Gould reviewing Dragons.

[Wittenberg]

Agree on that.

They do think it will fool people......and it will. The media, other supporters etc will be fooled, but the people who matter, STGI fans, no we won’t be fooled, but apparently we don’t matter.

 

[Wittenberg]

I would like to see anyone try to justify Mary keeping his job. Really, 15th, beating the 16th team twice and the Bulldogs twice when they were getting lapped by teams week in and week out? So 4 of our 7 wins were against cellar dwellers like us, oh and our ‘D’ was great in the bye. The worst result ever for the joint venture and the second poorest F/A in the competition AND Saints’ worst result since 1945! No obviously the review he has asked his mate to do will look at these stats and will come out with the finding that Mary, “is not in danger”. We have been told the result already. It’s all the junior coaches’ fault....oh and JDB. Mary had nothing to do with it. I had some respect for Gould but not now listening to his wise words on Mary. A shame & a disgrace

 

[Old Timer]

DS,
You forgot one very important question ........................

Q - Is there any conceviable chance of McIdiot ever implementing a Plan B?

He just did Gus Gould.

 

[ChocOConnor]

Very simple question one should put to the board or Gus with his review.

16 teams in this Comp.

Would any team take the chance to replace their current coach with McGregor. That’s as simple as it can be. Not even the dogs would take him and the coast have no coach anyway

 

[getsmarty]

McGregor explains thought process behind review
Paul McGregor sheds some light on the club's decision to conduct an external review of their 2019 season and also why they selected Phil Gould to lead it

https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2019/09/08/mcgregor-explains-thought-process-behind-review/

 

[getsmarty]

Gareth gave us confidence and belief: McGregor
Author
Tony Webeck NRL.com reporter
Timestamp
Sun 8 Sep 2019, 12:14 AM

He creates tryscoring opportunities, kicks goals and leads his team yet it is a sense of confidence that St George Illawarra will need to find in the wake of Gareth Widdop’s departure to the UK Super League.

In his 195th NRL appearance and 125th for the Dragons, Widdop guided his team to their eighth win of the season on Saturday night, a 24-16 defeat of 2019 wooden spooners, the Titans.

With the Dragons clinging to a 12-10 lead midway through the second half, it was the skills of Widdop, halves partner Ben Hunt and fullback Corey Norman that separated the two teams at the end of 80 minutes.

A dislocated shoulder suffered in round three against the Broncos meant that Widdop played just 10 games in his final NRL season, one of a number of factors that conspired to bring the Dragons’ 2019 campaign undone.

Labelling the Englishman the most talented player he has ever coached, coach Paul McGregor said that for 16 weeks what his side missed most was the sense of confidence a player of Widdop’s stature has on the entire group.

"Confidence. He gives the team confidence,” McGregor said.

“He gives the team belief. He makes other people around him better. He makes people feel comfortable and that's pretty important in rugby league.



Match Highlights: Titans v Dragons

"He's a guy that come to us in 2014, Steve Price was the coach, and from the day he arrived you could see the natural talent that he had.

"He was that gifted and he could see things that others couldn't, even on the training field. And as soon as he took the park he just become the best player.

"He's been our most consistent player without a doubt the last six years.

"He's the most gifted player I've coached in my journey. He's got a left and right-foot kick, he kicks goals, he plays an important position, he leads the team around, he's the captain.

"The legacy he's going to leave behind will be a good one for people to follow. I feel that he goes about training very well, he's one of those guys that doesn't talk too much but becomes competitive as soon as he crosses the stripe.”

In converting the first of Ben Hunt’s two tries in the 66th minute Widdop became the first Englishman to score 1000 points in the NRL, eventually finishing with 1003 points made up of 43 tries, 412 goals and seven field goals.



McGregor explains thought process behind review

“Obviously you don’t set out to achieve those sort of goals but when they come around I'm certainly very proud to have that achievement." Widdop said.

“That’s another little thing that I can hold when I finish my career and look back on what I’ve achieved.

“It’s been a bit of a roller-coaster. Being able to skipper this club has been a huge honour. It is a famous jersey and to be able to do that for the last couple of years has helped me as a person on and off the field."

