The Dragons are not renowned for their website updating speed, but the joint venture has been unusually fast in deleting reference to head coach Steve Price and replacing him with Paul ‘Mary’ McGregor.
Apparently no trace now remains of Steve Price except in the archives, but one wonders how much of Steve Price’s influence lingers deep within the Dragons squad.
To many Dragons fans, Paul McGregor will be recognisable as the on-field Dragons trainer this year. While Paul McGregor also has a great record as a player with the Steelers, Dragons, NSW and Australia, some will say his recent coaching record is tainted by his involvement in the Steve Price coaching team.
I have yet to find out what his coaching record was at the Illawarra Cutters, so it is not clear what he achieved in his time as Cutters coach before becoming Dragons assistant coach and now head coach.
The choice also seems a conservative one following the precedent of the Warriors in appointing their assistant coach after Elliott’s departure.
It is now time for McGregor to show the Dragons fans what he has got to offer as head coach. What McGregor can get the Dragons squad to deliver, which seemed to elude Steve Price for two-and-a-half years, will be seen first-up against the Rabbitohs.
Former Dragons five-eighth Jamie Soward has lent his support to McGregor. Soward spent time in the NSW Cup after he was relegated to NSW Cup by Price and coached by McGregor. Soward, despite his silence about last year’s mid-season departure, deserves, based upon this seasons performance for the Panthers, to have his opinion respected.
So McGregor deserves his time in the sun and maybe he will be the future.
Souths’ win against the Sharks was much harder than the score indicated and I also expect the Dragons to struggle against the Sharks in two weeks’ time, but what can they do against the Rabbitohs this weekend?
Well there are few discernable changes from the squad last named by Steve Price.
Peter Mata’utia’s debut on the wing against the Eels has earned him a place, but he has been shifted to the centres, with Jason Nightingale returning to the wing. An extended bench of forwards has been named, presumably to see who performs best in training for McGregor.
Ben Creagh has been moved to prop from the second row, where he has been playing well, and Mike Cooper, who has played well all season, remains on the extended bench.
Is Paul McGregor giving the same old squad another chance? How will McGregor use the bench? If they lose against the Rabittohs, will changes be made? What if they lose against the Sharks after that?
Paul McGregor needs to make his own mark on this team and fast. The legacy of Steve Price needs to be left far behind.
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