Jayden Sullivan will be at the Dragons long after Anthony Griffin is gone, but only after confronting the elephant in the room between them and tackling the kind of conversation that can prove the making of a young playmaker.
Sullivan’s return to St George Illawarra’s 17 has coincided with what are seemingly the last days of Griffin’s tenure, club officials meeting with potential successor Jason Ryles after telling Griffin other coaches would be canvassed for 2024 and his own credentials would be considered among them.
Sullivan, still just 21 and earmarked as the Dragons’ long-term No.7, insists he and Griffin are on good terms.
He is contracted until the end of 2025 and can see his path to the St George Illawarra scrum base after requesting a release last year – which was swiftly denied by the club.
Sullivan and 300-game captain Ben Hunt will switch up the Dragons’ spine when the youngster comes off the bench once more against the Cowboys after his two-try injection was one of few bright spots in Sunday’s loss to Wests Tigers.
In the same vein as great mate Tyrell Sloan, Sullivan says he has returned to the NRL a better and more mature player for having cleared the air with Griffin.
Jayden Sullivan celebrates a try in his NRL return.Credit: Getty
“Definitely last year it didn’t feel like I was in any position to have a conversation with him,” Sullivan said.
“I got over that bridge and I didn’t force that conversation, but just made that chat happen with my performance and how I went in pre-season. There was always a relationship there. I’m not saying we didn’t have a relationship at all.
“It was just … both ends of the field weren’t connecting. We got over that and put that behind us.
“I love Hook, he is brutally honest. The first three games I played this year, he told me to my face that that’s not how I play footy and sent me back to reserve grade.
“Hook just gave me a few goals to focus on, my kicking game and my defence and just being energetic around the ball and running the ball with purpose.”
The Dragons hierarchy have been mindful of taking the focus from Hunt’s 300-game milestone with talk around the coaching position, though a difficult run with the Roosters, Dolphins, Panthers and Rabbitohs to come will only increase the spotlight on Griffin’s immediate future.
“It’s something I’ve never really thought about, I’ve always just been happy and grateful to be playing the game I love,” Hunt said of his upcoming triple-century.
“But the biggest focus is trying to win games for the Dragons, we’re obviously in a bit of a hole and I’d honestly trade in the milestone for a couple of wins.”
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