“Ryles is said to be conscious of the issues that have hampered the club’s performance in recent years, therefore, ensuring that the football department has total control of football related matters, such as recruitment and retention, was a fierce priority for Ryles”BREAKING: St George Illawarra appoint Jason Ryles as head coach
BY LEAGUE INITIATIVE
May 30, 2023 in Clubs, News, St George Illawarra Dragons
League Initiative can reveal that the St George Illawarra Dragons have officially appointed Jason Ryles as their head coach from the 2024 NRL season.
The Dragons are set to officially announce the appointment to Red V members and fans this week, however, League Initiative can confirm that ink has been put to paper.
Ryles is to be appointed for a four year term that includes performance hurdles in year three and four which will require the team to reach specific benchmarks.
As part of the negotiations, Ryles insisted that ultimate control of the football department must rest with the head coach in order to avoid interference from external factors. Ryles is said to be conscious of the issues that have hampered the club’s performance in recent years, therefore, ensuring that the football department has total control of football related matters, such as recruitment and retention, was a fierce priority for Ryles.
Ryles will now spend the remainder of the 2023 season finalising his support staff and reviewing the Dragons‘ roster until he is able to take over from interim head coach Ryan Carr. The Sydney Roosters have not shied away from airing their displeasure towards Ryles, and initially, were set to insist that Ryles be placed on gardening leave. However, the Roosters will immediately and acrimoniously part ways with their assistant coach.
Who is Jason Ryles?
Jason Ryles made his NRL debut for the St George Illawarra Dragons in 2000 and played 156 games for the Red V until his departure in 2008. In 2009, Ryles joined the Catalans Dragons in France before returning to Australia with stints at the Sydney Roosters and Melbourne Storm.
Ryles commenced his coaching career in 2012 as an assistant coach for the NSW State of Origin under 20s rugby team. He continued in that role in 2013 and achieved success by defeating Queensland’s under 20s team in both years.
After retiring as a player in the National Rugby League, Ryles became the head coach of the Western Suburbs Red Devils for the 2014/2015 seasons. In 2015, Ryles was approached by the Melbourne Storm to join their coaching staff as an assistant coach. He held this position until the autumn of 2020. During his time with the Storm, Ryles also assisted in coaching England’s national rugby union team periodically. From 2016 to the present, Ryles served as the assistant coach for the Junior Kangaroos in 2016 and 2017. In autumn 2020, Ryles joined England as a full-time skills coach, but he was unable to participate in the 2021 Six Nations Championship due to travel restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. He left the role in May 2021. In 2022, Ryles joined the Sydney Roosters as an assistant coach.
It was a great spray & rightChris O,Keefe who is a Dragons tragic is giving it to the club on his show on 2GB
He went right thru how the club votes etc & normal members have no say
Roosters have no juniors…I say f**k the juniors and get established players like everyone else doesI'm a St George man but you can't deny that although Steelers are part of the problem, they're also part of the reason we're not completely gone yet. Our juniors come from there. The St George side has been arguably the biggest f**king rot on the JV and that hurts to say. Again I'll say it, f**k Doust.
don’t know what the offer was but surely a coach has the right to pick and choose the players that are coming into the club!!It’s been asked I know but what the fk in Ryles’ resume could possibly justify $800k per year for 4years + total autonomy?
The embarrassment was the offer, not the rejection!
I see your point, but buying established players hasn't worked for the roosters recently. Storm have thrived off making ok players come good. Panthers have thrived off their juniors and it seems that even the Tigers are starting to.Roosters have no juniors…I say f**k the juniors and get established players like everyone else does
hasn’t worked for them? They’ve won 3 grand finals in the past 10 years and have played finals footy every year…sounds to me like it worked for themI see your point, but buying established players hasn't worked for the roosters recently. Storm have thrived off making ok players come good. Panthers have thrived off their juniors and it seems that even the Tigers are starting to.
Undoubtedly the only thing that has given us any excitement in the last few years have been the likes of Sloan, Amone, Bud, Lomax etc. Regardless of how well anyone thinks they've performed compared to expectations.
But imagine if we were a standalone venture right now, with f**king Millward running recruitment, Haran as GM, and most likely, no juniors from the St George end... We can't just 'buy established players like everyone else' because nothing about the St George part of the club attracts anything but flies anymore. Hell, I'd be willing to bet that part of the reason anyone comes here is because they want a piece of the Wollongong lifestyle.
