The St George Illawarra Dragons could make a decision on their next head coach this week, with Shane Flanagan confirming he has met with the club.
Flanagan's name has come into contention for the role following the club being snubbed by Jason Ryles.
It was believed the Sydney Roosters' assistant had been signed, sealed and delivered to the Red V, but ultimately, got cold feed at the last minute.
That was reportedly over the board refusing to give the former club player full control over the football department.
It's something Flanagan would likely require if he was to take over, with the experienced premiership-winning mentor having the full blessing of the Manly Sea Eagles - where he is the assistant coach - to leave the club at the end of the year if he lands the job.
Flanagan has had two previous stints at the Dragons, one as an assistant coach and one as a list manager.
It's believed Dean Young and Ben Hornby, who are currently in assistant coaching roles at the North Queensland Cowboys and South Sydney Rabbitohs respectively, are the other two names in line for the job at the Dragons.
Speaking on 2GB Radio on Monday evening, Flanagan confirmed he has met with the Dragons, and wants the job.
“I've met with the Dragons, and they'll go through the process,” Flanagan said on 2GB radio.
“We [Manly] played Friday night and the Dragons played Saturday, and obviously public holiday being today.
“I would presume, I don't know 100 percent, that they will meet early this week, probably tomorrow [Tuesday] and things will move along in whichever direction the Draogns take, and I'm not quite sure which direction they'll take.
“Yes, I hope I get the job. I think I can help that club, I want to help that club. I know how to fix recruitment and pathways, and I think I have been proven in the coaching department. I have won a competition. I want to get another chance, and hopefully, it's at that club.”
It's understood the Dragons' board must be unanimous in their decision over the next head coach, and while a majority want Flanagan, some select members are not yet over the line.
That will leave a board meeting, likely held on Tuesday, to determine if the board can agree on a suitable candidate to lead the club out of a horrid era over the last decade.
It looms as the most important decision in the joint venture's history. Since Wayne Bennett departed at the end of 2011, the Dragons have made the finals on only two occasions, with the three head coaches since - Steve Price, Paul McGregor and Anthony Griffin - all being pushed out over poor performances.
Flanagan was also quizzed over his reported meeting with Ben Hunt. The halfback confirmed he had spoken with Flanagan after the Dragons' high-scoring victory over the South Sydney Rabbitohs on Saturday at Kogarah, but Flanagan said he meets with Hunt regularly and slammed the reporting as ill-informed.
He revealed he only had one question for Hunt, while he also said the club had no reservations about meeting with him.
“No, there wasn't any tough questions [or reservations from the club]. It was a really good meeting and we will find out which way the club are going to go this week," Flanagan said.
"Everyone knows the history, but some people seem to add a bit of GST on the reporting of it lately, and even the reporting of me meeting Ben Hunt. That's ill-informed. I did meet with Ben Hunt, but I meet with Ben Hunt about once per week because we live about a kilometre away from each other.
“The question I did have for Ben Hunt - if I was lucky enough to get the coaching job, would you want to stay at the club, because there has been a lot of speculation that Ben Hunt wanted out, and I just wanted assurance that Ben Hunt would not [want to leave] if I got the job, and all of sudden Day 1 of my job I'm looking for a halfback.
"That's the conversation I had with Ben and there is still a lot of water to go under the bridge for me to get the job, but in my mind, I had to know what was going on there.
“We are good mates. We have worked together, and from a professional basis, I did his contract there for the next three years when I was doing the list management at the Dragons.
“If I do get the job, I said to him, ‘you will be my halfback'. I don't think that's a real big statement.”
The Dragons are currently anchored to the bottom of the NRL ladder despite their win over the Rabbitohs on the weekend.