Dragons gun stood down after hammer attack guilty verdict

Shane Flanagan's tenure as Dragons coach has taken a major turn with star five-eighth Talatau Amone stood down by the club after he was found guilty of a hammer attack on a roofing contractor that could result in jail time.Amone appeared in Wollongong Court on Tuesday to face an assault charge over the incident last November and was found guilty.The Dragons have since released a statement, confirming he had been stood down from all duties with the club."The Dragons acknowledge the guilty verdict handed down to player Talatau Amone in Wollongong Court today in relation to an assault last November," the statement read."As a result of this outcome, Amone has been stood down from all club activities until further notice."The club will make no further comment at this time as court proceedings continue."Amone will be out on bail for seven weeks before he and his father are sentenced in December, with both facing potential jail time.It's a major blow for the Dragons who released half Jayden Sullivan to the Wests Tigers in August on a four-year deal.Throughout the 2023 season, Sullivan's future was up in the air, with Flanagan previously revealing the struggle to keep him due to the halves depth at the Dragons with Amone and Ben Hunt. "Three doesn't go into two, Jayden's got the opportunity to have a look around ... I think he's a good young player, but if he's got the opportunity to go somewhere else we'll consider it," Flanagan told 2GB's Continuous Call Team back in July.

Who really needs to go before 'train wreck' can improve

Where to start with this train wreck of a club?Like the Tigers, this joint venture still has factions and is very much a club divided between those in Wollongong and those in Kogarah.The administration is out of touch with the fan base and has little idea of how to create a winning culture - yet somehow they survive.The Dragons improved slightly after they finally sacked Anthony Griffin - probably a year too late - and Ryan Carr did a good job trying to pick up the pieces.Ben Hunt was the Dragons' best player - so much so that without him they may not have won a game - yet he has made it clear he wants nothing to do with the place in a stinging rebuke to management.He wasn't the only player who wanted out during a troubled year - classy fullback Tyrell Sloan and half Jayden Sullivan were also vocal in their demands to leave, the latter going to the Tigers next season.Apart from Hunt, there were few positives - winger Mikaele Ravalawa had a superb season in a poor side, bagging 20 tries, while prop Blake Lawrie, hooker Jacob Liddle and centre Zac Lomax had their moments.It's now up to incoming coach Shane Flanagan - a controversial choice given his past indiscretions - to try resurrect a club in desperate need of a makeover.But the Dragons have signed just one player to date - forward Hame Sele from the Rabbitohs - and they need much, much more to avoid another season of failure.