http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...g-big-name-coach/story-fni3g9a3-1226673986617
DRAGONS boss Peter Doust says under-fire coach Steve Price has the full support of the board - for now.
Sitting second-last on the NRL ladder, St George Illawarra take on the high-flying Roosters on Saturday night and another lop-sided scoreline will only mount further pressure on Price.
Doust opened up to The Daily Telegraphs Paul Crawley about Prices future beyond this season and while offering his support, Doust didnt rule out chasing a top tier coach for 2015 after the Dragons missed out on Craig Bellamy.
Doust also explained why Jamie Soward had to go mid-season - and why he has confidence 2014 wont be another building year.
PC: Steve Price is signed until the end of next year. Are you convinced he is the right man for the job?
PD: I think it is clear from the experiences we have had in recent years we respect the top tier coaches and what they can deliver to a football team. Our most recent experience with Wayne Bennett is evidential of that. We were certainly interested in recruiting Craig Bellamy, it is no secret we went hard to try and convince Craig to come to the Dragons. But in saying that, when we evaluated that option not being available to us, Steve Price had a lot of credentials that we had evaluated in the past as being suitable for the job at the Dragons.
PC: So are you convinced he is the right man for the job?
PD: Yeah, we were when we made that decision in the first instance post Waynes decision to leave the club. You need to make a decision at some point early enough in the year to give people some direction as far as the future year is concerned in respect to recruitment and employment of individuals. We thought at that time we needed to make a decision and we extended the contract for one year. We thought at the time that was relevant to the roster he had been dealing with, particularly in 2012, was one that he had not had any real involvement in putting together.
PC: There is no question he has come in on the back-end of a premiership-winning team with ageing players.
Dragons boss Peter Doust, with Bulldogs boss Todd Greeneberg. File picture
PD: That's right, we viewed 2011 and '12 as not having much to do with his input even though he was able to participate in the extension of certain players and he recruited some quality players as well so it wasn't all negative circumstances.
PC: I see where you are coming from but at the end of the day fans want success and they want it now. They don't want it in 2015, do they?
PD: Fans are entitled to expect performance from their football team but informed supporters understand how competitive this competition is. They understand the impact injuries can have on rosters and I think it is fair comment over many years this NRL competition has been won by the teams that minimise their injuries and put their best team on the paddock on a continuing basis.
PC: Can I put this to you: You have signed Steve until the end of next season after missing out on Craig Bellamy. Are you chasing a top coach for 2015?
PD: At this present time we are focussed on what we can achieve with our team, both coaching and player strength-wise, at this point in time and there is no activity around that at the moment.
PC: So have you made any enquiries at all in regard to a coach like Michael Maguire who is coming off contract then?
PD: No I haven't.
PC: Interested?
PD: I think Michael is committed to the Rabbitohs but in saying that I haven't made any enquiries so I haven't got any comment to make on that.
PC: Jamie Soward. What's the real story behind his mid-season release. Did he have a personality clash with Steve Price?
PD: No he didn't. In saying that these sort of circumstances, personality circumstances, are always at play in a football club. But the way the board understood that, and that includes me, was that there were genuine feeling of his contribution to team performance and day-to-day activities were not up to the standards that were being set.
PC: What's that mean, he wasn't training hard enough, he had a bad attitude?
PD: His performance on the field and day to day was not up to the standards that the coaching staff and senior players had set and were setting. He was dropped, it happens. In saying that it was his choice to apply for a release and I would more want to acknowledge the contribution he made.
PC: Where did it go wrong with him. When Wayne was there he played Origin football and you won a comp with him. Since he has played like a busted?
PD: I don't want to go into where it went wrong.
PC: Why? That's what the fans want to know?
PD: I am answering the question about what happened this year. Going back to the past is not necessarily going to do anything for our circumstances which we are focussed on at the moment - supporting a team and a coaching staff with what they can achieve this year.
PC: You went and bought Gareth Widdop for next year and I think everyone would agree he was a good buy. Now he has busted his hip and that is a really hard injury to come back from. How did that make you feel?
