St George Illawarra are continuing their play for Broncos veteran Andrew McCullough, with the club hoping to lure the dummy-half into a mentorship position for Anthony Griffin's young crop of playmakers, per NRL.com.
The Dragons have three spots left for their 30-man squad, with McCullough seen as the perfect candidate to play under Griffin's system at Kogarah.
Despite being contracted at Red Hill for the season, the Dragons have continued their attempts to pry the 31-year-old down to Wollongong.
St George Illawarra football boss Ben Haran revealed that Griffin is chasing McCullough as a "game management-style hooker".
"The big thing about having a coach like Hook is that he really knows what he wants and the style Andrew McCullough plays is something he obviously likes," Haran told NRL.com.
"Some hookers are running hookers and there are others who have a real feel for the game and are able to give the ball to the right player at the right time so are real game management-style hookers.
"We have got some real talent in our team so your exciting players need to get the ball in the right spots and a lot of that is determined by who is giving them the ball."
Saints skipper Cameron McInnes signed a four-year deal that will see the star hooker head to Cronulla at the conclusion of the 2021 season, leaving a major void at the Dragons for the future.
"I want the club to be successful so if Andrew McCullough was to come I think he would add a lot with his experience and his toughness. He has played for Queensland and he has played in grand finals, so I would love to play with Macca for sure."@NRLcomhttps://t.co/jYD8ZwR3UN
— Brad Walter (@BradWalterSport) February 3, 2021
Despite McInnes' pending departure, the club's failed attempt for controversial code-hopper Israel Folau and the Broncos' firm stance on McCullough, Haran said the club are still assessing all of their options and aren't in a rush for new any new signings.
"We are in a position where we are going to look at anything. We could still strengthen our middle with one of those spots, depending on who becomes available," Haran said.
"If you can get a quality player you can always find a place for him and when you have got players like Cameron McInnes and Jack Bird in your team that allows you to be versatile and agile with your decision making around your roster.
"Ben Hunt is another one and we have got a few guys who can play on the edge or in the middle, like Jackson Ford, or can transfer from different positions.
"If they are going to make us a better team and bring that real quality style of player we are going to have a real crack at them.
"We are coming off a couple of poor seasons so we have got to be really measured in our decision making and not be rushed.
"If you get a decision wrong you can pay for it for a long time.
"You could maybe do that if you finish in the top four but we are at the bottom and we have got to think about how is this squad going to look the best over the next 3-4 years."
The Dragons will have until March 1 to finalise a 29-man roster for their 2021 squad.
Hunt to hooker until his contract is up then he can apologise to all Dragons supporters and join the Jets. Time for the coach to teach and prove he can coach with juniors and not reply on aging has beens.
You’d say Griffin has proven on two previous occasions that he can’t coach.
Penrith only made the finals with Griffin as coach, as they ignored his instructions & played as they wished when on the field.
He refused to take advice or help from assistant coaches. Players wished to leave because he was the coach.
Third times a charm?