The St George Illawarra Dragons have parted ways with coach Shane Flanagan after seven straight losses to start the 2026 NRL season.

Starting 2026 with an impressive showing to push Canterbury to golden point in Las Vegas, the Dragons have lost every game this year, including a 30-12 defeat to the Rabbitohs on Saturday.

General manager of football Ben Haran has also been let go, with Dragons chief executive Tim Watsford describing them as "good people under a significant amount of pressure".

Watsford said Flanagan's replacement would be revealed after the club spoke to the rest of the coaching staff.

Dragons chairman Andrew Lancaster said the media speculation around Flanagan's position at the club, where his son Kyle plays in the halves, has taken a toll.

"A lot of it absolutely deserved, some of it poor and some of it about personal agendas," he said.

"Our coverage of this great game, this great club should be better."

Lancaster said the impacts of speculation around Flanagan, on traditional and social media, "haven't been great".

In August last year, Flanagan's contract was extended through to the end of 2028 with Watsford saying at the time that Flanagan had laid the foundation for the club's future and "re-instilled belief in our playing group, coaches and supporters".

The Dragons have completely changed tack eight months and 12 games later.

"I don't know we're in a position to justify a decision," Lancaster said.

"As a club [and] an employer there is a duty of care, not just to the club, to its supporters and fans, but to our employees," he said.

"And a lot of what's transpired over the last week, the conversations we've had, have been about that."

Watsford said last year that Flanagan's re-signing was evidence of the club's commitment to "building a sustainable future", rather than focusing on short-term goals.

"The Dragons are proud of the progress that is being made and remain focused on continuing the journey toward consistent finals contention, driven by a committed group of players, staff, and loyal supporters," he said.

"This is an exciting era for the Red V; one built on resilience, local pride, and an unwavering belief in the future."

The extension came days after the Dragons beat ladder leaders Canberra. The team beat similarly finals-bound Cronulla a day later, but then started an 11-game losing streak that is yet to end.

They wrapped up last year with four straight losses, three times conceding 40 points, as Flanagan's side slipped to 15th on the ladder to continue a run of seven straight years missing the finals.

The Dragons have only won three finals games since winning the premiership in 2011.

Flanagan is the second NRL coach to be sacked this season with years left on his deal, after Manly ditched Anthony Seibold despite being contracted through 2027.