He's gone

[Blood Shot Eyes]

It amuses me how these past players like the Johns brothers, Sterlo and Brandy are now defending McGregor to a point and feeling sorry for him....Mmmm I wonder if he had of been in charge of Newcastle, Parra or Penrith for almost 7 years what they would be saying or indicating now....

Question:

1. As an old bastard that has been following my beloved Dragons for over 62 years do I feel he has robbed me of almost 7 of those years....

2. Do I see the disappointment, frustration and feel the pain of my fellow supporters during this time

3.When next I'm at the ATM and look at my savings and think of how much his could be....
.
Answer
Do I feel sorry for him......NOT ONE OUNCE...........now I'll move on

 

[boardlumps62]

A few wins what they couldn't win a game of marbles. No forwards no hope.

I will eat my comment after that effort.

 

[Inisai Toga]

Overall he’s handled his departure ok I think. There’s obviously some bad blood there over the circumstances of his diminished role and that’s human nature.

The club has allowed him to spin this to save some face and who really cares now and does it even matter?

The claim that we were ‘almost unbeatable’ in 2018 is a fantasy and shows how he was too prepared to accept ‘close enough’ results and it’s this mediocrity that marked his tenure.

The fact is they were beatable and were beaten regularly towards the end of that season, including a string of losses and defeats to teams out of contention plus a hurtful exit at the hands of an average Souths team after controlling much of the match.

Even though there’s little appetite for good will from most of us towards him after putting the club through long years of irrelevancy, I appreciate the familial sacrifices he made this year and others in terms of his parents and wish him well.

Respect there, that goes to character and his efforta and passion for the club should be a cause for celebration.

it’s just a shame that as a coach he was unable to instil the same character/passion in his teams. We had tiny glimpses of it but overall this was a key area of his failure as a mentor.

Once again, it’s important to remember that Mary didn’t employ or re-sign himself so blame for this dark chapter lays squarely at the feet of the board of directors.

Furthermore, it’s arguable as to whether or not Mary was even our worst coaching appointment as the club has continually erred in this way. Would like to say ‘never again’ but you could not rule it out, sadly, with Dean Young now leading contenders.

Farrar and Price were similarly poor appointments. Craig Young’s term as coach also another epic failure. But at least these were cut short to two or three years which limited the damage.

As well as the repetitive failure of club officials to get it right, there’s also a very clear cut historical precedence to show the way forward and a chance for the board to atone.

Only good things have followed for Saints in times when the club has come through stark periods of failure to appoint outsiders with influence and a clear philosophy.

Roy Masters (1 GF, one prelim) followed the Bath hangover year and repositioned is as a strong club.

Brian Smith (2 GFs) rebuilt Saints as a force after the gloom of the late 80’s under Albert.

David Waite (2 GFs) galvanised the club when it was utterly broken post Super League and led us through the JV process successfully. He doesn’t Get nearly enough credit for the Amazing job he did.

Wayne Bennett brought the premiership success so desperately needed, as it is again after another decade in the wilderness.

It’s pretty easy to see that appointments from within, despite some green shoots under Brown, just don’t work for us. The club gets lazy and the slide into ‘competitiveness as the bar’ gets systematically lowered very quickly.

Let’s hope officials show some ambition and appoint an outsider with a clear philosophy and a desire to win comps, not simply the desire to coach the Dragons.

And their jobs should depend on it.

Great post! I’m still trying to come to grips with the “ unbeatable” comment at the press conference. I must have been asleep that year!

I agree with your sentiments and really hope we reach outside this time, irrespective of Dean Young’s talents. I’d like John Cartwright for multiple reasons and believe he would be a strong fit for us. To support your comments further Tim Sheen won the Tigers only comp and he was ‘outside’ both merged clubs culture.

 

[blacksafake]

Overall he’s handled his departure ok I think. There’s obviously some bad blood there over the circumstances of his diminished role and that’s human nature.

The club has allowed him to spin this to save some face and who really cares now and does it even matter?

The claim that we were ‘almost unbeatable’ in 2018 is a fantasy and shows how he was too prepared to accept ‘close enough’ results and it’s this mediocrity that marked his tenure.

The fact is they were beatable and were beaten regularly towards the end of that season, including a string of losses and defeats to teams out of contention plus a hurtful exit at the hands of an average Souths team after controlling much of the match.

Even though there’s little appetite for good will from most of us towards him after putting the club through long years of irrelevancy, I appreciate the familial sacrifices he made this year and others in terms of his parents and wish him well.

Respect there, that goes to character and his efforta and passion for the club should be a cause for celebration.

it’s just a shame that as a coach he was unable to instil the same character/passion in his teams. We had tiny glimpses of it but overall this was a key area of his failure as a mentor.

Once again, it’s important to remember that Mary didn’t employ or re-sign himself so blame for this dark chapter lays squarely at the feet of the board of directors.

Furthermore, it’s arguable as to whether or not Mary was even our worst coaching appointment as the club has continually erred in this way. Would like to say ‘never again’ but you could not rule it out, sadly, with Dean Young now leading contenders.

Farrar and Price were similarly poor appointments. Craig Young’s term as coach also another epic failure. But at least these were cut short to two or three years which limited the damage.

As well as the repetitive failure of club officials to get it right, there’s also a very clear cut historical precedence to show the way forward and a chance for the board to atone.

