkable story of how coach Shane Flanagan has pulled together a team of misfits and cast-offs that were $3.50 equal favourites with Wests Tigers for the wooden spoon at the beginning of the season.

Then you throw in a couple of stars who asked for releases and didn’t even want to be there – Ben Hunt and Zac Lomax – and it’s even more amazing that they jumped into eighth spot on the premiership ladder after Saturday night’s win.

Who would have thought they could knock off the Storm for the first time in 25 years in Melbourne on Saturday night in one of the boilovers of the year.

A team with little glamour but plenty of grit and guts.

This is a club that couldn’t land the signature of a big-name player, outside of Damien Cook — another player unwanted at South Sydney.

Addin Fonua-Blake, not interested. The same with Blaize Talagi, thanks, but no thanks. Stefano Utoikamanu wouldn’t go there for $200k more than Storm offered. Plus winger Sunia Turuva and Connor Tracey, who chose to go elsewhere.

Kyle Flanagan takes photos with the travelling Dragons fans in Melbourne. Picture: Josh Chadwick/Getty Images

All these knock-backs is why most of the ‘rejects’ got their start in the Red V jersey.

Even the coach himself struggled to get a start before the opportunity came up at the Dragons.

Wests Tigers showed no interest when they sacked Michael Maguire.

Same with Phil Gould at Canterbury when he got rid of Trent Barrett.

Only Manly would give him a job as an assistant coach.

Before that he was doing TV and radio … and even wearing a hi-vis vest working on the tools for a signage company … just waiting for an opportunity like this one at the Dragons.

I asked Flanagan on Saturday night about coaching against the Bulldogs this week, the club where he couldn’t even get an interview.

“Let’s not go there,” he said. “It’s about players preparing for another big game, not me.”

Next Saturday these misfit Dragons meet the Bulldogs in a suburban ground blockbuster at Kogarah.

Such is the interest that it will be sold out in 24 hours.

Is Shane Flanagan cooking up a finals surge for his Dragons? Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Two great old Sydney clubs that have fought their way back from the scrap heap.

Flanagan spoke on Saturday night in Melbourne of the new-found belief in his side.

That his players no longer carry the scars of being on the outer at their previous clubs.

Slowly but surely they have rebuilt their footy careers in recent months.

“Beating Storm is definitely a shot in the arm for our belief,” Flanagan said.

“The more we do it consistently in tough and difficult circumstances the better.

“We’ve learnt that we can beat any team in the competition if we get ourselves right.

“I have always had confidence in this playing group.”

Originally published as Monday Buzz: St George Illawarra Dragons are NRL’s ‘Reject Shop’ team surging for finals