St George Illawarra dug their own hole and now they’ve accelerated their arrival at a destination they were always destined to reach: rock bottom.
Word leaking out on Tuesday night that Anthony Griffin would have to reapply for his job means the coach shouldn’t bother updating his CV, not for his current club anyway.
The Dragons are a measly two games into their season and this will almost certainly torpedo any chance the team had of making the finals.
They informed Griffin of their decision before the season had even started and even his harshest critic would have to feel sorry for him in this instance in that the club’s decision to test the coaching market is the closest thing they could do to a vote of no confidence in his ability.
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If this is how they felt after his first two seasons, the head honchos should have bitten the bullet at the end of last year.
Dragons coach Anthony Griffin. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
The first 160 minutes of playing time that have elapsed this season hasn’t moved the needle good, bad or otherwise on whether Griffin can get the best out of this team. And it probably doesn’t matter if it does from here on in.
A comeback win over the Titans and a late fade-out to Brisbane has continued the theme of his up-and-down tenure from his first two seasons at the helm.
He should have at least been given another month or two to see if he could somehow conjure up the team’s first playoff appearance since 2018.
It’s becoming a trend in recent years to make a coaching call for the next season after just a few rounds – Cronulla did likewise with John Morris in 2021, installing Josh Hannay as the interim for the rest of the year while they waited for Craig Fitzgibbon to fulfill his obligations as a Roosters assistant.
If the St George Illawarra directores are worried about waiting too long and missing out on the signature of a preferred candidate, then that is a case of flawed logic.
This coaching gig should be one of the more appealing opportunities on the NRL landscape: a famous club with a large junior nursery, committed fan base and an appealing location for potential recruits to live.
With three former home-grown internationals on the coaching radar after serving their apprenticeships in Jason Ryles, Dean Young and Ben Hornby, the club shouldn’t need to appear desperate in the hunt for the next coach.
The next coach should want to be at the Dragons, not need to be enticed.
Last year the Wests Tigers gave Michael Maguire his marching orders midway through the season and had first crack at the belle of the prospective coaches ball in Cameron Ciraldo.
They basically offered him the keys to Concord with a five-year deal but he turned them down even before the Bulldogs were on the scent for him to replace Trent Barrett, whose tenure ended a month before Maguire’s.
The Dragons have a relatively tame schedule on the horizon, facing just three finals teams from last year in the next seven weeks. Making a call on the coaching situation now avoids the potentially curlier situation midway through the season of punting someone who has the team in the top eight.
Although Griffin is accustomed to that – he was shown the door by Penrith after back-to-back wins just a few weeks out from the 2018 finals when the team was tied for fourth with none other than St George Illawarra.
Ciraldo, there’s that name again, stepped into the breach and got the Panthers into the second round of the finals before a field goal from Sharks half Chad Townsend ended their season.
Jayden Sullivan scores. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
What remains to be seen now is how long Griffin sticks around, whether he jumps ship or is pushed.
Sunday’s Kogarah clash with Cronulla is one of the most important dates on the club’s calendar – irrespective of where the teams sit on the ladder, they both put this local derby above any other match, including St George Illawarra’s traditional Anzac Day fixture against the Roosters and all the pageantry that goes with that game.
Being an old-school operator it’s hard to see Griffin walking away from the task he signed up for until the writing is on the wall after a lengthy losing streak.
He brought in two inexperienced assistant coaches in Ryan Carr from Brad Arthur’s staff at the Eels and Ben Woolf from the Queensland Cup after Mathew Head and Peter Gentle were controversially told they were no longer required.
With their modest roster of a few current representative stars like Ben Hunt and Jaydn Su’A mixed in with veterans, rising stars and cast-offs from other clubs, even the most optimistic of Dragons fans would have thought the lower reaches of the top eight was probably the best-case scenario this year.
For whoever ends up as coach in 2024, they will oversee a squad containing players with potential whose best years are ahead of them like Jayden Sullivan, Tyrell Sloan, Junior Amone and Cody Ramsey when he returns from his serious intestinal problem next year.
Jack Bird. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
But there needs to be a clean-out of the several underperforming veterans who are well past their prime.
Former Kangaroos prop Aaron Woods is likely to retire, while Jacob Liddle, Moses Mbye, Tautau Moga, Josh Kerr, Billy Burns, and Tyrell Fuimaono are off contract.
The high-priced Jack de Belin contract will continue to be an albatross next season but the club/next coach needs to get more out of Jack Bird (under contract until the end of 2025) and Zac Lomax (2026), who are not giving value for their big-money deals.
For a proud club which has had just one playoff win since Wayne Bennett led them to the 2010 premiership, the next decision on who will be coach will be pivotal in their hopes of ending an era of vast under-achievement.
Pomoz
Roar Rookie
Well KenW, that's why we have forums so we can debate the finer points and disagree. If they pay him out, it isn't reneging. Circumstances change, decisions change. I think this is about money. They save a payout while they look for a new coach and give up on this season.
Robbo
Roar Rookie
Dragond were great in their 1st win and unlucky last week - just ran out of puff. I said before that can not be put down to Hook. If they can beat Sharks this week, Dolphins and Titans the next 2 after that, you would have to say that Hook is going ok. Hopefully the players can dust themselves off from last week and the negative narrative can fortify them to play well. Ben Hunt was well contained last week. It was embarrassing for me, who was quite vocal in a grandstand full of Broncs supporters until last 10 minutes
KenW
Roar Rookie
the impact on the staff and players who are going to spend the entire year thinking who will be the next coach? But they already knew that Griffin's contract is ending this year. They already knew the board was going to have to make a decision to give him a new contract or hire someone else. Is the suggestion that if the club didn't mention it nobody else would have noticed? They should have bitten the bullet and got rid of him and got a new coach. See I have a problem with this being put forward as the 'professional' option. Reneging on a contract extension that they signed 6 months earlier, paying out that contract, grabbing whoever was available and potentially throwing the playing group into disarray.
