Rugby league surprises with unexpected team standings; Flanagan's Dragons face scrutiny over underperforming recruits and strategic salary cap challenges.
Rugby league continues to find ways to surprise us.
The Tigers and Knights sitting in the top four after five rounds. The Raiders down near the bottom. The Storm losing three straight. There is plenty to unpack.
But the biggest story of the week is the Dragons.
Shane Flanagan is under pressure. The big-money recruits are underperforming. So what is the real issue? And regardless of whether Flanagan is the coach moving forward, what actually needs to change?
Every year, a certain percentage of players in the NRL - let's call it 30 per cent - come off contract. If you're strategic, that needs to line up with your salary cap and your roster needs at key positions. The problem is, what you need does not always match what is available in the market.