Former St George Illawarra Dragons head coach Paul McGregor has become the first person to publically admit that he would be interested in the Parramatta Eels head coaching role for next season.
The Eels' head coaching role is up in the air at the moment following Brad Arthur's sacking on Monday afternoon, and multiple coaches have been linked with the club over the past few days.
After confirming on Tuesday that they wanted to recruit Wayne Bennett as coach, the club will now have to consider other candidates for the top coaching job.
In the meantime, assistant coach Trent Barrett will take over in an interim basis and will face his first challenge this weekend against the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
Paul McGregor, who last coached in the NRL in 2020, confirmed to The Sydney Morning Herald that he would be interested in taking over the head coaching reins at the Parramatta Eels.
McGregor's statement makes him the first individual to publically announce an interest in the Eels top coaching gig for the 2025 NRL season.
“I haven't lost the passion for coaching and if the club is interested, I'd be happy to speak to them,” he said.
A former NSW Blues and Kangaroos centre in his playing days, McGregor's coaching career began in 2009 with the Western Suburbs Red Devils in the Illawarra Rugby League competition before moving into an assistant role with the St George Illawarra Dragons.
Following Steve Price's departure, he was handed the head coaching reins at the Dragons in 2014 and remained there until the 2020 NRL season before being terminated.
His tenure at the club saw him coach 151 matches with a 46 per cent winning percentage - winning 70 games and losing 81.
Since his departure as the Dragons boss, he would go on to be an assistant for the NSW Blues and was even a consultant at the Parramatta Eels under Brad Arthur during the 2022 season, in which they made the Grand Final.
It is understood that he has a close relationship with senior players such as Clinton Gutherson, Mitchell Moses, and Junior Paulo, which could come in handy if he is given the job.