Josh Kerr challenges St George Illawarra to achieve success under new coach Anthony Griffin

Josh Kerr is fed up the Dragons are perennial underachievers but believes their latest shake-up will turn around their on-field fortunes.

St George Illawarra prop Josh Kerr says new coach Anthony Griffin has already had a positive impact.

St George Illawarra’s all-talk, no action culture has been laid bare after Dragons prop Josh Kerr put the underperforming club on notice.

Fed up with failing to live up to expectations year after year, Kerr has opened up about the Dragons’ off-field shake-up and the noticeable difference under new coach Anthony Griffin.

The preparations for the 2021 season are only now ramping up after the club returned from the Christmas break, but, according to Kerr, the new approach from Griffin and assistant coaches Matthew Elliott and Peter Gentle have already made an impact.

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“It’s hard to say it without disrespecting our previous coaching staff, but coming back has been really positive from everyone,” Kerr said of the previous Paul McGregor’s previous regimen.

“Pre-season is pre-season and you always hear how everyone is dreading it but everyone is loving rocking up, it’s tough as but they make it more enjoyable by being positive.

“I had a lot to do with Mary, and I really like him because he gave me my debut and had a lot to do with turning me into a first grader. But we obviously needed a change.”

The Dragons have missed the finals in four of the past five years despite often boasting a wealth of representative talent.

For Kerr, 2021 marks a line in the sand where actions, not words, can help the club shed the mediocre results of years past.

Josh Kerr says he is enjoying pre-season training. Picture: AAP

“I get that Hook is a new coach and he needs to come in and say all the things about what we’re going to do this year and what we’re going to change,” Kerr said.

“But honestly, how many years have you seen the Dragons say we have all these Origin players and how great we are and we can’t even make the eight.

“That’s the kind of thing I wanted to change – we have to start doing it instead of just talking about how great it’ll be when we do this.

“To be honest it’s embarrassing, and I’m sick of being a part of it.

“It’s a bit nerve wracking, some people don’t like a lot of change but to be fair we needed a change – we weren’t getting the results we needed.

“We needed a kick up the backside and a bit of a clean-out.”

McGregor finished his time at the Dragons as the club’s longest-serving coach, having led the club since midway through the 2014 season until last year, when he was sacked mid-season.

With Tyson Frizell, James Graham, Korbin Sims and Euan Aitken all also exiting, the door is open for the likes of Kerr to take on a more prominent role.

The strapping front-rower is entering the season with more faith in his ability than ever before after he was part of Queensland’s squad for the 2020 Origin series, where he claimed the Peter Jackson Medal as the player who displayed the most “Queensland spirit” despite not playing a game.

“I got so much confidence and experience from that camp, I want to bring that back and hopefully create an awesome culture here,” Kerr said.

“I want to try and be a leader as much as possible with the boys – I’m not really a fan of saying what I want to do, I’d rather just do it.”

New contender emerges in Dragons’ halves race

The Dragons may well have enough playmaking talent for Anthony Griffin’s men to be one of 2021’s big improvers — it’s just a case of the new coach landing on the right combination.

Does he go with the club’s highest paid player, another former Origin half, the up and coming talent or the late bloomer who was one of the club’s few bright spots in a difficult 2020 campaign?

Between marquee man Ben Hunt, the enigmatic Corey Norman, young gun Jayden Sullivan and incumbent halfback Adam Clune, Griffin clearly has the cattle and finding the right duo shapes as one of his key challenges ahead of his first season with the Dragons.

Griffin has made one thing clear at least — reputations mean nothing in the battle for a starting berth.

“Hook is a man of his word, so that seems to be the case with how we’re approaching training,” Clune said.

Ben Hunt is in the mix as at least four battle for the halves positions at St George.

“Everyone seems to be fighting for a spot, nobody is guaranteed a position and that’s really showing at training — everyone is working hard because they think there’s a chance for them to play if they train and perform well.”

For his part, Clune doesn’t see the job as his to lose despite the fact he played 15 matches at halfback last season.

His maiden year in the NRL has given the 25-year-old a greater confidence that he can steer the Dragons around the park if he is given the nod for the season opener against the Sharks.

“I definitely don’t feel like it’s my jumper, or I’ve already earnt first crack. I’ve got a lot of work to do,” Clune said.

“I’ve asked for some feedback and he’s given me a little bit, but I just need to keep working hard and keep talking on the field. That’s super important for a half.

“We’ve got some other great players vying for the halves, I have to put my best foot forward at training every day and try and get better because that’ll help my chances of getting a spot.

“Coming into the 2021 pre-season, even more so than when I was playing last season, I have that belief and it’s something I’m really looking to build.

“It took me a while to debut and it looked like it wasn’t going to happen at one stage but I’ve really got that belief now that I can come in and guide the team around as a seven, or as a six if need be.”

Jayden Sullivan brings the youth factor to the halves battle.

Regardless of who wins the job, stability and consistency will be key for the Dragons chances of success in 2021.

The roster was in constant upheaval in 2020 — Hunt was constantly moved between halfback, five-eighth, hooker and the bench and Norman spent time at fullback with swathes of the top 17 changing by the week.

Clune admitted the heavy turnover, both in the spine and across the rest of the roster, took it’s toll over the course of the year.

“You look at the top teams, they have a lot of combinations on the edge. It really helps when you play week in and week out and get those reps at training,” Clune said.

“That’s one thing I found last year coming into the NRL — maybe in reserve grade you can get away with it, but coming into first grade I think I had four different backrowers and three different centres.”

Clune also praised the impact of former premiership winner Jaime Soward, who has been working with the halves over the off-season.

The top point scorer in the club’s history and arguably the key player in their champion 2010 side, Soward’s tutelage has already made a difference to Clune’s kicking game.

“He really cares, and you can tell that with the way he speaks,” Clune said.

“Having him come here and really focus on kicking, giving us feedback while we’re kicking, has been super beneficial.

“You can tell from where we started kicking in mid-November to know, little things and little comments he’s made have helped everyone.”