The St George Illawarra Dragons are currently strategizing their long-term vision, with CEO Tim Watsford revealing that a timeline for appointing a new permanent head coach to succeed Shane Flanagan has not been established.
In the interim, Dean Young has taken on the coaching role, allowing the club to shift focus from urgency toward creating a solid framework for the responsibilities of the next coach.
A central aspect of this framework is anticipated to include oversight of junior development and recruitment, as the Dragons aim to enhance their capability to retain and develop emerging talent within their system.
This approach comes amid the club's ongoing success in cultivating promising players, such as the well-regarded Couchman brothers, who symbolize the Dragons' junior system and its future prospects.
In a conversation with SEN, Watsford emphasized the importance of stability and clarity prior to making any definitive decisions about the coaching position.
"Look, we're letting the dust settle on the week that was, and we want to get behind Dean now very much in the short term," he stated.
He highlighted that while discussions are taking place, there is no rush to finalize a replacement for Flanagan.
"We will go on that journey, no doubt. We will have a look at what we need, and that focus is around that connection with the junior elite players and to ensure that they have all the support that they want," he remarked.
"But in the meantime, there is no real timeline."