McGuire in line for Red V debut after Dragons, Cowboys agree to deal
By Adam Pengilly
April 12, 2021 — 5.02pm
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St George Illawarra is poised to have Josh McGuire available for their clash against the Warriors after agreeing a deal with the Cowboys for his release, which is expected to be announced on Tuesday.
After weeks of negotiating with North Queensland over the terms of McGuire’s release, the Dragons are almost certain to have McGuire as part of their 21-man squad when they chase a fifth straight win at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium on Sunday.
The two clubs and the NRL finalised the paperwork over McGuire’s switch on Monday night. The trade is expected to be confirmed by both clubs on Tuesday.
The only impediment to McGuire pulling on the Red V for the first time this week will be if coach Anthony Griffin opts not to pick him this weekend, but the
Herald has been told by sources familiar with the situation McGuire is likely to be in the extended squad.
McGuire’s deal will see the 31-year-old reunite with Dragons coach Griffin and keep him in the Red V until the end of 2022.
There will be no immediate release of St George Illawarra halfback Adam Clune going the other way as the Cowboys look to shore up their playmaking stocks following the retirement of Michael Morgan on medical grounds.
Josh McGuire is poised to join the Dragons until the end of 2022.
Clune has been a standout in recent weeks, deputing for injured captain Ben Hunt, and had been speculated as part of the McGuire deal.
McGuire missed the Cowboys’ first win of the season when they upset the Wests Tigers at Leichhardt Oval on Sunday due to an elbow infection, which the Dragons will assess when he arrives at the club.
But he will join a team looming as finals contenders despite being widely panned as a wooden spoon candidate before a ball had been kicked this season.
It will also be another Queensland connection at the Dragons with Griffin having previously coached McGuire at the Broncos between 2011 and 2014.
The former Brisbane and Penrith boss has rejuvenated the careers of former Broncos stars Hunt and Corey Norman, while also sewing up a deal to bring hooker Andrew McCullough to Wollongong.
Griffin handed McCullough him the captaincy in just his fourth match for the Dragons after Hunt was
sidelined with a broken leg.
The Dragons had been desperate to add to an experienced campaigner to their middle forward rotation, flirting with the idea of bringing Sharks veteran Andrew Fifita to the club. There is also uncertainty over Jack de Belin’s situation as he returned to court on Monday for a retrial into his sexual assault charges.
But McGuire will be the man to immediately come into the fold, joining Paul Vaughan, Blake Lawrie, Trent Merrin, Daniel Alvaro and Poasa Faamausili in the pack as Griffin looks to provide insurance for his current stars.
The Dragons will be chasing five straight wins for the first time since 2018 when they started the year with wins in the first six rounds. But Griffin is refusing to get carried away after their
bruising upset of the previously unbeaten Eels at Bankwest Stadium.
The best thing about ‘Hook’ is he’s a good fella and you can speak with him about whatever it is you need. He’s a person before he’s a coach
Zac Lomax
“He’s just a real calm head,” centre Zac Lomax said. “He instils confidence in all the players and that’s the main thing you want as players, to have confidence in your coach. I feel he’s been doing that.
“He’s been very short and very simple. The best thing about ‘Hook’ is he’s a good fella and you can speak with him about whatever it is you need. He’s a person before he’s a coach. That’s what you want from your coach and your teammates as well.
“At the end of the day we’re human beings before we are footy players and we’re just lucky enough we’re able to do it for a living. He’s brought that to the culture and we’re feeding off it.”
Off-contract fullback Matt Dufty continues to enhance his claims for a new deal after scoring two tries and setting up the Dragons’ two others against Parramatta, but he remains adamant he has much more work to do off the ball to develop his game.
“I was hoping ‘Hook’ wasn’t going to drop me because he said, ‘**** the long balls off, play through the middle as it’s been giving us success’,” Dufty joked of his two try assists coming from cutout passes. “I’ll have to apologise to him during the week.
“I just haven’t thought about [my contract situation]. Good things come in time and if I’m worrying about that then it’s affecting me on the field. If that’s all I’m worrying about those contract things will come. I talk to my manager every day and it’s been building.”
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/mc...ns-cowboys-agree-to-deal-20210412-p57ii2.html
