Coaching preference for 2024

[The Silverdale Phantom]

If we’re to believe that they met up with Hasler 6 weeks ago, why no follow up? Did he get cold feet or was he asking for too much control? Why aren’t we hearing anything re Hasler?

It’s all speculation at this stage, however he would be my first choice, followed by Flannigan and if the poll is anything to go by 70% of us agree that we should be chasing a Premiership winning coach.

Nothing against Ryles and he may turn out to be a good coach but we can’t afford to take that risk in my opinion.

Well it was in the press, that said, I haven’t heard too much more about it. I agree it’s a bit curious.

Des has won 56.3% of his games as a coach and two premierships.

So he’s on the plus side of the ledger.

I think you will be building the club in the next few years and he’s done that before.

For those less than impressed with the club, you’d want a coach to stand up.

Rylesy might be cannon fodder.

 

[BLM01]

Warriors selected a rookie coach in Andrew Webster & they're playing pretty well...

Thus far but have come off a bit. Lets talk about Webster this time next year
Whatever coach we have has to be able firstly garnish respect, man manage 2nd then be able to actually coach game plans etc
Ryles has not even cut his teeth on coaching anybody on his own yet
Yes there was Fitzy but has strong support assistants and wealthy club now spending the $$$ under a sombrero
We have none of the above yet

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

Browny is the right man for this role.He is one of the best if not the best at identifying talent

Mm, strong possie. Fair enough.

 

[Phantom V]

The club has had every opportunity to sign Hasler or Flanagan if they wanted to. They haven't, so, sorry Possm, I think that ship has sailed. Barring an absolute bolt from left field I think Ryles is signed as the next coach, for good or bad. Assuming Ryles gets the job, and that the contract has a few performance based requirements, then I am prepared to give him my full support.
Mind you, I said something similar when Hook was appointed, but he didn't fulfil his end of the deal so........ my support vanished.

I agree, for better or worse, I can’t see either Hasler or Flannigan being our next coach. Maybe our board has been spooked by appointing someone like Hook who was set in his ways and not up to speed with how to handle younger players.

It’s been said before, but if they were to go with Ryles he needs the best available ACs and support staff along with realistic KPIs over a period of at least 3 years.

 

[justadragon]

Ryles will only work if we have Richo and Brownie here, anyone else and he will be steamrolled. The only way I'm looking at this is every HC was a rookie once, but the ones that really thrive are the ones with good support staff and the attraction of talent both internally and externally which keeps the club successful. When we talk about stubbornness, well we had that with Hook, so one must assume he was stubborn with the board as well. We need the right people in the right areas with each department supporting the other, not being counter productive and having one goal as a focus. I will support whoever for as long as it takes whilst I'm seeing changes for the better at this mighty club. But if we are where we are now after a couple of years with no light at the end of the tunnel. I dont think I can go through another 2-3 years of misery again.

 

[Mojo]

Let’s give Carr 5 or 6 weeks, love that guys passion

100% agreement. My antennae are telling me Carr is a great coach. We've got time to give him a good trial period.
Focus on fixing all of the background stuff that supports and develops the players and the coaching systems instead. Who cares about all of these aspirants and their manager's shenanigans.
(BTW: Saints already know Flannigan intimately - they've done plenty of DD on him)

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

100% agreement. My antennae are telling me Carr is a great coach. We've got time to give him a good trial period.
Focus on fixing all of the background stuff that supports and develops the players and the coaching systems instead. Who cares about all of these aspirants and their manager's shenanigans.
(BTW: Saints already know Flannigan intimately - they've done plenty of DD on him)

Yep, I think Carr has taken some pressure off for the immediate moment. I salute him.

Twas said earlier and a good point, the problem with giving him say another 6 weeks plus is the player market never sleeps and you might miss some signings or interest. Players leave clubs or a falling out etc.

But there’s another sleeping problem with Ryles.

The roosters are not in a good spot and they would expect him to be attentive to the contemporary issues.

As admitted by Matthew Elliot, you can get easily distracted in your current role, if you are setting up shop elsewhere the next year.