Only good things have followed for Saints in times when the club has come through stark periods of failure to appoint outsiders with influence and a clear philosophy.

Roy Masters (1 GF, one prelim) followed the Bath hangover year and repositioned is as a strong club.

Brian Smith (2 GFs) rebuilt Saints as a force after the gloom of the late 80’s under Albert.

David Waite (2 GFs) galvanised the club when it was utterly broken post Super League and led us through the JV process successfully. He doesn’t Get nearly enough credit for the Amazing job he did.

Wayne Bennett brought the premiership success so desperately needed, as it is again after another decade in the wilderness.

It’s pretty easy to see that appointments from within, despite some green shoots under Brown, just don’t work for us. The club gets lazy and the slide into ‘competitiveness as the bar’ gets systematically lowered very quickly.

Let’s hope officials show some ambition and appoint an outsider with a clear philosophy and a desire to win comps, not simply the desire to coach the Dragons.

And their jobs should depend on it.

Excellent post

 

[Gareth67]

Great post! I’m still trying to come to grips with the “ unbeatable” comment at the press conference. I must have been asleep that year!

I agree with your sentiments and really hope we reach outside this time, irrespective of Dean Young’s talents. I’d like John Cartwright for multiple reasons and believe he would be a strong fit for us. To support your comments further Tim Sheen won the Tigers only comp and he was ‘outside’ both merged clubs culture.

Your not the only one that was caught out by that remark/boast (?) . As any sane person realizes the Dragons threw the game plan out of the window in that semi .

In fact I will go as far to say that they may had even said “ let’s go out and play our hearts out - for each other and damn what Mary thinks “ .

Thankfully the angst and heartbreak of the last 7 years are over now and we can at the very least look towards far improved performances in the future , most certainly in season 2021 .

 

[ChocOConnor]

The thought of not seeing his head and listen to dribble about being comfortable about being uncomfortable has made me sleep for 8 hours a night so I see nothing positive with anything to do with him. And again it’s not his fault he was given so long we should be concerned about having the same morons who gave him 7 years still making a stench in the club. At least that clown Sean O’Connor is gone. Fancy comparing McGregor to bennet after winning 3 titles in the local comp.

We are the dragons we should be a powerhouse and our only intentions every year are to win the competition with a minimal standard of top 5 year in year out.
As much as I hear good about Fitzgibbon we need a big name coach with a big ego to suit. One who won’t take shit from the board and can separate the football and the domestic work the board does.
Who that is I don’t know and although I can’t stand Flanno as a person he is a winner cheat or not and players want to play for him

my thinking is if Dean Young is given the job for a 1 year deal you can bet Flanno will be pulling the strings.
And I think Young is more about the dragons than he is about himself

 

[Warabrook saint]

He is not gone. He will coach his last game on Friday against the mighty Eels team

 

[possm]

BTW...

McGregor is only the second coach in St George's history to be sacked during a season. His predecessor, Steve Price was the first.

People will point to David Waite but he was kept on and while handing the reins over the Andrew Farrar - and how did that work out? Either way, this is all recent history.

What is happening with the Club board? Over the last 20 years they have made some appalling decisions with coaching appointments. Bennett is the one sparrow, but the board managed to stuff up his extension and white ant his re-appointment.

Never forget Sean O'Connor publicly proclaiming that McGregor was the next 'Super Coach'.

McGregor will be copping a lot of flak but save most of that for the board that makes these decisions.

From 2014...

Paul McGregor should get job ahead of Wayne Bennett: St George Illawarra Dragons director

St George Illawarra director Sean O'Connor has spoken out in support of caretaker coach Paul McGregor being appointed to the job full-time and believes he would be a better option than Wayne Bennett.

While Dragons chief executive Peter Doust is expected to meet with Bennett in coming days, O'Connor's comments demonstrate the seven-time premiership winning coach would not be the first choice of everyone at the club after McGregor's impressive feat in guiding the team to four wins in their past five matches and an 18-14 loss to competition leaders Penrith in a game decided by goalkicking.
...
‘‘I’d really support Paul McGregor to coach the St George Illawarra Dragons and to lead us into a new and exciting era,’’ O’Connor told The Illawarra Mercury.
...
‘‘I can easily see, having been involved with him at the [Illawarra] Cutters, that he could easily be the next supercoach.’’

More: https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/pa...llawarra-dragons-director-20140717-zu4lw.html

Where is Sean O'Connor nowadays?

Illawarra Board member, how much damage to the Club did these goons do?

 

[possm]

Great post! I’m still trying to come to grips with the “ unbeatable” comment at the press conference. I must have been asleep that year!

I agree with your sentiments and really hope we reach outside this time, irrespective of Dean Young’s talents. I’d like John Cartwright for multiple reasons and believe he would be a strong fit for us. To support your comments further Tim Sheen won the Tigers only comp and he was ‘outside’ both merged clubs culture.

The Dragons team that was unbeatable before falling away after SOO but still made the 8 sas our 2011 team.

 

[Gareth67]

“ Well I thought that I would wait until the dust had settled before I made my final appearance on the forum gents . Although my heart has always been with the Red&White - either the mighty Steelers or the Dragons its time to say farewell and may a better man be found to begin the rebuilding process at the J.V. “

“ P.S. Should the new fella not work out then give me a call - yuk yuk ! “