NRL 2020: Incredible scenes in Dragons coach Paul McGregor’s final game win over Eels

After seven often tumultuous years, departing Dragons coach Paul McGregor’s side have pulled off an incredible victory over NRL frontrunners.

Paul McGregor gets a win to finish off his Dragons career

The St George Illawarra Dragons have given departing coach Paul McGregor a fitting send off against the Parramatta Eels with a gutsy 14-12 victory.

McGregor was shown the door earlier in the week despite having another year to run on his contract and took the reins for the final time against the Eels.

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It appeared to inspire the side to a thrilling victory at Bankwest Stadium with incredible scenes post-match as players ran up to hug their coach and share an emotional farewell with a beaming McGregor.

McGregor — who has spent much of the season scowling — even smiled while fronting the media. Asked how his emotions were, he said “they’re good now”.

“They were unsettled yesterday morning and a little bit today,” he said. “But once I got to the game I just really wanted to enjoy it with the players.

“It was a nice way to finish my career with the club. The players are pretty emotional in there. There was a lot of talk that they weren’t playing for me but that was too far from the truth and they showed that tonight.

“We had a little presentation in there and Cam (McInnes) presented me his jumper which is probably one of the best presents I’ve ever got in my life from a person that I admire the way he plays the game and leads the club.”

Asked if there were tears, McGregor said there were “too many in the last 48 hours”.

NRL Live Scores: Round 14 match centres

Cam McInnes gave McGregor his jersey.

Social media was thrilled for McGregor with social media going nuts for the departing coach.

That was the grittiest Dragons performance I’ve seen in a while🐉
A performance fitting for the character of Paul McGregor. No one can question his determination & integrity. #NRLEelsDragons

— Ashton Sims (@ashtonsims26) August 14, 2020

It’s Mary McGregor’s final miracle #NRLEelsDragons pic.twitter.com/DCvnjbWkBe

— Rob Sutherland (@rob_sutherland3) August 14, 2020

Classic Dragons. Classic Parramatta. Two clubs doing their best and worst selves in this Covid world. #NRLEelsDragons

— Tim Barrow (@TheBarrow) August 14, 2020

Hail Mary. Great to see a top bloke like him walk away with a W. Shame that @NRL_Dragons team didn’t play like that for him every week. Some of that is on him. Most is on his players. Hope he gets another gig. Not sure he will but good luck with what happens next. #NRLEelsDragons

— Brett Keeble (@BrettKeeble) August 14, 2020

While the Eels were favourites, with 20 minutes remaining, the Dragons kicked a penalty goal after a high tackle to make it 12-all in what had been a “torrid” match, according to the Fox League commentators.

A wet game made handling difficult but the Dragons were switched on, ending a three-game losing streak to send McGregor out a winner.

The final 20 minutes were controversial and mesmerising with one try disallowed for each side.

The first was the Dragons’ Kaide Ellis. Ben Hunt kicked the ball into the Eels’ Reed Mahoney, with the ball ricocheting into the arms of the charging Ellis. But the Bunker officials deemed Ellis was guilty of a slight knock on.

Hand of god to steal the try from the Dragons.

On Fox League, Michael Ennis said: “You can‘t take this off the big man, you can’t do it to him.”

Despite the disallowed try, an offside call against Parramatta gave St George a kick for goal and the Dragons went ahead 14-12.

Mahoney almost became a hero at the other end of the field after he was the only onside player chasing a Blake Ferguson kick, with the Eels dummy-half diving full length but grounding the Steeden just on the dead ball line, preventing him from adding four points to the Eels’ score.

Channel 9’s Brad Fittler said the Eels didn’t throw much at the Dragons, with their halves “non-existent”, plenty of plaudits went to the Dragons for sending their coach out a winner.

So close from Reid Mahoney.