Admitting that he and the group got distracted by the players they didn’t have available in Widdop and Jack de Belin rather than focusing on who was, McGregor believes a thorough review is required in the wake of the joint venture’s lowest ever finish.

"I just feel that we need a full review and we need an external review. That wasn't only my thought, that was the club's thought,” McGregor explained.

"Whether it's Phil Gould or anyone, it needs to be someone. When you look at someone like 'Gus', he's a very educated person that's got a bigger knowledge than most in the game.



Pearson weaves through the Titans

"When teams don't finish in the top eight and they finish in the bottom eight, your review's a lot deeper.

"Last year we obviously still had a review but it was done internally.

“We all thought that this one needs to be done externally and looked at thoroughly and that's what will happen.”


https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2019/09/08/gareth-gave-us-confidence-and-belief-mcgregor/


P.S So is this next Year's excuse ?....LOL

 

[getsmarty]

Paul McGregor and Phil Gould open up on impending Dragons’ season review
Dragons

• September 8, 2019 8:59am
• John Dean@johndean_
• Source: FOX SPORTS

Paul McGregor asked Phil Gould to conduct a review of the Dragons' poor season.Source: FOX SPORTS
St George Illawarra coach Paul McGregor says it wasn’t only his idea to hold an external review of the Dragons’ horror season, with club powerbrokers also keen on the concept.

Rugby league supremo Phil Gould has been called in to sort through the mess which, despite their 24-16 win over Gold Coast on Saturday, resulted in the Dragons’ finishing 15th on the ladder — their lowest ranking as a joint venture.

Dragons press conference


The review will encompass the Dragons’ football department with pressure on assistant coaches Ben Hornby and Dean Young to keep their jobs.

McGregor was also reportedly facing the axe, but Gould has stated the review has nothing to do with the head coach’s future and that was also backed up by his manager David Riolo.

‘‘I’ve talked to [Dragons chief executive] Brian Johnston and he says that nothing has changed from their point of view since Mary signed his contract,’’ Riolo told the Sun Herald.

‘‘Obviously there is more heat on a coach when you finish 15th.’’

McGregor took over at the Dragons following the sacking of Steve Price in 2014 and currently has a win rate of 47 per cent.


He said Gould isn’t the only person he’s turned to as a sounding board throughout his 137- game NRL coaching career.

Dragons see off Titans



“I’ve got people who I look to for advice — mentors — and there’s three of them,” McGregor said after his side’s win over the Titans.

“I just feel that we needed a full review and we needed an external review. That wasn’t only my thought, it was the club’s thought.

“When teams don’t finish in the top eight and you finish in the bottom eight, your review’s a lot deeper. Last year we had a review but it was done internally.

“We all thought this one needs to be done externally, and look thoroughly through it, and that’s what will happen.

“Whether it’s Gus or anyone, it needs to be someone. When you look at someone like Gus, he’s just a very educated person who’s got a bigger amount of knowledge than most in the game.”

Leilua magic cuts up Titans

0:43
Speaking on Macquarie Sports Radio on Saturday, Gould opened up some of the discussion he’s had with both McGregor and Johnston.

“Over the last couple of weeks, Paul McGregor, we’ve had a couple of conversations and he indicated that after their last game against the Titans, there would be an end of year review,” Gould said.

“Every club goes through a season review, it’s not unusual and it is part of your forward planning for the next 12 months … as the CEO Brian Johnston indicated, the review takes on more significance when you’ve had a disappointing year.

“Usually an internal review. Two or three years ago they had quite an extensive external review from an independent body and came up with a number of recommendations. I’ve read that report and it’s quite extensive and it’s quite academic as well. I would sort of disagree that not a lot has been implemented since that time. They’re doing a lot of things that were in the report, whether or not it’s been formalised or recorded for reporting purposes I don’t know but those things will come out of this review.

“It was mainly Paul McGregor saying that we just want an independent set of eyes and ears over the situation. They had a specific role I might play. I went and had a meeting with Brian Johnston this week about whether or not they needed this review, and whether or not I was the right man to conduct it as well.”

