News EXCLUSIVE: How Bulldogs erred in Kyle Flanagan's first setback after Roosters axing

[Stinger]

Really? You should watch some of the Chooks game from last year. How did Flanno perform when he was surrounded by superstars in the backline AND forward pack in Teddy, Manu, Morrises, JWH etc? Not much since Keary was the one who created pretty much all the attacking spark. What happened when Keary got injured and Flanno took over? The Chooks crashed out. Flanno needs to learn the fundamentals of what a HB does. HB supposed to lead the team and set up tries and line breaks by reading the play, taking on the defence, isolating defenders, creating overlaps, choosing the best option under pressure etc. He doesn't know how to do this which is the problem. He has to be taught how to do it = he's not a natural HB. He should be taking lessons from 18 year old Sam Walker.

We don’t have time to teach a halfback how to be a halfback. We’ve endured 4 years without finals football and this will be our fifth year. I say drop him and let’s go find a real halfback for next year.

 

[Gene Krupa]

Who is writing this Shit!

Kyle Flanagan

 

[alchemist]

if it was always the plan to sign Flanagan as a stop gap for one year, why sign him on a multi year deal? why pay a portion of his salary this year if you never intended for him to be at Bondi in 2021? why drop him last year if he was simply a stop gap? if you were simply waiting for Walker to come of age, why bother with the effort in signing Flanagan only to then release him a year later when you could have moved Keary to halfback instead (like they did this year)? if Walker was always the plan, then why did he not start in FG this year until only AFTER Keary suffered a ruptured ACL?

the league media in Sydney is like reading a "whodunnit?" knowing the 'Dogs are in the end always to blame

Fittler remains as always a Roosters lickspittle

a couple more

if Flanagan was only brought in by the Roosters as a stop gap for one year, why didn't Flanagan know that and plan accordingly? if that was the plan by the Roosters and they did not inform Flanagan until AFTER the GF, what did they think that would do for Flanagan's development and confidence? if the above is true, is it fair to say that Flanagan is a victim of the Roosters club (seriously, how can he not be IF the above is true)? what does it say for an expert analyst on Channel 9 and a representative coach that he is clearly inconsistent and/or biased when it comes to his "former" paymasters?

perhaps Freddy should come with a warning label like a pack of cigarettes

"WHEN IT COMES TO THE ROOSTERS, BRAD FITTLER IS..."

 

[D- voice]

The Bulldogs should never have put an emotional Kyle Flanagan in front of the media on the day that he was dropped, NRL great and NSW coach Brad Fittler says.

In doing so, Canterbury highlighted the gap between a strong and a lesser club, Freddy suggested. However, former Bulldogs premiership-winning coach Phil Gould lauded Flanagan's courage in speaking out and backed him for success in the NRL.

Flanagan was near tears while speaking with reporters on Tuesday, reflecting on being 'hooked' during a loss to the Dragons, plus the huge influence on his career of his father, NRL title-winning coach Shane Flanagan. The young halfback's omission for Saturday's clash against the Raiders was confirmed later that day.

Bulldogs chief executive Aaron Warburton said that Flanagan was being supported by the club; yet also admitted to The Sydney Morning Herald that he was unsure if the 22-year-old had been told of his axing before or after the media appearance.

"It's most probably a lesson to Canterbury. I still haven't seen (Roosters teenage star) Joseph Suaalii in front of a camera yet," Fittler said on Wide World of Sports' Freddy and the Eighth.

"There's a real time of pressure at the moment. Don't put him up, if you don't need to. He hasn't had that much [media] practice."

Gould said that Flanagan had been brave to step in front of the cameras at such a difficult time, having assured Canterbury officials that he was OK to do so. He was also dropped mid-season by the Roosters last year, before being dumped by the club at season's end; a fate that shocked him and left him with plenty to prove in his Canterbury stint.

Gould said that Flanagan had clearly just been a stop-gap player for the Roosters, despite decent performances in his only season at the club, and was understandably finding things harder in a vastly inferior Bulldogs team. It has been a steep learning curve for the young No.7.

"That's all pretty tough for people to watch, people say, 'Well, why did they put him up in front of the camera. These are things sometimes kids have got to go through." Gould said on his Six Tackles with Gus podcast.

