St George Illawarra five-eighth Kyle Flanagan will have no ill feelings when he faces the Bulldogs for the first time since a challenging end to his time at the club.
The 25-year-old spent three seasons at Belmore and was hailed as a major signing after arriving on a lucrative multi-year contract in 2021.
The period was anything but smooth sailing, with Flanagan playing under three separate coaches, enduring multiple positional switches and struggling to maintain his place in the first-grade side.
The playmaker left Canterbury in the off-season and has thrived since reuniting with his father Shane at the Dragons.
Thursday night's clash will mark the first time Flanagan has faced the Bulldogs and a smile quickly came across his face when asked about the contest.
"It's always one you circle in the calendar when you come up against your old team," Flanagan told pan66.com. "They're playing well and I've got plenty of mates there.
"I look back on it really well. Rugby league's a journey, I have a lot of mates there and you always want to see your mates doing well."
Match: Bulldogs v Dragons
Round 12 -
home Team
Bulldogs
12th Position
away Team
Dragons
13th Position
Venue: Accor Stadium, Sydney
Flanagan has played a key role in St George Illawarra's promising start to the season. The team had five wins and five losses ahead of last week's bye and currently sits ninth on the ladder.
For context, they won just five games in the entire 2023 season.
Father and coach Shane Flanagan has developed a hard-edge to the team, ensuring they are focused on doing the basics right.
Thursday's game is expected to be another gritty contest, with the Bulldogs conceding the equal third fewest points in the competition.
With the basics locked in, Flanagan said his side will need to bring something different to break down the Canterbury defence.
"If you're confident in the basics, you know you're defending well and playing the game the right way, you can add layers to your game," he said.
"It's always a focus at the start of the year, form combinations and find your groove. Now we're looking to evolve throughout the year."
Thursday's match will likely be the Dragons' last with their skipper Ben Hunt before the halfback links up with the Queensland Maroons State of Origin team.
That will see Flanagan take over the primary playmaking duties for next week's clash with the Panthers.
'Looking forward to the new opportunity and next season': Kyle Flanagan settling in at the Red V
It's a big change for a player initially recruited to play hooker, but Flanagan is eager to embrace the opportunity.
"A focus of mine has been taking pressure off Ben Hunt when it comes to last plays," he said. "The more I can continue to evolve my game, it's not only going to benefit him but our footy team.
"We're always looking to push our guys to play in representative teams. When that comes around, we'll look at what role I need to play, if that's staying at six or moving around."
