'It's not going to be pretty': Flanagan's scary warning to Dragons as Bennett takes sly dig

Dragons coach Shane Flanagan has gone to town on his players and given a hint that club recruit Lachlan Ilias in particular is in the gun.

St George Illawarra led South Sydney by two converted tries in Wollongong on Saturday before somehow surrendering the lead and losing by a point.

Cody Walker and Sean Keppie scored late tries, both of which were converted, before rookie halfback Jamie Humphreys nailed a long-range field goal in the final five minutes to clinch victory 25-24.

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The Red V had chances to kick an equalising field goal but failed to take advantage of the opportunity.

New Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett took a sly dig at the opposition during his post-game press conference.

"They were all over us and were jumping all over each other, giving high fives, thought they had won the game. We just kept showing up," Bennett said.

Dragons coach Flanagan cut an infuriated figure in his own press conference.

The captain Damien Cook was mysteriously absent from being by Flanagan's side, and the coach said a "knock to back of his head" was the reason.

He didn't call out Cook specifically but suggested the team's senior players failed to take control of the moment when the game was on the line.

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"In the NRL it's just sometimes mind over matter. You've got to get there, you've got to get it done," Flanagan said.

"Everyone is fatigued, everyone is tired. But it's the people that can go and do it once you're in the fatigue, they are the classy NRL players.

"We just didn't have any of them today. We didn't compete hard enough for long enough."

The Dragons have a bye in round three and Flanagan was asked what his plan for the team was.

"You wouldn't want to be one of my players for the next 10 or 12 days, that's for sure," he said with a grimace.

"It's not going to be pretty."

Flanagan was asked about Ilias in particular.

The young halfback was dumped by South Sydney last year before joining the Red V, but he was outshone by his rookie opponent Humphreys on Saturday.

One journalist suggested Ilias had been slow to adapt to life as a Dragon. Flanagan appeared to agree.

"You were here, weren't you?" Flanagan responded.

"You're smarter than that, you can make your own assessment."

The cryptic Flanagan comment won't be good news for Ilias, who is trying to convince the NRL world of his talent after a brutal exit from the Bunnies.