They’d have to come to some arrangement with him financially for the balance of the year, because he’s got one eye on sgi.

They may not stand in his way, but would not overjoyed by his interest elsewhere.

Everyone can’t be working as hard as possible if Ryles is being given the keys to someone else's car.

 

[justadragon]

Yep, I think Carr has taken some pressure off for the immediate moment. I salute him.

Twas said earlier and a good point, the problem with giving him say another 6 weeks plus is the player market never sleeps and you might miss some signings or interest. Players leave clubs or a falling out etc.

But there’s another sleeping problem with Ryles.

The roosters are not in a good spot and they would expect him to be attentive to the contemporary issues.

As admitted by Matthew Elliot, you can get easily distracted in your current role, if you are setting up shop elsewhere the next year.

They’d have to come to some arrangement with him financially for the balance of the year, because he’s got one eye on sgi.

Yep totally agree on having a coach organised sooner rather than later because we will struggle with the player market if we havent identified someone in the next few weeks at the very latest. Just as a side note Gus Gould made mention on 100% Footy that he believes Ryles is not going to the Dragons, didnt say why, but hey its Gus Gould !!!

 

[Dragon David]

Ryles will only work if we have Richo and Brownie here, anyone else and he will be steamrolled. The only way I'm looking at this is every HC was a rookie once, but the ones that really thrive are the ones with good support staff and the attraction of talent both internally and externally which keeps the club successful. When we talk about stubbornness, well we had that with Hook, so one must assume he was stubborn with the board as well. We need the right people in the right areas with each department supporting the other, not being counter productive and having one goal as a focus. I will support whoever for as long as it takes whilst I'm seeing changes for the better at this mighty club. But if we are where we are now after a couple of years with no light at the end of the tunnel. I dont think I can go through another 2-3 years of misery again.

Agree with what you say justa.

I've managed to find this on the website. It is part of an article written jointly by Michael Carayannis and Brent Read of the Daily Telegraph about Rylesy and his leaning towards having Shane Mallard as one of his assistants:-

"St George Illawarra Dragons: Jason Ryles earmarks Shane Millard to join him as an assistant coach​

Dragons coach in waiting Jason Ryles is busily putting together his support staff. Just who has he earmarked to join him at the club next year?
Michael Carayannis and Brent Read

St George Illawarra coach in-waiting Jason Ryles is busily putting together his support staff with former teammate Shane Millard among those linked to a role at the Dragons.
Ryles has spent the past fortnight engaged in a series of conversations surrounding the role at the Dragons. Now he is in the midst of piecing his team together as St George Illawarra inch closer to appointing Ryles as their next coach.

Millard and Ryles played together at the Dragons and share a close bond. The former Roosters, Magpies and South Sydney hooker has spent the past two years working at the Bulldogs as the club’s head of pathways and academy coach.

Millard also coached Illawarra’s SG Ball team to a grand final loss to Penrith in 2016 in a side which featured Dragons centre Zac Lomax.
Since coaching the Steelers, Millard was head NSW Cup coach at North Sydney and South Sydney before joining the Tigers as Michael Maguire’s assistant coach.

Former Dragons coach Nathan Brown – who is working at Parramatta in pathways – has also been linked with a return to the club in some capacity as part of Ryles’ staff.
Current interim coach Ryan Carr and assistant Ben Woolf still have 12 months left on their contracts and are highly regarded by those at the Dragons.

St George Illawarra chairman Andrew Lancaster also met recently with former South Sydney supremo Shane Richardson about coming on board as the club’s head of football. The Dragons are yet to decide if they will pursue Richardson, who helped build premiership sides at Penrith and South Sydney.

Talks between Ryles’ management and St George Illawarra are expected to be ramp up in the coming days after the Dragons take on the Roosters on Friday night.
The two parties are locked in negotiations with the central sticking point the length of the deal and what it will cost to have Ryles join the club.

The Dragons are baulking at a straight-up five-year contract but they could agree to a long-term deal based on certain performance triggers and a capped payout should the situation sour quickly.