PD: You don't want to see any individual go through an injury of that nature because they are quite rare and not easily managed. But in saying that our advice from our performance staff and medical staff at the Storm is that if you can have an injury like that it is as good as it gets. There wasn't a lot of damage and therefore recovery should be if the rehab is managed effectively, I think we can be confident he will recover from it but in saying that there haven't been many cases in point.
PC: Do you expect him to be right for the start of the season, is that the indication you have got off the Storm?
PD: Well we still have a way to go. They say the early period of rehab is the important period to set the foundation but as I say I am confident he understands the circumstances of his needs and in a month or so we will know a lot more. I am confident he will recover from the injury fully.
PC: Do you go out and try and sign another half/five-eighth as insurance?
PD: In terms of our recruitment we haven't finished fulfilling our objectives for our roster for 2014 but I'd rather focus on 2013, that's what you wanted to enquire about.
PC: Okay, we'll focus on 2013. You're second last on the ladder, you have the second worst attack in the NRL with only Parramatta behind you. What do you put it down to?
PD: Let me say this, as an organisation we are certainly not happy with our performance on the field, that is clearly a disappointment for us all. And again, the board and senior management are asking plenty of questions about that performance and why it is. In saying that it is a very long season and we are not drawing detailed conclusions at this point. We are just focussing on supporting the team and their capacity to do what they can to improve results. Now is not the time to evaluate the season.
PC: Dragons fans are the type that demand success, don't they? You are up there with Souths as probably the most famous clubs in rugby league. Do you hear the blow-ups they are making at the moment?
PD: Mate I stay in very close contact with a lot of channels that support the Dragons. You know we are at the forefront of the games in terms of contact with our supporter base. We completed a Red V forum with members on Monday night and that is something we actively pursue. We are not trying to avoid the fact that we are unhappy with the performance but at this point in time we are focused on supporting the team and the coaching staff to do their best.
PC: Can you categorically guarantee Steve Price will be coaching the Dragons in 2014?
PD: As I said to you the decisions in relation to the coaching staff are board decisions and at this point in time the board is evaluating, as is senior management, the performance of the team and they are not focussed on anything other than supporting the team and the coaching staff in their immediate opportunities for performance.
PC: You happy with your recruitment for next year?
PD: No, as I said, I haven't finished it yet.
PC: Because if you put your line up, as of this Saturday night, up against the Roosters line up, on paper you have a long way to go?
PD: Plenty of pundits have come awry with looking at teams on paper. We are unhappy with the available roster we have at the moment. We have a number of people with long-term injuries.
PC: You got good money to spend?
PD: Well we have been spending but we haven't finished yet but let's talk about what we've got to do at the moment. Our injuries, we lost Kyle Stanley in the pre-season, we lost Gerard Beale after the early rounds, (Matt) Cooper has been down for some time. Dan Hunt is out this week. We've got difficulties with our available man power and this is what I said before, history will tell you the teams that are there at the end are the ones that have a minimum amount of injuries to deal with.
PC: Fair enough, thanks for your time.
PD: You didn't ask me about our crowds.
PC: Do you want to talk about them, they are down significantly this year, a few thousand at least from when Wayne was at the club?
PD: Well, you wrote about it the other day so I thought I would explain that if you looked across the board most of the clubs in the NRL are down at the moment but in saying that we are only halfway through and you've got to look at the variables and they are weather, they are the schedule you have had to date and certain clubs draw well against other clubs. We have a great record against Souths, the Bulldogs, the Tigers and in this season we don't play the Rabbits twice so these sort of things work against your crowds. But in saying that crowds are directly related to performance and if we are unhappy with our performance you have got to expect to be disappointed with our crowds.
PC: One more question, is next year a building year or will you demand a top-eight finish?
PD: I don't really like that concept of giving up any one year and you're building. It is a challenge year to year and as I say things can happen to you that you can't predict and therefore directly affect your performance. But I don't know that we give up on a year and say we are building, we are constantly striving to do our best.
