Trial 2 | Rabbitohs 28 def. Dragons 24 | WIN Stadium, Wollongong | Feb 14, 2026
Well – that wasn’t the result we were hoping for. When we look at the stats we can see two things clearly. The halves combination has a clear structure. And the Dragons still can’t hold the ball when it matters.
Flanagan at five-eighth, Atkinson at halfback, Gutherson at fullback, Cook at hooker. This was the Vegas spine in a dress rehearsal, and the role split between the halves was immediately obvious. Atkinson kicked 18 times for 554 metres and didn’t share the duties. Flanagan kicked zero times, made 73 passes, and played distributor. That’s the clearest halves division the Dragons have had since Hunt left. Whether it’s the right one is still an open question – but at least there’s a plan.
What went wrong
The scoreboard tells the story if you know where to look. Dragons led 12-6, had more possession, more run metres, better tackle breaks and line break numbers. But lost by 4.
The gap was completion rate. Dragons completed at 76%, Souths at 85%. That 9% difference translates to roughly four extra sets for the Rabbitohs, and they made every one count. Three tries in 12 minutes across halftime (35th, 43rd, 45th minutes) turned a 12-6 lead into a 12-22 deficit. Two of those came in the opening five minutes of the second half, which suggests the halftime adjustments didn’t land.
For context, the Rabbitohs were missing Latrell Mitchell, Cody Walker, Jack Wighton, and David Fifita. This was a development-heavy Souths squad that won the game through discipline and enthusiasm rather than the talent of their bug guns. Thirteen Dragons errors didn’t help either.
The good
Leilua was the best Dragon on the park. 61 fantasy points, 108 run metres with 42 post-contact, 5 tackle breaks, 25 tackles at 92.59%, and a try. If he stays fit (always a worry with Leilua), that kind of output is exactly the edge-running X-factor the Dragons need.
Setu Tu’s debut numbers popped too. 160 run metres from 22 carries, 7 tackle breaks, 4 offloads. The ceiling is obvious. The floor showed up as well though – 3 handling errors. High-risk, high-reward.
Flanagan’s defence deserves a mention. 94.29% tackle efficiency, up from around 91% across 2025. For a five-eighth who cops constant criticism about his defence, that’s the kind of quiet shift could change how we see him. We’ll see how it stands up in the proper competition.
17 offloads
The Dragons threw 17 offloads to Souths’ 4. This could be interesting to track… It’s either an attacking identity forming or a discipline issue waiting to be exposed by a better defensive team. Probably a bit of both – we’ll see.
Injury watch
Sele’s HIA ruled him out after one minute. Su’A left at halftime with a hip knock. With Vegas next week, that’s the real concern coming out of this game – not the result, but whether the pack will be full strength for the Bulldogs.
One more thing
When Cook came off late, Flanagan shifted to hooker and King-Togia entered the halves. It looked smooth. That’s a useful in-game rotation to have when it’s Rd 15 and you need to reshuffle mid-game.
Charity Shield losses don’t keep you up at night. But the 76% completion rate? That’s the one to watch heading into Vegas. If the Dragons can’t complete at 80% the Bulldogs will make them pay for it.