Dragons dream of 10-year coach, confident on Hunt front

Scott Bailey | May 17, 2023

St George Illawarra are confident Ben Hunt won’t follow axed coach Anthony Griffin out the door, adamant the star halfback wants to find success at the NRL club.

Dragons bosses fronted a pre-planned member’s forum on Tuesday night in Wollongong, just hours after making the call to sack Griffin mid-season.

Amid a 90-minute long grilling from fans, chairman Andrew Lancaster told members the club was in search of a new coach who could lead the Dragons for the next 10 years.

Chief executive Ryan Webb and football boss Ben Haran also answered questions, with a heavy focus on the club’s long absence from finals football and junior development.

Multiple questions from the 50 members in attendance and close to 700 online also surrounded the future of Hunt, who last year re-signed until the end of 2025.

The Dragons captain has been a staunch defender of Griffin and indicated last month he did not want to start life under a new coach this late in his career.

But Webb is confident he will not be agitating to leave the Dragons after the club last year knocked back a request to have a clause in the half’s contract tied to Griffin’s job.

“There are no ratchet clauses in contracts that are associated with contracts,” Webb told members in Wollongong. 

“Ben is like all our players, he is frustrated because he wants to win. That’s what he wants to see.”

Haran was also blunt when quizzed on whether the club’s halfback would be leaving the club.

“I certainly won’t have him go anywhere,” Haran said.

“Ben’s frustrated. We’re all frustrated from the results. You want to win. Ben wants to win. 

“You see the way Ben plays. You don’t play 300 games if you don’t care about winning. That is why he is frustrated. 

“We have regular conversations with Ben … He is getting brought on with everything and he just wants to get out there and win on Friday night (against the Roosters).”

Haran said players had been shocked by the board’s decision to sack Griffin early on Tuesday morning, ending months of speculation around his future.

But Lancaster said the move marked a transformative day for the club, while conceding his board was accountable for the club’s on-field demise under Griffin.

And while the club is aiming to announce a new coach out of Jason Ryles, Ben Hornby or Dean Young within weeks, the chairman said he would not be rushed on the decision.

“It’s about doing our due diligence, it’s about identifying someone that is not going to be there just for a couple of years,” Lancaster said.

“(We want) someone who is going to be there for short, medium and long-term success. 

“It would be great to have the same coach in 10 years time.”

Lancaster also confirmed the Dragons were eying changes which would stop the chairman swapping each year under a 2018 agreement between joint-owners St George and WIN.

And Webb also revealed Jack Bird was “disciplined” over comments made last week which suggested fans had no idea about football while defending then-coach Griffin.