A permanent appointment is the last thing on Paul McGregor’s mind, the new St George Illawarra caretaker coach saying he’s more worried about next week than next year at the struggling Dragons.
McGregor will steer the side for the remainder of the NRL season after the sacking of Steve Price, but with the likes of Wayne Bennett and Craig Bellamy linked to the club for 2015 it will take some serious success for him to be considered beyond that.
Not that it seems to bother him.
“The circumstance are if I didn’t do it someone else would do it. That is the only reason I am here,” said the former Dragons assistant and club great, who only took on the job after getting the okay from Price.
“It is an easier transition for the players than someone outside coming in.
“We are all hurting for this football club, that is why I am standing right here.
“I’m looking at this week to week. We have a game against South Sydney on Monday, I couldn’t give two hoots about next year.”
McGregor, an assistant with the NSW State of Origin team, confirmed on Tuesday that he’d stand aside from that role for games two and three of the series.
But while he’ll be clearing his schedule to focus fully on the Dragons he wasn’t focused on his own future.
“I have always wanted to be involved in rugby league, but never ever as a head coach,” said McGregor, who has enjoyed title success with the Western Suburbs Red Devils in the Illawarra Rugby League competition.
“I have enjoyed my role when I was a head coach at other establishments.
“But head coach in the NRL, wow, the pressure. But as I did when I was a player, you go out, do your best and work hard.
“I’ll see how much I enjoy it over the next month.”
The Dragons shot to the outright competition lead after three successive wins to start the season, but since then they have won just one of seven games.
“What we need to do is work bloody hard,” McGregor said.
“If everyone takes up a little bit of slack we will be ok.”