"It mightn't have been the right week to put him up in front of the camera but it shows the personality and the character of the kid. He took it head-on, I don't think he's running away from what's happening at the moment.

"He is a victim of the Bulldogs, the Bulldogs are not a victim of Kyle Flanagan. We saw him perform greatly for the Roosters last year. They made a decision to move him and we've all seen why they made that decision; because Sam Walker's appeared on the scene.

"They had a succession plan in place for Cooper Cronk, they just needed someone to do it for 12 months until Sam Walker was ready and they felt he was ready, so they needed to move on that because Sam Walker's coming off contract. They couldn't have Kyle Flanagan there for another year and Sam Walker playing reserve grade, or Kyle Flanagan playing reserve grade. It makes more sense now why the Roosters did what they did.

"The Bulldogs picked up a 21-year-old halfback who's now 22, still very, very young in his career. Players being benched or dropped at this stage of their career is part of the process, it's not the end of your career, it's part of the building of your career and the building of a person."

Gould said that Barrett would have carefully considered the impact of pulling Flanagan during the Dragons game. He said that the former Test playmaker was an outstanding halves coach who was working with Flanagan well before his prime years.

"Trent Barrett wouldn't make that decision lightly. He was a half himself. He would not make that decision lightly but he obviously feels he needs some thinking time, he needs some breathing time," Gould said.

"Whether that means going back and playing reserve grade for a few weeks and building his confidence; I don't know that missing football's going to do him any good, he needs to play football.

"The first thing that happens is, when Kyle Flanagan goes back to play reserve grade, you see that he's too good for reserve grade. He's a standout half back in reserve grade. He's an NRL player and he will be a very good NRL player.

"Halfbacks don't reach their peak until they're 26, 27. Honestly, they don't, so he's still halfway through his early development. I wouldn't see this as a setback, I'd just see it as part of the process.

"I thought he was very brave to give the interview that he did. Obviously when you start talking about family and the influence or your father, and him probably at the time feeling as though he's let someone down with his performances, it just got a little bit too much for him.

"But that's a strength of character. He put himself out in front of the cameras; there are plenty that hide, there are plenty that don't, so all kudos to him.

"And I know Trent Barrett wouldn't make that decision lightly. He would not do that to a kid, because he was a young footballer himself and a young halfback who was scrutinised. I just think it's part of his development.

"I know Kyle Flanagan will bounce back, no risk in the world."

Hey Freddy Krueger
I thought your $600k contract a year for 2 years after retiring from the Rorters had expired, obviously not !!!
If there was any doubt when you dropped Mitchell from the SOO team then relentlessly attacked him after the rumours came out about him joining the Bulldogs now you confirmed it with the way you have dealt with Flanagan Gate disaster.
You labeled the Bulldogs as a lesser club, how wrong are you !
The Bulldogs are worth Billions of dollars as a club with one of the best fan base in the land and good juniors.
What does your RORTERS have other than Nick Pulltits ?
They hardly have any fans or juniors and buy everything and everyone including you !
Getting away with rorting the salary cap doesn't make you a Great Club it makes you a Great Cheat !!!
And now you want to teach the Bulldogs responsibly ?
Do you still love getting dropped off naked at the Glebe police station, do you know that we know more ?
Just leave it at that, my advice to you...Does who live in glass houses should not throw stones !!!

 

[Scoooby]

Fuck off, sick Of hearing about it now.. got very old very quick.

 

[Psycho Doggie]

Really? You should watch some of the Chooks game from last year. How did Flanno perform when he was surrounded by superstars in the backline AND forward pack in Teddy, Manu, Morrises, JWH etc? Not much since Keary was the one who created pretty much all the attacking spark. What happened when Keary got injured and Flanno took over? The Chooks crashed out. Flanno needs to learn the fundamentals of what a HB does. HB supposed to lead the team and set up tries and line breaks by reading the play, taking on the defence, isolating defenders, creating overlaps, choosing the best option under pressure etc. He doesn't know how to do this which is the problem. He has to be taught how to do it = he's not a natural HB. He should be taking lessons from 18 year old Sam Walker.

Have you ever seen him playing for anyone other than chooks or us?

 

[bulldogsmyte]

Have you ever seen him playing for anyone other than chooks or us?