Gus O
Roar Rookie
My understanding is that this story is based on another partially informed “scoop” by a journalist. The process has been described in other stories on The Roar as an “open tender”. People seem to be making all sorts of BS assumptions and criticisms without any actual information to go on. My suggestion is that the Dragons should issue a press release to explain their process and how it will work for the club to identify and secure the best available coach, and that they fully expect Hook to submit his own proposal for the new coaching contract… StG needs to shut down the uninformed speculation (seemingly self inflicted). This is the last year of Hook’s contract, surely StG have to test the market to identify the best available… if that ends up being Hook then he gets a contract extension. If not, what is the criticism of a process that secures the best available coaching team AND provides for an orderly transition? What’s all the fuss about?
Gus O
Roar Rookie
I agree Ken. This is the last year of his contract, surely StG have to test the market to identify the best available… if that ends up being Hook then he gets a contract extension. If not, this process provides for an orderly transition. What’s the fuss?
Big Daddy
Roar Rookie
Someone on the St George board has talked them into the thinking we have to have an ex player at the helm . Didn't work with Mary , didn't work with Brown but they seem he'll bent on thinking an old boy . I'm sure Young, Hornby and Ryles might one day be fine coaches . At other clubs Parramatta for example should also be asking Arthur to reapply but he seems to have led a charmed life. We saw what happened at Canterbury and its taken them years to sort that mess out .
andrew
Roar Rookie
I think everyone should accept the fact Griffin's just warming the seat. Just let him get on with coaching the Dragons and let him get his affairs in order.
andrew
Roar Rookie
— COMMENT DELETED —
Pomoz
Roar Rookie
Kenw, if they want the team to be focussed then give him an extension. Since they obviously don't think they are going to re-sign him, all they have done is save money. They don't seem to care too much about the impact on the staff and players who are going to spend the entire year thinking who will be the next coach? They should have bitten the bullet and got rid of him and got a new coach. They have saved money and condemned the Dragons to another mediocre year, unmotivated coaching staff and players.
Porkchop
Roar Rookie
Can’t please everyone with timing. Putting Hook on notice may have been so they can openly chase & nab a coach before it’s too late or a simple case of we have given you 2 years without desired results leading into last year , your on notice what have you got . In a professional results driven business clubs need to find a medium of results & future progress . Finding a good first grade experienced coach isn’t guaranteed .
The Wollongong Ocean
Roar Rookie
Board asks for suggestions about what people think name of club should be, board asks for suggestions who would like to be next coach…… who can make a suggestions the board needs a review because quite simply the Dragons have not been a premiership threat since 2011….
Bernie
Roar Rookie
speculation rises that the Dragons are trying to poach Griffin from the Dragons, so the Dragons make an unprecedented 10-year $20 million offer to Griffin to try and retain him. meanwhile, the Dragons chairman Humphrey B Bear, has a clandestine lunchtime meeting with Griffin at McDonalds Dapto, where he tries to convince him to stay, while having a hands free phone conversation with Griffin telling him he's sacked.
Gray-Hand
Roar Rookie
Well, if the Dragons are doing it, it’s probably safe to assume that it’s the wrong thing to do.
Gray-Hand
Roar Rookie
Other possibility is that the Dragons let this drag on to long into the season and as other candidates get snapped up they find themselves in a bidding war for Griffin with the Dragons who are also desperate to lock in a coach for 2024.
KenW
Roar Rookie
But then next year should they give him another extension to remove speculation, and then another the next year? I'm actually baffled why there's so much attention to this.
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
Overall I get that, but the timing not good IMO, Shoiuld have waiting until the season was a lkittle settled. Hook could be 9 and 1 by midway
Bernie
Roar Rookie
maybe there'll a controversial stand-off a' la Manly, where Griffin will be on gardening leave, while Griffin is installed as the new coach. Griffin will dig his heels in demanding to still be coach, while Griffin justifies the boards decision to sack Griffin and hire Griffin, by leading Saints to premiership glory.
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
Unfortunately correct
Pomoz
Roar Rookie
It is an interesting approach to managing people. By not giving him a one year extension to remove speculation and doubt during the current season they have saved some money, but at what price? What is forgotten is that there are two parties massively affected by this announcement, Griffin and the players. Griffin is no rookie, so while he would be disappointed in the lack of support from the club, I expect he would push it to the back of his mind and double his efforts to improve the team. The players, on the other hand, are a different proposition. The club has shown a lack of faith in the coach. There is no other way to interpret the decision. Will the players still respect him the same? Every player who doesn't get on with Hook will be "good job, don't let the door hit you on the way out". As for those who are indifferent to Hook, surely they will be thinking "no need to impress you, you won't be here next year". I can't see how this can be a good situation for the mindset of the players. It is similar to the situation where somebody you work with resigns, or is made redundant. Even if they are working out a three month notice period, suddenly they get excluded from meetings, decision are made without their input. The phone stops ringing. I have seen this many times and experienced it myself when I have resigned. People can't help but focus on the future. What happen's next. Alas, I think the club has cooked Hook's Goose.
Gray-Hand
Roar Rookie
Guarantee you that the way this goes the Dragons will end up paying Griffin out and also paying half of Griffins salary to coach at the Dragons after they transfer him to the Dragons.