DRAGONS boss Peter Doust says under-fire coach Steve Price has the full support of the board - for now.
Sitting second-last on the NRL ladder, St George Illawarra take on the high-flying Roosters on Saturday night and another lop-sided scoreline will only mount further pressure on Price.
Doust opened up to The Daily Telegraphs Paul Crawley about Prices future beyond this season and while offering his support, Doust didnt rule out chasing a top tier coach for 2015 after the Dragons missed out on Craig Bellamy.
Doust also explained why Jamie Soward had to go mid-season - and why he has confidence 2014 wont be another building year.
PC: Steve Price is signed until the end of next year. Are you convinced he is the right man for the job?
PD: I think it is clear from the experiences we have had in recent years we respect the top tier coaches and what they can deliver to a football team. Our most recent experience with Wayne Bennett is evidential of that. We were certainly interested in recruiting Craig Bellamy, it is no secret we went hard to try and convince Craig to come to the Dragons. But in saying that, when we evaluated that option not being available to us, Steve Price had a lot of credentials that we had evaluated in the past as being suitable for the job at the Dragons.
PC: So are you convinced he is the right man for the job?
PD: Yeah, we were when we made that decision in the first instance post Waynes decision to leave the club. You need to make a decision at some point early enough in the year to give people some direction as far as the future year is concerned in respect to recruitment and employment of individuals. We thought at that time we needed to make a decision and we extended the contract for one year. We thought at the time that was relevant to the roster he had been dealing with, particularly in 2012, was one that he had not had any real involvement in putting together.
PC: There is no question he has come in on the back-end of a premiership-winning team with ageing players.
Dragons boss Peter Doust, with Bulldogs boss Todd Greeneberg. File picture
PD: That's right, we viewed 2011 and '12 as not having much to do with his input even though he was able to participate in the extension of certain players and he recruited some quality players as well so it wasn't all negative circumstances.
PC: I see where you are coming from but at the end of the day fans want success and they want it now. They don't want it in 2015, do they?
PD: Fans are entitled to expect performance from their football team but informed supporters understand how competitive this competition is. They understand the impact injuries can have on rosters and I think it is fair comment over many years this NRL competition has been won by the teams that minimise their injuries and put their best team on the paddock on a continuing basis.
PC: Can I put this to you: You have signed Steve until the end of next season after missing out on Craig Bellamy. Are you chasing a top coach for 2015?
PD: At this present time we are focussed on what we can achieve with our team, both coaching and player strength-wise, at this point in time and there is no activity around that at the moment.
PC: So have you made any enquiries at all in regard to a coach like Michael Maguire who is coming off contract then?
PD: No I haven't.
PC: Interested?
PD: I think Michael is committed to the Rabbitohs but in saying that I haven't made any enquiries so I haven't got any comment to make on that.
PC: Jamie Soward. What's the real story behind his mid-season release. Did he have a personality clash with Steve Price?
PD: No he didn't. In saying that these sort of circumstances, personality circumstances, are always at play in a football club. But the way the board understood that, and that includes me, was that there were genuine feeling of his contribution to team performance and day-to-day activities were not up to the standards that were being set.
PC: What's that mean, he wasn't training hard enough, he had a bad attitude?
PD: His performance on the field and day to day was not up to the standards that the coaching staff and senior players had set and were setting. He was dropped, it happens. In saying that it was his choice to apply for a release and I would more want to acknowledge the contribution he made.
PC: Where did it go wrong with him. When Wayne was there he played Origin football and you won a comp with him. Since he has played like a busted?
PD: I don't want to go into where it went wrong.
PC: Why? That's what the fans want to know?
PD: I am answering the question about what happened this year. Going back to the past is not necessarily going to do anything for our circumstances which we are focussed on at the moment - supporting a team and a coaching staff with what they can achieve this year.
PC: You went and bought Gareth Widdop for next year and I think everyone would agree he was a good buy. Now he has busted his hip and that is a really hard injury to come back from. How did that make you feel?
