Has Flanagan ever filled in at hooker? can certainly tackle like a hooker and is a decent distributor, you'd think if needed for a while push him to 9 and then another back row in, would certainly sure things up in the middle during a game.

Against a big strong back,you need maximum bench strength.
Evalds either plays,or doesn't,but he can't be a sub in my view.
I know you can switch things round to accommodate him coming off the bench but we shouldn't have to.
I'd leave him out and bench an extra forward

For me the way we can beat the Dragons is to tire them out with Open Rugby - side to side - they have some big lads in Taylor & Mason & they wont relish an expansive game. Keep Evalds on the bench for later & I hope Krasniqi gets the gig.

The rumours going round is that Evalds starts as Fullback and o'brien starts at standoff 4 forwards on the bench

As long as it's not 3 forwards and Joseph, hate to bag a player but sorry doesn't offer as much as Krasniqi and certainly can't do big enough productive minutes.