There is a recognition among senior figures at the club that the next coach needs to be given time and resources to turn them around given the current state of the organisation – they were in a share of last heading into the Roosters game and have won just one finals game in a decade.

The club will move into a new Centre of Excellence at the end of next year but there is also an acknowledgment that their football department needs to be strengthened to compete with the power clubs.

Money is not a concern. The Dragons have the financial muscle to compete with the elite, having turned their fortunes off the field in recent years. They also have the influence of WIN and billionaire owner Bruce Gordon at their disposal – the media baron is known to be desperate to see the club challenge for a title.

As such, Ryles will be given the power to bulk up his staff and bring his own people into the club as he looks to build a team capable of challenging for a premiership."

I don't recall Shane Mallard all that much even though Carayannis has given plenty of details about his association with Ryles and his background.

Look for further developments is what I say but to me could still be hearsay.

 

[Mojo]

Yep, I think Carr has taken some pressure off for the immediate moment. I salute him.

Twas said earlier and a good point, the problem with giving him say another 6 weeks plus is the player market never sleeps and you might miss some signings or interest. Players leave clubs or a falling out etc.

But there’s another sleeping problem with Ryles.

The roosters are not in a good spot and they would expect him to be attentive to the contemporary issues.

As admitted by Matthew Elliot, you can get easily distracted in your current role, if you are setting up shop elsewhere the next year.

They’d have to come to some arrangement with him financially for the balance of the year, because he’s got one eye on sgi.

They may not stand in his way, but would not overjoyed by his interest elsewhere.

Everyone can’t be working as hard as possible if Ryles is being given the keys to someone else's car.

Yes, all of that - but I'm not sweating on Ryles or anybody else because I actually think our squad is pretty talented. I think Hook's exit was the main step forward. If we start winning (yeah, I know, its a big IF) everything will change, including how players from elsewhere perceive us. I'm a glass half full and a 60 year supporter but, gees, Hook really had me down for the count.

 

[Victoire]

The impending Ryles appointment is giving me strong 2003 vibes

Dragons moving on from an old conservative-first coach who made some baffling selection decisions (Andrew Farrar-Anthony Griffin)
Promising crop of young juniors coming through
Young rookie coaches in vogue (Michael Hagan, Ricky Stuart - Fitzgibbon, Ciraldo, Webster)
Former stalwart who didn't win a premiership with us, is now a highly touted coach (Nathan Brown - Jason Ryles)

And just to sweeten the parallels, we signed up Brownie because Bellamy at Melbourne Storm wanted to get him as an assistant. We're landing Ryles now because Bellamy isn't retiring

 

[Mojo]

I reckon the club is playing their cards correctly on this. We're in a shit spot on the table due to the ex-coach (obviously, that's why he was sacked). Let's see how we go with Carr. If he nails it then we can focus on all the other shite.

There's no coaching messiah available.

If we get worse - then hit the panic button. But, even Ryles, Des, Shenanigans, whoever - even Bennett - would be a 'let's hope for the best' appointment.

We also don't need to sweat bullets over Ben Hunt. He's a great player for sure, but we can't mortgage our future to the guy.

Dream scenario I'd absolutely love to see would be for the team to really hit its straps, for Carr to win huge accolades, for Hunt to improve dramatically now his old mate(s) is / are off the scene, for a few positional changes to really hit paydirt, the young guys blossom with a bit more freedom given to them and for all the backroom BS to be silenced / rectified - and for Saints to be a major force once more - by the end of this season.

No way am I prepared to take my footy and go home.

 

[Slippery Morris]

If Ryles is engaged in calls to get his coaching set up in order as per Carryanis's article, doesn't that suggest it is a done deal? Why go through that effort if you were not interested or in the role?

Last I heard is the 5 year deal with clauses for payout if it goes sour has been agreed and will be similar to what Ciraldo has. Only sticking point I heard is Ryles wants assurance Richo or someone of his calibre are in the head of football role. I also heard Browny is a done deal which to me is a huge positive. He is the best at identifying good talent and building great rosters.

