Who will be the coach in 2018?

[MattoDragon]

When answering this poll question please select an answer you think most likely will happen. Not who you would like to coach the Dragons. All of these which aren't head coaches except Hornby and Young have expressed interest in becoming a full time head coach again. Des could be available if the Dogs choose not to re-sign him. I have added Hornby and Young given that the past 2 times the club has just got an assistant to replace the head coach.

If your coach isn't there please write below who you think the head coach will be.

I think Kevvy Walters should be in the frame

 

[MattoDragon]

Most likely coach will be Mary, because he will finally have the team he wants...

God help us!!!

 

[Dragsters]

I think Kevvy Walters should be in the frame

and Jason Demetriou...

 

[MattoDragon]

This does worry me.
I can still remember Bennett saying that he thought Young would one day make a very good coach.I just hope the board/Doust remember all wayne's other nominee's.The signing of Hunt does give me hope that he only signed with the knowledge of a new coach(Des).

I think you're right. I cannot see a top class player signing a long term deal if he is not aware of who the coach will be.
I know Cleary knocked back the opportunity during 2016. However, he has always said he would not take the place of a contracted coach. It would not surprise me to see Cleary named during this year, as coach for 2018 and beyond.

 

[MattoDragon]

For the Alan Bond-sized contract Hunt was offered, I doubt it would bother him if Alan Bond himself was the coach

Totally disagree. Hunt wants to play for QLD and Australia, there is no way he would jeopardise that opportunity.
Cleary for me

 

[Coffs dragon]

Hasler, Walters or Cleary and forget the rest of the rest.

 

[mickeylane]

There's going to be a new coach just who it' will be could be any one of:
Walters
Hasler
Cleary or
Tony Smith who's contract finishes in EPL this year..

I'm thinking its Cleary only because he knows how to build a club and bring thru juniors.. No way Mcgregor will stay

 

[Dragsters]

Hasler, Walters or Cleary and forget the rest of the rest.

If it is to be between these 3 then the way I see it is...

Hasler has the runs on the board, but has his coaching style been left behind? Not sure.

Walters has the potential to become a great coach, but will he? Not sure.

Cleary was touted as a top coach of the future (by Gus) but has pretty much failed at every opportunity he has had so far. Will that change if becomes Dragons coach? Not sure.

Bottom line for me is that they are all somewhat of a gamble but unless Mary miraculously transforms into an actual first grade quality coach soon then a gamble we must take.

 

[hazzbeen]

What happens if Mary does make top 8 this year ? They didn't flick him last year after a shocker . So I start this season wanting our Dragons to do well , then I think if we do go OK we will be stuck with Mary again .

 

[BrissyRedV]

What happens if Mary does make top 8 this year ? They didn't flick him last year after a shocker . So I start this season wanting our Dragons to do well , then I think if we do go OK we will be stuck with Mary again .

That is a highly unlikely hypothetical but you would think that would give the board the ammunition they need to re-sign him.

 

[Carlton]

I cant pick whats happening, I want to see Mary gone. Mixed messages seem to be flowing all over the place and I'm just not clever enough to put together all the pieces.

I'm hoping that Hunts signing is an indicator there is a new coach in waiting but Mary's making statements along the lines of its only if the attack cant improve in 2017 then he's gone.

The stress of it all.

 

[Slippery Morris]

If it was up to me Demitriou would be my No.1 choice. He knows the juniors well and has a brillant style of footy. Looks like he has a good footy brain. Pity he can not start in 2017.

Hasler has same boring style as Mary only with better cattle. Dirty tactics and will make us a hated team. We were boring under Bennett and won a comp but not grubs and whingers that had the refs win us games.

Cleary won nothing but has had some success with struggling sides. Good for for junior development (Dufty, Field, Luciano etc would excel).

If they go Clear, wouldn't it be great if he can get Shaun Johnson to come across seeing Cleary has coached him before and got him to a GF. We then have a Shaun Johnson and Ben Hunt halves combo? That would be a dream for us Dragons fans.

