"His attention to detail was always there, he was fastidious," said former colleague Mick Potter. For some unknown reason, on this night, we decided we'd go back home together.". Even though it was just local league, he was very particular even then.". McGregor was given a contract extension after the red v won four of their first six games.
"There were some players that would gratefully take any hand-me-downs because they were barely worn. But while few appreciate it more when a plan comes together, even McGregor acknowledges there are some things in life left to chance. The bomb, planted by extremists in the popular tourist nightspot, killed 202 people, including 88 Australians. [13][14], On 18 April 2019, McGregor was granted a two-year contract extension by St. George Illawarra, keeping him at the club until the end of the 2021 season. As is his way, they were lined up in colour co-ordinated rows and spread evenly across WIN Stadium in preparation for a Mark Gasnier fitness test. Australian rugby league footballer and coach, "Paul McGregor – Career Stats & Summary (Player)", "Illawarra rugby league names 'team of the century, "Cleared Crockett still without NRL club", "St George Illawarra Dragons defeat Penrith Panthers 42–10 in Round One boilover", "St George Illawarra Dragons coach Paul McGregor signs contract extension", "St George Illawarra Dragons 2018 season review", "St George Illawarra Dragons stars back coach Paul McGregor", "Why McGregor's the man to lead Red V to glory", "Dragons coach Paul McGregor defends decision to rest Ben Hunt", "Paul McGregor facing the axe as St. George Illawarra Dragons coach following horror season", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Paul_McGregor_(rugby_league)&oldid=983897124, Australia national rugby league team players, Country New South Wales Origin rugby league team players, New South Wales Rugby League State of Origin players, Australian rugby league biography, 1960s birth stubs, All Wikipedia articles written in Australian English, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 16 October 2020, at 22:19.
Again, probably a schoolmates nickname. "He would religiously clear out his wardrobe every year," Potter said. The work ethic that is now his hallmark - his 18-hour days begin when the alarm clock goes off at 4:45am - was not as evident during a glittering career which included 158 games for the Steelers and Dragons, as well as 14 Origins and three Tests for Australia. The man dubbed 'Mary' has defied all expectations by leading the joint-venture outfit into a share of top spot on the ladder. [3] He spent time on the sidelines with injury that year and following a shoulder reconstruction he did not play during the entire 2000 NRL season. He had played 124 games with the Steelers club from 1991 to 1998, scoring 44 tries. While he always wanted to be in a profession in which he could "tutor people", the opportunity to coach also came about by chance.
Add to that all the regular features you've come to expect - the Origin match programme along with teamlists and details for the week's Super League matches - and you have one fantastic 32-page magazine! In Round 1 2017, St George Illawarra beat the Penrith Panthers 42–10. They have two children and five grandchildren. There were other courses and jobs, such as working in the mines or in his True Blue Chemicals business, which he has kept to this day. McGregor represented the NSW Blues in fourteen State of Origin games between 1992 and 1998. League-mad fans Mark Thierry and Emile El-Azar share their lives in locked-down Victoria during the COVID-disrupted year and Andrew Ferguson looks at how the Storm and Roosters of the current era compare with the great dynasties of years gone by. "If it wasn't perfect, it wasn't right.". "Obviously with me not being under contract, I was moved on. [18]He won his final game on 14 August 2020 when his side upset the Parramatta Eels with a tough 14-12 win. His successor at the Illawarra Cutters was another former Illawarra player, Ian Millward. Struggling to find his niche after football, he accepted an offer from Barrett's father to work with children in juvenile detention. [15] After St George Illawarra's 40–18 defeat against Penrith in Round 18 of the 2019 NRL season which left St George Illawarra in 14th position on the ladder, McGregor came under intense media criticism after he chose to rest Ben Hunt for the game.[16]. Happy reading! In week one of the finals, the Saints faced Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium with the home side being heavily fancied before the match. ). [6], In 2009, with Wayne Bennett joining the club, McGregor left and took up the head coaching job at the Western Suburbs Red Devils club in the Illawarra Rugby League competition.[7]. "After round two we had blokes not worth being at the club and they all had soft underbellies," McGregor said. McGregor played his club football for the Illawarra Steelers and then the merged St. George Illawarra Dragons at the commencement of their joint venture in 1999. He was a powerful runner of the football out wide and provided a great combination with his club teammate, Blues winger Rod Wishart. Like when, on playing trips away, he would neatly lay out all of his clothes for up to a week in advance. If I'd stayed with Wayne, who knows whether I'd be coaching.
Paul McGregor (born 31 December 1967) is an Australian professional rugby league coach who was until August 2020, the head coach of the St. George Illawarra Dragons in the NRL, and a former professional rugby league footballer who played as a centre in the 1990s and 2000s. They didn't think it was too funny afterwards. On a roll: Dragons coach Paul McGregor.Credit:Christopher Chan. The only thing keeping St. George Illawarra from 16th place were the Gold Coast Titans. "It was one of those ones that could have gone the other way because we were actually at that bar.