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Board to meet on June 16th

Dragon David

First Grade
Messages
7,378
I'll tell you right now: Ben Hunt and Tyson Frizzel are no buddies of Mary. Anyone noticing dialogue between the WAGs on Instagram over the last year know he lost them ever since his defence of JDB, and it is the festering toxic work environment in which Mary insists on keeping JDB around in which has brought this playing group down.
You could be right Brutalitops. I am sure that there are others as well.
 

HenryTatana

Juniors
Messages
1,748
The Drums are beating Louder


Hooper: $800k Mary fails to take COVID paycut — while his Dragons play like ‘strangers’

DRAGONS

james_hooper.jpg

b830a54c11740d24abdf8251b17c9e65

Dragons coach Paul McGregor is under pressure.Source: Getty Images
Under-siege Dragons coach Paul McGregor has been on full pay of his $800,000-a-season salary for the entire COVID-19 shutdown as the blame game at St George Illawarra turns uglier by the hour.

While the likes of rival NRL coaches Dean Pay and John Morris were stood down without pay and Roosters three-time premiership-winner Trent Robinson took a 40 per cent cut, McGregor has remained on his full wicket.

The development is guaranteed to send the Red V army into a frenzy as they demand McGregor is moved on and rumblings grow louder about the playing group no longer entirely listening to their coach.

You can always count on the Red V army for some fiery debate. Thanks for all your opinions and banter. Catch you all on NRL360 tonight with Kenty and Ben. Fox 502, all the latest news and opinions on the Dragons coaching conundrum.

It may also explain why some of the Dragons playing roster – to use McGregor’s words – looked like “strangers” in the loss to the New Zealand Warriors.

Halfback Ben Hunt has been predictably roasted but there is a view it’s actually his halves partner Corey Norman who has failed to deliver and is the player most likely to be dropped when the team is announced on Tuesday.

Adam Clune, 25, is the Dragons halfback understudy who had a strong summer and is being widely touted as the playmaker who will come in to try and fix the Dragons pedestrian attack.


775108_640x360_large_20200530173126.jpg

Dragons press conference

There are other senior players who are guaranteed to be in the firing line with the Dragons roster offering depth in the form of Isaac Luke, Billy Brittain, Trent Merrin, Jackson Ford and Jacob Host.

There are also serious internal questions being asked after Dragons captain Cameron McInnes delivered a heartfelt speech to the Warriors thanking the players for the sacrifices they have made to get the NRL competition back up and running.

It was a noble gesture after such a poor performance from the Red V.

Yet after McGregor spoke to the Dragons playing group following Saturday’s loss – no Dragons players offered anything else in the dressing room.

It was noted by other staff how no senior players had anything to say after such a putrid performance.


775104_640x360_large_20200530161559.jpg

Ben Hunt 'missing the mark'

It’s hard to see a similar scenario at the Sydney Roosters, Canberra Raiders or Melbourne Storm.

This is McGregor’s sixth full season at the helm of the Dragons – where the coach has taken the Red V to two finals series.

After finishing 15th last season the club brought Phil Gould in to conduct a review which resulted in more changes being made around McGregor.

Assistant coach Ben Hornby is now at South Sydney while ex-Sharks coach Shane Flanagan has been brought in to coach the Dragons defence.

James Shepherd was also brought in as a new assistant coach and has been helping McGregor with the club’s attack.

If the Dragons do opt to move on McGregor then who do they get to replace him?

4a2b8d123cc580be2cf6f86f121aa8e1

Mary accused the Dragons of playing like 'strangers’.Source: Getty Images
The cost-effective option would be to elevate Dean Young to a caretaker coaching role and see if he can get more out of one of the NRL’s strongest rosters.

Wayne Bennett is also being continually linked with a return to the club and does have a strong bond with board members Peter Doust and Craig Young.

Roosters assistant coach Craig Fitzgibbon also has enormous raps on him and history at the club having played in the 1999 grand final for St George Illawarra.

Fitzgibbon’s father, Allan Fitzgibbon, was also the inaugural coach of the Illawarra Steelers.

But back-to-back premiers the Roosters would be extremely reluctant to lose Fitzgibbon.

In relation to McGregor’s pay out if the Dragons were to sack him, the club would have been up for the full $1.6 million if they’d sacked him last year.

But with half of this year’s pay cycle already passed that figure is believed to drop significantly.

The Dragons also only have to pay McGregor half of his salary for next year IF they opt to terminate his contract.

