Phil Gould told the Dragons Paul McGregor needed to get more hands-on with his coaching
Phil Gould’s review of the Dragons led to a recommendation that coach Paul McGregor get more hands-on with the tutelage of his roster. READ THE DETAILS OF THE REVIEW HERE!
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Paul McGregor needs to step out of the backroom and get more hands-on with the Dragons.
This was the key recommendation The Sunday Telegraph can reveal out of Phil Gould’s secretive off-season review into St George Illawarra.
In recent years McGregor had distanced himself from what the players were doing on the training paddock. Gould told the club McGregor needed to get his hands dirty and to stop spending as much time on video and instead work one-on-one with his squad.
The coach listened — upping his involvement by as high as 80 per cent during the most recent off-season after hovering around 20 per cent the previous year.
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The highly-talked-about Gould review took place after the Dragons’ disastrous 15th-place finish in 2019. McGregor is now fighting for his job just three games into the new season.
Club bosses had planned to give the under-siege mentor up to 10 games this year to decide if they would stick with him.
The 52-year-old in his sixth full season as coach and only sits behind Nathan Brown and Roy Masters for most games coached in St George and St George Illawarra history.
A loss to Canterbury tomorrow at Bankwest Stadium would naturally hasten any moves to spear him. Dean Young would step-up to fill the void in the short term as the club explored options.
Dragons hierarchy aren’t convinced Shane Flanagan is their next coach even if he is given an early clearance by the NRL. Some would consider appointing a Young-Wayne Bennett combination should the wily supercoach exit the Rabbitohs at season’s end.
Local products Jason Ryles and Craig Fitzgibbon also have their supporters at the Dragons.
Gould spent about four weeks over September and October interviewing players, staff and detailing his findings. He was not paid and offered to come on as after being approached by McGregor and then chief executive Brian Johnston, and the majority of his findings were implemented in the off-season.
Johnston would not comment when contacted by The Sunday Telegraph. The document has never been shared, instead passed on verbally among players, staff and Dragons management.
The review was not to make a judgment of McGregor’s coaching future because the Dragons board had done that already when they opted to give McGregor a two-year extension last April. That offer was worth about $1.4 million — slightly less than his previous contract — and came off the back of McGregor’s only finals win the previous season and an innuendo at least one Sydney club was circling.
LISTEN! This week on The Daily Telegraph podcast Mobbsy, Mick and Buzz talk through financial irresponsibility of clubs after just one round, Paul McGregor’s St George Illawarra future, Dean Pay being under pressure at Canterbury PLUS John Bateman’s injury and what it means for the Canberra Raiders’ premiership hopes
Instead, Gould’s review was about setting McGregor up for success and then leaving the rest to him.
The players largely stood behind McGregor, although some of that support has wavered in recent weeks, highlighted by Tyson Frizell’s move to Newcastle and Jason Saab’s demand for an immediate release.
During the review, some players hinted McGregor could be clearer in his messaging — and you could argue that confusion is on show with his merry-go-round of selections at fullback to start this season.
While Gould was complimentary about the coach, he did not hold a similar judgment on some of the Dragons’ highest-paid stars. One in particular had his attitude blasted by the two-time premiership mentor.
Gould also questioned the leadership of the players and criticised the club’s decision to part ways with its previous leadership coach. They have since engaged Gerard Murphy of Leadership by Design.
Gould wanted the club to appoint a coaching director. In lieu of that, he told the board that McGregor needed to be surrounded by a different support staff. He needed an “educator” and an “experienced” coach.
Premiership-winning coach Flanagan came on board as one of McGregor’s assistants, along with ex-teacher and former Newcastle assistant coach James Shepherd. Young remained an assistant.
It has been the second major review done under McGregor’s watch. The first one was at the end of 2016 and again resulted in changes to key staff to bolster support for the coach.