St George Illawarra coach Anthony Griffin has spoken for the first time about the death of his father on the eve of the pre-season, and how his sudden passing helped him put life into perspective.
Griffin’s future at the Dragons was the subject of intense speculation 12 months ago, and is bound to be discussed again should the Red V stumble out of the starting blocks.
The passing of Anthony Griffin’s father on the eve of the pre-season has put life into perspective for the coach.Credit:Getty
The fact former Dragons players Ben Hornby, Jason Ryles and Dean Young are assistant coaches in the NRL, and all viewed as future head coaches, means the club will not have to look far for a successor.
Griffin has been around the game long enough to know the spotlight never goes away, especially if results are not forthcoming, and always been philosophical when asked about his future.
As he spoke about his late father, Vincent, it was easy to understand his refusal to be concerned by events beyond his control.
Dragons players have often spoken about how close Griffin was to his father, and how he had somehow been able to overcome personal heartbreak and focus on the season ahead.
Dragons players huddle during a pre-season hit-out against Manly on Saturday morning.Credit:James Alcock
“Everyone goes through it. When you lose a parent it’s a sad thing, but in a way it has also probably helped me clear my head,” Griffin told The Sun-Herald. “You get a chance to reflect on what’s important and what’s not important with what you do. There’s a reason for everything; you get a chance to reflect and move on.
“When we were younger Dad was always on the local [footy] committee up in ‘Rocky’ [Rockhampton]. Like any parent, the last few years he’s just been a good support and always calls to wish you well. He would call you every game day.
“He had a massive stroke. By the time I got up there [to Rockhampton] he was alive but not conscious. He was 92.”
Griffin watched the Dragons lock horns with Manly on a blistering hot Saturday, with Tyrell Sloan looking sharp at fullback. Sloan is in the box seat for the fullback role after Cody Ramsey was ruled out for the year with ulcerative colitis. Treigh Stewart also spent plenty of time at fullback and had some nice touches at 4 Pines Park.
“Both players are attacking it and eager to learn.” Griffin said. “Treigh has been in the system, he was in the under-19s with ‘Sloaney’ and Junior [Amone].
“But Sloaney is obviously the guy we’re working on the hardest there [for fullback].”
Jayden Sullivan remains on track for a return in the Charity Shield, while Jaydn Su’A was a late scratching from the Sea Eagles trial because of a hamstring strain.
“I just think our club is in really good shape,” said Griffin, when asked why he was pumped for 2023.
“I’m really looking forward to everyone playing, we feel really aligned from the board down, the playing group are really good, everyone is enjoying their time together and their footy – we just want to get out and play.”
The Dragons face St Helens in their first trial, then the Charity Shield before enjoying the bye in round one.
‘He’s 15kg lighter’: Slimmed-down Sea Eagle Josh Schuster impresses
It was only a summer scrimmage game, but the signs are already looking good for Manly and their new No.6 Josh Schuster.
The Sea Eagles and St George Illawarra came together for an opposed session at 4 Pines Park on Saturday, and Schuster and Daly Cherry-Evans had some nice moments.
Manly young gun Josh Schuster with teammate Kelma Tuilagi.Credit:James Alcock
How Schuster fills the void left by Cherry-Evans’ excellent offsider Kieran Foran will play a huge part in how much success there is on the northern beaches.
New coach Anthony Seibold certainly liked what he saw and told The Sun-Herald: “Some of the signs I liked included the connection between our halves.
“[Schuster] is in good shape, he’s been at pre-season since day one, so he’s into week 10 of his pre-season. I don’t like talking about weight, but in comparison to last year, he’s 15kg lighter.
“He’s got all the talent in the world, now it’s about closing the gap between his best and his worst.
“Him and ‘Chez’ [Cherry-Evans] are building a really good connection.”
Tom Trbojevic returns on Monday from the US where he has been working with rehabilitation specialist Bill Knowles, which left it to the fleet-footed Kaeo Weekes to slot into fullback against the Dragons.
While Weekes will never force Trbojevic out of the Manly No.1 jersey, there is every chance he will nail down the No.14 utility role for the Sea Eagles.
“Kaeo is a talented kid, he’s trained at fullback for the majority of the pre-season, and one of the reasons we’ve done that is because I reckon it’s the best position to learn the game – you have to count numbers and organise the defensive line.
“He’s played as a half and hooker, his utility value is really important, and I said to him, ‘train at fullback this pre-season because when you do go back to half or hooker, your knowledge of the game will be so much better’.”
Seibold was involved in a similar scrimmage game with Melbourne and the Bulldogs in 2014 when he was working with the Storm.
Manly assistant Shane Flanagan came up with the idea and knew plenty of the players and coaching staff from his time working with the Dragons. To protect themselves from the sun, several players took part in the hit-out wearing caps and sun visors.
