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<\/p>\nThe Dragons are languishing at the bottom of the NRL ladder with pressure heaping on coach Shane Flanagan and a misfiring halves pairing.<\/p>\n
But the criticism is misguided according to Fox League\u2019s Paul Crawley, who believes the woes of one of rugby league\u2019s most powerful clubs comes down to their recruitment.<\/p>\n
Flanagan joined the Red V ahead of the 2024 season, hoping to turn their fortunes around by reshaping the squad with a host of signings, especially in the halves position.<\/p>\n
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Watch every game of every round of the Premiership Season LIVE with no ad-breaks during play on FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1<\/a>.<\/p>\n Lachlan Ilias was billed as the Ben Hunt replacement, who departed at the end of their 2024 campaign, but failed to fire and was allowed to leave for the Titans.<\/p>\n Kyle Flanagan was also signed, while Lykhan King-Togia has spent time in first grade \u2014 and promising young playmaker Jonah Glover departed after not seeing a path to the NRL.<\/p>\n Next to land, ahead of the 2026 season, was Daniel Atkinson who was billed as the solution in the famous St George Illawarra No.7 jersey.<\/p>\n However, he has been shuffled to five-eighth with Kyle Flanagan once again handed the reins of a misfiring team \u2014 led by a coach who is well and truly in the firing line.<\/p>\n So how have they landed in this position?<\/p>\n \u201cWhat I am saying is that hindsight has told us that their recruitment strategy is not up to scratch,\u201d Crawley said on NRL360 on Tuesday night.<\/p>\n Daniel Atkinson has been shifted to five-eighth.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n \u201cOn several fronts I think that is the case at the moment… he\u2019s made the call this week, because unfortunately for Daniel Atkinson last week it was a point of no return.<\/p>\n \u201cThere was no direction, the kid looked uncomfortable, there\u2019s so much pressure around the team. I really felt sorry for him.<\/p>\n \u201cThis young playmaker has been put into a position he shouldn\u2019t have been put into, that\u2019s how I saw it. Then all the talk starts that he is the one under pressure.<\/p>\n \u201cThankfully he has been moved to the position he should have started in.\u201d<\/p>\n He also questioned why it has taken six rounds for an obvious switch to be made, saying: \u201cAtkinson, he was bought to play seven but it was obvious to all that he\u2019s not a natural seven, if anything, he\u2019s a natural six.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s a running six. Flanagan has been a seven throughout his career, I just don\u2019t know why it has taken this long for it to go back to where it should have started.\u201d<\/p>\n In Crawley\u2019s opinion, Atkinson has been made the scapegoat and was given too much responsibility to turn the Dragons\u2019 stuttering attack around.<\/p>\n But for The Daily Telegraph\u2019s David Riccio, that sympathy was unfounded.<\/p>\n Get all the latest NRL news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!!!<\/a><\/p>\n Has Burton been disrespected at Dogs? | 02:18<\/p>\n \u201cYou have a lot of sympathy for him, he left Cronulla for an opportunity to play in a starting halves position,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cOn very good money. This is an opportunity he wanted, but you\u2019re very sympathetic.\u201d<\/p>\n Once again though, the Dragons\u2019 recruitment is the issue \u2014 because they lack an elite No.7 and their depth is consistently tested.<\/p>\n Young gun Kade Reed impressed during the pre-season challenge, but he has only four reserve grade appearances to his name.<\/p>\n Reed has been named on the Red V\u2019s six-man bench for their Round 6 clash, but outside of him the Dragons are without another clear-cut halfback option.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sympathetic because they threw (Atkinson) into a job that he couldn\u2019t do… that\u2019s the problem with the Dragons. You can beat around the bush every way you want,\u201d Crawley said.<\/p>\n \u201cTheir halves situation has been a problem under Shane Flanagan. It traces back to the fact they had Kyle there, Kyle has been extended.<\/p>\n \u201cThey let Lachie Ilias go, people might say he wasn\u2019t the answer. Well guess what? Shane signed him. Jonah Glover was another kid who didn\u2019t get his opportunity.<\/p>\n \u201cThey have no one around. Yes, Kyle is their best option for No.7 at the moment because they haven\u2019t got anyone else.<\/p>\n MORE NRL NEWS<\/p>\n CRAWLS: Gutho move could rock dressing room amid dark theory on Dragons\u2019 fall guy<\/a><\/p>\n TEAM TIPS: Big Flanno call has recruit under \u2018significant pressure\u2019; Broncos\u2019 crisis<\/a><\/p>\n TALKING POINTS: Rare Flanno sight says it all; Seibold theory rubbished<\/a><\/p>\n