Shane Flanagan

[Yahoo News]

Flanagan hunting job but not with Sharks
By Todd Balym
21 September 2006 - 07:44:59

Sacked Sydney Roosters assistant coach Shane Flanagan is preparing for life without Ricky Stuart, on Thursday revealing he is close to signing with a new NRL club.

Speculation continues to link Stuart and Flanagan at Cronulla, the Sharks board meeting on Thursday to discuss its coaching options following a review by consultants the Mercury Group.

Ricky Stuart is the leading candidate if coach Stuart Raper is sacked, with reports on Thursday that Stuart's coaching demands include Flanagan being a part of the coaching staff.

Sacked Sydney Roosters assistant coach Shane Flanagan is preparing for life without Ricky Stuart, revealing he is close to signing with a new NRL club.

The Sharks won't comment after Thursday night's specially convened board meeting, the club preferring to make a statement on Friday after advising Raper of its decision on his position.

Flanagan said he and Stuart had not discussed the possibility of coaching together at the Sharks.

"I have not heard anything (about Cronulla)," said Flanagan.

"I don't think it's a high priority for him at the moment.

"If Ricky comes up with a job (I'd work with him again) but at the moment it doesn't look promising."

Flanagan said he had other options and was close to securing a future with a club still involved in the NRL finals series.

"I've got a few irons in the fire but nothing confirmed as yet," he said.

"Something might come up but I can't say too much at the moment because they are still involved, but hopefully something will come up there for me."

Flanagan was sacked from the Roosters 24 hours after Stuart's dismissal was made public.

He had harboured hopes to become a first grade coach within a year but those ambitions have been put on ice.

"Ricky would have pushed me for a job that came up elsewhere," he said.

"I have to re-establish myself, get some wins on the board and then I can start pushing for a first grade job."

His biggest fear is that if Stuart doesn't land a first grade job in the offseason, he will have to compete with his former boss for any positions that become available next year.

"If a job doesn't come up for (Stuart) in the next six months it won't be a problem, he'll get one the following year," said Flanagan.

"There's going to be a lot of coaches out there worrying about their job if he hasn't got a job (next year) and they lose two or three games.

"There's going to be heaps of speculation if he is out on the market that's for sure."

Source: http://au.news.yahoo.com/060921/2/10mfp.html

 

[Megashark]

While he's on test duty this week Ricky has handed the reins to Shane Flanagan, here he speaks about his role in preparing the squad for the Raiders game and also shares his views on yesterday's disappointing loss to the Tiges (source: http://www.sharks.com.au ):

COACHES CORNER - WITH SHANE FLANAGAN

This week, with Ricky Stuart in Brisbane as coach of the Kangaroos, assistant coach Shane Flanagan will take control of the Sharks preparations for Saturday night’s match against the Canberra Raiders.

A 100-game first grade player with the St George Dragons, Western Suburbs and Parramatta, Flanagan, who’s coaching credentials include premiership’s with the Parramatta Eels in Premier League in 2000 and in the Jersey Flegg with the Roosters in 2004, came over to the Sharks as Stuart’s full-time assistant prior to the start of the 2007 season.

Flanagan explains how the training week will run almost the same as if Stuart himself was in attendance, with the players aware of what is needed to get them back into the winner’s circle in what is shaping as an important clash with Canberra.

“Without Ricky away this week the only thing that will really change will be the different voice delivering the message. The three to four months of the pre season we coached as a team and the players won’t notice any major change without him around for a few days.

“While Ricky is the boss and makes the majority of the decisions, we share the training responsibilities when he is here anyway, so with him away with the Australian team, the training won’t change, the team won’t change and the belief in the way we want to play will also stay the same.

“In saying all that, this week at training and the Canberra game coming up will be very important for us. You don’t like to say we are desperate, but we definitely need to win.

“Last week was very disappointing in that at 12-6 up with less than eight minutes left and moving down into the Tigers end, you think if you execute the way you’re suppose to you can’t lose. We were looking to get a repeat set or possibly a field goal to put us seven in front, but one bad pass and the Benji try and it went downhill from there, the knock-on from dummy half in extra time, then the penalty and the game was gone.

“But in looking for positives, defensively we were very good again. I think we are second amongst all the teams in the NRL in terms of points conceded, but still we’ve been giving away one soft try a week. Last weekend it was two. The first try was too easy and we gave them the second one. We want teams to really earn their points and we’ll continue to work hard at trying to eliminate that soft try.

