MARK ‘SPUDD’ CARROLL: Dragons coach Shane Flanagan saying St George can’t win NRL was bizarre move

Shane Flanagan has every right to be filthy over the bullshit stripping penalty that cost his team a draw against the Bulldogs in the Las Vegas golden point thriller.

But not as filthy as Dragons players, fans, administrators and sponsors must have been when they heard the coach had written off their premiership chances before a ball had been kicked this season.

I’m not sure if Flanno had been slurping one of those giant cocktails found on the Vegas strip when he declared “we know we aren’t going to win the comp this year”, but I found the statement absolutely staggering.

Of course, he’s right – the Dragons won’t be there when the whips are cracking – but why the hell tell the whole world?

The Saints boss said he was only being realistic and that 2026 was more a year of rebuilding with an eye on being a genuine contender next year.

But if I’m a player who’s just slogged through four months of the most gruelling of off-seasons and was preparing to put my body on the line for the next seven months, I’d be gutted.

If the coach doesn’t believe in you, what’s the point?

And then there’s the fans.

When a new season starts, they want to dream of their team being there on grand final day.

Fifteen sets of supporters will be left disappointed by late September but there’s no need to destroy their hopes in February.

What are they now supposed to think?

The Red V army has bought season tickets, all the merchandise and, in some cases, travelled thousands of kilometres at great cost, only to be told their team is just there to make up the numbers.

And how about those sponsors who pour hundreds of thousands of dollars into the club in the hope to see their names on that famous jersey on grand final day.

I’d be tempted to ask for a refund.

And I can’t think the Dragons hierarchy would have been impressed with what they heard.

Can you imagine Wayne Bennett, Craig Bellamy, Ricky Stuart or Ivan Cleary writing off their team’s chances before we’d even started?

Even coaches chasing their first premiership – your Craig Fitzgibbons, Kristian Woolfs, Benji Marshalls – would never adopt such a defeatist attitude, even if they privately had their reservations.

Anyway, maybe I’m underestimating Flanagan and it was a masterclass in reverse psychology.

He’s won a comp and maybe he was trying to unlock something inside his players.

They certainly showed plenty of fight in Vegas before that awful penalty at the end handed Canterbury an extra-time win.

If that was a strip by Ryan Couchman, I’m a Melbourne Cup jockey.

Anyway, we can put it down as another successful Vegas venture for the NRL.

But where do we go from here?

I’ve heard suggestions we should look at staging matches in places like England, the Middle East and Europe.

But I’d like the NRL to continue building what they’ve started in the States.

How about we keep rolling with Vegas but also play a game in, say, Miami, one in LA, and one in Dallas.

Four or five high quality games in the same country on the same day (with different kick off times).

You can thank me later, PVL.

AND DON’T GET ME STARTED

Let’s get one thing straight.

Manly have never collected the wooden spoon and they’re not about to start as they prepare to celebrate their 60th season,

Far dinkum, I swear some of the “experts” predicting the Sea Eagles to run last – or close to it – have never watched a game of football.

Please…can we get serious for a minute.

Manly beat all top four sides last year and were still in with a chance of making the finals going into the final round.

That was after a year in which DCE announced he was bailing on them on top of a horrendous injury toll.

Cherry-Evans will be missed but Jamal Fogarty is a handy pick up and I really like what I see in young Joey Walsh.

But forwards are my area of expertise and here’s where I think the Sea Eagles can make an impact.

Haumole Olakau’atu is back after missing the end of last season and we all know what a weapon he is.

And I am really excited to see the return of Taniela Paseka in the all-important front-row.

Injury cruelled his 2025 campaign but the big fella is raring to go and will rip and tear from round one.

Ethan Bullemor and Siosiua Taukeiaho are real goers and Kobe Hetherington is a great addition after picking up a premiership at Brisbane.

And I know coaches don’t play, but Anthony Seibold’s physical transformation (he’s lost 17kg) tells me he is sharp in body and mind and fully locked in for a year that could well decide his future at the club.

So, to all you baggers out there – keep throwing shit Manly’s way because you’ll only end up with it on your face!