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Saints are completely f**ked - McGregor sacked

Messages
8,480
The dragons may indeed be completely f.... right now as the thread title suggests..

But there was something that happened yesterday which was the most f....d thing out of everything I witnessed yesterday watching the game... well actually Foxs “wrap-up”..

Most have now heard Mick Ennis’ comments about Ben Hunt - now made into a headline... (wow). but I like Mick Ennis, who’s well spoken and insightful. Unlike...

The host - Yvonne Sampson.

Ben Hunt played on one leg in the second half. Yes the dragons were awful. And the form of players is always rightfully open to the court of public opinion..

But in wrapping up the telecast of the match.. Sampson followed up Ennis’ comments on Hunt referring to the “mystery injury” and that “I don’t know if I quite believe that”...

That basically accused Hunt of faking an injury. Question his form, no problem. But to question the integrity of a bloke playing on one leg in a sport as tough as Rugby League, was the worst thing I saw yesterday. By far.
 

Fufu Andronez

First Grade
Messages
8,464
Just read somewhere that Mary is on $750k per year.

So will. Bank $1.5 million this year and next. Thats a lot of jetski money
 

9701

First Grade
Messages
5,398
The dragons may indeed be completely f.... right now as the thread title suggests..

But there was something that happened yesterday which was the most f....d thing out of everything I witnessed yesterday watching the game... well actually Foxs “wrap-up”..

Most have now heard Mick Ennis’ comments about Ben Hunt - now made into a headline... (wow). but I like Mick Ennis, who’s well spoken and insightful. Unlike...

The host - Yvonne Sampson.

Ben Hunt played on one leg in the second half. Yes the dragons were awful. And the form of players is always rightfully open to the court of public opinion..

But in wrapping up the telecast of the match.. Sampson followed up Ennis’ comments on Hunt referring to the “mystery injury” and that “I don’t know if I quite believe that”...

That basically accused Hunt of faking an injury. Question his form, no problem. But to question the integrity of a bloke playing on one leg in a sport as tough as Rugby League, was the worst thing I saw yesterday. By far.
She didn't believe his Injury was a boil, which it wasn't.
 

Ron's_Mate

Bench
Messages
4,037
St George Illawarra coach Paul McGregor has just two games to avoid the axe as Dragons powerbrokers gear up for the club’s most significant meeting in years when the St George Illawarra board gathers on June 16.

The Herald can reveal the club is paying $750,000 a season for a coach whose only two wins in the last 15 games have come against the hapless Gold Coast Titans.

.........

Some of the obvious names that will be linked to the job include former Dragons players such as Roosters assistant coach Craig Fitzgibbon, former Manly coach Trent Barrett and ex-Newcastle coach Nathan Brown.
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/ro...eeks-to-save-750-000-job-20200531-p54y5w.html
 

typicalfan

Coach
Messages
15,430
No joke Anthony Griffin would be a decent get for them, he is always big on culture and bringing young kids through.

They will pick some Ex Dragon or Steeler though.
 

DeeJ

Bench
Messages
3,119
lol why is Mcgregor on so much money? What success has he had? How many other clubs are looking at him?

They also wasted their funds on the Gus Gould contract, who didn't even identify to clear out the main problem.
 

Reflector

Juniors
Messages
2,263
St George Illawarra coach Paul McGregor has just two games to avoid the axe as Dragons powerbrokers gear up for the club’s most significant meeting in years when the St George Illawarra board gathers on June 16.

The Herald can reveal the club is paying $750,000 a season for a coach whose only two wins in the last 15 games have come against the hapless Gold Coast Titans.

.........

Some of the obvious names that will be linked to the job include former Dragons players such as Roosters assistant coach Craig Fitzgibbon, former Manly coach Trent Barrett and ex-Newcastle coach Nathan Brown.
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/ro...eeks-to-save-750-000-job-20200531-p54y5w.html


Jobs for the boys. Absolutely ridiculous. Toovey is a coach out of a job and could instil the kind of grit and discipline in that Dragons team that'd turn them around.
 

JamesRustle

First Grade
Messages
6,477
$750,000 PER SEASON - WTF???

I used to just ignore this thread, although I always had a nagging feeling it was on the money... That salary confirms it for me and now everytime I see this thread, I involuntarily hit the floor and start sucking my thumb.
 
Messages
8,480
She didn't believe his Injury was a boil, which it wasn't.

That's not what she said.

But on a different note - happy for the Knights and their fans yesterday. Got some great talent coming through, and hope you get the best of of Frizell when he arrives. Great signs after a number of lean years.
 
Messages
14,479
St George Illawarra coach Paul McGregor has just two games to avoid the axe as Dragons powerbrokers gear up for the club’s most significant meeting in years when the St George Illawarra board gathers on June 16.

The Herald can reveal the club is paying $750,000 a season for a coach whose only two wins in the last 15 games have come against the hapless Gold Coast Titans.

.........

