![Three-year deal: Paul McGregor. Photo: Adam McLean Three-year deal: Paul McGregor. Photo: Adam McLean](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-feed-data/fd6033f8-73c2-4632-a2c0-9f7a5b7b3a6b.jpg/r0_0_729_410_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Paul McGregor plans a complete review of St George Illawarra's football operations as he settles into a long-term coaching role at the club.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
McGregor will examine the club's playing roster, support staff, training facilities and sport performance staff, having celebrated a three-year deal as head coach. The former Australian centre has won six of 11 games since taking over from dumped coach Steve Price. McGregor said a short-term deal would not have "sat comfortably" with him.
"The place needs stability and needs a person in that position who can forward plan the football department," McGregor said. "Coaching is a strong business and to do that you have to forward plan.
"In the coming weeks I'll have the opportunity to have an in-depth look at what's needed to be done and make some tough decisions. I'm hard but fair and very honest. If that means we don't have the same playing roster or coaching staff, time will tell.
"I'll look at [the review] for myself initially but if I see fit that I need some expertise I'm open to that. As a player I always thought that the time you stop learning is the time you should retire. I'm the same as a coach."
McGregor rejoined the Dragons coaching staff this season after a successful stint as a head coach in the Illawarra league and a season in charge of the Illawarra Cutters. Training has been more "football" focused under McGregor's watch, with sessions running over or below the allocated time depending on the players' ability to grasp his message.
After initially claiming he wasn't sure if he had the desire to become a full-time head coach, McGregor changed his tune within two months of taking on the role.
"The place was miserable and the players were very down on themselves," McGregor said. "The response I got immediately, the way they attacked training and the improvement in them wanted me to stay around and help the process. Just to watch the layers of improvement made me want to be involved.
"I like to share my experiences and make the players not only better players but better people. For me it was about giving back to this club.
"The biggest challenge is there are not enough hours in the day and days in the week. You don't want to leave anything to chance.
"I was uncomfortable taking the position [initially] because of good relationship with Steve."
The former St George Illawarra captain's priority is pressing ahead with the Dragons' top eight aspirations. The team needs to win their remaining three games to be a top-eight hope.
They start with the Titans on Sunday. "You work hard to be in finals contention and we're still fighting," McGregor said. "I was disappointed with the Penrith game because we looked flat, and you should never look flat at home. Against Canberra we played some good footy with the right attitude."