Former Sydney Roosters half Kyle Flanagan has lashed out at his old club following their shock decision to cut the 22-year-old's contract two years early.

Flanagan was quickly swooped up by Canterbury following his departure from Bondi, with Trent Robinson's faith in the young gun quickly fading following the Chooks' exit from the finals.

With Luke Keary leading the charge and Sam Walker and Lachie Lam waiting in the wings, the Roosters made the cut-throat decision to end their relationship with Flanagan, a move the rising star labeled as "the hardest pill to swallow" when speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald.

“I signed with the Roosters to grow and develop into the role over the next few years,” Flanagan said.

“Then to be told a year later that plan isn‘t there anymore, that was the hardest pill to swallow.

“That’s the business we’re in, I guess.”

Flanagan revealed the mental impacts that arose after being dropped for two matches midway through the 2020 season despite being the league's highest point-scorer at the time.

"It definitely [affected] my confidence during the year when I thought I was playing really well and I was the [competition's] top points scorer, then I didn't play two games out of nowhere," he said.

"I look back now going, 'What the hell was going on there?'

"I was pretty proud with how I responded to that and finished off the season.

"I remember [Robinson] saying to me, 'You're not playing poorly, we just want you to improve'.

"It was quite confusing. We were winning through that whole period there. I went back, trained hard, got back in the team and played well. I thought it was all part of the development.

Flanagan finished the season as the NRL's third highest point-scorer after amassing 198 points and will now be a vital asset to Trent Barrett's new-look Bulldogs squad that is also set to welcome Josh Addo-Carr and Matt Burton next year.

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