If the Chooks get rid of Ryles as I hear Politis want's him out because he has had chats with Saints then they cannot ask for any compensation from Saints? It does not make sense. If he was employed till the end of 2024 then they can ask for cash but if he is no longer employed by them how can they ask for cash? On what grounds? They sacked him?

Gould was very weird last night and adamant Ryles won't join Saints.

I think the experience with Hook has scared Saints off hiring an NRL coach that has been sacked or left a club in bad terms hence why Hasler and Flanno are not considered and I can understand that.

 

[st.phil]

I think the media (Riccio and Gus) doing a sound job at placing the pressure back on the club to "cave" and generate pressure to give Ryles the gig at whatever terms he wants and to further de-stablise the club. Ciraldo is also a Mimis client... no doubt some lines // agendas filtered through to Gould.

The Dragons, for all the fk ups, are a huge club w big money backing and a huge junior base. If we had our $hit together, Ciraldo would have been here not at the dogs, it was leaked that we were his target / preference for first head role. All this "don't know if he will go there" is likely nonsense ... zero guarantee on the storm gig + his fam are planted in the Gong. Roosters are over it and showing him the door, I feel as though Ryles hand has got significantly weaker.

 

[justadragon]

Agree with what you say justa.

I've managed to find this on the website. It is part of an article written jointly by Michael Carayannis and Brent Read of the Daily Telegraph about Rylesy and his leaning towards having Shane Mallard as one of his assistants:-

"St George Illawarra Dragons: Jason Ryles earmarks Shane Millard to join him as an assistant coach​

Dragons coach in waiting Jason Ryles is busily putting together his support staff. Just who has he earmarked to join him at the club next year?
Michael Carayannis and Brent Read

St George Illawarra coach in-waiting Jason Ryles is busily putting together his support staff with former teammate Shane Millard among those linked to a role at the Dragons.
Ryles has spent the past fortnight engaged in a series of conversations surrounding the role at the Dragons. Now he is in the midst of piecing his team together as St George Illawarra inch closer to appointing Ryles as their next coach.

Millard and Ryles played together at the Dragons and share a close bond. The former Roosters, Magpies and South Sydney hooker has spent the past two years working at the Bulldogs as the club’s head of pathways and academy coach.

Millard also coached Illawarra’s SG Ball team to a grand final loss to Penrith in 2016 in a side which featured Dragons centre Zac Lomax.
Since coaching the Steelers, Millard was head NSW Cup coach at North Sydney and South Sydney before joining the Tigers as Michael Maguire’s assistant coach.

Former Dragons coach Nathan Brown – who is working at Parramatta in pathways – has also been linked with a return to the club in some capacity as part of Ryles’ staff.
Current interim coach Ryan Carr and assistant Ben Woolf still have 12 months left on their contracts and are highly regarded by those at the Dragons.

St George Illawarra chairman Andrew Lancaster also met recently with former South Sydney supremo Shane Richardson about coming on board as the club’s head of football. The Dragons are yet to decide if they will pursue Richardson, who helped build premiership sides at Penrith and South Sydney.

Talks between Ryles’ management and St George Illawarra are expected to be ramp up in the coming days after the Dragons take on the Roosters on Friday night.
The two parties are locked in negotiations with the central sticking point the length of the deal and what it will cost to have Ryles join the club.

The Dragons are baulking at a straight-up five-year contract but they could agree to a long-term deal based on certain performance triggers and a capped payout should the situation sour quickly.

There is a recognition among senior figures at the club that the next coach needs to be given time and resources to turn them around given the current state of the organisation – they were in a share of last heading into the Roosters game and have won just one finals game in a decade.

The club will move into a new Centre of Excellence at the end of next year but there is also an acknowledgment that their football department needs to be strengthened to compete with the power clubs.

Money is not a concern. The Dragons have the financial muscle to compete with the elite, having turned their fortunes off the field in recent years. They also have the influence of WIN and billionaire owner Bruce Gordon at their disposal – the media baron is known to be desperate to see the club challenge for a title.

As such, Ryles will be given the power to bulk up his staff and bring his own people into the club as he looks to build a team capable of challenging for a premiership."

