St George Illawarra, Dragons, Junior Amone replacements, 2024, Shane Flanagan, Kyle Flanagan, who will play five-eighth, No. 6, Anthony Milford،
Incoming Dragons coach Shane Flanagan was dealt a blow before a ball was kicked during his first pre-season at the club.
St George Illawarra resigned Junior Amone on Wednesday after the five-eighth was found guilty of arming himself with a hammer and chasing a trader off a roof.
Amone, who had pleaded not guilty to the assault charges, will be sentenced Dec. 6 and faces a maximum sentence of seven years in prison.
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Amone was the club’s first-choice number 6 ahead of the 2024 season and, best-case scenario, he will avoid prison, but he will not escape a lengthy suspension if he is not sacked.
This means Flanagan must replace the 21-year-old for at least the start of next season.
The Dragons were already short of halves after releasing Jayden Sullivan to the Tigers in August, while Ben Hunt has been asking to leave for months.
Halfback Hunt is the club’s best player and wanted out after the sacking of manager Anthony Griffin, but Flanagan refused to release his captain.
Flanagan has just signed his son Kyle from the Bulldogs and the 25-year-old has played 70 of his 79 NRL games at half-time.
However, only 10 of them are at five-eighths. Flanagan Jr moved to a bench utility role during the second half of 2023, but he is a natural halfback.
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Elsewhere, utility Jack Bird hasn’t played a half since round six of 2022, but he is more experienced than Flanagan at five-eighth.
Bird spent most of the 2023 season in the Dragons’ back row, but he has played 28 of his 142 NRL games in the No. 6 jersey.
The Red V also have young playmaker Paul Turner on their books, but he has only played 11 NRL games and only three to five eighths.
Turner, 23, made his NRL debut with the Warriors in 2020, then played a season with the Titans before joining the Dragons in 2023 and he has made just one appearance this year – at starting position. ‘back.
There are options for Flanagan on the open market, 24-year-old Bulldogs halfback Brandon Wakeham has played 40 NRL games and is without a deal for 2024.
Knights utility Kurt Mann is also available for 2024 and has played 33 of his 178 NRL games at five-eighth, while the Roosters’ Drew Hutchison, 28, is another option.
Sea Eagles‘ Kaeo Weekes, 21, is set to sign with the Raiders to replace Bunnies playmaker Jack Wighton.
Veteran No. 6 Anthony Milford, once the highest-paid player in Broncos history, has fallen out of favor with the Dolphins.
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Milford is under contract through the end of 2024, but the Dolphins won’t stand in his way if he can land a deal at a new club.
The 29-year-old has been linked with a move to the Super League, but for the right price he could add valuable depth cover to the Dragons.
Flanagan prides himself on his ability to get the best out of players and would back himself to get the old Maroons firing at half strength again.
If Amone is fired, Flanagan will then have to turn his attention to the players hitting the open market on November 1 for the 2025 season.
The focus has been on grand final five-eighths Jarome Luai and Ezra Mam, but there is another No.6 set that will be available in Cowboys young gun Tom Dearden.
Dearden, 22, has previously played for Queensland and is keen to test his worth on the open market after opting not to sign a three-year, $2 million bid tabled by his club in August.
