Anthony Griffin has spoken publicly for the first time since he was sacked as the head coach of the St. George Illawarra Dragons in May.
The 56-year-old shared that he has been enjoying some time off holidaying, and has now accepted the mid-season decision.
"It's always disappointing when it gets to that point. It's a brutal game," Griffin told 2GB's Continuous Call Team on Saturday afternoon.
"How it happened and why it happened - everyone's got their different opinions on that.
"But in the end, when you sign up as a head coach, you know that that's part of the industry. So it's happened and I'll move on."
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Dragons news: Anthony Griffin's advice to incoming coach Shane Flanagan
From battling to avoid the wooden spoon and navigating Ben Hunt's contract requests, there are plenty of challenges awaiting incoming Dragons coach Shane Flanagan.
When asked by 2GB's Continuous Call Team if he had any advice for the former premiership-winning coach, Griffin replied with two simple words before elaborating on today's recruitment challenges.
"Hold on," he said.
"It's just getting tougher and tougher to recruit players with 17 clubs (in the league).
"So it's not just what you do on the field, it's off the field as well.
"That's a big challenge for him, but he's obviously a big boy and has been successful at that level - I'm sure he'll handle himself."
Interim coach Ryan Carr will remain at the helm of the Red V for the remainder of the current season before Flanagan takes over for the 2024 campaign.
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As for Griffin's own coaching career, he shared his desire to eventually return to a head coach role in the NRL.
“I still think I’ve got something to offer. As long as I feel that way, that’s the main thing," he said.
“It is a cutthroat business, but I enjoy the rollercoaster of it.
“Most importantly I enjoyed coaching with young people and teams and helping their careers.
“I’ve still got a desire to do that.”
Anthony Griffin on NRL salary cap challenges
Griffin also discussed the nature of the salary cap in the modern-day game.
With the future of star halfback Hunt - and his hefty contract - still uncertain, some major decisions related to the cap will need to be made in Wollongong in the short and long term.
Looking back at his time with the Dragons, Griffin felt that the team typically had to offer more - financially and in terms of resources - to get significant signings on board.
"Strategically, there's a whole jigsaw puzzle of the cap and where your club sits and your ability to recruit. There's a lot that goes into that," he explained.
"But obviously, if you're in a bottom-four club, you've got to pay a premium to attract players.
"And you need to add some resources to be able to do that outside of the cap.
"I'm not talking illegally, but you need to be able to provide corporate support and things like that to get the top five percent (of) players interested."
Griffin also praised the Dragons' ability to nurture young talent but admitted that it's difficult to maintain quality players in today's market.
"From the other end - which the Dragons are doing well with [players like the Couchman twins and Talatau Amone] - you've got to manage the players that you do produce into the cap at the right level, and that's getting harder and harder to do as well," he said.
"I'm sure all clubs would say that. Because there's a scarcity of players ... it's a real players' market.
"Any player that's coming off-contract that's got some ability can go out and earn overs on the market now if he just wants to test the market."
