The Dragons are reportedly keen on a reunion with premiership-winning captain Ben Hornby to replace Shane Flanagan as head coach. The Dragons called a snap press conference on Monday morning, where CEO Tim Watsford and chairman Andrew Lancaster confirmed that Flanagan has departed immediately after three years in charge ‘by mutual agreement’.
Flanagan’s position had become untenable after 11-straight losses and an 0-7 start to the 2026 season. One of their assistant coaches – Dean Young or Michael Ennis – will likely take over in the interim, and Watsford said a decision on that front will be made this week. Head of football Ben Haran has also left the club.
Shane Flanagan’s time as Dragons coach is over. Image: Getty
On Sunday, The Sydney Morning Herald reported that one of Hornby or former Parramatta coach Brad Arthur are the board’s preferred options to replace Flanagan on a full-time basis. Hornby captained the Dragons and famously led them to the 2010 premiership.
He’s been working as an assistant coach at South Sydney since 2024, joining forces with Wayne Bennett in 2025 after Bennett coached the Dragons from 2009 to 2011. It’s believed that Hornby will only leave Souths if he’s given the full-time job at the Dragons, rather than an interim or caretaker role.
Arthur is currently coaching Leeds Rhinos in the Super League, after leading Parramatta for 258 games from 2012 to 2024. He led the Eels to the NRL grand final in 2022, where they lost to the Panthers.
Dragons could hold reservations about Dean Young
Young returned to the Dragons as an assistant in 2023 after a three-year stint under Todd Payten at the Cowboys. Before that he was an assistant under Paul McGregor at the Dragons and took over as caretaker coach in 2020 when McGregor departed.
Ben Hornby, Dean Young and Michael Ennis are all contenders to take over. Image: Getty
It’s being reported that the Dragons board has reservations about handing Young the top job due to his surname. Dean’s father Craig is a Dragons legend and currently sits on the St George District Rugby League board.
The club is reportedly keen to avoid any more claims of ‘nepotism’ after it plagued Flanagan’s time in charge due to the fact he signed son Kyle and continued to pick him in the face of criticism. As for Ennis, he joined Flanagan at the Dragons this year after working as an assistant at Manly from 2023 to 2025.
Flanagan has a 35 per cent win rate as Dragons coach, winning just 19 games out of 54. Their 11-game losing streak is the longest in club history, and they mow face the Roosters in the traditional Anzac Day clash on Saturday.