Ryan Carr stays on as St George Illawarra Dragons coach as favourite goes elsewhere

Former Featherstone Rovers coach Ryan Carr will remain as interim St George Illawarra Dragons head coach after heavy favourite Jason Ryles sensationally pulled out of the running to take over.

Ryles, 44, was expected to take charge of the Dragons on a long contract but is reported to have got cold feet, and instead opted to leave his role as Sydney Roosters assistant to head to Melbourne Storm.

Such had been the expectation that Ryles was heading to WIN Stadium, that speculation over what players he would sign had already began.

There was fuss over his contract status at the Roosters too, and they were believed to be unhappy at his decision to talk to the Dragons, having previously promised them that he would see out his three-year deal as defensive coach there, according to Fox Sports.

That’s all led to him signing with Melbourne in a ‘pathways and development role’ from next season, as reported by 9 journalist Danny Weidler.

‘It would be great to have the same coach in 10 years time’

Carr, who coached Featherstone to the 2019 Championship Grand Final where they were beaten by Toronto Wolfpack, is expected to remain in interim charge until the end of the season.

The Dragons are hoping to make an announcement on their new coach in the next fortnight, playing down the withdrawal of Ryles as simply having one less candidate to pick from.

The frontrunners are thought to be Ben Hornby and Dean Young, currently assistants at South Sydney Rabbitohs and North Queensland Cowboys.

Both are former Dragons players, who were part of the NRL Premiership winning team in 2010.

Despite being installed as caretaker coach, Carr is thought to be a long outsider for the position, although he is held in high regard following his work at numerous NRL clubs behind the scenes.

WAToday reported that Dragons CEO Ryan Webb said “it was too early to say whether Carr could be in the frame for the job permanently.”

The 34-year-old was assistant to Brad Arthur at Parramatta Eels last season as they reached the Grand Final.

Carr was a junior at South Sydney Rabbitohs, but injury cut his playing career short before he turned 24.

Former Super League coaches Mick Potter and Michael Maguire have also been mentioned in lists of possible candidates to take over at the Dragons.

It is seen to be a key appointment, with Dragons chairman Andrew Lancaster telling AAP: “It would be great to have the same coach in 10 years time. That is the aim. Being rushed into making that decision is not what we are about.”

Griffin was sacked after just over two years in charge earlier this month following a disappointing start to the season that brought just two wins in 10 games.

In Carr’s first game in temporary charge, the Dragons recorded a shock 24-22 win over Sydney Roosters, before losing 26-12 against the Dolphins last weekend.

Ryles blow follows sponsor bombshell

A former Australia and New South Wales representative, Ryles played more than 150 games in the NRL for the Dragons and then headed to Super League to play for Catalans for a season.

He returned to the NRL to see out his career with Sydney Roosters and Melbourne Storm, before retiring at the end of 2013. In 2020, he joined the England rugby union team as skills coach but missed the 2021 Six Nations due to travel restrictions relating to the COVID pandemic.

At the weekend, Fox Sports reported he was set to take over on a four-year deal until the end of 2027.

But in a statement, Ryles said: “It wasn’t an easy decision to make but I am very comfortable knowing I am returning to Storm and can’t wait to get back the club.

“This was a decision I made with my family, and I know it will be best for my coaching growth and development. I have an enormous amount of respect for the club and couldn’t resist the opportunity to return to work with Craig Bellamy, Frank Ponissi and the football department when it was presented.

“The opportunity to be involved with the senior coaching and playing group as well as playing a role in the future of the club through the pathways and junior reps program is very exciting.

“The Roosters have been a wonderful club to work at and I am grateful to them for the opportunity they have provided me over the last couple of seasons.”

Ryles pulling out of the running to replace Anthony Griffin has added to the turmoil at the Dragons, who have also been rocked by the withdrawal of their main sponsor.

St George Bank has been the major sponsor of the club for more than 40 years, but their partnership will end at the end of 2024.

A statement said: “The partnership has been an important sponsorship for the bank, but the time is right to pursue new opportunities for our communities, business and customer priorities.

“We will continue to support the Dragons through 2024 as they assess their future sponsorship arrangements.”

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