St George Illawarra Dragons: Shane Flanagan to relocate NRL training base from Wollongong to Sydney

Shane Flanagan has made his first big move as Dragons coach, breaking from a decade of tradition in a move that will ruffle some feathers.

Dragons coach Shane Flanagan AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts

New St George Illawarra coach Shane Flanagan has made his first big move opting to relocate training to Sydney for the first time in more than a decade.

The Dragons have trained permanently in Wollongong in recent seasons with their Kogarah-home seldom used.

But Netstrata Jubilee Stadium will now become a fixture for the Dragons playing squad with the whole team to train at the venue at least once a week every Friday during the pre-season. They will maintain a presence during the year too.

Flanagan wants the Dragons to represent both regions and as a St George junior himself is keen for the club to reconnect to the St George district.

New Dragons coach Shane Flanagan will relocate the club’s training base. Picture: AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts

“Let’s get back to Kogarah,” Flanagan said. “The club is St George Illawarra. I’m treating it like that through all facets of the club.”

Sydney-based players will also stay locally to train at least one other time instead of having the need to travel to Wollongong on a full-time basis.

Flanagan has listened to the players in a bid to ease their travel load placed on them.

The likes of Ben Hunt, Jaydn Su’A and new recruit Hame Sele are among the two handful of players who live in Sydney. The reduced travel time will take pressure off the Sydney-based players and could potentially make the club a greater attraction for players to sign with the club who may not want to relocate to Wollongong.

The Dragons return to Kogarah for regular training sessions. Picture: NRL

Wollongong will always remain as the club’s main training base as the Dragons start work a $50 million high performance centre on the University of Wollongong campus.

Flanagan and the Dragons have been in consultation with Georges River Council for weeks about the plan move with the council holding the lease for the venue.

In recent years the Dragons have been criticised for moving away from one of their spiritual homes. Kogarah has been used as a base for training before the players headed to the airport for an away trip or sometimes before a home game.

Otherwise Kogarah has been largely a ghost-town for St George Illawarra for a long-time, with the Dragons playing just five home games the venue.