I don't recall Shane Mallard all that much even though Carayannis has given plenty of details about his association with Ryles and his background.

Look for further developments is what I say but to me could still be hearsay.

I dont know Dave, there are many rumors and deals and so forth who knows now, and maybe thats the place the Dragons wanted to be in without disclosing who the coach is going to be. But above all else

"They also have the influence of WIN and billionaire owner Bruce Gordon at their disposal – the media baron is known to be desperate to see the club challenge for a title"

You are joking surely, with the way the Gordons have funded and treated this club and yet calling us a power club to be able to fight with the elite, now I know for a fact that was a BS article.

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

Gus has usually been about Gus, he did the flaccid SGI Mary Review, left the panthers in a hurry ( disagreed with bringing Ivan back, which turned out to be the right thing to do) and warned Ciraldo off the Tigers publicly.

So he looks after what he sees as his interests.

Im not demonising him at all, he says some good and interesting things as well.

I think he fell out favour with Barrett who I understand was more than a bit upset at being dumped on the eve of all these signings.

The sgi review came up with an anti DNA finding, players not understanding the pride in the jersey. But the problems were many other things as well and Mary was really struggling.

You could argue Gus had a go, but the outcome didn’t fix anything. So it was a failure.

 

[Mojo]

Gus has usually been about Gus, he did the flaccid SGI Mary Review, left the panthers in a hurry ( disagreed with bringing Ivan back, which turned out to be the right thing to do) and warned Ciraldo off the Tigers publicly.

So he looks after what he sees as his interests.

Im not demonising him at all, he says some good and interesting things as well.

I think he fell out favour with Barrett who I understand was more than a bit upset at being dumped on the eve of all these signings.

The sgi review came up with an anti DNA finding, players not understanding the pride in the jersey. But the problems were many other things as well and Mary was really struggling.

You could argue Gus had a go, but the outcome didn’t fix anything. So it was a failure.

Who gives a rats about Gus? People defer to him as if he owns the game. He has nothing to do with Saints and if he uses his media profile to manipulate deals and strategies then it's a clear conflict of interest and he should step down from roles that are interrelated.

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

Who gives a rats about Gus? People defer to him as if he owns the game. He has nothing to do with Saints and if he uses his media profile to manipulate deals and strategies then it's a clear conflict of interest and he should step down from roles that are interrelated.

Someone mentioned it earlier in the context that Gus has said a couple of times now that Ryles “isn’t coming.” Which is the polar opposite of others such as caryannis have said.

Gus got himself involved in the SGI Mary review and said Mary wasn’t the problem. Mary was later sacked.

Which reminds me that Flanagan had a role that year with young Dean which didn’t amount to much. I’m thinking the management didn’t like what they saw.

I think Gus doesn’t worry about conflict of interest and perceptions up to a point.

He was going off about some jibe at him earlier this year, I forget the issues.

He shouldn’t have taken up Marys offer to do the review because it protected Mary when it seemed at the time that Mary was a big part of the problem.

And don’t forget Mary got Matty Elliot’s buddies in on the show with their mumbo jumbo voodoo crap. And that corporate business whacko who had been sacked by the afl.

I’ve met these business coaches, a lot of them suck. Learning about the growth of IBM is not going to help you make a tackle.

 

[Maddragon99]

100% agreement. My antennae are telling me Carr is a great coach. We've got time to give him a good trial period.
Focus on fixing all of the background stuff that supports and develops the players and the coaching systems instead. Who cares about all of these aspirants and their manager's shenanigans.
(BTW: Saints already know Flannigan intimately - they've done plenty of DD on him)

Ryles obviously has the front running but if he passes I think we should dab the break & let things develop. If Carr can string a few wins together not only will his stock rise but we’ll look a better proposition to other candidates.

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

Ryles obviously has the front running but if he passes I think we should dab the break & let things develop. If Carr can string a few wins together not only will his stock rise but we’ll look a better proposition to other candidates.

Yeah, but it’s the player market that’s the worry I guess. Unless you give him command of that project too.

I guess he’d have some idea.

Its a connected world.