He's gone

[Gareth67]

Hava Nagila!

Tremendous ! ! Loved the dancing , it was pure joy and happiness.

Also the huge fur hats - perhaps they could become the must have fashion accessory for all Dragon fans .

 

[R&WTILLIDIE]

Young is done.

 

[epDragon62]

Now we all get memberships

Done!

 

[Paddles]

I’ve found the claim that he approached Webb a couple of weeks ago to complain about the selection committee interesting.

Again, he had dug a massive hole, had others fix the problem, then demanded things revert to the bad old ways where he had more power. There is example after example of this throughout his reign of terror. What an ego.

 

[BradParkerTheGoat]

Sad about his father though, thoughts are with him.

 

[possm]

The BOD of StGI have advised they have gone all out to secure the devices of former player Craig Fitzgibbon as coach for 2021 and beyond.

Unfortunately Craig has advised he will be seeing out his existing contract at the Roosters and as such we have now shifted our attention to secure the services of Matt King who will complete a long line of “water boys” who have successfully found a home at our club.

The writing is on the wall, it is Dean Young the Board are looking to install as head coach; his father, a director is very proud and has done all he can to see this through.

 

[Warabrook saint]

I’ve found the claim that he approached Webb a couple of weeks ago to complain about the selection committee interesting.

Again, he had dug a massive hole, had others fix the problem, then demanded things revert to the bad old ways where he had more power. There is example after example of this throughout his reign of terror. What an ego.

His shifty narcissistic ways was hard to stomach for so fu#*ing long

 

[Eastview]

A couple of lines from Mary's presser stood out. Here are a couple:

"We were pretty well unbeatable through 2018" - How delusional can one be?

In regards to Dean Young "I gave him is opportunity in 2014 so he is going to be very good" - This bloke can't be serious, he actually thinks the club should thank him for having Young there and ready? Unbelievable, let's hope Young hasn't listened to anything over the last 6 years.

 

[jeffdragon]

Should have sacked him earlier so caretaker takes over for this game v Parra.
Like other clubs do.
Not give him 1 game.

 

[ChocOConnor]

Mary might be gone but he is not going quietly. He is unloading in his sly ways but he seems to not understand it’s not just this Mary it’s the whole 6.5 years you have sucked the oxygen out of us.
And if You want to know why you have gone.

A bloke from the dogs TES the team running last had this to say

If I left the dogs Dragons won’t be a destination for me. I don’t want to go somewhere where my game won’t improve

 

[DragonInTheInnerWest]

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.

 

[Willow]

A couple of lines from Mary's presser stood out. Here are a couple:

"We were pretty well unbeatable through 2018" - How delusional can one be?

https://www.nrl.com/news/2020/08/13/paul-mcgregors-full-press-conference/

From about 6:30 minutes in...

"We hadn't been winning games, we hadn't been losing by a lot either..."
and
"We were pretty well unbeatable through '18..."

There seems to be a real blind spot with the facts. This year we were belted by Warriors (18-0) and Canterbury (22-2), both spoon contenders keeping us tryless. Let's not talk about the scorelines of previous seasons.

In 2018, we finished 7th, Started off well with some big wins, and then faded in the second half of the season, That was the year that Canterbury beat us 38-0 at Kogarah... one of those records that were broken under McGregor's coaching. How can anyone look at that and utter the word 'unbeatable'?

 

[DragonInTheInnerWest]

That line about 2018 was pure fiction, in line with the general fiction of his PC’s which was always ‘we need to take accountability’ but nobody ever did.

That flogging at Kogarah by a reserve grade Dogs team on the eve of the finals, was easily the low point for me. Ironically coming in the year Mary judges as his pinnacle. And the flogging from the Eels the same year was almost as bad.

But things have not gotten much better since, especially if you remove the aberration of the SF win against the Broncos some weeks late which was an absolute one-off.

Thar was a low day against the Dogs. I had family in town to watch the game but had to leave at half-time, something I’ve never done before. I couldn’t sit through it. My youngster was becoming too upset.

 

[kit66]

If they sign D Young full time, I’m sorry, but I’m out. I can’t deal with this pain

Me too. Young has overseen our Defence for how many years now, a defence that's never risen out of the bottom 8 while he's been there. I didn't like him as a player and I know, 100% that he hasn't got what it takes to succeed as a coach. 100%.
Glad to see the back of Mary though, hope never to hear his name again.

 

[mbk78]

Thar was a low day against the Dogs. I had family in town to watch the game but had to leave at half-time, something I’ve never done before. I couldn’t sit through it. My youngster was becoming too upset.

I was there too mate. And would you believe it was the first time I've worn a Dragons jersey to a match since the '75 Grand Final (the memory of being at the game still haunts me till this day). And we know the scoreline from that Doggies game, yep, you guessed it, 38 nil. So that jersey will never see the light of day at a match ever again. I'll continue to wear our club colours to games but never again the Red V. I'm just too much of a jinx!

 

[This Year?]

Young is done.

NOT EVER YOUNG.

A variant of the FOREVER YOUNG banner.

 

[Warabrook saint]

That line about 2018 was pure fiction, in line with the general fiction of his PC’s which was always ‘we need to take accountability’ but nobody ever did.

That flogging at Kogarah by a reserve grade Dogs team on the eve of the finals, was easily the low point for me. Ironically coming in the year Mary judges as his pinnacle. And the flogging from the Eels the same year was almost as bad.

But things have not gotten much better since, especially if you remove the aberration of the SF win against the Broncos some weeks late which was an absolute one-off.

Thar was a low day against the Dogs. I had family in town to watch the game but had to leave at half-time, something I’ve never done before. I couldn’t sit through it. My youngster was becoming too upset.

Not to mention the bulldogs fiasco that year was on the Lance Thompson memorial game

 

[Willow]

To be fair, 2018 was McGregor's best season.

I was at the Canterbury game as well. I would go to every Kogarah game and have seen some great moments. I do try to erase the worst moments... not always that easy. The Canterbury game was just an outright disgrace on a number of levels.

I do recall the fan outrage. The short-lived on-field lift that followed was probably enough to stop the axe falling on McGregor there and then.

FTR, there was forum poll around that time, in August 2018. Here: https://forums.leagueunlimited.com/threads/mcgregor-poll.472303/

94.3% of fans wanted McGregor gone. I suspect the other 5.7% were happy opposition fans.

So that was McGregor's best season. Says a lot.

 

[Willow]

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?

 

[hazzbeen]

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?

Who gives a ......