Times are a bit testy at the Dragons, with coach Shane Flanagan far from happy with the club's decision to part ways with chief executive Ryan Webb last week. Webb was a big supporter of Flanagan and helped him get the head coach job this year in the face of opposition from some board members due to Flanagan's history at the Sharks. The coach was keen to repay that loyalty and has told anyone who wants to listen that he is fuming with the Dragons' move to cut ties with Webb.
After a performance branded "diabolical" by Andrew Johns, stand-in St George Illawarra head coach Ryan Carr delivered his first spray in the role.The Dragons' interim answer to the axing of Anthony Griffin pointed to the door as he led a review of the club's 48-18 thrashing at the hands of the Warriors last Friday night.Anyone not on board should use the door, Carr told his troops."That's what I believe in, that's the way I coach," Carr said in an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald."It was nothing new from me to them; I'm honest with them. They know that. There's real clarity about what our standards are and what our accountability is towards our job. We didn't meet that."I was just calling out what is what. It's not about reacting and going over the top and going outside of what we believe in."I'm not a big ranter and raver — gone are the days of that."I was a bit disappointed in letting our standards go and putting out something we weren't proud of."It's about being honest."I take the good with the good, the bad with the bad. I'm never really high or really low, it is what it is."The Dragons' showing against the Warriors was a reflection of their shambolic season off the field.Griffin was sacked after round 11, Jason Ryles rejected the Dragons after appearing certain to take the vacant coaching job, and the tension that's long divided the board at the joint venture has spiked dramatically.The club has also been rocked by skipper and champion halfback Ben Hunt, who requested a release with two-and-a-half years remaining on his contract. The Dragons stood firm, rejecting Hunt's request.The Queensland State of Origin playmaker will remain captain despite no longer wanting to don the famous Red V."The Dragons last week against the Warriors — after a while they just turned their toes up," Johns said on Wide World of Sports' Freddy and The Eighth.
The Dragons have called an emergency meeting of all players and staff on Monday morning, where it is expected they will be told that skipper Ben Hunt is leaving the club.The decision will end weeks of discontent between Hunt and the Dragons after the star utility made the shock announcement that he wanted out.The Dragons were hoping that the decision to appoint the controversial Shane Flanagan as coach would sway Hunt to change his mind about quitting.But Hunt has stubbornly refused to alter his stance and the Dragons are believed to have decided there is no point keeping a disgruntled player - even if he is their marquee man.Hunt is expected to play out this season with his former club, the Broncos, before signing a rich deal with the Titans for 2024 and beyond.Hunt's last game was Friday night's dismal home loss to the Warriors, in which television images after the match showed him sitting alone and unhappy in a corner of the dressing room.
Bulldogs football boss Phil Gould did not shut down talk of Canterbury being interested in disgruntled St George Illawarra captain Ben Hunt when quizzed on Monday night.The Bulldogs and Titans appear to be the most likely of rival clubs to snare Hunt's signature after the Queensland State of Origin champion last week rocked the Dragons with a request of an immediate release.Hunt is contracted to the Dragons until the end of 2025, but he's warring with the club after Anthony Griffin was sacked as coach in May.The 33-year-old is also in opposition to playing at hooker, which some key figures at the Dragons want to happen so young guns Jayden Sullivan and Talatau Amone can pair up in the halves.Hunt wants to flee St George Illawarra despite the efforts of incoming coach Shane Flanagan to ensure he remains in the Red V.While the Dragons rejected Hunt's release request, there's still a considerable chance of the veteran halfback departing. Another club could fork out, a swap deal could be the answer or Hunt may even dig into his own pockets to force his way out.When Gould was asked on Nine's 100% Footy on Monday night if the Bulldogs were entertaining the prospect of signing Hunt, the club's general manager of football said: "I think everyone's watching this space"."You go out and try to buy a halfback," Gould added."There aren't many around. There are none around, there are none around. And they're pretty expensive if you want to buy a good one. I think everyone's watching this space."But until that's sorted out between the Dragons and Ben Hunt, it's a waste of time."Gould also said he did not know why Hunt had requested an immediate release from the Dragons."I don't know what is at the core of his motivation," Gould said.
