Shane Flanagan linked with sensational coaching return

Shane Flanagan might have been unemployed for less than a week, but the former St George Illawarra Dragons head coach is reportedly already interested in returning to the head coaching chair.

The 60-year-old suffered a dismal fadeout at the Dragons, losing the last 11 games of his tenure - including seven from seven this year - before the club mutually agreed to part ways with he and head of football Ben Haran.

The Dragons, for reasons wide and varying, went backwards during Flanagan's time at the joint-venture, and they will spend the rest of the year under interim coach Dean Young, with an eye to appointing a new fulltime boss in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, Flanagan, whose son Kyle remains contracted at the Red V, has already been linked to a move overseas, with Love Rugby League revealing he is interested in the vacancy at the Catalans Dragons.

Sources have told the publication that Flanagan's interest has not started this week, suggesting he knew the writing was on the wall at the Dragons well before he was let go.

With it being now unlikely he would land another role in the NRL given both expansion clubs have new coaches, and a number of NRL clubs have changed coaches in the last two years, leaving few under significant pressure for their job, the Super League may be his best option.

It's understood Catalans may have a roadblock in the way given they have cut a lot of spending out of the club this year, but they could yet free up money to sign someone of Flanagan's calibre.

Catalans, who lost Steve McNamara at the end of 2025 after a nine-year stint in charge, were coached by Joel Tomkins until he left his post earlier this year.

Ryan Sheridan is the current interim coach, but it's unclear if he will be retained in the role long-term.

Catalans are of course not the only Super League club looking for a new boss, with Hull KR losing Willie Peters at the end of this year to the PNG Chiefs and the Huddersfield Giants sacking Luke Robinson earlier this year.

It's unclear if Flanagan would entertain coaching at either of those clubs if they came knocking.

Flanagan, if he made the move, wouldn't be the first NRL coach to make a move quickly after being sacked, potentially in the same season, with Brad Arthur doing the same after he was let go by the Parramatta Eels in the middle of 2024.

Arthur remains the coach at the Leeds Rhinos to this day.

Catalans have had a mixed opening to their 2026 campaign, currently sitting in sixth spot on the table with five wins from eight games.

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