Sack Griffin

[OneEyedDragon]

No semi finals football again this season under this coach and board. Nothing will change until someone sweeps the place clean starting from the boardroom

"Sweeps the place clean" is a nice generic expression which really means little and simply won't happen in one fell swoop. Realistically, the St George Illawarra Board consists of 8 members. Lancaster, the new chairman, has been on the board since 2018 and is unproven at chairman level. His desire for a 3 year term at least suggests he wants to change things a bit and at least try to do something. Give him a chance before condemning him. There are 2 new board members in Ben Creagh and Gen Gordon. Who knows what they will bring? Again, give them a chance. One other member needs to be appointed - to replace Craig Young. So almost half the Board is new already. Sure, they might prove to be "same old, same old", but the way the joint venture is structured, it is about as good as fans will get despite what many would wish for. And yes, Peter Doust should retire.

 

[jodragon40]

"Sweeps the place clean" is a nice generic expression which really means little and simply won't happen in one fell swoop. Realistically, the St George Illawarra Board consists of 8 members. Lancaster, the new chairman, has been on the board since 2018 and is unproven at chairman level. His desire for a 3 year term at least suggests he wants to change things a bit and at least try to do something. Give him a chance before condemning him. There are 2 new board members in Ben Creagh and Gen Gordon. Who knows what they will bring? Again, give them a chance. One other member needs to be appointed - to replace Craig Young. So almost half the Board is new already. Sure, they might prove to be "same old, same old", but the way the joint venture is structured, it is about as good as fans will get despite what many would wish for. And yes, Peter Doust should retire.

Your correct it won't happen. RL is a business now the sport is a bi product. Although in saying that the product should still be worthy of the business brand. I honestly believe that this coach has been hamstrung due to our salary cap issues and his inability to attract the players that we need in the engine room to make us competitive again. Our retention team needs looking at because of the young talent we were not able to retain acknowledging we can't keep every home grown talent. Someone needs to draw a line in the sand in regards to our current ill discipline and poor culture until those issues are addressed then it is my view we will not be competitive enough to play semi finals football.

 

[OneEyedDragon]

Your correct it won't happen. RL is a business now the sport is a bi product. Although in saying that the product should still be worthy of the business brand. I honestly believe that this coach has been hamstrung due to our salary cap issues and his inability to attract the players that we need in the engine room to make us competitive again. Our retention team needs looking at because of the young talent we were not able to retain acknowledging we can't keep every home grown talent. Someone needs to draw a line in the sand in regards to our current ill discipline and poor culture until those issues are addressed then it is my view we will not be competitive enough to play semi finals football.

Possibly all true, but again you say "Someone needs to draw a line" - who? A new coach? These forums throw up the names of previously sacked coaches - Hasler, Maguire, Flanagan etc without any consensus of opinion. All those names mentioned have a few positives and some negatives, but who knows which them would prove to be successful at the Dragons? Or do they go down the path of a new old boys coach in Ryles, Hornby, Young or Soward? While I am as depressed as anyone about the current state of the team, I don't see "change for change sake" without some reason as a solution to anything. By all means make necessary changes, but do it based on a sound reason and with some plan in mind!

 

[jodragon40]

Possibly all true, but again you say "Someone needs to draw a line" - who? A new coach? These forums throw up the names of previously sacked coaches - Hasler, Maguire, Flanagan etc without any consensus of opinion. All those names mentioned have a few positives and some negatives, but who knows which them would prove to be successful at the Dragons? Or do they go down the path of a new old boys coach in Ryles, Hornby, Young or Soward? While I am as depressed as anyone about the current state of the team, I don't see "change for change sake" without some reason as a solution to anything. By all means make necessary changes, but do it based on a sound reason and with some plan in mind!

Personally I don't know. We have two untried and untested at NRL level assistant coaches. Which suits the management style of our current coach. I acknowledge that we have to have business savvy people on the board but there needs to be an experienced RL senior manager on the board akin to a Gus Gould type person who has the necessary experience to advise the business people on the board what is required to achieve the best results for each entity and bring our brand name back from the gutter where it presently lies. In regards to our head coach an experienced disciplinarian who is able to resurrect our culture and be able to be in a position to attract and retain players who want to play for him and believes in that coaches vision, setting achievable goals and objectives that all players will need to buy into to return us to being a competitive team in this competition.

 

[Dragon David]

Possibly all true, but again you say "Someone needs to draw a line" - who? A new coach? These forums throw up the names of previously sacked coaches - Hasler, Maguire, Flanagan etc without any consensus of opinion. All those names mentioned have a few positives and some negatives, but who knows which them would prove to be successful at the Dragons? Or do they go down the path of a new old boys coach in Ryles, Hornby, Young or Soward? While I am as depressed as anyone about the current state of the team, I don't see "change for change sake" without some reason as a solution to anything. By all means make necessary changes, but do it based on a sound reason and with some plan in mind!

Exactly. That is the way to do things OED.

 

[Dragon David]

Personally I don't know. We have two untried and untested at NRL level assistant coaches. Which suits the management style of our current coach. I acknowledge that we have to have business savvy people on the board but there needs to be an experienced RL senior manager on the board akin to a Gus Gould type person who has the necessary experience to advise the business people on the board what is required to achieve the best results for each entity and bring our brand name back from the gutter where it presently lies. In regards to our head coach an experienced disciplinarian who is able to resurrect our culture and be able to be in a position to attract and retain players who want to play for him and believes in that coaches vision, setting achievable goals and objectives that all players will need to buy into to return us to being a competitive team in this competition.

A good response Jo.

 

[jodragon40]

A good response Jo.

