100% Official Griffin for the next 2 years

[possm]

Tingha got robbed an Origin jersey after 3 amazing years at the Dragons where he could do no wrong. He was getting better each year to prove how good he was. Have we since seen the same top try scorer 3 years in a row. Simple answer is no. Which just shows how rare it is. If anyone was racist it was those picking Origin teams. Pretty sure that was the reason he left not because a dragons bloke said something in the sheds. After his 3 top scoring season he lost hope all together. You could see it in his body language. He was not the same.

If Saints were a Racist club at the time, I am sure Mundine would have let everyone know about it, As if he would keep quiet about something like this which is close to his heart.

I believe Tinga and Mundine should both have been given SOO jumpers.

 

[Willow]

Like cmon mate Tingha. Does anyone really think the dragons playing group was racist FFS we were the only club to have Koori corner. I just found it strange after almost 20 years he comes out about it

Tingha is not lying. Are you saying he is lying?

 

[Willow]

I believe Tinga and Mundine should both have been given SOO jumpers.

Mundine played for NSW but was thrown in as a reserve hooker. Still made good though, scoring a try.

 

[possm]

Mundine played for NSW but was thrown in as a reserve hooker. Still made good though, scoring a try.

It's great that your memory is still working fine. Mine seems to let me down sometime these days however, I've noticed that members on here have been very good in assisting me in a very friendly way.

Oh how good it is to be a forum member and even better to be a Dragons supporter now that Webb and Griffin are on board.

No more need for Oust Doust or Sack Mary. That has to be a great thing.

 

[Willow]

It's great that your memory is still working fine. Mine seems to let me down sometime these days however, I've noticed that members on here have been very good in assisting me in a very friendly way.

Oh how good it is to be a forum member and even better to be a Dragons supporter now that Webb and Griffin are on board.

No more need for Oust Doust or Sack Mary. That has to be a great thing.

I might add, that even though Blacklock was denied SOO - something that the Blues paid dearly for - he did go on to play for NSW in RU and was selected for Australia in RL. Of course, he deserved much more.

 

[getsmarty]

Players must be on same page as Griffin for Dragons to fire

• 
  Laurie Daley

NRL

Anthony Griffin is the new Dragons coach and will take over next year on a two-year-deal. Photo: Mark Evans/Getty Images
St George Illawarra has made its coaching choice - the key now is for the Dragons to unite behind Anthony Griffin and give him every chance of succeeding.

I've got to say I don't know too much about Griffin. But I think it's pretty clear by selecting him over Dean Young, that the club has made a conscious decision to go for an "outsider" rather than keep the appointment in-house.

On the surface at least, Griffin's credentials suggest he is capable of having some success. In the seven years he has coached at NRL level, his sides' have made the finals on six occasions.

When he joined the unemployment queue a few years back after being sacked by the Panthers, the side was running fourth at the time with only a handful of rounds to go before the finals so he has some runs on the board. But clearly, there are going to be greater challenges awaiting him at the Dragons than he would have previously faced when he was at the Brisbane Broncos and Penrith.

One of the biggest challenges will be getting consistency and value for money out of his halves Ben Hunt and Corey Norman. Given the sort of money they are on, he's going to need them performing at their optimum far more often than they have been.

There is also no doubt the Dragons need a far tougher defensive mentality as well if they are to become a genuine force in the NRL again. From all reports, Griffin is hard-nosed and will be a driver of that.

But the players have to want to buy into that mentality. You've only got to look at the problems Michael Maguire is having at the Wests Tigers to realise if the playing group as a whole is not on the same page as the coach and willing to make the sort of sacrifices that are necessary to rid themselves of their soft under-belly, there is going to be some drama.

Presumably, Griffin won't be shackled by the restraints Paul McGregor faced at the back-end of his tenure.

You can bet your life he'll be picking his team each week and not getting over-ruled by a selection committee and I'd be stunned if he is not having the major say in recruitment and retention. If you are going to hold the coach accountable for performance, that's the only way. Griffin, no doubt, has some roster issues to deal with but the Dragons have some quality juniors coming through and development is a strength of his from all reports.

He's got two years to make a real difference and I hope for the club's sake, he can turn things around. The Dragons is an iconic rugby league brand with a great history both at Kogarah and in Wollongong with the Steelers.