I only regularly watch Dogs games and Chooks (because of my brother). His form over the last 18 months is what counts. Don't know or care how he played at the Sharks when they are a dud team anyway.
If he was any good Chooks wouldn't have let him go. Its crystal clear that rookie 18 year old Sam Walker is light years ahead of Flanno.

 

[bulldogsmyte]

a couple more

if Flanagan was only brought in by the Roosters as a stop gap for one year, why didn't Flanagan know that and plan accordingly? if that was the plan by the Roosters and they did not inform Flanagan until AFTER the GF, what did they think that would do for Flanagan's development and confidence? if the above is true, is it fair to say that Flanagan is a victim of the Roosters club (seriously, how can he not be IF the above is true)? what does it say for an expert analyst on Channel 9 and a representative coach that he is clearly inconsistent and/or biased when it comes to his "former" paymasters?

perhaps Freddy should come with a warning label like a pack of cigarettes

"WHEN IT COMES TO THE ROOSTERS, BRAD FITTLER IS..."

I wouldn't believe everything Gus says on face value. He's a Monday night quarter back and an expert in hindsight. Before a match he'll tell you the reasons why team A will win and also why their opponents team B will win. At the end of the match he'll say "I told you team A would win". No kidding Gus you backed both sides.
The Chooks brought Flanno in as Plan B. Plan A is Keary. Plan C, D were rookies Lam and Hutchinson. Long term Plan A was 17 year old Walker. They dropped Flanno mid year when he under performed and promoted Lam. Lam showed skill that Flanno lacked but he then got injured so Flanno was brought back in.
Keary got injured so Flanno was supposed to step up. After all the guidance under injured Keary and legend Cronk, Flanno couldn't produce the goods as he was limited to the block plays, passes out the back and premeditated crap that he's shown with us this year.
The Chooks crashed out of the finals. Upon review it was crystal clear to coach Robinson that Flanno wasn't up to it. They all knew Lam and Hutchinson were better than Flanno and they had a genuine star in the making in Walker.
As I posted last year the Chooks do not release a player early that they want to keep. Coach Robinson and Uncle Nick are light years ahead of what we have in our club.

 

[maroondog72]

So glad Freddy is the NSW coach

 

[D.O.W.]

Shut up Gus with the victim shit, we're the biggest club in Sydney **** you said it. We'll do what we want.

Gus bewilders me, most of the time he has our back because he owes a lot to the Bulldogs club, in particular, Bullfrog... but he did join the bandwagon of idiots who reacted without facts via their social platforms

 

[bulldogsmyte]

We don’t have time to teach a halfback how to be a halfback. We’ve endured 4 years without finals football and this will be our fifth year. I say drop him and let’s go find a real halfback for next year.

That is the reason why our club have been the laughing stock of the comp for last few years. From the greatest halves combination of the last 40 years in Turvey and Baa to the rubbish we've endured since Sherwin left the club. Flanno is just a slightly better version of duds Lewis and Wakeham in that he is a goal kicker and doesn't throw passes into the grandstand (just kicks it there on tackle zero).
There's only 4 HB that can play what's in front of them and regularly make good decisions - DCE, Keary, Cleary and Walker but their clubs would be stupid to let them go. The rest of the HB are more less the same and won't transform our side.
If we can't find a Sam Walker in our lower grades this year we'll have to make Burton into a 7 otherwise he'll get constant crap balls if he's second receiver.

 

[shaun5150]

Who gives a shit? Flanno is on 300 grand or more. He wants to be in A grade and lead a team, then freaking man the fuck up and do your job.
Cronk would have gone back and studied the games and worked hard to improve. If this over paid soak can't man up then ditch him.
Christ he had a sook about getting targeted in a trail. Bitch boy. Maybe dad could give him some drugs to harden up

 

[bulldogsmyte]

Why is it that when Stimson Britt wakeham and Lewis are hooked or dropped we hardly hear much from the media? I think @ASSASSIN is right. When we recruited Flanagan we took on a lot of baggage that’s going to give the media a constant source of ammunition to put the boot into us.

I wouldn't be surprised if daddy Pepite made complaints to the media. Flanno's poor form is not his own fault but the fault of society and the previous generations who caused "global warming" and took away Greta's childhood, dreams and future as well as Flanno.