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The axe that was teetering so precariously over Anthony Griffin’s teaching tenure has fallen with St George Illawarra saying on Tuesday they’d sack the embattled coach after two and a half struggling seasons with the Pink V.
Outcomes communicate for themselves and the Dragons are at the moment second-last on the ladder and on the again of a six-match shedding streak.
Throw within the struggles of earlier years, the hypothesis surrounding the membership’s pursuit of high-profile assistant coaches like Jason Ryles and Ben Hornby and it was a matter of when Griffin was let go, not if.
Assistant coach Ryan Carr will take over for the remainder of the season however Ryles is within the field seat to steer the membership into the long run. If it does occur, that is an appointment the Dragons and their followers ought to really feel excellent about.
Ryles is among the most promising assistants within the league, with acclaimed stints on the Roosters and Melbourne, and can be a sensible choice for any membership who wanted to search out their without end coach. Throw in his Dragons pedigree and it is easy to see a future the place Ryles coaches the membership for a few years to return.
It was at all times tough to see that future with Griffin, which made him one thing of a curious appointment when he took the reins again in 2021.
The previous Broncos and Panthers coach was counted as a secure pair of palms, a shepherd for the membership’s youthful gamers and a bridge between a rebuild and a brighter future.
There have been sound ideas behind that appointment, in principle, particularly if Griffin was particularly chosen to be a bridge to a brighter future.
At each Brisbane and Penrith, Griffin helped convey a rating of youthful skills into first grade and whereas he by no means took both membership to a grand remaining, Griffin groups by no means bottomed out and propped up the remainder of the ladder both. You get a rebuild and not using a wood spoon in sight.
On paper, that is form of what’s occurred. The Dragons completed twelfth and tenth in his two full seasons in cost – they weren’t particularly dangerous however they weren’t particularly good both, they only kind of existed.
Native juniors like Jayden Sullivan, Talatau Amone, Tyrell Sloan and the Feagai twins have all cracked first grade below Griffin and, sometimes, confirmed glimpses of true brilliance.
The Dragons are struggling however there may be expertise on that roster, expertise that simply must be harnessed and directed and refined. However the truth they want that refinement exhibits the broader struggles of Griffin’s tenure.
Earlier than Saturday’s listless defeat to the Cowboys their final 5 losses had come by two, two, one, six and two factors. In every of these 5 matches they scored as many or extra tries than their opponents however a scarcity of consideration to element allow them to down. Sooner or later, that comes again to teaching.
Aside from Ben Hunt, who was already a Check and State of Origin participant, and the hard-nosed Blake Lawrie it might be exceedingly beneficiant to say most of the membership’s gamers have considerably improved since Griffin took over.
The paths of two gamers — enigmatic centre Zac Lomax and utility Jack Chook – are value highlighting. They’re two of the membership’s most proficient gamers and neither of them have been put in the most effective place to succeed.
Because it stands, Lomax is languishing in reserve grade after two robust seasons the place he is appeared removed from the pressure he is typically promised to be. A transfer from proper to left centre this 12 months was a catastrophe and ended up with him in reserve grade.
His goalkicking success charge has dropped from 78 per cent in 2020 to only over 60 per cent this 12 months. He isn’t what he must be, not what he will be and there is in all probability a variety of causes for that and solely Lomax is aware of which of them are true. However teaching must be part of it.
Chook taking part in in any respect is a quiet success story given the horrific run of knee accidents he suffered throughout his time with Brisbane.
All through 2021 and 2022 he slowly discovered his method again and on events he appeared an important deal just like the participant who starred with Cronulla years in the past. However he is additionally performed fullback, centre, five-eighth, halfback, second row and lock and he can do all these items however he is by no means been allowed to settle in and make one spot his personal.
Such will be the lot of the utility life however Chook has at all times been able to greater than that and simply because he can play a variety of positions doesn’t suggest he ought to.
Completely different positions require completely different attributes, completely different coaching, completely different physique compositions however Chook has not been allowed to grow to be the most effective model of himself as a participant as a result of he has not had that likelihood to hone himself right into a grasp of 1 commerce and never a jack of many.
That is primarily because of Griffin’s penchant for shuffling the deck along with his line up – he’s not afraid of massive adjustments, he makes them when he feels they’re required, however they’ve been required many, many occasions and Chook has suffered for it.
Based mostly on the membership’s recruitment lately Griffin clearly prefers older, extra skilled gamers which, once more in principle, would pair effectively with the membership’s youth brigade.
However not one of the gamers Griffin selected – Josh McGuire, Andrew McCullough, Gerard Beale, Moses Mbye, George Burgess and Aaron Woods – had sufficient left within the tank to play something near their finest soccer and multiple have been flat out holding their place in first grade regardless of the membership’s struggles.
Of the gamers talked about above solely Mbye remains to be with the membership, which was a part of the purpose. Take a punt on the previous gamers, if it would not work they usually retire or go away you will have the cap area to signal new ones.
But when the membership is underperforming, which the Dragons have for longer than many would possibly suppose (they’ve made the finals simply twice prior to now ten years), they’re simply one other facet solid adrift within the wilderness exterior premiership rivalry, one choice amongst many with few redeeming options past a clean chequebook.
Zooming in on the 2023 season, Griffin has shuffled the deck on the Dragons in an effort to spark the facet into one thing resembling their finest however every of his gambles has misplaced.
The Suli-Lomax determination has been detrimental to each gamers, hooker Jacob Liddle was a brilliant spot as soon as he arrived from the Tigers however was inexplicably dropped a number of weeks in the past and swapping Hunt to hooker throughout matches over the previous couple of weeks was like shifting deckchairs round on the Titanic.
The transfer with Hunt was Griffin’s final, determined throw of the cube. The 33-year previous is Griffin’s most loyal soldier, with a historical past that stretches again over 15 years, and at occasions over the past 18 months he is been the one factor standing between the membership and complete oblivion.
Final month Hunt was forthright in his perception the membership ought to maintain Griffin and indicated he had little curiosity in beginning yet again with one other rebuild given his age.
Regardless of re-signing final 12 months, it is onerous to flee the sensation his future is now up and the air and the vultures will likely be circling in an effort to choose him off.
However even when shedding Griffin prices them Hunt, this can be a determination that needed to be made. Issues weren’t and couldn’t get higher below Griffin. When it goes that method, sooner or later, the selection is not a alternative in any respect.
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