If there is one NRL team crying out for a reset this week, it’s the winless Dragons.
As the only side yet to register a competition point – and the team most under the blowtorch heading into round five – the irony was palpable as St George Illawarra completed their first field session on Wednesday morning at the Bruce Gordon Centre in Wollongong, having moved into their new $65 million high-performance facility the previous day.
But the wounded playing group knows that despite “unbelievable” new headquarters – complete with pools, an enormous sauna and an impressive gym – it won’t help them bank two competition points against the Cowboys at Kogarah on Saturday.
“This week has been good with the new facility but that doesn’t mean shit,” said Dragons forward Luciano Leilua, before apologising for the slip.
“That doesn’t mean anything if we don’t go out there and win.
“We’ve just got to win, bro.”
The Bruce Gordon Centre remains off limits to the public and media for now – an official opening is expected next month – but it looms as a symbol of the club’s future. Elite pathways, community programs and administration are all going to be housed under one roof at the University of Wollongong’s Innovation Campus.
The Dragons could do with some innovation right now.
A dismal 22-14 loss to the Titans on Sunday night, following three defeats to start the season, has intensified pressure on a side that looks bereft of answers. The Dragons will also be without five-eighth Kyle Flanagan this week, although the club says he is showing no lingering signs of concussion after a heavy blow on the weekend that left him unconscious.
There is a sense of desperation within the playing group to ease the scrutiny on coach Shane Flanagan, who has presided over eight straight losses.
As seven Dragons players were cycled through media duties after training, the frustration was evident among senior figures, including Leilua, Clint Gutherson, Damien Cook and Valentine Holmes. None shirked responsibility for their results, insisting the struggles had little to do with the coaching staff.
“We’re killing ourselves and making it too hard for ourselves,” Gutherson said.
“I missed the [high-performance centre] at Parramatta. I got the tap on the shoulder first. I’d love to put up a new building and we go out and win 10 on the trot. But it’s about hard work and staying consistent.”
Cook added: “We want to get this club back up to where it deserves to be as one of the powerhouse clubs in the competition. The facility matches that. Now we just need to do our part on the field.
“They’re state-of-the-art facilities and everyone is under the same roof for the first time in 26 years. I think it’s come at a really good time for us.”
While Flanagan appears safe for now, the ruthlessness of the competition has not gone unnoticed. Manly’s axing of coach Anthony Seibold after three games would be enough to put any struggling club on alert – particularly one sitting at 0-4.
“You don’t want to think about the worst side of it,” Gutherson said. “We hold ourselves to the highest standards and we’ve not delivered at the moment.
“This is a competitive business, and you need to win to get people off your back. We just need to find a way to win. We’ve been good for 60 or 70 minutes in games, but it’s not good enough in the NRL. You get judged on winning and we’re not doing it.”
Wednesday’s session itself was relatively low-key, but the open layout of the flash training field means disgruntled Dragons fans can watch on from close range – and, if they choose, make their feelings known.
“We’ve got to do more for our fans,” Leilua said. “We’re just not giving them anything to cheer about. It’s not on anyone else – not on fans, not on the members, on the board or the coaches. It’s on us.
“I feel bad for our fans. We’re putting pressure on everyone around the club.”
Dragons fans would point to the limited output of senior players, including Holmes and Gutherson. The latter said he prides himself on being a consistent “seven out of 10” performer each week, but that’s not a standard that wins premierships or hauls a team off the bottom of a ladder.
“I still do think I’m doing a consistent job,” Gutherson said.
Holmes added: “Obviously when you’re losing, you probably start to look around … or you probably start to doubt yourself. But for me, I’ve always been a confident player.”
Tom Decent is the chief sports writer for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.