Paul McGregor speaks on his departure Outgoing Dragons head coach Paul McGregor addresses the media following the club's decision to amicably part ways at the conclusion of Friday's night Round 14 game against the Parramatta Eels. https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2020/08/13/paul-mcgregor-speaks-on-his-departure/
McGregor 'uncomfortable' with controversial move Brett Graham 1 hour ago Dumped St George Illawarra coach Paul McGregor says the club's controversial selection panel process was a huge reason behind his decision to walk away from the Dragons. McGregor, who will coach his last game tomorrow night when the Dragons play Parramatta, was close to tears as he spoke of his plans to visit his seriously ill father once he can leave the club's biosecurity bubble. His axing was described as "not surprising" by premiership winning coach Phil Gould, who revealed he warned the club McGregor's tenure would end badly unless changes were made. In June the club created a three-man selection panel, comprising McGregor and assistant coaches Shane Flanagan and Dean Young, after losing their first four matches of the season. A brief resurgence followed, but the club has now lost its last three matches and would likely need a miracle to make the top eight. AAP Dragons coach Paul McGregor after his team's loss to the Warriors. "I wasn't comfortable with it," McGregor said when asked about the selection panel. "I think the coach should get the final say on who is getting selected in the team. You have a coaching team and you need to lean on them. "There should be hard conversation around that, but the coach selects the team. "It's hard when you're owning your result, but not getting the team you want." McGregor said he approached the club about changing the selection process, but the board decided the panel should remain. "I wasn't dealing with that very well," McGregor said. "When it gets to the stage where you can't pick a player in the position you feel he's right to play, it's probably not the right thing to coach. Getty Paul McGregor with assistant coach Shane Flanagan "That's what's brought it to a head. McGregor was contracted to the club until the end of the 2021 season. He took over from Steve Price in 2014, taking the club to the finals in 2015 and 2018. He said he's looking forward to visiting his sick father on the weekend. "Certainly it's been tough," McGregor said. "My father is seriously ill. He's been in hospital for quite some time, so I need to go and see him. It's been in the back of my mind. It's part of it, it's not the only thing." Chief executive Ryan Webb said it was tough to part ways with McGregor, who captained the club in the 1999 grand final. "Paul has had a 25-year association with our club and the joint venture's founding club, the Illawarra Steelers and has shown great passion, integrity, character and a strong work ethic throughout this time," Webb said. "He will forever be a part of the Dragons family." Dean Young will take over for the rest of 2020. Webb said Young's father, Craig, excused himself from any board discussions about the coaching role. Craig will take a leave of absence from the board for as long as Dean is the coach. https://www.msn.com/en-au/sports/mo...mfortable-with-controversial-move/ar-BB17TZX7
And the fact that it wouldn’t be fair on Deano to take over this week, because it’s only a day before the game. FFS. All Deano would have to do is say “we’re not playing Maryball this week go out and have some fun.”
It’s a sad state of affairs that this day is our best moment since the 2010 GF. Shame on the incompetent clowns on the board who crippled our club for nearly a decade.
https://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/n...s/news-story/9469e15e474e5d1701cde204c08dcf8e The bloke is like a petulant boy, it’s always someone else’s fault. If only this had happened. Mate you are in your fifties grow up except responsibility look in the mirror I know it’s painful but the reality is you can’t coach. Bennett pinged you in 2009.
And another one: "how can I own a result when you are not picking the team you want" I wonder if he owns the result when HE picked the team he wanted.
Even during his departure speech he mentioned the Team he built in 2017 and 2018. Came 9th in 2017 but under what circumstances? Round 26 - 2017 vs Canterbury Both Widdop and De Belin playing - they are two players that he constantly uses as an excuse when they were out. He had the team he wanted and fell off the cliff in the second half of the year. Got rolled by the Dogs and got unceremoniously dumped out of the finals. After that disastrous season, should have been sacked. In stead, they saddled up for more of the same. As you say, excuses even on the way out the door which hold no water. Never qualified to coach FG in the first place and it took 7 dismal years to finally get rid of him. Not really McGregor's fault if the Board kept renewing his contract and upgrading the money. He will go down in the club's history as the worst coach we have ever had.
CEO Ryan Webb on McGregor and Young Dragons CEO Ryan Webb talks to the media following the decision to part ways with Paul McGregor and discusses what comes next. https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2020/08/13/ceo-ryan-webb-on-mcgregor-and-young/
McGregor had years to pick the team he wanted and the results were always the same. I can understand his frustration but he himself had forced their hand. Years persisting with players like McCrone, Aitken, Lafai, Latimore... That was you, McGregor. Picking a team was the least of his weaknesses. No game plans, not able to bring the best out of players, running them into the ground.... Sure, the players like him but the fans like winning more.