Some of the obvious names that will be linked to the job include former Dragons players such as Roosters assistant coach Craig Fitzgibbon, former Manly coach Trent Barrett and ex-Newcastle coach Nathan Brown.
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/ro...eeks-to-save-750-000-job-20200531-p54y5w.html

Screen Shot 2020-06-01 at 10.22.27 am.png
 
Messages
14,479
This could be serendipitous though.

Mary goes.
Wayne gets on the merry-go-round...finds himself back in the 'Gong.

Ahhh...one can only dream.
 
Messages
8,480
How does McGregors salary compare with other NRL coaches?

As for a replacement, and some of the coaches mentioned/available...

Griffin did get the Panthers in the finals in 2018. And the Broncos to third in his first season after replacing Ivan Henjak (with a side that was idling very roughly), but they then proceeded to lose more games than they won after that. Was let go by both the Broncos and the Panthers.

Geoff Toovey did well after taking over from Hasler's premiership side in 2011. Making the Prelim final in 2012 and the GF a year later. A Manly man through and through who took over a premiership team. Not questioning his coaching but he jumped into the seat of a Ferrari at Manly. Was subsequently sacked.

Nathan Brown. Dragons Man and has coached the team before to some success/semi finals before Sir Wayne was hired to take the reins. He arguably had the best playing roster in that era. Couldn't have come to a club more at the bottom of the Barrel than Newcastle were, and had a tough three years "rebuilding". Did well in the UK. But has twice been let go by clubs - Dragons and Knights.

Trent Barrett. Only First grade head coaching experience was at Manly taking over from Toovey. 40% win record at the Sea Eagles and resigned after 2 years - supposedly due to conditions at the club. Is a former dragons player.

Craig Fitzgibbon. No Head coaching experience but has served under Trent Robinson during the Roosters purple patch in recent years Former Dragon grand finalist and a product of the area.

They are the ones that are regularly talked about. There are rumours about Wayne Bennett but there always has been so I don't consider him. And if there was anything in it, I doubt Tyson Frizell would have left. And Flanagan is still grounded.

So of them - the only person I'd consider would be Fitzgibbon, even though it would be his first gig. But we've had a history of giving coaches a crack at their first head coaching gig with us - Brown, Price, McGregor etc - and all have struggled to succeed, hounded and threatened with lynching by the Dragons mob... So would Fitzgibbon be any different ?
 
Messages
8,480
How do you sign someone up for 2 seasons and conclude after 5 games that it's a mistake? The Dragons board must be one of the worst in world sport.

The Tigers paid up to 3 coaches at the same time a few years back. Penrith have had similar issues recently too. On this basis they are far worse than the Dragons.

That's not to defend the Dragons current board in it's quality, which I am very skeptical about.
 
Messages
14,028
The Tigers paid up to 3 coaches at the same time a few years back. Penrith have had similar issues recently too. On this basis they are far worse than the Dragons.

That's not to defend the Dragons current board in it's quality, which I am very skeptical about.

Fair, I always go back to the Gus idea. If you're sacking a coach you signed then you have made the mistake as an administrator. I personally haven't seen anything new from the Dragons this season to change my opinion on McGregor.
 

Ron's_Mate

Bench
Messages
4,037
They need a proven first grade coach who never played for the club. Toovey is the only obvious one. Unfortunately for Dragons fans there are not many good coaches on the market right now.
 
Messages
8,480
Fair, I always go back to the Gus idea. If you're sacking a coach you signed then you have made the mistake as an administrator. I personally haven't seen anything new from the Dragons this season to change my opinion on McGregor.

I agree with the sentiment about administration..

Yep the Dragons are 0-3 so far. Game 1 was rusty against the Tigers and Benji strangled us in the end to get the win. Game 2 in hot conditions was a great performance for mine but a few "honest" errors in defence (eg Frizell tripping himself backpedalling in defence) that Penrith took advantage of saw them grab a late win. Not so bad a start but when in light of last years' demise it had people sharpening knives.

I truly think it's not just down to Paul McGregor. Despite the blowtorch on him all the time, there's not been even a sniff of any typical "lost the room / senior leadership group" rumblings that come out through the press. He fronted the press conference on his own last week - without his captain - which is generally an honourable sign to take the heat for the situation and protect his men. Bennett is a master of this.

If I were to put it down to something its that we do not have enough true leaders on the field.

The only true leaders we have currently are James Graham (who plays limited minutes noawadays) and Cameron McInness, who's emerged. We lost our other two leaders last year in Widdop and De Belin - both of which came out of the blue. The rest are good soldiers, but a good soldier is wasted if there are no generals to lead them.

So who's to blame if we don't true leaders in the team. Maybe McGregor, Millward, the board.... all of them combined? I don't know....

But whatever people's opinions are of McGregor as a coach, I think he's been absolutely stoic in the press and media, and I respect him for how he's carried himself. I want him to succeed while many want him to fail.
 
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