The development about the Dragons “B” team beating their best 13 in a lead-up trial will also have alarm bells blaring.

URL LINK ADDED BY MODERATOR: https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...s/news-story/b64a79a62f31aaf1c9bb18dfff561ae5
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Brutalitops

Juniors
Messages
2,333
The refusal to take a pay cut should really he the end of it. Ben Hunt didn't have to say anything but he came out and said he would gladly take a pay cut if it helps lower paid players and the club in general. Yet Mary, the club leader, does no such thing?
 

Dragon David

First Grade
Messages
7,378
McGregor is a vain and greedy so and so of the highest order. He surely must have some things over the board members to be able to hold onto his position and get full pay during this pandemic time.

Like T Frizell, B Morris, G Widdop and a few others who are going and/or left the club, they have had a gutful of his attitude and temperament and rubbish coaching. I pity the younger brigade when they include in their resumes that they were coached by none other than Mary McGregor. Says a lot.
 

R&WTILLIDIE

First Grade
Messages
5,158
I'll tell you right now: Ben Hunt and Tyson Frizzel are no buddies of Mary. Anyone noticing dialogue between the WAGs on Instagram over the last year know he lost them ever since his defence of JDB, and it is the festering toxic work environment in which Mary insists on keeping JDB around in which has brought this playing group down.

Their WAGs are always going to be against their husbands/ bfs hanging out/ training with a potential rapist. Even if he didn’t rape the girl, he was engaged to be married and still had/ tried to have sex with someone else. Tyson and Hunt are caught up in the middle of all this. They have to support their wives but also their mate. The club is damned if they do and damned if they don’t stand down JDB.
 
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Reactions: jak

piesplusreturns

Juniors
Messages
96
Can't wait for the board meeting after scraping wins (or narrow losses or big losses with excuses) against Bulldogs and Titans.

Chairman: "The motion is to grant McGregor two more years."

McGregor: "Put your hand up if you want another Crownie!"

Everyone laughs.
 

redVinme

Juniors
Messages
2,427
Titans will be up for it. They havent won in a calendar year and this will be the best chance they will get. Bulldogs, well they have a history of beating us.
 

TruSaint

Referee
Messages
20,093
Titans will be up for it. They havent won in a calendar year and this will be the best chance they will get. Bulldogs, well they have a history of beating us.

On this, time for the Gold Coast experiment to end.
From Crushers, Seagulls, Chargers, Titans, its been a failure.
Isnt there somewhere else in QLD they could play out of that is more football centric?
Great place to visit, love it, but it aint working.
 

TruSaint

Referee
Messages
20,093
The Drums are beating Louder


Hooper: $800k Mary fails to take COVID paycut — while his Dragons play like ‘strangers’

DRAGONS

james_hooper.jpg

b830a54c11740d24abdf8251b17c9e65

Dragons coach Paul McGregor is under pressure.Source: Getty Images
Under-siege Dragons coach Paul McGregor has been on full pay of his $800,000-a-season salary for the entire COVID-19 shutdown as the blame game at St George Illawarra turns uglier by the hour.

While the likes of rival NRL coaches Dean Pay and John Morris were stood down without pay and Roosters three-time premiership-winner Trent Robinson took a 40 per cent cut, McGregor has remained on his full wicket.

The development is guaranteed to send the Red V army into a frenzy as they demand McGregor is moved on and rumblings grow louder about the playing group no longer entirely listening to their coach.

You can always count on the Red V army for some fiery debate. Thanks for all your opinions and banter. Catch you all on NRL360 tonight with Kenty and Ben. Fox 502, all the latest news and opinions on the Dragons coaching conundrum.

It may also explain why some of the Dragons playing roster – to use McGregor’s words – looked like “strangers” in the loss to the New Zealand Warriors.

Halfback Ben Hunt has been predictably roasted but there is a view it’s actually his halves partner Corey Norman who has failed to deliver and is the player most likely to be dropped when the team is announced on Tuesday.

Adam Clune, 25, is the Dragons halfback understudy who had a strong summer and is being widely touted as the playmaker who will come in to try and fix the Dragons pedestrian attack.


775108_640x360_large_20200530173126.jpg

Dragons press conference

There are other senior players who are guaranteed to be in the firing line with the Dragons roster offering depth in the form of Isaac Luke, Billy Brittain, Trent Merrin, Jackson Ford and Jacob Host.

There are also serious internal questions being asked after Dragons captain Cameron McInnes delivered a heartfelt speech to the Warriors thanking the players for the sacrifices they have made to get the NRL competition back up and running.