Thank you

 

[BLM01]

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/opinion/nrl-why-south-sydney-will-be-2023-premiers-who-will-replace-anthony-griffin-at-dragons/news-story/a5bc7f3c42e3f07afeb637e22807dbab

Hope link works. A very sad demise of our once proud traditional and feared club

No it does not

 

[BLM01]

No semi finals football again this season under this coach and board. Nothing will change until someone sweeps the place clean starting from the boardroom

Where is our CEO or chair going to come out and address the fans about what they are doing about all this negative press.

 

[jodragon40]

No it does not

Sorry

 

[jodragon40]

Where is our CEO or chair going to come out and address the fans about what they are doing about all this negative press.

He is a businessman not a RL person. He will come out eventually to explain why the Dragons cannot recruit any high profile players. I can tell you now that in the real world there is not 1 player manager that recommends that their clients play for us. That is a fact. There is no connection or relationship with any player manager and the current coach or board.

 

[BLM01]

He is a businessman not a RL person. He will come out eventually to explain why the Dragons cannot recruit any high profile players. I can tell you now that in the real world there is not 1 player manager that recommends that their clients play for us. That is a fact. There is no connection or relationship with any player manager and the current coach or board.

Big statements you make there. How do you know that?

 

[jodragon40]

Big statements you make there. How do you know that?

I still have friends that work for RL clubs from my coaching days. I have no doubt that what I am told is correct.

 

[BLM01]

I still have friends that work for RL clubs from my coaching days. I have no doubt that what I am told is correct.

Yep Ok

 

[Victoire]

I think Mary had the team and the culture in better shape than Hook. Probably the best of the 3 dud coaches we have had since Bennett left. Mary got us playing decent footy and the Dragons roster was not as bad as it is now. Hook has made it worse. All these Hook excuses are crazy. Mary may have lost the shed in the last year or better still since the JDB case, but he did have some ok years before then.

It's true that time heals all wounds, but let's not allow the rose-coloured glasses to sway us too much. The McGregor era was a mistake from day one, and his years in charge just as big a blight on the club's history as Griffin's - with the added tragedy that it went on for so damn long. Almost 6 wasteful, dreadful years.

 

[Victoire]

I understand people saying we need to overhaul the structure and administration of the club etc etc before we can expect any meaningful change on the field, but in the immortal words of the Old El Paso girl:

For example, before and after we signed Wayne Bennett, the structure and admin of the club appeared amateurish and haphazard... but miraculously during that period we enjoyed significant success. It's pretty obvious to me that the head coach is the single most important asset to a team, especially in a salary capped sport like ours. And we have monumentally f**ked that choice repeatedly

 

[jodragon40]

I understand people saying we need to overhaul the structure and administration of the club etc etc before we can expect any meaningful change on the field, but in the immortal words of the Old El Paso girl:

For example, before and after we signed Wayne Bennett, the structure and admin of the club appeared amateurish and haphazard... but miraculously during that period we enjoyed significant success. It's pretty obvious to me that the head coach is the single most important asset to a team, especially in a salary capped sport like ours. And we have monumentally f**ked that choice repeatedly

So I have been critical of our current board. But who is who in the zoo. Well this is our GM of football.
we can thank our General Manager for the mess we are in. His name is Ben Haran this is what he had to say in 2021
The Dragons have a rich history of bringing players through to first grade. With our junior representative teams returning to the districts, there still remains a focus for me as far as how our NRLW, Jersey Flegg and NSW Cup operate and develop players."

Haran credited new Dragons head coach Anthony Griffin ahead of the club's 2021 campaign.

"2021 is going to be a big year at the Dragons due to the changes we have undertaken. There's a lot of things to be excited about as a club as a whole," Haran said.

"Anthony Griffin was a great appointment for us as a club; his experience and understanding of what it takes to bring young players through is undeniable.

So this blokes responsibilities includes Key parts of that for me
include recruitment and retention, coaching and athletic performance structures, player well-being and obviously junior development of which I'm very passionate about.

So fast forward 2 seasons and what has he achieved? Especially in the area of junior development.

 

[jodragon40]

I understand people saying we need to overhaul the structure and administration of the club etc etc before we can expect any meaningful change on the field, but in the immortal words of the Old El Paso girl:

For example, before and after we signed Wayne Bennett, the structure and admin of the club appeared amateurish and haphazard... but miraculously during that period we enjoyed significant success. It's pretty obvious to me that the head coach is the single most important asset to a team, especially in a salary capped sport like ours. And we have monumentally f**ked that choice repeatedly

It's not just the coach, it's those faceless people who actually select the coach who have proven to be inept at their jobs and need to be moved on as well.

 

[denis preston]

No coach, present or future, will be a le to 'fix' us until certain players have been moved on.
I think this is at the 'core' of our plight right now.

I’d love to know who you consider need moving on. My culture killers could be Lomax, Debellin&Molo . Also don’t think the players respect the outputs of Wood& Mbye. Just superstition here.

 

[denis preston]

"Sweeps the place clean" is a nice generic expression which really means little and simply won't happen in one fell swoop. Realistically, the St George Illawarra Board consists of 8 members. Lancaster, the new chairman, has been on the board since 2018 and is unproven at chairman level. His desire for a 3 year term at least suggests he wants to change things a bit and at least try to do something. Give him a chance before condemning him. There are 2 new board members in Ben Creagh and Gen Gordon. Who knows what they will bring? Again, give them a chance. One other member needs to be appointed - to replace Craig Young. So almost half the Board is new already. Sure, they might prove to be "same old, same old", but the way the joint venture is structured, it is about as good as fans will get despite what many would wish for. And yes, Peter Doust should retire.

Spot on. I am hoping the Lancaster chairmanship is a sign that WIN are frustrated as hell with the St George side of the JV and want to move forward instead of standing still. At worse it will be a change , at best a professionally run organisation.