Dragons coach ‘will wear sack’

Paul McGregor said he would understand if the Dragons’ hierarchy gave him his marching orders after the Red V were left languishing at the bottom of the NRL ladder by the lowly Bulldogs.

McGregor was a crestfallen figure post match, conceding his days as head coach of the Dragons are likely numbered after the Bulldogs came out on top in the battle of the NRL’s bottom two teams with a 22-2 win.

‘‘Our first two games – we were in a winning position in both of them. Obviously we’ve had the 10 weeks off and in our last two games since we’ve been back, we’ve been poor,’’ McGregor said post match.

‘‘If they make that decision, I’ll understand it. I’ll be disappointed, obviously, but I understand the situation and the conversation that is around every day – which doesn’t help the team.

‘‘It doesn’t help the players, doesn’t help the club, doesn’t help the fans. If that decision is made, I’ll wear it.’’

The St George lllawarra board are due to meet next week, and the coach’s future will no doubt be at the top of the agenda. While McGregor believes he is the man to lead the club out of the dark times, he accepted the blame for the club’s dreadful form post match.

‘‘I’m an optimist. But I’m a realist. And I know my team isn’t playing well enough at the moment,’’ he said.

‘‘I’m the coach of that and I have confidence and belief in my team. At the moment, I think they’ve lost that belief in themselves, I think. I accept the blame.’’

He also believes he has not lost the players, despite the disastrous drop in form in the last 12 months.

‘‘No one at the club has come forward and said anything to me,’’ he said.

‘‘I believe in the players and have confidence in my staff. I know how hard they work through the week. We’re just not going out and playing the way we are doing things. That’s the disappointing side of things.’’

The match was played at the standard expected of two teams without a solitary win between them.