The habit, formed in seven years as an NRL head coach, is one he's yet to shed. Unlike an alarm clock, the coaching bug is not something you can simply switch off.

When his old mate Brad Fittler called to ask if he'd be interested in re-jojning the NSW Origin fold, he didn't need to wait long for an answer.

It'll see them go full circle as Blues brothers.

The pair were roommates and a young untested centre pairing selected by then-rookie NSW coach Phil Gould in 1992. They won that series and the two that followed.

Funnily enough, stories suggest they were often up at 4.45am back then as well.

These days, Fittler is a vegan with a devotion to 'earthing' among other spiritual practices. McGregor's a different character too, but their bond remains that of a housing commission kid from Cambridge Park and a working class kid from Dapto.

"We're a lot alike, me and Freddy," McGregor said.

"I know he's bit of a different cat, but we're similar individuals. He comes from Penrith, I come from Wollongong, ambition is one of our highest virtues.

"We've known each other a long time and we've got a good respect and honesty and trust with each other.

"We've got high personal standards we want to keep. I'm going to get great experience from what he's done there in the last there years. I'll get to touch and feel that.

"I spoke to Craig Fitzgibbon about and he said 'I know you're a 150-game [NRL] coach but you'll get great experience out of this'.

"I was involved with the successful 2014 side with Laurie [Daley]. Eight years later I'm back in a position that holds a lot of importance and responsibility."

Reflections on that 2014 series highlight the great irony in McGregor's journey; the club that ultimately bundled him out the back door had to bundle him through the front in the beginning.

Part of a clean-out on Wayne Bennett's arrival at the joint venture at the end of 2008, McGregor had only been back at the club as an assistant for half a season when it sacked Steve Price after 10 rounds in 2014.

McGregor was forced to step away from his role as an assistant to Daley with the Blues, up 2-0 in that series, to reluctantly take the reins.

He became the club's longest-serving boss, spending 151 games in the NRL's hottest coaching seat before being moved on midway through last season with a year still to run on his deal.

He hasn't spoken at any great length about his Dragons exit - he is loath to do so now - but he is frank when it comes to the lessons learned.

"When it first happened I took it a bit personal and tough, but as time goes on you heal," he said.

"There were a lot of things I thought I did well and a few things I would've done a bit differently along the way.

"It's an indisputable truth in rugby league that a distracted team's never going to reach its potential and we were very distracted. I probably needed to do more to fracture or break that.

"I've learned that a decision and an opinion are two very different things and if you listen to too many opinions it doesn't help you. You just can't listen to it too much.

"A slap on the back is six inches away from being a kick in the arse. I said all along, the club's don't hire you to retire you, they hire you to fire you in the end. That's professional sport.

"I've also learnt that roster and list management are the most important things in professional sport. I've said that consistently and now I've watched other teams go through it."

There was a blessing in his parting ways with the Dragons.

The timing allowed him to spend valuable time with his father Frank, who passed away earlier this year. Bubble restrictions and week-to-week demands would not have provided that opportunity.

Read more: Priorities laid bare in NRLW postponement

Time away has also let him unplug, if not completely.

"I went and saw dad first thing the next morning [after my last game] and that became my next chapter there, being beside him for that six-month period," he said.

"That was special and I wouldn't have had that time otherwise.

"I've enjoyed the freedom. I've been able to watch, listen and read everything about footy, or none of it. I've had that choice, but I still need to be challenged, like anyone in life.

"I haven't been lying on the lounge with my slippers on. I just can't be that guy. This [NSW] role is really nice fit, it's coaching with purpose and I'm involved with the elite [junior] pathways as well.

"Experience gives you better instincts and I know I'm going to be a much better coach after those seven years. The disappointment with how it finished turns into motivation for what's next."

What is next beyond his new gig with the Blues, he's not sure, but it's a role that only whets the appetite. He makes no secret of his desire to coach in the NRL again, though he stresses it's a desire and not a need.

"I want to be a head coach, but the shoe needs to fit both ways," he said.

"I want to coach a roster that wants what I want and vice versa. Teams are built on collective vision and values and that's got to align from the top right through.

"You need to get people that have the same values, behaviours and standards that you have that don't clash too much.

"Obviously not everyone can be exactly the same, but you have to have that.

"Whether that comes up, I don't know. I obviously want to coach again, but it's got to be the right fit for both parties."

The Illawarra Mercury news app is now officially live on both iOS and Android devices. It is available for download in the Apple Store and Google Play.