They have a huge following so it would be great for the game to see them up there challenging for a title again.

https://www.theleader.com.au/story/6918927/laurie-daleys-simple-advice-to-the-dragons/?cs=9737

 

[getsmarty]

Dragons players can't dodge scrutiny as new era begins: McInnes

• 
  Mitch Jennings

Dragons Den

STRAIGHT TALK: Dragons skipper Cam McInnes says a new coach won't change much if the players aren't accountable. Picture: NRL Imagery

DRAGONS skipper Cam McInnes says a change of coach won't mean much at all if the playing group isn't willing to be more accountable than it was under Paul McGregor.

The club confirmed former Brisbane and Penrith coach Anthony Griffin will take the reins for the next two seasons. It saw the board overlook current interim coach Dean Young, feeling a new voice is necessary having promoted three of their last four coaches from within.

McGregor, who moved on a month ago with a year before his contract was up, fell into that category and Griffin's appointment will satisfy fans who've long clamoured for an 'outsider' to be put in charge of the club.

READ MORE: Ramsey named to debut against Raiders

McInnes said it opens a "new chapter" but it will be the same old story if the playing group doesn't have an honest look at their own efforts over two disappointing campaigns.

"It should never come to this point, if you're successful you don't need to change things," McInnes said.

"This squad needs to take more accountability for our performance, that's what this squad needs. Whether we need a new voice or whatever, nothing will change until we do that.

"That's what this business is, if you don't win, eventually someone will get tapped on the shoulder. Unfortunately the coaches are the ones that pay for it sometimes, not the players.

"With Deano in the past two weeks, whether [wins] would have given him the [full-time] job or not, I don't know, but we had great opportunities to win both those games.

"You're going to lose tight games, and you want to be in the fight, but we have made the exact same mistakes week in week out. That's not learning from our mistakes... in my book, that's letting the coaches down."

Young's tipped to stay on as an assistant to Griffin, with a view to a possible succession plan. McInnes said it would be a move welcomed by the players.

"Of course I've love Deano to stay, he's a great coach, a great person, and I think one day he will be a head coach," McInnes said.

"Deano was with [Griffin] with Tonga and speaks really highly of him. He says he's a really good coach and a high-character person, I'm sure the board wouldn't have picked him otherwise.

"If having an outside voice was the reason the board went with [Griffin], that's great but sometimes it's also good to have someone from the inside who has a perspective on what's gone wrong in the past and what might need to change. That sort of combination would be pretty good."

Where McInnes will play will be one of the biggest questions for Griffin to answer as he considers the make-up of his spine going forward.

Ben Hunt has spent the bulk of the season at dummy-half, with McInnes shifting to lock, but maintains an oft-stated desire to return to the No. 7 jumper.

READ MORE: De Belin agrees 'in principle' to new Dragons deal

McInnes won't make the ultimate call too difficult for Griffin, insisting he has no firm preference as to what number he wears.

"Who knows what the future holds in terms of where I'll play at the club moving forward, but I've thoroughly enjoyed my time playing lock this year," McInnes said.

"To be honest, I see myself as hooker-lock, lock-hooker with no one position above the other now. As a hooker I probably haven't been as crafty as some of the others, my game's built around hard work and trying to get in the face of the opposition. At lock that suits me there.

"At the same time, I have put a lot of work in at hooker throughout my career and if that's the position for me moving forward I'll do that. I'm very, very comfortable in both of them."

https://www.illawarramercury.com.au...e-scrutiny-as-new-era-begins-mcinnes/?cs=3713

 

[denis preston]

Players must be on same page as Griffin for Dragons to fire

• 
  Laurie Daley

NRL

Anthony Griffin is the new Dragons coach and will take over next year on a two-year-deal. Photo: Mark Evans/Getty Images
St George Illawarra has made its coaching choice - the key now is for the Dragons to unite behind Anthony Griffin and give him every chance of succeeding.

I've got to say I don't know too much about Griffin. But I think it's pretty clear by selecting him over Dean Young, that the club has made a conscious decision to go for an "outsider" rather than keep the appointment in-house.

On the surface at least, Griffin's credentials suggest he is capable of having some success. In the seven years he has coached at NRL level, his sides' have made the finals on six occasions.

