The St George Illawarra Dragons have signed off-contract half and hooker Kyle Flanagan on a two-year deal from the Canterbury Bulldogs.
Flanagan, predominantly a half, has spent three seasons yo-yo-ing in and out of Canterbury's best 17 since joining the club following a single season at the Sydney Roosters in 2020.
The Cronulla Sharks junior has managed exactly 50 games in his time as a Bulldog, but after being dropped in the middle of the 2023 season, was forced to reinvent himself as a bench utility.
His play at dummy half coming off the bench in the NSW Cup impressed the coaching staff at the Bulldogs, and he wound up playing in every game for the blue and white after Round 19.
Despite that, the Bulldogs have been on a signing tirade in the utility department recently, adding the likes of Blake Taaffe and Jaeman Salmon to the club, while there is also talk that Drew Hutchison is set to make the switch to Belmore from the Roosters.
It has meant Flanagan was unlikely to find a lifeline at Belmore, and while it was heavily speculated he would head to the English Super League to continue his career next year, he will instead head to the Dragons.
“Kyle brings great value to our squad in a number of positions,” Dragons General Manager of Football Ben Haran said in a statement.
“His competitive nature, experience and knowledge of the game will benefit those around him.
“We look forward to him joining the club in November.”
The signing means Flanagan will become a suitable backup option to Ben Hunt in the halves, while he could also contend for the number 14 jersey at the club, with the Dragons yet to make a decision on youngster Connor Muhleisen's future.
The club's number one hooker Jacob Liddle is also yet to cement himself as an 80-minute player week in and week out.
Flanagan's move to the Dragons also means he links up with his father Shane, who has been announced as the Dragons' 2024 coach.
The senior of the two Flanagan's has not held a head coaching job since he was forced out of the Cronulla Sharks through suspension.
The Dragons have so far confirmed losses of Josh Kerr, Moses Mbye, Jayden Sullivan and Aaron Woods (Kerr, Woods and Mbye mid-season), while only Hame Sele has been added to the squad for 2024.
Dragons General Manager of Football would have been more honest if he had said “his old man is the new coach, and we aren’t going to get into a fight with him before he even takes the reins”.