Gould said the Dragons players would have a couple of days off following Saturday night’s game before they return for exit interviews and physical testing where they’re told what to expect in the pre-season.

Gould will be taking the opportunity to talk to the Dragons’ staff and several of the senior players about the season with a view to helping the club ahead of 2020.

“I won’t be discussing with anyone about what I find in the review. That will be for whoever I have to report to at the Dragons,” Gould said.

“I may just end up reporting to Paul, I may just talk to Brian Johnston or both. There’s been no indication that I have to present to the board.

“This is not a paid exercise, this is simply a favour to a bloke I used to coach in Origin in Paul McGregor.

“There’s no worse place to be in an NRL club when you are struggling when you can’t see the forest from the trees and you feel like the world is closing in on you. I know what the Dragons are going through”.

Gould said people were focusing too much on the negatives and that he wanted to help the club build on the positives.

McGregor signed a new two-year deal earlier this season and Gould didn’t believe the coach’s days were numbered.

“The review has got nothing to do with Paul’s future as it has been described to me,” Gould said.

“There has certainly been no indication in any conversation I’ve had with anyone at the Dragons that Paul McGregor’s position is in doubt or in jeopardy.

“I think the whole review is about future planning and making sure the club can do everything they can to provide the right resources around Paul, his coaching staff and his players, to help them achieve their best.”

So what’s there to be excited about for 2020?

“Just to learn from didn’t work this year and grow and as a group of men understand that we’ve got to be accountable for the season we had,” McGregor said.

“In life you get obstacles in your way and you’ve got to make sure that you work through them. This year’s just been one after the other.

“We look forward to guys having a break. We’ve got some very good players in this team. We just need to make sure when we attack it, we come back as rookies and start all over again.

“I’m the harshest critic of myself. I don’t need anyone else throwing it at me. I need to look at ways I need to fix.”


https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...w/news-story/a0eaf3377266da9f9a933fdd5811d340

 

[Gareth67]

Gareth gave us confidence and belief: McGregor
Author
Tony Webeck NRL.com reporter
Timestamp
Sun 8 Sep 2019, 12:14 AM

He creates tryscoring opportunities, kicks goals and leads his team yet it is a sense of confidence that St George Illawarra will need to find in the wake of Gareth Widdop’s departure to the UK Super League.

In his 195th NRL appearance and 125th for the Dragons, Widdop guided his team to their eighth win of the season on Saturday night, a 24-16 defeat of 2019 wooden spooners, the Titans.

With the Dragons clinging to a 12-10 lead midway through the second half, it was the skills of Widdop, halves partner Ben Hunt and fullback Corey Norman that separated the two teams at the end of 80 minutes.

A dislocated shoulder suffered in round three against the Broncos meant that Widdop played just 10 games in his final NRL season, one of a number of factors that conspired to bring the Dragons’ 2019 campaign undone.

Labelling the Englishman the most talented player he has ever coached, coach Paul McGregor said that for 16 weeks what his side missed most was the sense of confidence a player of Widdop’s stature has on the entire group.

"Confidence. He gives the team confidence,” McGregor said.

“He gives the team belief. He makes other people around him better. He makes people feel comfortable and that's pretty important in rugby league.



Match Highlights: Titans v Dragons

"He's a guy that come to us in 2014, Steve Price was the coach, and from the day he arrived you could see the natural talent that he had.

"He was that gifted and he could see things that others couldn't, even on the training field. And as soon as he took the park he just become the best player.

"He's been our most consistent player without a doubt the last six years.

"He's the most gifted player I've coached in my journey. He's got a left and right-foot kick, he kicks goals, he plays an important position, he leads the team around, he's the captain.

"The legacy he's going to leave behind will be a good one for people to follow. I feel that he goes about training very well, he's one of those guys that doesn't talk too much but becomes competitive as soon as he crosses the stripe.”

In converting the first of Ben Hunt’s two tries in the 66th minute Widdop became the first Englishman to score 1000 points in the NRL, eventually finishing with 1003 points made up of 43 tries, 412 goals and seven field goals.



McGregor explains thought process behind review

“Obviously you don’t set out to achieve those sort of goals but when they come around I'm certainly very proud to have that achievement." Widdop said.

