Shane Flanagan’s Optimism for Loko Pasifiki Tonga
Shane Flanagan, the coach of the St George Illawarra Dragons, is optimistic about the return of Loko Pasifiki Tonga after a concerning training incident. The forward was stretchered into an ambulance following a neck injury during a tackle at a recent field session. However, he has since been cleared of any serious issues and is currently undergoing rehabilitation.
Pasifiki Tonga is not expected to play in the reserve grade match against Parramatta on Sunday as originally planned. Despite this setback, Flanagan remains encouraged by the player’s progress so far. He stated, “He’s fine, he’s back doing some rehab running today. He’s a bit sore but he’ll be OK. We’ll just reassess him next week.”
Flanagan added, “We’re lucky that there’s no damage and he’ll be right in the next week or two.”
Jacob Liddle’s Return from Injury
One of the Dragons’ standout players last season, back-up hooker Jacob Liddle, is set to make his return from a hamstring injury. This will be his first game of the NRL season. Flanagan expressed confidence in Liddle’s contribution to the team. “Jacob will bring some energy, I don’t expect him to play huge minutes tomorrow,” he said.
“He had a pretty nasty injury, but he’s well and truly over that now.”
Performance and Strategy
Despite being winless through the first two rounds of the season, the Red V has shown resilience. They managed to take Canterbury to extra time in Las Vegas and led the reigning runners-up Melbourne after an hour in their previous match. Flanagan is keen for the team to capitalize on their opportunities during the upcoming game at CommBank Stadium.
“The way the game’s going, you need to be able to control possession and have blocks of possession and do well in that period,” Flanagan explained.
“We didn’t do well in that period (against Melbourne). We had eight errors in yardage and you just can’t do that.”
Parramatta’s Improved Form
Parramatta ended a four-game losing streak with a win in the corresponding fixture against the Dragons last April, marking their first victory under Jason Ryles. Since then, the Eels have improved significantly, entering Sunday’s game on the back of a win over the reigning premiers Brisbane.
Hooker Ryley Smith highlighted the team’s growth. “We’re a lot more connected as a group and we’re very clear on our roles within the team,” he said.
“If we go out there on Sunday, and for the rest of the season, and just nail our role then I think we’ll win a lot more games than lose.”
