Flanagan laments errors as Sharks outlast Dragons on miserable afternoon

Another day of rugby league has come and gone. The Knights and Sharks have been made to work to score home wins.

Tigers No.7 Aidan Sezer is facing a one-month suspension over a hip-drop tackle and $11,8000 in fines have been issued following a spiteful, yet highly-entertaining match between Sezer’s team and the Bulldogs on Saturday.

Storm fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen is facing another lengthy stint on the sidelines after scans revealed a fractured fibula.

In the player-movement market, hulking Titans and Maroons forward David Fifita will meet with the Panthers on Monday. It’s far from a done deal, but the newshounds are sure to be all over this one in the coming days.

That, my friends, was one day in the world of rugby league.

Fear not, it all starts again on Thursday.

Dragons coach Shane Flanagan had the local derby against Cronulla “marked in the calendar for a while”.

A week earlier, he said the Sharks were a team he was “really interested in beating”.

But when the full-time siren rang out at PointsBet Stadium on Sunday, the Sharks had mustered a 20-10 victory over Flanagan - the only man to coach Cronulla to a premiership - and his Dragons.

Flanagan said it was a “self-inflicted” loss.

“We were just awful. Never completed sets, never got to our kick and then when we did, we didn’t nail them down in the corners,” Flanagan said.

“Frustrating game from our perspective. Didn’t give ourselves a chance because of the errors we made. You can’t do that against a good-quality side. I thought we were in there for most of it, but some of the errors we made were self-inflicted penalties.”

The Sharks lacked the finishing touches they have shown several times this season, but a try to cult hero Tom Hazelton in the 64th minute was enough to seal the win.

After leading the Sharks at half-time, the Dragons struggled to finish their sets in the second half, and Flanagan said the team spent so much time defending, that they were too tired to attack when they had the ball.

“I got a football team that can compete against the best teams in there, but we’ve got to give ourselves a chance, and we didn’t give ourselves a chance today,” he said.

1. With Souths, a bye and the Bulldogs in the next three weeks, is a move into the top eight on the cards?
2. Who can step up and help Ben Hunt to improve the Dragons’ attack?
3. Will Tyrell Sloan get suspended after being put on report late in the match?
4. Can the Dragons find some backline strike power for 2025 and beyond?

1. Are they ready for the tough run that’s coming in the next six weeks?
2. How many players will they lose during the Origin period?
3. Are they the best defensive side in the premiership?
4. Does chatty Ronaldo Mulitalo need to tone things down a bit?
5. Is Tom Hazelton the best try-scoring prop (as opposed to best prop) in the NRL?

Nicho Hynes takes on the Dragons.Credit: Getty

The Dragons were much better than their effort against the Roosters a round earlier, but in the end they just weren’t good enough to beat this impressive Sharks side. Cronulla weren’t great but they did enough. They have a tough stretch of games on the way, but for now they’re loving life.

The Dragons officially need a miracle. After Nicho Hynes kicked a penalty goal, the Sharks lead by 10 with three minutes remaining. It’s not officially over - that’s coming soon. Sharks lead 20-10 after 77 minutes.