Before Round 1, Flanagan makes an unexpected call regarding the Dragons backline.
Coach Shane Flanagan of the St George Illawarra Dragons has disclosed that Jack Bird will be used in the centers for the duration of 2024.
Before his first game in command of the Red V, where he has previously served as an assistant coach and list consultant, the club’s new head coach, Anthony Griffin, who was fired by the team in the middle of 2023, had a lot of questions to address.
The primary concern was whether Tyrell Sloan or Zac Lomax would start at fullback, but it seems Flanagan has put a wrench in the works by assigning Sloan to the position and moving Lomax to right center.
On SEN 1170 Radio, Flanagan stated of Bird, “We’ve moved him to the centers; he’ll predominantly play, I would hope so, most of his footy in the centers.”
“He’ll play right center for the majority of his football, but he might fill in at five-eighth if we had an injury or form issues.
“He’s performed incredibly well; he’s gained muscle and lost a lot of weight. I’m hoping for an incredible season.”
Lomax, whose 2023 was mixed, tried switching sides early in the season, but it didn’t work out. Moses Suli and Lomax were returned to their former lineup by interim coach Ryan Carr after Griffin was fired, and both players found consistency by the end of the season.
However, that does not imply that he will have a starring position come 2024.
Even though Bird is a utility player, it has long been believed that using him in a single position will bring out the best in him. As a result, unless Lomax now competes for a wing position—of which one is reserved for Mikaele Ravalawa and the other for Mathew Feagai—he might not play for the team.
As a fullback, Flanagan stated he sees a lot in Sloan.
Flanagan continued, “Sloan is a fullback down and out; that’s his best position.”
“Not that he fits into that category, but he’d be up there with speed,” the player said. “He’s so fast out of shape there’s not too many players, you got your Reece Walsh types.”
“They’re trying to stop him with Reece Walsh and these guys out the back of shapes, but good luck stopping him if he goes one-on-one with a backrower.”
Although he still needs to improve in a few areas, he’s performed admirably defensively. He has put a lot of effort into his defense, and we have addressed his flaws.
“Every training session, we address them at some point, and I believe he has bought into it.”
