Dragons coach Anthony Griffin has flat-batted questions over his future amid reports the club is canvassing replacement options just four rounds into the season.
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Off-contract this year, Griffin came into the season under a mountain of pressure following to underwhelming seasons at the helm and an abysmal showing in the pre-season Charity Shield.
A first-up win over the Titans and game, but ultimately losing, effort against the Broncos last week has done little to ease the pressure, with Jason Ryles, Dean Young, Ben Hornby and Shane Flanagan all floated as potential replacements.
It saw reports emerge this week that the 56-year-old will need to reapply for his job beyond this year, but Griffin told reporters on Saturday that those questions were best directed elsewhere.
"That's a question I can't answer," Griffin said.
"That stuff's come from the board. Any other questions like that you'd have to speak to where that story came from.
"I've got a job to do here and I started the year off-contract so nothing's changed there. That's just where the season is.
"The big thing for us is our preparation to beat Cronulla [on Sunday]. I've got a job to do and I'm enjoying my job here.
"We've got a great playing group that's looking for a big season. That's all I want to talk about."
Pressed on whether it was a distraction for his playing group, Griffin remained tight-lipped.
"You'd have to ask them," Griffin said.
"You'll see that in their performance. They just need to play well tomorrow. If you want to talk about the game, we can have a chat, I think I've answered the other question."
Read more: Every game now a vote on Griffin's future
The Sharks have been hit and miss to start the season, dropping their season-opener to the Rabbitohs before bouncing back to knock off the Eels a week later.
They were edged out by the Raiders last week but welcome the return of Dally M Medalist Nicho Hynes for Sunday's local derby at Kogarah.
It's a welcome addition as Craig Fitzgibbon looks to fully get his side's 2023 ball rolling, but Griffin feels the Sharks have been in formidable form without their star No. 7.
"I thought [Brayden] Trindall's been probably their best player the first three weeks," Griffin said.
"Hynes coming back, he's obviously a really special player and he'll help them, but they've been going pretty well without him as well. Certainly with him in the team it makes them stronger.
"When the Dragons play Cronulla it's always going to be a big clash, there's always emotion. I don't think it comes down to one individual, I think it comes down to the 80 minutes both teams put in tomorrow.
"It's a big game, Cronulla always attack it with a real physicality so it's a good opportunity for us to take another step. They're not somewhere they want to be so it should be a really good clash I'd say.
"Cronulla have [won] five or six in a row with the local derbies so that's something we're aware of and we want to turn that around."
The Dragons will need to address a trend of late-game fade-outs that reared its head last week as Brisbane posted four tries in the final nine minutes en route to a 40-18 win.
It's been his side's achilles heel the past two campaigns, but Griffin feels the performance was a solid building block.
"We were disappointed with the last 10 minutes last week but it's something we build off, I know we'll build off," he said.
"I thought we were the better team for the first half and in the middle part of the second half we clawed our way back. We got blown away the last seven or eight minutes and there were some reasons for that.
"We take a lot of confidence out of last weekend because we didn't pay anywhere near what we were capable of in the second half when we were tested a couple of times.
"It was only a period just after halftime and then a period at fulltime [that cost us]. We turned a ball over with 10 minutes to go and then just got picked apart with our defence in the last 10 minutes.
"We get a lot of learnings out of that. I've got no doubt we're going to improve off that and we're going to be better than that."
On another front, Griffin remains hopeful of having Manly tearaways Alec Tuitavake and Viliame Fifita on deck this season, despite Sea Eagles CEO Tony Mestrov saying the club wouldn't be releasing Fifita.
It emerged early on Saturday morning the move is now looming as part of a player swap that will see veteran Aaron Woods leave the Dragons to finish his career on the northern beaches.
"I think it's just between both club managements now," Griffin said.
"As far as I know, they're speaking about the possibilities of those guys joining [immediately].
"I got briefed on it yesterday. I can understand Manly [position] two players on contract but, as I understand it, they were given permission to negotiate.
"I'll leave that to the guys in the suits. At the moment I think they're pursuing all possibilities but that's something going on at the moment."
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Mitch Jennings
Sports writer. Sport is my passion, rugby league my first love.
Sports writer. Sport is my passion, rugby league my first love.