League icon Andrew Johns says "questions need to be asked" over what led to Jason Ryles' 11th-hour backflip on joining the Dragons as their new head coach.Ryles was widely expected to be the full-time successor to Anthony Griffin, but backflipped at the last minute, instead joining the Melbourne Storm as an assistant.Speaking on Wide World of Sports' Freddy and The Eighth, Johns was highly critical of the Dragons for losing out on Ryles, suggesting he should've been given whatever he required in order to sign as the club's next coach."He was going to sign, something is wrong there," he said."He wanted something in the clause ... He's the boss, whatever he asked (for) he should've been given, whether it was about his staff or his recruitment or whatever."Questions have got to be asked from within the Dragons how they buggered this one up."Jason Ryles played for the Dragons, he lives down there, he wanted to do it. How they stuffed up this one, questions need to be asked."I think he pretty much agreed; that's what it looks like from the outside. He's then gone in and said to them, 'Well, I want this', and they've said, 'You're not getting that'."To make matters worse for the Dragons, talisman Ben Hunt could leave the club if he's forced to play the No.9 role full-time.Johns said he understood where the 33-year-old was coming from."Ben Hunt is 32. Does he want to play the last two years of his career playing hooker? No chance," he said."At this stage of his career, you look at Origin footy and his rep career, hooker is his spot, (but) at clubland playing 26 rounds week-in, week-out at 32, that's a big, big challenge."
In the wake of Jason Ryles' shock rejection of the Dragons coaching role, chief executive Ryan Webb has confirmed the club is in talks with Shane Flanagan.Flanagan's name has been thrown around as a potential candidate for the job well before Anthony Griffin was sacked last month.Speaking on 2GB's Continuous Call Team on Saturday, Webb said Flanagan's name was "one of a few"."There isn't a name that's off the table. The different candidates that remain, we've touched base with quite a number of them before, (but) in the last week or two, we focused in on Jason. "All the candidates that remain now, we'll pick them back up, but there isn't anyone that's excluded. "(Flanagan) is a name in that group, but he's one of a few."One of the obstacles remaining between Flanagan and the Dragons job is Peter Doust.The former Dragons chief executive is known to not be a fan of Flanagan. Webb denied suggestions Doust was an "agitator" on the Dragons board."Peter Doust is one of eight directors that I report to, (and) whenever I … have to report or get direction, it's from a board of eight and ultimately the chairman Andrew Lancaster," he said."So I couldn't say … Peter is there influencing things in a bad way. I couldn't say that at all. He's one of eight directors that I have to take leadership from."Last month, Flanagan told 2GB he would wait for the Dragons to come to him, rather than him being the chaser.
Rugby league guru Phil Gould has denied he warned Jason Ryles against taking the head coaching role at the Dragons, despite admitting the pair are in regular contact.Ryles this week rejected a long-term offer to lead his former club St George Illawarra out of the wilderness and it has since been reported that Gould was used a sounding board.While the coaching great confirmed he had recently spoken to Ryles, he played down claims that he had influenced the Roosters' assistant coach to choose another path, resulting in his decision to return to the Melbourne Storm in a role that is likely to ensure that he succeeds Craig Bellamy when he retires. Speaking on Wide World of Sports' Six Tackles with Gus podcast, Gould said he has maintained a friendship since Ryles played in his NSW team - the last series he took the reins of as coach - in 2004."Every time I travel to Melbourne [when Ryles was posted at the Storm from 2015 to 2020] … we [would] have a coffee together because I just like to keep up with the latest trends," Gould said."I know he believes he's ready for an NRL job, and I'm sure he is, but he's chosen to go back to the Melbourne Storm under Craig Bellamy and wait out there."I certainly didn't influence his decision. I don't know where people get that from."Ryles was short-priced favourite to take his first head coaching role at the Dragons, before announcing on Monday he had signed on for a second stint as an assistant under Bellamy at the Storm.Ryles is widely tipped to be a long-term head coach at the Storm when Bellamy eventually calls time.Hours after Ryles' decision became known, the Dragons were also informed by their major sponsor of 40 years, St George Bank, that the company would end its association with the club at the end of next season.Dragons chief executive Ryan Webb said "it wasn't a great day for the club", but added that Ryles' rejection could still prove to be a "blessing in disguise"."I'm not dismissing that (Wednesday) wasn't a hard day for anyone at the club, but I don't think it's the end of the world," he said.Gould agreed, and said the right coach could take the current playing group back up the ladder."There's always something to look forward to. I know it seems a little bit tough at the moment, but they'll work it out, they'll find a coach, they've just got to take a long term view towards it," Gould said.
