NRL news 2023, Anthony Griffin told to reapply for Dragons coaching job

NRL news 2023, Anthony Griffin told to reapply for Dragons coaching job

St George Illawarra will ask coach Anthony Griffin to reapply for his job, reports The Sydney Morning Herald.

The future of Griffin was raised at a Dragons board meeting on Tuesday, despite winning one of their first two games of the NRL season, having had the bye in round one.

They stuck with Brisbane for most of the game in round three before a stunning Broncos blitz blew the Red V off the park.

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Regardless of results, the club will begin canvassing potential replacements for Griffin, who is off contract.

The club bizarrely extended his deal into 2023 before a ball was kicked last year, despite finishing 11th on the ladder in his first season in charge and performing abysmally at times. The team improved marginally to finish 10th in 2022.

Griffin has reportedly been made aware of the club’s plan to go on a coach hunt now, and is prepared to fight for a new deal with results on the field.

The Dragons have played only three NRL finals games since Wayne Bennett left the club in 2011. They’ve now missed the playoffs four years in a row.

Potential candidates to replace Griffin include highly-rated Roosters assistant Jason Ryles, who is a former Dragons player.

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Ryles, though, is expected to also be courted by the Storm to replace Craig Bellamy, who he worked under for a number of years before moving to Bondi.

St George Illawarra will also look at 2016 premiership winning coach Shane Flanagan, who was an assistant under Griffin last year before joining Manly this season.

Former Dragons players Ben Hornby and Dean Young have also previously worked at the club as assistant coaches, and are now at the Rabbitohs and Cowboys respectively.

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