“That’s another little thing that I can hold when I finish my career and look back on what I’ve achieved.

“It’s been a bit of a roller-coaster. Being able to skipper this club has been a huge honour. It is a famous jersey and to be able to do that for the last couple of years has helped me as a person on and off the field."

Admitting that he and the group got distracted by the players they didn’t have available in Widdop and Jack de Belin rather than focusing on who was, McGregor believes a thorough review is required in the wake of the joint venture’s lowest ever finish.

"I just feel that we need a full review and we need an external review. That wasn't only my thought, that was the club's thought,” McGregor explained.

"Whether it's Phil Gould or anyone, it needs to be someone. When you look at someone like 'Gus', he's a very educated person that's got a bigger knowledge than most in the game.



Pearson weaves through the Titans

"When teams don't finish in the top eight and they finish in the bottom eight, your review's a lot deeper.

"Last year we obviously still had a review but it was done internally.

“We all thought that this one needs to be done externally and looked at thoroughly and that's what will happen.”


https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2019/09/08/gareth-gave-us-confidence-and-belief-mcgregor/


P.S So is this next Year's excuse ?....LOL

Yep , it would appear that he is leaving nothing to chance to ensure that he sees out the completion of his current contract , so that would be a great start for him .

Not that he needs any such excuse any longer , especially after the Dragons resounding win over the last placed Titans that has them completely out of semifinal calculations as well as the premiership - lol . Well done McGregor , your one of a kind !

 

[getsmarty]

Yep , it would appear that he is leaving nothing to chance to ensure that he sees out the completion of his current contract , so that would be a great start for him .

Not that he needs any such excuse any longer , especially after the Dragons resounding win over the last placed Titans that has them completely out of semifinal calculations as well as the premiership - lol . Well done McGregor , your one of a kind !

Here's my Review...

Yep...7 wins....2 against the titans ( wooden Spooners ) 2 against Dogs...who were near the bottom at the time...2 Golden point wins....and a 2 point win over Manly....

Fantastic...well done board....just when you think the Bar can't be set any lower, they surprise you all over again.


OUTCOME....there's the door coach...your services are no longer required.

 

[Dennis Papaioannou]

Paul McGregor and Phil Gould open up on impending Dragons’ season review
Dragons

• September 8, 2019 8:59am
• John Dean@johndean_
• Source: FOX SPORTS

Paul McGregor asked Phil Gould to conduct a review of the Dragons' poor season.Source: FOX SPORTS
St George Illawarra coach Paul McGregor says it wasn’t only his idea to hold an external review of the Dragons’ horror season, with club powerbrokers also keen on the concept.

Rugby league supremo Phil Gould has been called in to sort through the mess which, despite their 24-16 win over Gold Coast on Saturday, resulted in the Dragons’ finishing 15th on the ladder — their lowest ranking as a joint venture.

Dragons press conference


The review will encompass the Dragons’ football department with pressure on assistant coaches Ben Hornby and Dean Young to keep their jobs.

McGregor was also reportedly facing the axe, but Gould has stated the review has nothing to do with the head coach’s future and that was also backed up by his manager David Riolo.

‘‘I’ve talked to [Dragons chief executive] Brian Johnston and he says that nothing has changed from their point of view since Mary signed his contract,’’ Riolo told the Sun Herald.

‘‘Obviously there is more heat on a coach when you finish 15th.’’

McGregor took over at the Dragons following the sacking of Steve Price in 2014 and currently has a win rate of 47 per cent.


He said Gould isn’t the only person he’s turned to as a sounding board throughout his 137- game NRL coaching career.

Dragons see off Titans



“I’ve got people who I look to for advice — mentors — and there’s three of them,” McGregor said after his side’s win over the Titans.

“I just feel that we needed a full review and we needed an external review. That wasn’t only my thought, it was the club’s thought.

“When teams don’t finish in the top eight and you finish in the bottom eight, your review’s a lot deeper. Last year we had a review but it was done internally.

“We all thought this one needs to be done externally, and look thoroughly through it, and that’s what will happen.

