St George Illawarra is surrounding new head coach Dean Young with experienced talent, with Tigers assistant John Morris looking likely to join the team from next season.
Morris would be an excellent pick-up for the Red V, as he’s long been considered a strong pick for a top job somewhere in the NRL. He’s been working under Benji Marshall at the Tigers recently.
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He did get a crack at a top job back between 2019 and 2021, when he helmed the Cronulla Sharks. He managed 24 wins in 51 games in that stint, and was quite famously working under several salary cap restrictions after Shane Flanagan had been found to be breaching rules.
One of the things Morris did best during those years was promote youth. The Dragons are hoping that he can work similarly with their junior development catchment and with the young NRL squad.
(And he’s very close with incoming superstar St George recruit Keaon Koloamatangi after they were at South Sydney together early in the 2020s.)
This Base writer also suspects the Dragons bosses want a bit more experience around Young as he adapts to being the main man. Morris knows about winning, too, having led the Sharks to finals in 2019 and 2020.
The joint venture has made it clear finals is the goal next season.
Ironically, the man to fill Morris’ job at the Tigers is most likely Shane Flanagan. The out-of-a-job helmsman has spoken to Benji Marshall, and is eager to help turn things around at Wests if he can.
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Whether he can add anything remains to be seen, considering he’s arguably responsible for the Dragons’ first ever wooden spoon. He led St George Illawarra to a 0–7 record before stepping down in April.
Years before, he led the Sharks to a premiership in the 2016 season.
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