 

[Dragons22]

If it was up to me Demitriou would be my No.1 choice. He knows the juniors well and has a brillant style of footy. Looks like he has a good footy brain. Pity he can not start in 2017.

Hasler has same boring style as Mary only with better cattle. Dirty tactics and will make us a hated team. We were boring under Bennett and won a comp but not grubs and whingers that had the refs win us games.

Cleary won nothing but has had some success with struggling sides. Good for for junior development (Dufty, Field, Luciano etc would excel).

If they go Clear, wouldn't it be great if he can get Shaun Johnson to come across seeing Cleary has coached him before and got him to a GF. We then have a Shaun Johnson and Ben Hunt halves combo? That would be a dream for us Dragons fans.

The club was stupid to let Jason Demetriou go, they should of demoted Mary and brought him through as head coach and success wouldn't be far away.

 

[Dragons22]

If I was making they decisions I would demote Mary to assistant. And bring in Cleary or Kevy Walters (sorry for forgetting to add him in the poll).

 

[Old Timer]

I think it will be Mary

However if given an option and after long deliberation my preferences would be either JD or Kevin Walters.
JD has a great attacking mentality
KW has a great team work and disciplinary mentality.
Both men capable of making hard decisions.

Whilst there are many proven coaches like Hasler, Cleary etc they are somewhat orientated to a particular style or mentality.
They seem to attract like minded players and support people and there is some inflexibility in that IMO.

In fact our club has the very same issue of "like minded" individuals but they are just aren't as good at it as others are because our like minded individuals are dumb.

We have a young developing side and it needs to form its own style and culture to some extent and needs a calm but flexible influence over it to help steer it in the right direction.
A fresh side with a coach with fresh and invigorating ideas and a good team behind him should bear good fruit.

Did Harry Bath leave the manual in the sheds at KJO?
If he did let's hope someone finds it !!!!!!

 

[St Georgio]

In 2004, Des Hasler was appointed head coach of the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles. In the 2005, 2006 and 2007 seasons he led the team to the semi-finalsfor the first time since the late 1990s. Hasler gained the experience of Geoff Toovey as assistant coach in the 2007 season. The team was a contender in the 2007 National Rugby League premiership, and finished second on the NRL ladder, losing the grand final 34–8 Melbourne Storm.

He coached Manly to a record breaking 40–0 2008 NRL Grand Final victory over the Melbourne Storm
After failing to win the 1987 World Club Challenge with Manly as a player, he won it with them as coach in 2009.

He took Manly to the finals again in 2009 and 2010, but lost a final in each year to be eliminated from the finals.

He coached his 200th First Grade game on 13 August 2011 when Manly defeated their traditional rivals Parramatta 26–20 at Parramatta Stadium. The win was also Hasler's 117th win as a coach.

In 2011 Manly finished 2nd on the NRL ladder. Manly defeated the Cowboys 42–8 at the SFS for their first finals win since 2008. Manly went on to win the2011 NRL Grand Final. He was named coach of the year at the RLIF Awards.[4]

A week after leading Manly to the 2011 premiership.

Hasler joined the Bulldogs on 14 November 2011 as head coach for the 2012 NRL season.[7] He had immediate success as he took the club to finish eight places better than the previous season to the top of the ladder and collected the minor premiership. After impressive Qualifying Final and Preliminary Final wins; 16-10 over former club Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles and 32-8 over South Sydney Rabbitohs respectively, the Bulldogs were beaten in the Grand Final by the Melbourne Storm 14–4.[8] At the 2012 Dally M Awards Hasler was named the NRL's coach of the year.[9] In the 2013 NRL Season it was a disappointing season by his and the club's standards as they finished five places lower compared to the last season as they finished in 6th place and got knocked out straight away by the Newcastle Knights in the Qualifying-Elimination final 22-6 at Stadium Australia. In the 2014 NRL Season Canterbury finished once place lower compared to the previous season and just limped home into the Finals Series in 7th place but nobody foresaw what was to happen in the finals that season, Hasler led his 7th placed Bulldogs through three weeks of sudden-death Rugby League to amazingly reach the Grand Final after impressively scalping past Melbourne Storm 28-4 at AAMI Park in the Qualifying-Elimination final, Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 18-17 after Extra-Time at Sydney Football Stadium in the Semi-final and Penrith Panthers 18-12 in the Preliminary final atStadium Australia but they ultimately lost to hot title contenders South Sydney Rabbitohs 30-6 in the Grand Final at Stadium Australia missing inspirational captain Michael Ennis but the club, players and Hasler won a lot of creditors in their performances through the finals that year and for reaching 2 Grand Finals in the last three years.