“Whether it’s Gus or anyone, it needs to be someone. When you look at someone like Gus, he’s just a very educated person who’s got a bigger amount of knowledge than most in the game.”

Leilua magic cuts up Titans

0:43
Speaking on Macquarie Sports Radio on Saturday, Gould opened up some of the discussion he’s had with both McGregor and Johnston.

“Over the last couple of weeks, Paul McGregor, we’ve had a couple of conversations and he indicated that after their last game against the Titans, there would be an end of year review,” Gould said.

“Every club goes through a season review, it’s not unusual and it is part of your forward planning for the next 12 months … as the CEO Brian Johnston indicated, the review takes on more significance when you’ve had a disappointing year.

“Usually an internal review. Two or three years ago they had quite an extensive external review from an independent body and came up with a number of recommendations. I’ve read that report and it’s quite extensive and it’s quite academic as well. I would sort of disagree that not a lot has been implemented since that time. They’re doing a lot of things that were in the report, whether or not it’s been formalised or recorded for reporting purposes I don’t know but those things will come out of this review.

“It was mainly Paul McGregor saying that we just want an independent set of eyes and ears over the situation. They had a specific role I might play. I went and had a meeting with Brian Johnston this week about whether or not they needed this review, and whether or not I was the right man to conduct it as well.”

Gould said the Dragons players would have a couple of days off following Saturday night’s game before they return for exit interviews and physical testing where they’re told what to expect in the pre-season.

Gould will be taking the opportunity to talk to the Dragons’ staff and several of the senior players about the season with a view to helping the club ahead of 2020.

“I won’t be discussing with anyone about what I find in the review. That will be for whoever I have to report to at the Dragons,” Gould said.

“I may just end up reporting to Paul, I may just talk to Brian Johnston or both. There’s been no indication that I have to present to the board.

“This is not a paid exercise, this is simply a favour to a bloke I used to coach in Origin in Paul McGregor.

“There’s no worse place to be in an NRL club when you are struggling when you can’t see the forest from the trees and you feel like the world is closing in on you. I know what the Dragons are going through”.

Gould said people were focusing too much on the negatives and that he wanted to help the club build on the positives.

McGregor signed a new two-year deal earlier this season and Gould didn’t believe the coach’s days were numbered.

“The review has got nothing to do with Paul’s future as it has been described to me,” Gould said.

“There has certainly been no indication in any conversation I’ve had with anyone at the Dragons that Paul McGregor’s position is in doubt or in jeopardy.

“I think the whole review is about future planning and making sure the club can do everything they can to provide the right resources around Paul, his coaching staff and his players, to help them achieve their best.”

So what’s there to be excited about for 2020?

“Just to learn from didn’t work this year and grow and as a group of men understand that we’ve got to be accountable for the season we had,” McGregor said.

“In life you get obstacles in your way and you’ve got to make sure that you work through them. This year’s just been one after the other.

“We look forward to guys having a break. We’ve got some very good players in this team. We just need to make sure when we attack it, we come back as rookies and start all over again.

“I’m the harshest critic of myself. I don’t need anyone else throwing it at me. I need to look at ways I need to fix.”


https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...w/news-story/a0eaf3377266da9f9a933fdd5811d340

There should only be 3 questions asked during this review Gus.
1. What criteria were used to hire McGregor in the first place?
No apprenticeship under any high profile coach.
No results to speak of coaching reserve grade for 2 years.
Not qualified by any measure, to coach FG.
2. Why was McGregor extended so prematurely in 2019?
Results are stark and unambiguous. The McGregor experiment hasn't worked.
win ratio of 47% does not tell the full story of late season fades, misuse of the bench, team selections and so on.
3. Who is the best candidate to coach this great club going forward?
The club and the fans desperately need a change of coaching philosophy.

Anything else is details.
Get it done Gus!

 

[getsmarty]

There should only be 3 questions asked during this review Gus.
1. What criteria were used to hire McGregor in the first place?
No apprenticeship under any high profile coach.
No results to speak of coaching reserve grade for 2 years.
Not qualified by any measure, to coach FG.
2. Why was McGregor extended so prematurely in 2019?
Results are stark and unambiguous. The McGregor experiment hasn't worked.
win ratio of 47% does not tell the full story of late season fades, misuse of the bench, team selections and so on.
3. Who is the best candidate to coach this great club going forward?
The club and the fans desperately need a change of coaching philosophy.

