Dragons coach Paul McGregor reportedly has two games to save his job as St George Illawarra board members ready themselves for what looms as a pivotal board meeting on June 16th.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the Dragons are paying McGregor $750,000 a season and would have to fork out roughly $1 million to terminate his deal.
Pressure continues to mount from fans after the club's humiliation at the hands of the Warriors on Saturday. The Dragons have now lost 17 of their last 21 games.
It appears McGregor must secure a win against either the Bulldogs or Sharks to avoid Dragons powerbrokers from wielding the axe.
Former premiership hero Jamie Soward says results are what matter for the beleaguered club.
"When you come out two years ago and say this is the squad you wanted, it certainly puts a lot of pressure on results going forward," Soward told The Sydney Morning Herald.
"When you say you have the squad you want, you need results. Unfortunately for Paul McGregor it hasn’t panned out that way. It looks like the players either don’t agree with the game plan or don’t like it.
"On Saturday it looked like it was the last round of the year. It’s the game that upset me the most since I retired. Yesterday was the hardest to watch since I left. They’ve had eight weeks off and played against a team they should have beaten. Even if they don’t win, they need to show something for themselves.
"There’s a lot of smart footballers in the team, and strong leaders in the team. But it looks like things have taken their toll. It has shone through that the Dragons jumped the gun by re-signing Mary when there was no pressure to do it."
McGregor reiterated his belief in his chargers after the club's embarrassing loss on Saturday.
“I’m three games into a two-year contract. I’ve got good staff. I’ve made a lot of changes. I’ve got good people around me,” he said.
“I’ve got a football team that I believe in. We’ve just got to go out and play well.
“Attitude is a by-product of belief and today at times they looked like strangers out there.
“We didn’t do anything at speed and a couple of the tries they scored needed to be defended and they weren’t. Your defence is all about your attitude.”
It takes a lot of hard work across all areas to get to the bottom and congratulations Dragons, you’ve done it! Literally every major decision you have made in the last 10 years has been bad. Just really bad. I’d like to think you are in a rebuild but you aren’t. The team is the oldest in the comp. Could’ve had Demetriou but went for the old boys club of Price and Mary. I think we can also declare the entire recruitment department just plain dud. How good are Leilua and Robson going. Frizell finally actually looks dangerous – oh wait he’s going. Can’t wait for next week.
Mary bye bye , bring in Matt Elliott or Geoff Toovey
The Dragons have become a soft team imo. After watching the latest debacle against the Warriors I won’t go to another game until they start to show some commitment, heart and enthusiasm. A couple of the senior players (Ben Hunt & Paul Vaughan) amongst others, show little or no emotion on the field. It seems like they are just going through the motions, and I am sick of it. I go to the games hoping that the team will finally come good, but it ends up being the same old crud again.
It’s very obvious that the players aren’t responding to Mary’s coaching, and it has been going on for far too long. Nothing changes from week to week and I’m surprised the club’s Board has tolerated garbage for so long. Mary has to go and should be replaced by Matt Head until Shane Flanagan is able to take a first grade job again. I think James Graham is in his last season and is not the force he once was. He should start from the bench imo and a couple of other forwards are skating on thin ice. Most of the media talk the players go on with is sh!t, and I don’t take notice of it anymore.
Make no mistake…..this is a team in a big hole, and can’t see it changing in the near future. If the players have any self pride they should start to perform like a team that has ambition, commitment and desire. If and when they do, I will start to take them seriously again.