Another former NRL head coach has become the latest candidate to put his hand up for the vacant Newcastle Knights coaching position following the sacking of Adam O'Brien.
While Blake Green and Justin Holbrook are considered the frontrunners, Dragons assistant Dean Young, Wests Tigers assistant John Morris and Roosters assistant Max King have also found themselves in the mix. Now, another candidate has entered the race.
According to Brent Read on Triple M Breakfast with Beau, Cat and Woodsy, Paul McGregor is keen to become an NRL head coach once again and has put his hand up to take over the Newcastle Knights.
A former assistant of the New South Wales Blues under Brad Fittler for the 2022 and 2023 State of Origin series, the ex-NRL centre held a 46 per cent winning rate in his only head coaching job with the St George Illawarra Dragons between 2014 and 2020.
Taking over from Steve Price at the time, he has also worked at the Parramatta Eels as a consultant and, most recently, rejected a move to join Todd Payten's coaching staff at the North Queensland Cowboys as an assistant last year.
This interest from McGregor comes as contender Willie Peters has pulled out of the coaching race to keep his focus on Hull Kingston Rovers in the Super League.
“With Willie, we have been talking about it because they have asked us to apply,” Peters' manager Braith Anasta said on NRL360.
“We don't think we are going to apply. I think if you actually do your research on Willie and looked at what he has done over there, you talk about credentials, you can't compare them.
“He has taken a team from last to first, won coach of the year last year, he is going to get coach of the year this year, they are coming first, they are four points from second.
“He had Mickey Lewis as his halfback, Willie was a halfback, and he won Man of Steel. They won the Challenge Cup.
“There is not much more you can do. He is their head coach …. And he is competing against assistant coaches. For him and where he is right now, he is a chance of winning Super League this year.
“Us going through a process where we don't know where we are going to land, with a number of candidates, can distract the process of winning a premiership back there, and we just don't think it is worth it.”
