Anthony Griffin's mandate to restore confidence and clarity to a scarred St George Illawarra has already been undermined by this wildly bizarre week.
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It's easily fixed by a couple of early-season wins of course, but a frustrated and angry fanbase are searching for signs of direction and clear-headed thinking, to offer hope for the future with Griffin in charge.
Instead, they copped a head-spinning one-two punch.
First, their inspirational captain Cameron McInnes signs with bitter rivals Cronulla, all because of the ridiculous reasoning the contractual timeframes of player and club would not align.
Whack!
Hours later, details leaked of the club chasing a 31-year-old dual international and religious zealot Israel Folau.
Kapow!
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It was all too much. Some fans launched into nuclear-grade outrage, others threatened to cancel memberships or even support another NRL team in protest.
And so a day later, even though the Dragons had entertained the idea for some time, it was clear the Folau deal was off before it was ever actually on.
In an interview with Australian Community Media colleague Cameron Mee, Dragons chief executive Ryan Webb makes a reasonable argument in defence of their handling of Folau.
But having been around since the Nathan Brown era, it's clear to this columnist the fans have used up all their patience.
Griffin's honeymoon period will be short without near-instant success, especially now fans are struggling to make sense of the week that was. If nothing else, the timing of the Folau interest becoming public was a superb smother of allowing McInnes to leave.
Griffin was at the forefront of the Folau bid, meeting with him in Brisbane - and if he wanted to keep McInnes - he could have ensured talks had at least started, to keep him on the hook.
On both counts, the Dragons have badly misfired.
Even with his natural talent, the Folau pursuit smacks of desperation and acceptance their squad will struggle to emerge as an NRL title contender this year.
Allowing McInnes to just leave is simply gobsmacking.
Spin it however you want, he's their best player and has led the Dragons in the darker hours, amid Paul McGregor's ongoing struggle to find the right combinations and during the Jack de Belin court case.
The NRL salary cap is a shape-shifting beast to control, but it's unfathomable the Dragons did not have his contract file marked 'urgent'.
At 27, he could have been a generational hero for the Red V faithful with another deal. It's hardly as if the Sharks broke the bank to sign him.
Griffin had made it clear he wanted Ben Hunt at halfback, seemingly making the selection jigsaw puzzles fit with McInnes permanently at dummy-half.
And now Andrew McCullough, a serviceable but injury-hampered player, could be the answer?
Dragons fans are looking for capable, steady leadership to drag the club out of the mire. They haven't seen it this week.
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