Forget untried rookies I am sick of it, Hasler is first choice ........a distant 2nd choice is Cleary!

 

[getsmarty]

St George Illawarra Dragons Paul McGregor focused on own future in 2017, not Ben Hunt’s arrival

AAP
January 25, 2017 1:43pm

PAUL McGregor hasn’t given up on Ben Hunt arriving at St George Illawarra a year early.
But the coach’s priority is leading the Dragons out of the NRL finals wilderness in 2017 with his job on the line.
McGregor said the ball is in Brisbane’s court to release the halfback this year after the Dragons signed him on a lucrative five-year contract from 2018.
“You’d have to talk to (Brisbane coach) Wayne (Bennett), mate,” McGregor told Sky Sports Radio on Wednesday when asked if Hunt could wear the Red V this year.

McGregor lauded Hunt, who this week accepted an offer worth a reported $6 million from the Dragons to end his nine-year career at Red Hill.
But McGregor admitted he may not have a chance to work with the 26-year-old with his contract running out at this season’s end and no guarantee of an extension.

The NRL contract conundrum
“He’s a high quality player and shown really strong character,” McGregor said.
“To leave family and friends to take up a new venture shows what kind of person he is.
“Ben’s got a year to play in Brissie and my focus and energy is entirely on the support of my 2017 squad.
“My best interests right now is for the 2017 team because that’s who I’m coaching.”

With Benji Marshall’s exit in 2016, Drew Hutchison was set to partner skipper Gareth Widdop in the Dragons’ halves this year until he suffered a serious knee injury in pre-season training.
McGregor said experienced former Canberra playmaker Josh McCrone, Jai Field, Shaun Nona and Kurt Mann were competing for the No. 7 jersey.
The coach signalled on-field tactical changes after 11th-placed Dragons struggled in attack last year, finishing with the third least points scored (341).

“The main thing is a lot more simplicity ... a nice power game with the freedom to play what’s in front of us,” he said.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...l/news-story/fe9c9c27223b71c6fa2cc5ac5e164a83

 

[dragonssamy61]

Mc Gregor will get another 2 year stint and the quote will be
"As we all know Mary has been working hard to get the team he wants as well as the organisation required to make it work.
The last few years have been very tough but Mary has guided us through the worst of it.
Mary has now got all the correct senior players in their best positions, as well as all the outstanding juniors we have retained that have been blooded with a sniff of 1st grade.
Ben Hunt is the last piece in the jig saw puzzle so to speak and with him coming on board in 2018 we will be pressing for the title in 2019"
God Bless Mary

OT
I shouldn't have been reading this while trying to prepare tea.
Its put me of lol

 

[the lame dragon 48]

Dont see Walters name up there not sure about his future employment but my choice assistant to bennet assistant to bellamy pretty good teachers im sure

 

[Coffs dragon]

With the Dragons & Doust, you can expect the unexpected. Usually very guarded in the big decision making i.e Bennett, Widdop and now Hunt signing. So I don't expect the rumours of Hasler or Cleary to eventuate as it could be a smokescreen plus Hasler would demand huge $$$. I feel there will be a curve ball coaching appointment with someone like Kevin Walters or Tony Smith. Both former players that have played in teams alongside Mark Coyne.....whom is involved in a consultancy capacity. Both Walters and Smith engage well thru the media and our club will need all the help they can get to rebuild support with sponsors and members.