Head has held various roles at the club in recent seasons including NSW Cup coach and overseeing the club's junior academy system. He was also set to coach the Dragons NRLW side this year before the competition was postponed to early 2022.

Having filled the role in an "interim" capacity in the latter half of last season, he'll now be a full-time assistant to Griffin alongside Peter Gentle, who remains in his existing role.

Soward, who finished his career under Griffin at Penrith, returned to the club with which he won the 2010 premiership last season as a specialist kicking coach and will add the NRLW coaching role in 2022.

He'll oversee the women's Female Academy and he'll continue as specialist coach with the first grade squad.

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The promotion of former elite halves as part of a coaching shake-up are key appointments as the club brings through an emerging generation of playmakers in Jayden Sullivan, Talatau Amone and Tyrell Sloan.

It comes as Griffin looks to address a lack of variety in attack that saw his side run 11^th for points scored but more tellingly second-last in line-breaks and run metres and last in post-contact metres.

Elliott's new position in an "organisation-wide leadership and culture development role" is the dramatic shift in the shake-up with the former Raiders, Panthers and Warriors head coach having rejoined the NRL ranks as Griffin's assistant last season.

The appointment raised eyebrows in some quarters given his time out of NRL clubland since last coaching the Warriors in 2014, with the 56-year-old having made a successful move into the media.

He's also worked in mental health and mentoring that will continue in the newly created role at the Dragons.

Ian Millward remains recruitment manager working with general manager of football Ben Haran and Griffin on the club's list that's seen wholesale turnover ahead of the 2022 season.

Matt Dufty, Corey Norman, Paul Vaughan and Cam McInnes head the list of mass departures, while Queensland Origin reps Jaydn Su'A, Francis Molo and Moses Mbye top the list of incoming arrivals.

It also includes former Test props Aaron Woods and George Burgess, centres Moses Suli and Tautau Moga, and Sea Eagles back-rower Jack Gosiewski.

Off-contract in 2022, Griffin will be under some pressure to achieve early success with a new-look squad next season, with the club retaining an option on his services for 2023.

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In other appointments, NSW Cup coach Russ Aitken will join the Dragons in a full-time capacity, continuing his reserve grade role as well as working in junior development.

"We are extremely pleased with the quality personnel joining the Dragons' expanding football department," Haran said.

"These additions will all play crucial roles throughout the Dragons' football structure, ensuring a stronger connection between the NRL and NRLW programs, the NSWRL competitions we compete in, and our junior representative pathways.

"The Dragons' dedication to our male and female academies and our vast catchment area will continue with the further allocation of resources toward our development programs."

Ryan Bailey also returns to the club as an athletic development coach in the first-grade and pathways programs as well as being the club's first full-time NRLW performance manager.

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