NRL 2020: Coach Paul McGregor hits out after parting ways with the Dragons Paul McGregor is making plenty of noise as he heads out the door, revealing how Dragons bosses prevented him from doing his job properly. James Matthey @jamesmatthey 27 comments August 13, 20201:21pm Video Image Paul McGregor has hit out after confirmation his time as Dragons coach is over The Sydney Morning Herald reports the St George Illawarra board told McGregor on Wednesday night he wasn’t the man to lead the club going forward despite having another season to run on his contract. The 52-year-old becomes the fourth coach to lose their job this year after Dean Pay (Bulldogs), Stephen Kearney (Warriors) and Paul Green (Cowboys). The Dragons were reportedly unable to make any guarantees when McGregor approached club powerbrokers for assurances about his future, and in a press release it was announced both parties had mutually agreed to part ways. Speaking at a press conference after training today, McGregor said he felt crippled by an inability to always pick the team he wanted. After a horror start to the season, the Dragons took some of the coach’s power away by implementing a three-man selection panel. Every other coach in the NRL would have the final say on who is included in the 17-man team for game day, but not McGregor. “A couple of weeks ago I spoke to (CEO) Ryan (Webb) about the panel. I wasn’t comfortable with it,” McGregor said. “I understand the board put it in place to share responsibility around the other coaches but as head coach you need to select your team. “Ryan took that to the board. It came back that wasn’t going to change. “It’s really hard to do when you are owning the result but not picking the team you want. “I wasn’t dealing with that very well. “When it gets to the stage where you can’t pick a player in the position you feel he’s right to play, it’s probably not the right thing to coach. “That’s what’s brought it to a head. “I feel the coach should get the final say in who’s selected in the team.” Paul McGregor is gone.Source:AAP There are several contenders to replace McGregor. Assistant Shane Flanagan is suspended from coaching until 2022 for breaching restrictions placed on him after being banned for his role in the Sharks supplements scandal, but behind the scenes there are reportedly moves being made to ask if the NRL would consider altering their stance. Green is available and ex-Penrith coach Anthony Griffin is without a job, but Knights legend Andrew Johns believes the Dragons should target Roosters assistant coach Craig Fitzgibbon. “Fitzy is a perfect fit, Craig Fitzgibbon,” Johns said alongside NSW coach Brad Fittler on Wide World of Sports’ Freddy and the Eighth. “He’s from down that way, he’s been in an unbelievable system (with the Roosters), you (Fittler) have had him in the Origin (squad). His attention to detail is sensational. “He’s the next really top-line coach, which then comes off the Trent Robinson coaching tree. “Local boy from down there, still lives down at Austinmer (on the NSW south coast), which is 20 minutes from Wollongong. It’s the perfect fit. “I think the time is right and I think he’s the man for the job.” The drums about McGregor’s future have been beating for some time and the Dragons finally ran out of patience. The Red V sit 12th on the ladder with just four wins from 13 matches and are out of finals contention. McGregor was in the firing line after starting the season with four straight losses but St George found form at the right time to give him some breathing space. However, three defeats in the Dragons’ last three games have spelt the end of McGregor’s time at the helm. McGregor will coach one final game this week, against the Eels on Friday night, before assistant coach Dean Young officially takes over for the remainder of the year. The Dragons are going in a different direction.Source:AAP Confusing selection calls and under-performing players have crippled the Dragons in 2020. Livewire fullback Matt Dufty fell out of favour early in the year and found himself on the bench or out of the side altogether on occasion, while gun centre Zac Lomax started the season in the No. 1 jersey before moving closer to the edge when that experiment didn’t work out. Even five-eighth Corey Norman was thrust into fullback but most recently, he was dropped from the team that lost to the Roosters last week. Ben Hunt, signed as a $6 million playmaker, copped plenty of criticism for his ordinary performances as halfback but won praise after being moved to hooker, which pundits agreed was his best position. However, despite his impressive form as the Dragons’ dummy-half, Hunt was shifted back to first receiver for the loss to the Rabbitohs in Round 12, leading to more questions about McGregor’s decision-making. McGregor took over from Steve Price midway through 2014 but hasn’t been able to deliver success. Under his reign, the Dragons have won just a single finals game. Last year the club extended his contract until the end of 2021 but decided it couldn’t wait that long to make a change. https://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/n...s/news-story/9469e15e474e5d1701cde204c08dcf8e