Anything else is details.
Get it done Gus!

You forgot...Why was he extended in 2016 as well....

 

[tumbidragon]

''It's a favour for an old mate'' HAHA! So the clubs happy to throw money away greasing Gus's palms in the hopes of deflecting criticism away from their decision to extend Paul, confirming what most of us thought they were doing... Grubs on all fronts!
What a disgusting club we've become...

 

[HenryTatana]

“I just feel that we needed a full review and we needed an external review. That wasn’t only my thought, it was the club’s thought.

Who the f**k is running the club?

Who the f**k is McI’minnocent to suggest a full review? Mate, you’ve blamed everyone throughout the year except the coach. If you don’t know who the coach is let me remind you it’s you.

Go and look yourself in the mirror and ask yourself, “Am I a coach or a painter?”

 

[Blood Shot Eyes]

I’ve spent a few hours thinking about all of this.
I am really struggling to think what actually needs to be reviewed
Isn’t it all there for everyone to see and the action required self evident?
No review necessary whatsoever

Yep OT agree 100%.....as I said when the news broke its all bullshit...they know they are keeping The Imposter in his job....its just a smoke screen to let all those that want him sacked to say look we have brought the guru in to adjust and tweak a few things ......therefore we wont be making any changes at this stage to the head coaching position.....however Mr McGregor has been put on notice that we expect a much improved season in 2020

 

[hazzbeen]

“I just feel that we needed a full review and we needed an external review. That wasn’t only my thought, it was the club’s thought.

Who the f**k is running the club?

Who the f**k is McI’minnocent to suggest a full review? Mate, you’ve blamed everyone throughout the year except the coach. If you don’t know who the coach is let me remind you it’s you.

Go and look yourself in the mirror and ask yourself, “Am I a coach or a painter?”

Mate he must have shares in the place or like I said before he is or someone is Ro*ting him ....

 

[Carlton]

McGregor highlights the fact that Gould has been his mentor. This raises a couple of questions for me:

1. Why was McGregor going to the head of football at the Panthers for advice while coaching for SGI? I understand that he will talk to a lot of people from rival clubs and have friends among them but Mentor is a whole different issue. This implies he was seeking and following Goulds direction.

2. If Gould has been mentoring McGregor, why is he involved in the review? Surely, this should exclude him as he has been intimately a part of McGregors coaching. This is even worse than a friend doing the review.

 

[Dennis Papaioannou]

You forgot...Why was he extended in 2016 as well....

I didn't actually but my posts tend to be a little long winded so I am trying to be more concise.

 

[getsmarty]

I didn't actually but my posts tend to be a little long winded so I am trying to be more concise.

I believe he never should have been extended in 2016..let alone taken over from Price....if only as a caretaker for the rest of 2014 until we signed a decent coach. The fact that he has been extended twice, is beyond farcical....

 

[Dennis Papaioannou]

I believe he never should have been extended in 2016..let alone taken over from Price....if only as a caretaker for the rest of 2014 until we signed a decent coach. The fact that he has been extended twice, is beyond farcical....

The first extension was hard to believe. especially the timing.
That decision was further shown up by the results of 2016 which I thought were every bit as bad as 2019.
Especially in light of the 2019 results, the second extension becomes incomprehensible!
Johnston has egg all over his face and the club has no hope of a quick recovery from this disaster.
Is it incompetence, negligence or just misguided loyalty?
If it's loyalty to McGregor, then I wish the club and Johnston would show some loyalty and respect to the fans that have had to endure this mess.
I think the inner sanctum have their priorities mixed up and while they remain largely unaccountable for their actions, they will continue to relegate fans as a priority in their decision making.

 

[FlameThrower]

I was holding onto slim hope of Gould and his review bringing out the dirty laundry - coach, recruitment and junior pathways spring to mind.
But the more I read about this, the less I’m convinced that anything concrete with corrective actions will arise.