Clint Gutherson admits there is “pressure” mounting on the Dragons halves, despite the comments from coach Shane Flanagan last week that his son Kyle was safe.
Flanagan Jr. has been in the firing line over the past fortnight, with St George Illawarra belted by the Dolphins and then run down in the second half by Cronulla.
With a bye in round 16, the noise has subsided ever so slightly – but the Red V now face a must-win game against Parramatta in a bid to turn their season around.
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Kyle Flanagan Getty
The 26-year-old is expected to retain the halfback position for Saturday’s fixture, but the recent form of Lachlan Ilias in reserve grade has certainly sparked debate.
Since being dropped to NSW Cup after a dismal Anzac Day performance, Ilias has led the Dragons to seven-straight victories as they move towards the top of the ladder.
Despite his form – alongside youngster Jonah Glover – the public sentiment from coach Flanagan is that the current first grade halves weren’t under pressure.
But when asked at a press conference on Monday, co-captain Gutherson was nowhere near as adamant about Flanagan’s standing in the No.7 jumper.
“When you’re in the seven jersey, there’s always gonna be added pressure,” he said.
“The best way to deal with that is win – if you’re winning and playing well and doing your job, the pressure gets off you and people stop talking about you.
“It’s hard and that’s nothing to do with me. Lachy has handled the whole situation great, he hasn’t kicked stones and hasn’t whinged once.
Lachlan Ilias Getty
“He’s just gone about his business, gone down there and gotten better. He’s definitely doing a job down there and putting pressure on and that’s what you want.
“You want in-house pressure for positions. The 17 that gets to play every week is going out there to try and win and if you don’t, your position is on the line.
“It’s just about buying into that … and that’s what Lachy is doing to the halves.”
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Gutherson was then quizzed whether he believes Flanagan and King-Togia were the best halves pairing that the club had to offer.
“That’s above my pay grade,” he said.
“I’m here to play footy, get the boys together and make sure we’re ready to go on game day. Picking the team has got nothing to do with me … I don’t want to be a part of it.
“Whoever is in that 17, I’m gonna go out and do a job with them and they’ll have my full support. It’s not my job to pick the team, it’s my job to work with the team that I’ve got.
“They are getting better – it takes time, but we don’t have time in the NRL and you’ve got to make things work pretty quickly.”
Kyle Flanagan Getty
Flanagan has registered four try assists in 13 games this season – the same amount as he did for the entirety of last season when playing five-eighth outside Ben Hunt.
In less than half the amount of appearances, King-Togia has produced four try assists, while Ilias had just two in seven games before being dropped.
After a clash with Parramatta, the desperate Dragons face a hellacious three weeks with games against the Raiders, Roosters and Bulldogs.
