A St George Illawarra Dragons board meeting on Tuesday evening could decide the fate of Anthony Griffin, with the under fire coach unlikely to remain in charge of the club.
Griffin, who took over the Dragons at the start of 2021, has had two seasons of missed finals in his first two campaigns and now, in the final year of his deal - which was a club option taken up by the Dragons before a ball had been kicked last year - he has overseen the team losing eight of their first ten.
With the season all but gone already for a Red V outfit who will now attempt to avoid picking up a first wooden spoon in the club's history, multiple media reports are suggesting Griffin has coached his last game for the Dragons.
It's unclear whether Griffin will attend the meeting on Tuesday, but News Corp are reporting the club's board are split over whether to sack Griffin immediately. It is, however, a regulation board meeting, rather than an emergency one.
Griffin's performance on Saturday evening raised significant eyebrows in Townsville, with Jayden Sullivan starting in the halves before not returning to the park after being sin binned in an apparent hooking.
That followed Sullivan being the Dragons' best the week prior against the Wests Tigers, with the Dragons putting in an exceptionally poor performance in what was captain Ben Hunt's 300th game.
While the board may be split over Griffin's immediate future, it's believed a call to sack him will ultimately be what comes of the meeting, with the Dragons then moving to an interim structure for the remainder of the year.
Exactly what that structure looks like remains to be seen.
That also may not see out the year, with the club weighing up a number of options to come in and take over from the start of the 2024 season.
It has been widely reported that Jason Ryles is the front runner, however, the Sydney Roosters have demanded a compensation package for their current assistant coach, who is on contract next season. In addition, Ryles has reportedly demanded a five-year deal and complete control over the club's roster and staff.
That said, Craig Bellamy's reported decision to coach on for another year at the Melbourne Storm leaves Ryles with likely only one opportunity - at the Dragons - if he wishes to move into a head coaching role next year.
That could bring another pair of former players back into the mix for the Red V, with Dean Young and Ben Hornby - who currently are part of the staff at the North Queensland Cowboys and South Sydney Rabbitohs respectively - both reportedly in the mix.
Shane Flanagan and Des Hasler are the other two names who have been floated.
The Dragons will next play during Round 12 against the Sydney Roosters on Friday evening.
