Anthony Griffin is the heavy favourite to replace Paul McGregor as head coach of the St George Illawarra Dragons – but not one of the remaining three candidates has the unanimous support of the board, according to reports.
Griffin, David Furner and interim coach Dean Young are all scheduled to be interveiwed for the vacant post on Thursday.
Sydney Roosters assistant coach Craig Fitzgibbon last week turned down the role to stay loyal to Trent Robinson and the reigning back-to-back premiers.
The 43-year-old was reportedly the only candidate who enjoyed support from both the Illawarra and St George factions of the joint-venture club’s board.
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Fox League reporter Lara Pitt told NRL 360 former club CEO Peter Doust’s return to the board has led to tension that threatens to derail the vital decision on McGregor’s replacement.
“As I understand it there is a divide in the boardroom between the WIN side and the St George side of the board,” Pitt said.
“That those representing Bruce Gordon’s 50 percent stake in the club are not happy that Peter Doust has found his way back in a seat on the St George side of the club.
“And this bad blood goes back a long way to when Doust was CEO of the club and he was looking to take games away from (Wollongong) to Kogarah and ANZ Stadium.”
Griffin, who has had previous head coaching stints at the Brisbane Broncos and Penrith Panthers, has emerged as the presumptive favourite to win the job.
The 54-year-old is the most experienced candidate having coached 173 NRL games, most recently at the Panthers before his 2018 sacking.
Former Canberra Raiders coach and current Newcastle Knights assistant Furner spent five seasons at the helm of the Green Machine from 2009.
The 49-year-old is considered a long shot to coach the Red V and has been heavily linked with a move to Canterbury in 2021 as incoming coach Trent Barrett’s assistant.
Club legend Dean Young was given the final six games of the season to prove his worth as a the interim coach.
He has a 2-1 record following victories over Parramatta and Brisbane before last week’s narrow loss to Gold Coast.
The 36-year-old appears increasingly unlikely to win the permanent job as the club seeks a more experienced mentor.
Reports last month suggested Young could take over the reins as part of a package deal with Wayne Bennett, who would serve as a coaching director.
Bennett, who delivered the Red V’s most recent premiership in 2010, has one season left on his South Sydney contract.
The 70-year-old was last week also linked with a shock return to the Brisbane Broncos, who sacked him in 2018, as a coaching director.
