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The St. George Illawarra Dragons have been underperforming this year in the NRL. On paper they should be at least a top-eight team.
The Dragons have under-performed ever since Wayne Bennett left way back at the end of the 2011 season.
Since 2012, Steve Price has been the coach of the famous club, and now the fans have had enough. Many are pointing the finger at Price, especially after the Dragons’ last two weeks.
In these two weeks they have been outscored 74-6, with their only try coming in the last minutes of the game against the Bulldogs.
On Sunday night, the day after the massive loss to the Eels, a group of passionate Red V supporters held a protest rally outside the St. George Leagues Club, carrying banners with slogans such as “Dust Doust” and “The Price is Not Right”.
The supporters want Price replaced with someone from outside the organisation and will carry the banners to every Dragons game until Price is sacked. The fans of the Dragons are clearly frustrated after not only the first 10 games of the 2014 season, but also the 2012 and 2013 seasons.
The Dragons have previously said that Price has until Round 12 to prove himself. That was in Round 8, and since then they have been outscored 74-6. Surely that is enough for the board of the Dragons to sack him now?
Possible replacements for Price next season are Laurie Daley and Neil Henry, while keeping an eye on the Wayne Bennett situation at the Knights.
Out of the three listed above, Laurie Daley is reportedly being chased heavily by the side to become the coach next season.
He would be a perfect fit at the Dragons and has demonstrated some great authority and cool headed thinking with his handling of the Mitchell Pearce situation in the New South Wales camp.
The second option is Neil Henry. He has lots of experience, most recently at the North Queensland Cowboys and the Gold Coast Titans as assistant under John Cartwright. He could be a very good fit at the Dragons as he has plenty of experience and may bring a calming influence over the side.
The Titans, after being criticised in the pre-season, have played some great rugby league this year. Could it be the influence of Henry? I think the answer is yes.
The third option the Dragons are said to be looking at is Wayne Bennett. Could he possibly make a move back to the ‘Gong? It’s unlikely, and many fans would have a bad taste in their mouth from the way he left in 2011.
What about other contenders? Surely Mal Meninga must be explored. He has been with the QRL for eight years. Possibly he is looking for a new challenge and could be an interesting proposition for the Dragons in 2015.