I consider the length of fan service gives me some leeway to produce an opinion. During this time I have experienced the ebbs and flows and the highs and lows of the Dragons' ladder board fortunes.

Other than for the 1960's and 1970's a cast of external coaching appointments were able to get the best out of the Dragons, particularly when juxtaposed against 'home bred' coaches.

Moving on to the year 2000 and beyond - in the glory days between 2009 - 2011 coach Bennett and his self-appointed training staff had the uncanny knack to make a fair to reasonable roster of players into an exceptional world class team - in 2009 the Dragons were minor premiers; 2010 NRL minor premiers and champions; and proclaimed World Cup Challenge champions in 2011.

In recent times, however, I've noted - with the exception of a precious few that are the first picked to play State of Origin and/or for Australia - by and large, coach McGregor and his staff of former Dragons players have not been able to replicate the external or Bennett model, ie by turning a reasonable roster into a much better credibly performed and competitive one.

Coach McGregor's stats speak for themselves. Given this backdrop I'm of the strident view the Dragons need to appoint a well-credentialed coach and staff all of whom are external of the club.

The coach and staff will come with 'no baggage' and put their own 'exclamation' mark on their brand of coaching and footy.

As good a bloke McGregor is and, as I understand it, a tireless worker behind the footy scenes, it is highly unlikely he and his handpicked former Dragons staff will ever win a grand final or consistently make the finals, which is what it is all about. If I'm proved wrong I will apologise unreservedly.

D J Preece, Nth Wollongong

The Illawarra Mercury should be congratulated on its NAIDOC-themed front page (July 6) inspired by this year's theme of 'Voice.Treaty.Truth.

Let's work together for a shared future'. An editorial from the same edition titled 'It's time: Let's walk the walk' encourages us to 'stop talking about a genuine shared future and (start) making it happen'.

In reflecting on this impressive show of support I couldn't help but hope that this same sentiment might start to shine through in other aspects of the paper's reporting efforts, in particular in matters concerning the development of a mountain bike park on Mount Keira, a site that is held sacred to the traditional owners of this area.

Recent editorial and opinion pieces on the project have revealed a short-sighted commentary on the project as well as direct finger pointing towards our local Aboriginal Land Council.

Instead of throwing tantrums of words around in such disrespectful discourse (see June 28 'Let's not see the Illawarra Escarpment mountain bike strategy get stalled in bureaucracy') why not balance these editorial and opinion pieces with some qualified investigative journalism that seeks to equally represent all parties involved?

A local example of reconciliation? We might find that it's staring us in the face.

Tehla Bower, Keiraville