It was a noble gesture after such a poor performance from the Red V.

Yet after McGregor spoke to the Dragons playing group following Saturday’s loss – no Dragons players offered anything else in the dressing room.

It was noted by other staff how no senior players had anything to say after such a putrid performance.


775104_640x360_large_20200530161559.jpg

Ben Hunt 'missing the mark'

It’s hard to see a similar scenario at the Sydney Roosters, Canberra Raiders or Melbourne Storm.

This is McGregor’s sixth full season at the helm of the Dragons – where the coach has taken the Red V to two finals series.

After finishing 15th last season the club brought Phil Gould in to conduct a review which resulted in more changes being made around McGregor.

Assistant coach Ben Hornby is now at South Sydney while ex-Sharks coach Shane Flanagan has been brought in to coach the Dragons defence.

James Shepherd was also brought in as a new assistant coach and has been helping McGregor with the club’s attack.

If the Dragons do opt to move on McGregor then who do they get to replace him?

4a2b8d123cc580be2cf6f86f121aa8e1

Mary accused the Dragons of playing like 'strangers’.Source: Getty Images
The cost-effective option would be to elevate Dean Young to a caretaker coaching role and see if he can get more out of one of the NRL’s strongest rosters.

Wayne Bennett is also being continually linked with a return to the club and does have a strong bond with board members Peter Doust and Craig Young.

Roosters assistant coach Craig Fitzgibbon also has enormous raps on him and history at the club having played in the 1999 grand final for St George Illawarra.

Fitzgibbon’s father, Allan Fitzgibbon, was also the inaugural coach of the Illawarra Steelers.

But back-to-back premiers the Roosters would be extremely reluctant to lose Fitzgibbon.

In relation to McGregor’s pay out if the Dragons were to sack him, the club would have been up for the full $1.6 million if they’d sacked him last year.

But with half of this year’s pay cycle already passed that figure is believed to drop significantly.

The Dragons also only have to pay McGregor half of his salary for next year IF they opt to terminate his contract.

The development about the Dragons “B” team beating their best 13 in a lead-up trial will also have alarm bells blaring.

URL LINK ADDED BY MODERATOR: https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...s/news-story/b64a79a62f31aaf1c9bb18dfff561ae5

Brilliant, Mary's salary has gone up 50,000 in 2 hours according this article..
o_Oo_Oo_O
 

Lethal25

Juniors
Messages
1,489
Does anyone know of another coach who apparently has no say in recruitment?

McGregor has openly said people have been brought in to help him, yet he's willing to supposedly cop an $800k salary. None of this adds up. I can't get my head around the whole situation.

Sorry to all the "true supporters" but giving money to this mob is foolhardy.
 

TruSaint

Referee
Messages
20,093
Does anyone know of another coach who apparently has no say in recruitment?

McGregor has openly said people have been brought in to help him, yet he's willing to supposedly cop an $800k salary. None of this adds up. I can't get my head around the whole situation.

Sorry to all the "true supporters" but giving money to this mob is foolhardy.

Others can correct me, but if I recall Millward was given the recruitment role however Mary did have a say in the process / target players.

Millward may have been in charge of the finer details on the deal, initial negotiations, seeking out interest, money, contract length, etc, but Mary did say in 2018 he had the squad " he wanted".

This was all done by the way to alleviate the responsibility from Mary so he can focus on coaching. How did that work out?
 

hazzbeen

Bench
Messages
4,617
Others can correct me, but if I recall Millward was given the recruitment role however Mary did have a say in the process / target players.

Millward may have been in charge of the finer details on the deal, initial negotiations, seeking out interest, money, contract length, etc, but Mary did say in 2018 he had the squad " he wanted".

This was all done by the way to alleviate the responsibility from Mary so he can focus on coaching. How did that work out?
He has had help right through his coaching with St George Illawarra people groups coaching staff and now Flanno ..... The guy can't coach simple .....
 

TruSaint

Referee
Messages
20,093
He has had help right through his coaching with St George Illawarra people groups coaching staff and now Flanno ..... The guy can't coach simple .....

Yeah bro,... thats the bottom line isnt it.
I hate to sound like a broke record, but I blame the board. No performance clause, a premature extension of the contract, and 5 years of results. Mary is blessed to have such a philanthropic board.
 

Brutalitops

Juniors
Messages
2,333
Removing Mary will be a step in the right direction, but honestly he is merely a symptom of a broken board.

He's like our Trump.
 
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