“At the time we had seen some improvement, we’d brought in new assistants, we changed some structures around in our pathways,” Webb explained. “A lot of things have worked really well, but it ultimately hasn’t led to wins on the field, which is key really.

“We will go through the process, speak to the candidates and I’m confident we will get the right person. We will support Ryan Carr and hopefully we have some success in the short term as well.”

The Dragons have big decisions to make on players coming off contract, potential recruits and the structure of its football department. Those calls will likely be made after the new coach is appointed, a process Webb feels will be completed within a fortnight.

“It hasn’t held up any retention pieces, but with recruitment we’ve been a bit cautious on that,” he said. “It’s similar to the staffing piece, you don’t want to bring in a player you’re unsure about or the type of player who suits. I wouldn’t say it makes it hard, but we’ve definitely put a pause on while we go down this process.”

The Dragons have been criticised for employing too many former players. Ryles, Hornby and Young also have history at the Red V, but Webb said that wasn’t a prerequisite for the next coach.

Loading

“I think it’s a collection of attributes you’re looking at,” Webb said. “I wouldn’t say that we are looking for someone with a direct connection to the Dragons, it’s about their capabilities as a whole as a coach.

“The key names are still left and we’re still trying to learn a little bit more about them now. We want to understand them a bit deeper so we can get to know them better.”

Stream the NRL Premiership 2023 live and free on 9Now.

Sports news, results and expert commentary. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.