The Mole: Shock contender emerges should Paul McGregor be replaced by Dragons

A contender from left-field emerged as a shock choice to replace Paul McGregor at the Dragons before he was given a stay of execution at an emergency board meeting this morning.

Former Wigan coach Shaun Wane was ruled out of the running for an NRL job when he was appointed England coach for the Ashes series against Australia at the end of this year.

But when the Ashes were cancelled due to COVID-19 recently, Wane suddenly found himself with his schedule clear.

Wane has the best coaching record in England and has appointed an Australian agent to explore possiblities here.

Wane took over Wigan after Michael Maguire left the club to coach Souths in 2012 and won one minor premiership, one Challenge Cup, three grand finals and one World Club Challenge.

For the time being the Dragons have decided to stick with McGregor, but he remains the most under-pressure coach in the NRL and the club will undoubtedly be canvassing the coaching world for replacement options.

Should they begin a search for a long-term coach, Wane's resume would make him a leading contender for the job.