100% it did back then. But as of right now, it's not. Maybe the game has changed and throwing money at good players doesn't equal success anymore. Brandon Smith has flopped miserably so far. Suaali'i has chased more money over at Union as well. However I won't bring Ciraldo and the Dogs' signings not being all that great (bar Mahoney) because he's in his first season as a coach, but it's still arguable that heaps of big names don't mean success.It
hasn’t worked for them? They’ve won 3 grand finals in the past 10 years and have played finals footy every year…sounds to me like it worked for them
Mitchell is shit…sualli has his head elsewhere…those are only 2 examples…roosters have been successful because they go out and look to buy the best…let’s throw money at the likes of Munster rather than investing in players like Amone and Sullivan…hoping they’ll come good…and if they come good…hope that another team doesn’t swoop in and take them off us…f**k that. We have been shit for 10 years because we sign shit players and waste so much time on juniors who have become mediocre first graders100% it did back then. But as of right now, it's not. Maybe the game has changed and throwing money at good players doesn't equal success anymore. Brandon Smith has flopped miserably so far. Suaali'i has chased more money over at Union as well. However I won't bring Ciraldo and the Dogs' signings not being all that great (bar Mahoney) because he's in his first season as a coach, but it's still arguable that heaps of big names don't mean success.
The top 4 teams at the moment didn't throw money at heaps of good players, but one or two if needed, and the rest are usually players they got from other systems when very young and developed on their own, or their own local juniors.
You make a good point. But the best players usually become the best through good coaching. Munster would probably not have filled his potential if it wasn't for Bellamy. Nicho would.probably still be up playing for the Falcons, too. So although the Roosters plan for success is certainly ONE way of attaining success, it isn't the only way and isn't very sustainable long-term unless you have an adequate plan in place. Our stupid board isn't capable of pulling off such a featMitchell is shit…sualli has his head elsewhere…those are only 2 examples…roosters have been successful because they go out and look to buy the best…let’s throw money at the likes of Munster rather than investing in players like Amone and Sullivan…hoping they’ll come good…and if they come good…hope that another team doesn’t swoop in and take them off us…f**k that. We have been shit for 10 years because we sign shit players and waste so much time on juniors who have become mediocre first graders
Exactly...cant wait to get rid of that wimpy ridiculous mascot.Must at least be heart warming to know the Board must have been unanimous on Ryles.
Now is there anyone else they can ALL agree on and who won’t want to control recruitment and pathways? After all the current blokes clearly do such a stand up job of those.
Oh and can someone now please ride a sturdy steed onto the ground in the gong and run a lance through that stupid StGeorge Bank mascot.
Hornby isn’t available evidently. 2sm (I know) say he resigned for another 3 years at the RabbitsRyles storms off as Dragons resume hunt
MICHAEL CARAYANNIS BRENT READ PHIL ROTHFIELD
Jason Ryles walked away from St George Illawarra with no guarantee he would be Craig Bellamy’s successor at the Storm as the Dragons prepare to alter their thinking of securing an untried coach.
Dragons officials were blindsided on Wednesday morning when Ryles told them he would not take up a four-year contract worth about $800,000 a season.
While the Dragons baulked at offering Ryles a five-year contract and final say on key roles within the organisation, they were happy to invest heavily in their former star prop and had guaranteed almost all of his expectations.
The Dragons wanted to secure Ryles before locking in any additions to their club, with those at the Dragons open to bringing in a prominent head of football.
The Dragons will now shift their attention to securing a new coach. They already held discussions with Dean Young but former teammate Ben Hornby is yet to have any contact with the club.
Hornby shares the same manager as Ryles and the failed talks has left a sour taste in the mouth of some Dragons officials.
They had planned to have an emerging coach lead the club post-Anthony Griffin. Now they will give serious thought to luring a proven mentor – the likes of John Morris, Michael Maguire or Shane Flanagan.
The Dragons had met Ryles as recently as Monday and left that get-together confident they had their man. Chief executive Ryan Webb received the bad news on Wednesday morning.
“It wasn’t the right time for him,” Webb said. “We appreciate him being honest and rather find out now than in six months’ time that he didn’t feel comfortable. We will continue on our process with the other candidates and hopefully bring it to a head shortly.”
Instead Ryles has opted to rejoin former club Melbourne next season with an eye on becoming Bellamy’s replacement should he step away within the next two seasons.
But there is no certainty that he will take over from Bellamy, which leaves the door ajar for Queensland coach Billy Slater to pursue the job should he wish.
Ryles’ decision clearly makes him the frontrunner for the position.
Storm chairman Matt Tripp confirmed there was “no guarantee Ryles will be replacing Bellamy”.
“He is coming down as a key candidate,” Tripp said.
“I would have Craig for another five years but if he doesn’t, we are spoilt for choice with Jason and some of the other very good assistants in the club. He will be value add to the club so why wouldn’t we create a role for him.
“He liked what he heard. I think we now have a really good succession plan for Craig if and when he decides to give it up.”
Contact has been had with Dean Young but not Hornby, god help us.