Monday Buzz: St George Illawarra’s Ben Hunt issue shows Dragons’ big problem
No one expected the Dragons to be there on grand final day this season. They should, however, be in contention for the finals. The winners of only eight of their last 31 games, continuous failure cannot be tolerated.
Phil Rothfield
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Ben Hunt played the first three games of the season at St George Illawarra as a halfback.
Then he had one game at five-eighth.
Then four on the bench.
Then three at hooker when he got his starting position back.
Then back to halfback to feed the scrums for a week.
Then to five-eighth again for the Roosters last Thursday night.
This is crazy. Most million-dollar marquee players are the linchpins with a permanent position and first chosen in the starting 17.
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Teams need stability around the playmakers. You can’t keep chopping and changing.
The Wests Tigers are hopelessly struggling for the same reason.
Josh Reynolds started on the bench. Then Benji Marshall. Then Luke Brooks. Then Billy Walters.
It’s someone different in the halves almost every weekend like musical chairs.
Make up your mind, Madge.
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Obviously struggling teams have got to make changes to find a winning combination.
But this is ridiculous.
The situation at St George Illawarra and the future of Paul McGregor is going to be a big story in the run home to the finals at this once proud club.
The board will meet this week and, no doubt, coaching will be high on the agenda.
It can be hard to hold McGregor totally accountable because he doesn’t have the control other first grade coaches get.
Team selections that are done by a committee. McGregor, Shane Flanagan and Dean Young have a vote each. It is not always McGregor’s team. How ridiculous.
Their best player, Zac Lomax, has been moved from fullback, to wing to centre.
They started the year with Issac Luke at hooker ahead of Cameron McInnes – then offloaded him to the Brisbane Broncos.
In recruitment, Ian Millward decides what players are worth and paid, not the coach.
The St George Illawarra recruitment is arguably the worst in the competition.
They paid $800,000 to get Corey Norman from the Parramatta Eels, who were so keen for him to leave they would have given him a Cabcharge docket to Wollongong to make sure he got there.
They paid Hunt $1.2 million a season over five years, money normally reserved for champions.
They have let their best forward Tyson Frizell go to the Newcastle Knights next year and young stars like Jason Saab want out.
Millward has been there for years. He is the son of influential director Bob Millward and appears to be untouchable.
Premierships are hard to win.
No one expected the Dragons to be there on grand final day this season.
They should however be in contention for the finals.
Continuous failure cannot be tolerated.
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The Dragons have won just eight of their last 31 games.
That might be OK for the Titans or the Bulldogs with their weak rosters and fans who don’t expect much better, this year at least.
But it’s not OK for the Dragons. This club needs a major shake-up.
Not a quick Phil Gould review but a proper and professional analysis with a strategic plan for the future.
We’re told St George Illawarra has a fractured board.
The Wollongong directors are supporting McGregor while the Kogarah board members aren’t.
It might be one of their major problems.
The great Jack Gibson always said winning started in the front office.