It seems the St George Illawarra Dragons add a new disgruntled star to their tally every year, but Red V faithful were hopeful the trend was abolished the day Ben Hunt walked out the door.
It seems this trend is set to continue for another year, with the former Origin prop walking out on the club in the off-season, setting a disastrous tone for the club's 2025 campaign.
The 30-year-old got into a heated verbal exchange with a member of the Dragons coaching staff, which led to the star pushing for a release soon after.
Dragons' head coach Shane Flanagan has never been one to mince words, and with such a monumental shake-up so close to Round One, he admitted even he is unsure of what's to come.
โI have no idea if he is coming back,โ Flanagan told the Daily Telegraph of Molo. โFrank is on sick leave until his sick days run out and then I have no idea what will happen.
โWe might not get him back this season, who knows."
With only a few weeks to go until the season starts, such a dramatic offseason can set the tone for a disastrous season, as evidenced by the Dragons' recent history with disgruntled stars. Red V faithful know this all too well, having just lost their captain, Ben Hunt, to the Brisbane Broncos this past offseason.
Flanagan revealed Molo is mentally struggling with the incident and conceded he would be involving those better equipped to handle the situation.
โFrank had a disagreement with one of the coaches.
โFrank has claimed he has some mental health issues, so I've said, โYou guys (Dragons board, the NRL and RLPA) deal with it'.
โWhen his sick leave runs out, we will see what happens then.
Flanagan revealed that his concerns don't lie just in Molo's reaction to the incident but the legal ramifications that are set to follow as well.
โI met with the NRL to see where we sit from a salary-cap perspective. There were a couple of things to work through with our roster.
โWe are going through the legal process of his contract... It's a legal minefield."
While all signs point to the 138-game veteran not returning to the Red V, his head coach insisted that there is still much up in the air.
โAt different stages, he has said he's not coming back, then he's told players he might be coming,โ Flanagan said. It's a mess. It's a total mess."
Dragons have not made the finals in seven years, one of the longest droughts in the NRL as it currently stands.
The club is in no position to have unhappy players in general, let alone a key front-rower of their forward pack.
Flanagan, who is heading into his second year as St George's head coach, conceded that he too is worried about the club's chances without Molo.
โI am not comfortable with our position. We have our No.1 front-rower, who played 23 games last year, just walking out as the season starts.
โI'm not comfortable with it, but he has taken a stance and we need to work through it.โ
The Dragons are working with the NRL and Molo to resolve the situation before the waters get muddier.
However, with less than a month before the NRL season kicks off, whispers that another failed season is on the horizon for the Dragons are starting to get a little louder.