PD: You don't want to see any individual go through an injury of that nature because they are quite rare and not easily managed. But in saying that our advice from our performance staff and medical staff at the Storm is that if you can have an injury like that it is as good as it gets. There wasn't a lot of damage and therefore recovery should be if the rehab is managed effectively, I think we can be confident he will recover from it but in saying that there haven't been many cases in point.
PC: Do you expect him to be right for the start of the season, is that the indication you have got off the Storm?
PD: Well we still have a way to go. They say the early period of rehab is the important period to set the foundation but as I say I am confident he understands the circumstances of his needs and in a month or so we will know a lot more. I am confident he will recover from the injury fully.
PC: Do you go out and try and sign another half/five-eighth as insurance?
PD: In terms of our recruitment we haven't finished fulfilling our objectives for our roster for 2014 but I'd rather focus on 2013, that's what you wanted to enquire about.
PC: Okay, we'll focus on 2013. You're second last on the ladder, you have the second worst attack in the NRL with only Parramatta behind you. What do you put it down to?
PD: Let me say this, as an organisation we are certainly not happy with our performance on the field, that is clearly a disappointment for us all. And again, the board and senior management are asking plenty of questions about that performance and why it is. In saying that it is a very long season and we are not drawing detailed conclusions at this point. We are just focussing on supporting the team and their capacity to do what they can to improve results. Now is not the time to evaluate the season.
PC: Dragons fans are the type that demand success, don't they? You are up there with Souths as probably the most famous clubs in rugby league. Do you hear the blow-ups they are making at the moment?
PD: Mate I stay in very close contact with a lot of channels that support the Dragons. You know we are at the forefront of the games in terms of contact with our supporter base. We completed a Red V forum with members on Monday night and that is something we actively pursue. We are not trying to avoid the fact that we are unhappy with the performance but at this point in time we are focused on supporting the team and the coaching staff to do their best.
PC: Can you categorically guarantee Steve Price will be coaching the Dragons in 2014?
PD: As I said to you the decisions in relation to the coaching staff are board decisions and at this point in time the board is evaluating, as is senior management, the performance of the team and they are not focussed on anything other than supporting the team and the coaching staff in their immediate opportunities for performance.
PC: You happy with your recruitment for next year?
PD: No, as I said, I haven't finished it yet.
PC: Because if you put your line up, as of this Saturday night, up against the Roosters line up, on paper you have a long way to go?
PD: Plenty of pundits have come awry with looking at teams on paper. We are unhappy with the available roster we have at the moment. We have a number of people with long-term injuries.
PC: You got good money to spend?
PD: Well we have been spending but we haven't finished yet but let's talk about what we've got to do at the moment. Our injuries, we lost Kyle Stanley in the pre-season, we lost Gerard Beale after the early rounds, (Matt) Cooper has been down for some time. Dan Hunt is out this week. We've got difficulties with our available man power and this is what I said before, history will tell you the teams that are there at the end are the ones that have a minimum amount of injuries to deal with.
PC: Fair enough, thanks for your time.
PD: You didn't ask me about our crowds.
PC: Do you want to talk about them, they are down significantly this year, a few thousand at least from when Wayne was at the club?
PD: Well, you wrote about it the other day so I thought I would explain that if you looked across the board most of the clubs in the NRL are down at the moment but in saying that we are only halfway through and you've got to look at the variables and they are weather, they are the schedule you have had to date and certain clubs draw well against other clubs. We have a great record against Souths, the Bulldogs, the Tigers and in this season we don't play the Rabbits twice so these sort of things work against your crowds. But in saying that crowds are directly related to performance and if we are unhappy with our performance you have got to expect to be disappointed with our crowds.
PC: One more question, is next year a building year or will you demand a top-eight finish?
PD: I don't really like that concept of giving up any one year and you're building. It is a challenge year to year and as I say things can happen to you that you can't predict and therefore directly affect your performance. But I don't know that we give up on a year and say we are building, we are constantly striving to do our best.
