After their dismal 2016 campaign where St George Illawarra struggled to fire a shot in attack, McGregor’s extreme makeover has led to them rising to third on the NRL ladder halfway through this season.

By committing to McGregor, the Dragons have now effectively already painted a picture of the future, with Brisbane halfback Ben Hunt signed on a lucrative six-year deal from 2018, captain Gareth Widdop staying on, but representative fullback Josh Dugan heading for Cronulla. 

However, McGregor can now firmly fix his focus on a finals campaign, with an 8-4 record heading into Monday’s battle with the struggling Bulldogs at ANZ Stadium.

The Mercury was on Wednesday night told the deal had been close since the days before State of Origin I, before McGregor told the players at WIN Stadium on Wednesday.

The new deal continues an extraordinary personal journey for McGregor, who was St George Illawarra’s captain in the inaugural joint venture season in 1999, where they lost the grand final to Melbourne.

Having made his playing debut in 1991 with the Illawarra Steelers, McGregor was the club’s performance and conditioning coach when cast aside by Wayne Bennett in 2009. As Bennett won the drought-breaking title the following year, McGregor won premierships with Wests in the Illawarra competition. 

He then returned to the Dragons to work as an assistant to Steve Price, eventually replacing him midway through the 2014 campaign. 

McGregor’s coaching future looked in doubt at the start of this year, after the Dragons managed only 14 points per game to miss the 2016 finals. 

But Widdop’s form reflects McGregor’s overhaul, the Dragons now the second-highest scoring team in the NRL. Widdop is one of this year’s leading pointscorers with 99. McGregor’s new two-year contract will be officially announced at St George Leagues Club on Thursday morning.