Outgoing Dragons coach Paul McGregor has revealed that he has been unable to see his hospitalised father for three months due to the NRL's COVID-19 protocols.
McGregor signed off with a stirring 14-12 win over the Parramatta Eels on Friday night, and surprised reporters when he was asked what his immediate plans were.
"I'm going to see dad. I've locked in to see my father at 11 o'clock," he said.
"He's ill in hospital and I haven't seen him for three months, so I'm straight there tomorrow at 11 o'clock. Then I'll head down the coast and have a couple of quiet ones.
"I booked into the hospital. It's sort of a mental disease, so it's hard.
"The news (of his departure) came across on the TV last night and he freaked out a little bit because he remembered, so he called my sister asking what's going on, so I'll settle it down tomorrow."
Despite his seven-year tenure as Dragons coach coming to an end, the 52-year-old was adamant that it would not be his last coaching job in the NRL, offering prospective employers reasons they should consider hiring him in future.
"I love the game and I want to be around the game for as long as I can and I've got a lot to give," McGregor said.
"I've got good passion, I've got good enthusiasm and I think anyone you talk to in the sheds or in the staff, I've got good work ethic that starts early and finishes late and I'm there to serve people.
"So for me, I don't want it to be the finish to my career, that's for sure."
McGregor denied suggestions that he was frustrated with his side finally putting together a complete performance in his final match, saying that they had not been far away in previous weeks.
"People can ask me why they played so well tonight when they haven't (this season)," he said.
"If you look at our games of footy, we've had bad moments, not bad games. If you look in the last month, we could have won all three that we lost.
"Tonight we got it, we just found a little bit more at different times and turned the opposition away a little bit more often and we came up with the result.
"The three games we've played in the last three weeks we've been in a position to win, but the bounce of the ball, the drop of the ball, not defending in multiple sets, whatever it might be, we just haven't got the result and I suppose each time you don't do that a bit of fuel goes on the fire and the bushfire gets a bit more burnt."
from WWOS https://wwos.nine.com.au/nrl/paul-mcgregor-reveals-plans-to-visit-hospitalised-father-after-three-months-st-george-illawarra-dragons/1301d378-a436-4131-af6a-20e049a1ea88
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