THE circus that’s St George Illawarra didn’t disappoint when the Red V powerbrokers lastly ended the tumultuous tenure of axed coach Anthony Griffin.
Off the again of dropping six video games in a row, D-day arrived for the Red V membership based mostly in Wollongong on Tuesday morning.
Griffin was seen driving out of the Dragons Wollongong base shortly after 8am the place he’d been referred to as to a gathering with chairman Andrew Lancaster.
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At the identical time as Griffin was being informed the board had made the laborious line choice to finish his tenure, St George Illawarra gamers had been arriving at coaching for an 8.30am scheduled media session.
Whoever’s bought management of the Red V steering wheel and thought this was a great way of dealing with the day has clearly bought no thought.
Supposedly there have been going to be eight Dragons gamers fronting the cameras for the routine media session – in actuality it ended up being Jack de Belin and Ben Murdoch-Masila who had been left to be peppered with questions on what was happening with Griffin.
Behind-the-scenes, Dragons captain Ben Hunt was privately rightfully asking what the hell was happening.
There’s no means a majority of these scenes would unfold on the robust golf equipment like South Sydney, Penrith, Sydney Roosters, Melbourne or extra lately Cronulla.
Where was the CEO Ryan Webb, the place was common supervisor of soccer Ben Haran, the place was chairman Lancaster?
Nowhere to be seen in relation to fronting as much as the laborious questions in entrance of the cameras.
Dragons gamers and workers had been then informed there was a snap assembly scheduled for 9.30am the place chairman Lancaster got here in and knowledgeable them of Griffin’s destiny.
They had been informed assistant coach Ryan Carr was stepping in because the interim coach in the intervening time and requested if anybody had any questions.
No one requested Lancaster a query.
Lancaster then requested interim coach Carr if he wished so as to add something.
Initially he stated no earlier than chiming again in and telling the gamers and workers simply because the membership has sacked Griffin isn’t going to unravel all of their issues.
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De Belin opens up on Griffin sacking | 01:46
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Carr informed them everybody wanted to get higher as gamers, workers and as a workforce.
The gamers then had a scheduled coaching session at 10am on the sector at Wollongong.
Many had been nonetheless asking why a few of Griffin’s different key workers had been nonetheless remaining on the membership.
It’s well-known Griffin and Carr didn’t all the time see eye-to-eye on workforce picks and ways.
In phrases of workforce picks on the Red V Carr’s first transfer has been to call captain Hunt at halfback, reinstate Zac Lomax within the centres and Jacob Liddle at hooker and identify Jayden Sullivan at no.14 on the bench.
Moses Mbye and Matt Feagi – who changed Lomax when he was axed a fortnight in the past – have been listed within the prolonged reserves.
This will imply Hunt will begin the match at halfback earlier than shifting into dummy-half to get Sullivan into the sport in opposition to the Roosters on Friday evening.
Make no mistake, Dragons captain Hunt shall be different choices after the choice to axe Griffin.
The champion no.7 nonetheless remains to be contracted till the tip of 2025 with the Red V however there shall be rival golf equipment eyeing Hunt as a halfback.
The Bulldogs are one membership who completely match the invoice.
Source: www.foxsports.com.au