When he joined the unemployment queue a few years back after being sacked by the Panthers, the side was running fourth at the time with only a handful of rounds to go before the finals so he has some runs on the board. But clearly, there are going to be greater challenges awaiting him at the Dragons than he would have previously faced when he was at the Brisbane Broncos and Penrith.

One of the biggest challenges will be getting consistency and value for money out of his halves Ben Hunt and Corey Norman. Given the sort of money they are on, he's going to need them performing at their optimum far more often than they have been.

There is also no doubt the Dragons need a far tougher defensive mentality as well if they are to become a genuine force in the NRL again. From all reports, Griffin is hard-nosed and will be a driver of that.

But the players have to want to buy into that mentality. You've only got to look at the problems Michael Maguire is having at the Wests Tigers to realise if the playing group as a whole is not on the same page as the coach and willing to make the sort of sacrifices that are necessary to rid themselves of their soft under-belly, there is going to be some drama.

Presumably, Griffin won't be shackled by the restraints Paul McGregor faced at the back-end of his tenure.

You can bet your life he'll be picking his team each week and not getting over-ruled by a selection committee and I'd be stunned if he is not having the major say in recruitment and retention. If you are going to hold the coach accountable for performance, that's the only way. Griffin, no doubt, has some roster issues to deal with but the Dragons have some quality juniors coming through and development is a strength of his from all reports.

He's got two years to make a real difference and I hope for the club's sake, he can turn things around. The Dragons is an iconic rugby league brand with a great history both at Kogarah and in Wollongong with the Steelers.

They have a huge following so it would be great for the game to see them up there challenging for a title again.

https://www.theleader.com.au/story/6918927/laurie-daleys-simple-advice-to-the-dragons/?cs=9737

FFS Daley, trying to create a conspiratorial agenda to why his mate Mcgregor wasn't given a chance !!
Cant believe this numnut had the SOO reins for so long.

 

[Gareth67]

FFS Daley, trying to create a conspiratorial agenda to why his mate Mcgregor wasn't given a chance !!
Cant believe this numnut had the SOO reins for so long.

Your not the only one Dennis , it just proves the old adage that great (?) players don’t necessarily make great coaches .

 

[Captain Apollo]

I can't post the full text as I've used up my free article for the month - https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/fl...-up-begins-under-griffin-20200911-p55url.html

 

[YoHadrian]

I can't post the full text as I've used up my free article for the month - https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/fl...-up-begins-under-griffin-20200911-p55url.html

St George Illawarra's coaching cleanse has started, with premiership-winning boss Shane Flanagan told he will not be required when Anthony Griffin takes over next year.

Flanagan, who pressed the club for a decision on whether they would take up a one-year option in their favour for 2021, will be on the lookout for a new employer, and fellow assistant James Shepherd was also let go by the Red V.

Interim coach Dean Young admitted on Friday he wasn't sure if he will stay with the Dragons to work under Griffin, who was earlier this week named as Paul McGregor's permanent successor.


Griffin beat Young and Knights assistant David Furner to the role.

 

[getsmarty]

Flanagan to exit as Dragons shake-up begins under Griffin
Adam Pengilly
September 11, 2020 — 2.15pm
Leave a comment

St George Illawarra's coaching cleanse has started, with premiership-winning boss Shane Flanagan told he will not be required when Anthony Griffin takes over next year.

Flanagan, who pressed the club for a decision on whether they would take up a one-year option in their favour for 2021, will be on the lookout for a new employer, and fellow assistant James Shepherd was also let go by the Red V.


Dane Gagai and Luke Brooks are facing a two-match ban after being charged with striking #NRL

Interim coach Dean Young admitted on Friday he wasn't sure if he will stay with the Dragons to work under Griffin, who was earlier this week named as Paul McGregor's permanent successor.

Griffin beat Young and Knights assistant David Furner to the role.

Shane Flanagan will leave the Dragons.

Flanagan was willing to stay in Wollongong to work alongside Young if he was given the nod for the top job. The board's decision to go with Griffin also has Young mulling his future despite the pair having worked together as assistants with Tonga last year.


"I was a little bit disappointed I missed out because I thought I interviewed well and gave it my best shot, but I can understand the club’s decision going with more experience," Young said.

