'Hounded': Why Dragons had to act on Griffin

2 years ago 107

St George Illawarra's determination to marque manager Anthony Griffin reapply for his job is the close move, according to Phil Gould.

Griffin is successful the 3rd and last twelvemonth of his contract, having won 21 of 50 matches since taking implicit astatine the Dragons.

The nine finished 11th successful 2021 and 10th successful 2022, connected some occasions 4 points retired of the finals.

The Dragons haven't made the apical 8 since 2018, and astir judges expect that drought to proceed this year.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported connected Tuesday that a committee gathering had resolved to interrogation imaginable candidates for the job, with the Dragons promising to support Griffin successful the loop.

Speaking connected his Wide World of Sports podcast Six Tackles with Gus, Gould pointed retired that the timeline meant the nine had to enactment now, oregon hazard the concern blowing up aboriginal successful the season.

"You've got to look astatine it from the Dragons perspective, he's disconnected declaration astatine the extremity of the year," helium said.

"The clip volition travel successful the adjacent mates of weeks wherever they spell to each property league and they'll beryllium asking the question, are you re-signing for adjacent year?

"The club's going to get hounded with (questions about) 'what are you doing astir the coach'. They'll person players off-contract oregon players they're trying to motion and the archetypal question they'll inquire is who is going to beryllium the coach?

"They've got to beryllium capable to supply an reply for that."

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Gould, himself a two-time premiership-winning coach, said the Dragons whitethorn marque a telephone arsenic soon arsenic the adjacent fewer weeks.

"They're not going to fto it spell connected until the extremity of the year," helium said.

"They'll look astatine their performances implicit the past mates of years, they haven't played finals shot for a fewer years now.

"They whitethorn good mean to widen him (Griffin), I don't know. I deliberation it's the omniscient happening to bash alternatively than conscionable sitting determination doing nothing, oregon saying thing and doing it down the coach's backmost oregon trying to support it retired of the media."

After a circular 1 bye, the Dragons thumped Gold Coast successful circular two, earlier falling 40-18 to Brisbane successful circular three.

They play arch-rivals the Sharks connected Sunday earlier facing astonishment packets the Dolphins successful circular five.

It's wherefore Gould believes the adjacent fewer weeks volition beryllium important successful deciding Griffin's future.

"The database of options is reasonably narrow, truthful St George Illawarra privation to get proactive," helium explained.

"I don't needfully look astatine it arsenic a antagonistic for the incumbent coach. What they're saying is we're going to marque a determination successful the adjacent month, enactment your exertion in.

"They're not astatine the infinitesimal wherever they privation to widen him without considering different options. You'll beryllium good informed who you're up against.

"It's up to you. He's the incumbent. He's the 1 who tin triumph 4 of his adjacent 5 and involvement a case. What they haven't said is, don't apply. It would person been worse if they said we're going to name a caller manager successful the adjacent month, nary request to apply. They haven't done that. The lone happening worse than that is, 'Don't travel Monday'."

Former Dragons Jason Ryles, Ben Hornby and Dean Young are amongst the names being floated arsenic imaginable successors to Griffin, should the nine determine to look elsewhere.

"None of those radical that they've listed whitethorn beryllium adjacent interested," Gould noted.

"Everyone volition get thrown into the premix eventually.

"This is his 3rd year. In that 3 years, we look astatine the assemblage of enactment and say, what has helium done for the club, the playing roster and performance, is that capable to warrant a caller declaration going forward?

"They tin measurement that up and accidental what are our options? Let's look astatine their credentials and let's look astatine whether oregon not we'll beryllium amended disconnected with 1 of those fellows. Are they acceptable to travel into this situation arsenic first-time caput coaches and bash immoderate amended than what Griffin's doing astatine the moment?"

Gould was pressed connected whether oregon not the nine had improved successful the clip Griffin has been successful charge, fixed he's won conscionable 42 per cent of games since helium took over.

"Well the results wouldn't suggest (so)," helium said.

"I deliberation they're a just side. Everyone's tipping them to tally last. They won't tally last. They won their archetypal crippled comfortably.

"Their crippled against the Broncos, that was successful the equilibrium with not agelong to go. I cognize it fell distant but that tin hap to anyone.

"They whitethorn good beryllium blessed (with Griffin). Until they say, 'don't travel Monday', each is not lost."

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