“As for the Raiders this week, we’ve done a lot of our homework already on them, but I’ll sit down tonight and have another look when they play the Roosters. They are a young side and they play with a lot of enthusiasm. If they play like they did against Newcastle a couple of weeks ago they will be tough to beat.”

 

[Nulla Boy]

i think we will beat the raiders,maybe not easily,but we will win,we have to be wary of them tho it aint gonna b easy,but if we defend the way we have been it will happen,our defense is almost 2nd to none,u could say it is 2nd to one lol.

 

[grommy]

We have terrific deffence but we have poor attack and a poor ability to put games away. Hopefully Dykes is back for us.

 

[chikenhawk]

so with ricky stuart away, does that mean shane will be making the big calls..i.e. the (possible) dropping of the likes of covell and kingston? what happens there do u think ricky would have ordered stuff like that before he left or in phone meetings mid week? or is it shanes ship this week? obviously he would have seen all the games and would have his own view on the teams makeup...what do youse think?

 

[Megashark]

I reckon any changes this week will be minimal; only Reece Williams and maybe Dykes to come back in if he's fit.

 

[FoRzA aZzUrRi]

the training won’t change, the team won’t change and the belief in the way we want to play will also stay the same.

i agree mega dont think there will be any changes which will take place from what i just saw

 

[Great White]

We can only pray for Covell to play PL.

 

[FoRzA aZzUrRi]

i agree man

 

[chikenhawk]

We can only pray for Covell to play PL.

mate iv been praying since the gold coast game!

 

[sharks195]

raiders are not an easy team to beat, but they have some weaknesses such as straight through and inside balls, that will beat the raiders. looking at last night's game, you can see that the raiders have some quick youngsters, but they are fairly weak in defence, we will win, but it will be close

 

[FoRzA aZzUrRi]

if we dont drop covell it will be a close game if we drop him it will be a thrashing

 

[Great White]

They were disgraceful last night, after touching up Saints who aren't much better if we can't beat the Raiders we should stop playing now. But we do have a habit of playing as bad as the team we are playing against, but I would not like to be in the team if they did lose.

I was reading the stats in big league round 1, we lost 10 games last year by less than 2 points, admittedly it did not mention which games, but what I keep and have been saying for the last 5 weeks is that if Covell costs us a try the last 5 rounds, and misses the easier kicks every 2 or 3 kick, that is about the points he should be on the park to either score, save or kick, so what I am saying is, if he is not doing all of those 3 or at least 2 of the 3, then why keep him in the team.

I do not, not like the bloke as a player, he is just not a gamebreaker or does he add anything into the backline for mine, the top teams have a gamebreaker on their wings, Turner (Melb), Boyd (Broncos), El Masri (dogs), we don't, we need it the most. Because we are not scoring enough points to compete against the top teams.

 

[j0rd0_ShArKs]

Boyd (gamebreaker) i dont think so

 

[FoRzA aZzUrRi]

Boyd (gamebreaker) i dont think so

I agree Boyd is a nothing player needs to bulk up

 

[Jigsaw]

We need a goal kicker for the right hand side (looking to the post) covell cant kick from the Right. But he is perfect off the boot on the Left hand side and in the middle. put hanney back in the team to kick from the Right and there is our Goal kicking solved.

And Covell does really need to work on letting in the easy trys by coming in to much. but His scoring ability's and Takes under the high ball are second to none.and he is also one of the best in the league at bringing a ball out from the inside the goal line to at least the 10 or 20 meter mark.

He doesnt need to be dropped to PL he just needs to be told to sit the **** back and mark his winger

 

[Shiredad]

mate iv been praying since the gold coast game!

HrvatskaDomovino will be frothing at the mouth with excitement!

 

[HrvatskaDomovino]

HrvatskaDomovino will be frothing at the mouth with excitement!

Haha I don't think he means literally praying rather desperately hoping, willing that Covell will be dropped. Words can mean a multitude of things these days

 

[Great White]

I would rather Boyd then Covell.

 

[Nulla Boy]

i dont care what anyone says,i love having luke covell in our team,yeah he might let in an easy try or 2 every now and then but he also saves a ****e load and is very safe under a high ball.fak all speed but can also find the tryline when given the chance.