"Anthony Griffin has been at two big clubs before and he has a winning percentage of around 55 per cent. I can fully understand the club’s decision to go that way."

St George Illawarra's high-performance manager Nathan Pickworth will also leave the club next year as Griffin starts to assemble his support staff.

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/fl...-up-begins-under-griffin-20200911-p55url.html

 

[getsmarty]

Dragons' Young weighs up coaching future

• 
  
  Dean Young (r) is weighing up his coaching options after losing out on the Dragons job.
  Disappointed at being overlooked as head coach next year, Dean Young is yet to decide if he will stay at St George Illawarra as an assistant to Anthony Griffin.
  
  The Dragons interim coach is weighing up his career options after missing out on the top job despite feeling as though he interviewed strongly.
  
  He and Griffin have a previous working relationship from their time as Tongan assistants, and the incoming coach has already indicated he wants Young to stick around.
  
  The day the decision was made Griffin called Young, not to gloat but offer him a role at the club next year.
  
  But after six years in the Dragons job, Young is open to the option that his future could lie at another NRL club.
  
  "I'm in the coaching game for the long haul, I'm only 36 and I've been an assistant coach for six years so I've still got a lot to learn, just like head coaches who are 50 years of age," he said on Friday.
  
  "I view myself as a coach and where my journey goes, I'm not too sure.
  
  "We'll work that out in the future."
  
  Leaving the Dragons would be a huge call for Young who played more than 200 games for the club and transitioned into a coaching role after retirement.
  
  Young was coy about whether he has been approached by other NRL clubs for next season, as well as what factors could influence his decision to stay or leave.
  
  "I'm not going to go into too many details about that," he said.
  
  "I've got a job to do for the remainder of the year, I'm fully committed to this playing group and I'm fully committed to this club to give my best to this group."
  
  Although Young has been impressive in his short time as interim coach since Paul McGregor's departure, the board ultimately opted for experience to lead the club into the future.
  
  It's an outcome he understands and respects.
  
  "I think (Griffin is) going to do a great job, he's a great person and he's got a lot of experience and I think his time out of the game will probably make him a better coach," Young said.
  
  "He would have reviewed what he did at Penrith and what he did at the Broncos and as a coach you learn every day and every year.
  
  "I'm sure he's ready for the opportunity to turn this club around and turn it into a force again and I really hope he does."
  
  Australian Associated Press
  
  
  https://www.camdencourier.com.au/story/6921147/dragons-young-weighs-up-coaching-future/?cs=10513

 

[getsmarty]

Big name departs as Griffin’s Dragons overhaul continues
Anthony Griffin’s St George Illawarra is already taking shape with an off-field shake-up claiming a host of staff including the NRL’s most-qualified assistant coach.

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...k=1c7acb8ee85172634ee6cd4f8685338c-1599801401

 

[SAP58]

Those in Sydney Hook is being interviewed on 2GB in about 15minutes.

 

[blacksafake]

Does anyone know who his assistants were when he was at Broncos & Penrith ?
The only one I can think of is Brennan

 

[SAP58]

Does anyone know who his assistants were when he was at Broncos & Penrith ?
The only one I can think of is Brennan

I think it was Cameron Ciraldo at Penrith who I think took over after Hook was sacked by Gould. Don’t know where he has gone since. Broncos too long ago for my memory.

 

[Banjo2014]

Mighty NFL Saints won last night (Beat the Bucs)

New Orleans gave it to Brady.

I hope I can write similar posts (about the Mighty NRL Saints - next year.

Come on GRIFFO!!!!!

Also watched Jordan Mailata (Ex Rabbitoh) play for Philadelphia - big bloody unit - they say 150 plus kilos - did okay.

Sign him up GRIFFO!!!!!

 

[qld redvee]

dont know if its already been mentioned but last week the telegraph had a story about lockyer talking about griffins time at the braoncos . One line caught my attention where locky said that griffin WANTED his forwards to PASS the ball and not just take it up ..... How good would that be in 2021 watching a dragons forward actually passing the ball to a support player ..... thing is hook now has to coach our forwards into how to pass its been so long for most of them ...

 

[Mjab]

Out of interest does anyone what money he is on, I can’t remember seeing a figure anywhere

Any idea what we are paying Deano for his shit version of assistant coach , esp with such good KPIs