Brad Fittler has revealed the man he believes could rescue the Dragons from its current predicament as the club searches for a new coach.In the days leading up to Anthony Griffin's sacking, a representative of current Argentina rugby union coach Michael Cheika approached the Dragons about their interest in the Super Rugby winner - however, the Dragons have since indicated he's not a serious contender.Fittler believes Cheika - who coached Lebanon at the Rugby League World Cup - could make an impact at the struggling NRL club."(If) Michael Cheika put up his hand, mate he'd be able to sort out a board," he told Wide World of Sports' Freddy & The Eighth."He's mad, got a bit of madness in him."Fittler, who has also previously coached Lebanon as well, believes Cheika's experience with the country could have him primed a joint-venture club like the Dragons."He understands politics because he's grown up with it his whole life through the nature of being Lebanese," he said. "It's unreal, I coached the team, it's hilarious, they're the best but it's tricky."Since the Dragons won the competition in 2010, the club has yet to see any premiership success.Wayne Bennett left in 2011 for the Knights with Steve Price, Paul McGregor, Dean Young (interim) and Griffin all coaching since his departure.The Dragons aren't the only joint venture club to struggle in recent years, with the Wests Tigers also falling on hard times.Rugby league great Andrew Johns said both clubs needed strong figures to take charge saying, "there needs to be a broom through the whole place" when referencing the Dragons."If you've got a strong coach that's the thing, there was probably politics that were going on there (Tigers in 2005) but when you're winning you don't hear from them," he said."The key is you've got to win."Wayne made the big decision (when starting at the Dragons), he said, 'Righto we're training at Wollongong' because before Wayne they used to train between Kogarah and Wollongong."That's what you need, someone to make those strong decisions."Fittler added the problems around the club's board - that's split between members from St George Leagues Club, WIN Corporation and the Illawarra Steelers - played a part when former coach Paul 'Mary' McGregor was sacked."I remember talking to Mary when he lost his job, he got to a top four position and 15 months later he couldn't pick his own team," he said. It's laughable."To think that a board can come in and think that they should be part of picking a team, it's hilarious."
Embattled Dragons coach Anthony Griffin has been sacked, effective immediately.Dragons CEO Ryan Webb confirmed the news in a statement released Tuesday morning."These decisions are never taken lightly and on behalf of the club I want to thank Anthony for all his hard work during his time at the Dragons," Webb said."Unfortunately our performances over the first 10 games of this season have not met the club's expectations so it was decided he should finish up his duties this week."Griffin's future at the club has been under the microscope for much of the past 12 months due to poor results.After finishing 10th on the ladder last season, the Dragons languish in 16th on the ladder, above only the Tigers on for and against.Assistant Ryan Carr will take over as interim coach.Earlier Tuesday morning, Griffin was spotted leaving training at WIN Stadium in Wollongong not long after arriving.Former Dragons player and current Roosters assistant Jason Ryles is favourite to take the reins at Kogarah. Although contracted at Bondi until the end of 2024, it's understood the Roosters would not block Ryles' departure for a head coaching role.Coincidentally, the Dragons will take on the Roosters at WIN Stadium on Friday night.Also in the Dragons sights is Ben Hornby.
Beware the frustrated Dragon!That's the message from St George Illawarra centre Moses Suli as his team prepares to become the first team in 17 years to take the field after a first round bye.The Dragons drew the short straw when the NRL announced the 2023 draw that included the new Dolphins, resulting in a bye every round."Last weekend was one of the hardest weekends of my career and I know a lot of the other boys felt the same," centre Moses Suli told Wide World of Sports."You work your butt off all summer, dying to get out there and you end up watching every other team play while we did nothing."It was hard to watch I can tell you."It's just the luck of the draw and we have to cop it - but the boys are all pumped up now and I think you will really see us come out breathing fire on Sunday."Suli has taken one for the team this season, swapping sides with strike weapon Zac Lomax.Lomax had an indifferent season on the right edge last season and committed more errors than any player in the NRL.So coach Anthony Griffin has switched the pair hoping they will both benefit."I've actually played more on the right edge than the left over my career so it doesn't worry me," the strong-running centre said."Anything to help the team and when they came up with the idea I was all for it."I've had a good summer and can't wait to actually get going."
St George - Illawarra has downplayed a dust up at training between Zac Lomax and Talatau Amone during a three-day camp on the NSW south coast.A fan captured video of the players in a heated altercation between teammates at a session in Mollymook.Lomax reportedly took exception to a big shot from Amone, before the whole squad came together to break up the scuffle.However, the Dragons have dismissed talk of the clash having a negative affect on the team."I'd put it down to nothing more than the boys showing some competitive fire, which is what you want to see from the boys, if I'm being honest," Dragons CEO Ryan Webb told The Sydney Morning Herald."It bubbled over, two young guys got a bit overzealous, everyone separated them, they kept training for another half-hour and everyone was mates afterwards."The Dragons returned to their home base in Wollongong on Friday, before travelling to Sydney on Monday for an opposed session with the NSW Waratahs at NSW Rugby's new $20m centre of excellence in Daceyville.
