Flanno's New Signings

[Lennyb]

Too bad he has short arms and long pockets

Once the muppets are replaced with puppets on the St George side, he will find some money.

 

[blacksafake]

Once the muppets are replaced with puppets on the St George side, he will find some money.

Don’t hold your breath

 

[Crush]

Connor Tracy .
What happened there?
Thought we were on the drivers seat.
Relying heavily on Sloan and maybe Lomax for fb.
Disappointing.

He hasn’t signed with anyone yet right?
Let’s see what happens, we still may get him.

 

[Desperate Dragon]

He hasn’t signed with anyone yet right?
Let’s see what happens, we still may get him.

This, plus Corey Allan is still out there looking for a top 30 contract somewhere.
Have not heard any rumours linking him to a move anywhere within the NRL.
Just think as a younger, versatile and fairly injury free player, would be a good get for the Dragons.

 

[Dragon David]

We are almost at December 2023 and still we have only Sele and Flanno jnr signed. Tom Eisenhuth not confirmed as yet. I just wonder what is happening with recruitment? Are we actually negotiating with anyone? Will Flanagan say "those players that we have tried so damned hard to get want better deals than what we can offer so now we are having to go shopping at the Reject Shop to make up the numbers and being such a great coach, I will promise you Dragons fans that the club will still make the top 8 in 2024"?

 

[OneEyedDragon]

We are almost at December 2023 and still we have only Sele and Flanno jnr signed. Tom Eisenhuth not confirmed as yet. I just wonder what is happening with recruitment? Are we actually negotiating with anyone? Will Flanagan say "those players that we have tried so damned hard to get want better deals than what we can offer so now we are having to go shopping at the Reject Shop to make up the numbers and being such a great coach, I will promise you Dragons fans that the club will still make the top 8 in 2024"?

It is a concern DD, but Flanno has already taken steps to delay a reaction from desperate fans. He has been quoted as saying something like there should be a couple of good signings before Christmas. That has bought him some time in my eyes, and I really hope that it is not just a stalling tactic.

 

[Dragon David]

It is a concern DD, but Flanno has already taken steps to delay a reaction from desperate fans. He has been quoted as saying something like there should be a couple of good signings before Christmas. That has bought him some time in my eyes, and I really hope that it is not just a stalling tactic.

I hope not too OED. Cheers.

 

[Wolfgang90]

I don't want him to sign players for the heck of it. We don't need to burden our 2025 cap space with 2024 junk signings. Imo 2024 is a free shot at setting standards, formulating a game plan & flanno blowing out his coaching cobwebs. 2025 is when the real uplift will begin imo.

 

[baggygreen man]

I just wonder what is happening with recruitment?

Same here DD. Is bloody frustrating. I have the unpleasant feeling that is the extent of new players for '24. Hopefully the big fish will be coming in '25.

 

[baggygreen man]

It hurts me to admit this, but our coach's job luring even one elite player here is exacerbated by the fact our club is used to losing. Most wanna play footy with a winner, or at the least a competitive team.

 

[possm]

I get it all, can someone show me a way that we can spread the talent around, the salary cap is not working, some clubs have TPA's some dont, its obvious for the last decade that there is preferential treatment given to certain clubs, its obvious some clubs have never ending barrels of money to throw around under the guise of business management. I'm sick of harping on about this restraint of trade, but guess what if the league dont do something about the issues surrounding players and what clubs can have them, we are practically a 2 tier comp now and if this continues there will be no trade for certain teams. To me people say we must improve as a club to get the better players, I agree we must, especially in culture, but does that also mean we need to rort the salary cap better, Laundy got found out not so long ago and Politis has been at it for years with his back room deals and what happened to them, nothing. Anyway life goes on and we have a happy bunch of players being unrestricted because certain money pots are endless, and they and their corrupt managers know it.

NRL Draft is the only way to even things up.

 

[Dragon David]

NRL Draft is the only way to even things up.

We wouldn't be looking at these options possm if we were doing great each year with top 8 results. It all boils down to the very poor decision making made by the Board to accept Bennett's word that Steve Price would be great as our head coach after Bennett's desertion of our club to go to the Knights and for the recruitment and retention people at that time to ensure that we had players that would continue to play great footy for the next umpteen years. Yes, sacking Price was good but then they go and put Mary in and we know where that ended as well.

We are commenting on how the NRL should make things fairer by a points system, draft system but the better clubs are not saying anything because they are doing fine. If we were doing fine we would also not be saying anything.

We have just got to get our house in ORDER. No Official in our club is even saying that the salary cap is not fair and another system with it or a draft is needed. They know it is up to them to get the ship right and sail on into success.

 

[Black Panther]

NRL Draft is the only way to even things up.

That worked out well in the past didn’t it. Junior pathways is the way to go, but you need to invest in the right players when the time comes.

 

[SnowDragon]

That worked out well in the past didn’t it. Junior pathways is the way to go, but you need to invest in the right players when the time comes.

2 points

-takes a good coach to work out who are the right players for the team, and then develop them
-I agree junior pathways is the most critical part, but that needs to built on with specific targeted signings.

 

[Mojo]

2 points

-takes a good coach to work out who are the right players for the team, and then develop them
-I agree junior pathways is the most critical part, but that needs to built on with specific targeted signings.

The number of guys that we develop, then let go, seems to me to be the proof of the pudding that we haven‘t had it right for a long, long time. Now we’re even trying to buy- back players we let go when they were just hitting their straps. St George and Illawarra has always been rich with junior talent. We should never, ever find ourselves playing semi-retired, ancient, average Queenslanders. Of course scouting young talent anywhere it can be found is icing on the cake. It’s as plain as the nose on our face that we’ve really let junior development fall apart over the past twenty years.

 

[Wolfgang90]

I think the major issue with our development is once they enter the top 30 squad, the development of those younger players tend to stagnate or they don't develop effectively. The best example is Zac Lomax, he's pretty much the same player as he was when he entered 1st grade. This is an area where I want to see major improvements moving forward.

 

[Dragon David]

The number of guys that we develop, then let go, seems to me to be the proof of the pudding that we haven‘t had it right for a long, long time. Now we’re even trying to buy- back players we let go when they were just hitting their straps. St George and Illawarra has always been rich with junior talent. We should never, ever find ourselves playing semi-retired, ancient, average Queenslanders. Of course scouting young talent anywhere it can be found is icing on the cake. It’s as plain as the nose on our face that we’ve really let junior development fall apart over the past twenty years.

Well we need our scouts to do a lot of ground work to see who has great potential elsewhere that's for sure.

You take the Roosters for instance. They not only have signed Dominic Young for 2023+ but they have signed a young kid from under the noses of the Broncos in the name of Tyreece Tait a speedster similar to Josh Addo-Carr. https://wwos.nine.com.au/nrl/news-2...hing-job/b76d3f71-2d5c-4cf3-aeaf-bc9f4734ba5b

The Rabbitohs have signed a giant prop by the name of Jason Hallie, 19, who they see as Tom Burgess' successor. He is already 110 kilos and still growing.

Do we have any speedsters coming through and/or any giant props signed up?

 

[Mojo]

I think there’s also a challenge for us in that we often have quite a large talent pool. There’s limited spots available in 1st grade and a shortage of talent across the competition, so it needs a really keen eye to select the best and any others with any possible talent get poached. Being a development club in many ways sets us up as sinking investments into future talent for other clubs. It’s not a simple strategy to get right.

This is one of the reasons rich clubs with limited junior depth, like Storm and Roosters, have an advantage.

 

[justadragon]

The panthers are the best example of retaining and developing junior talent. They have had this template for years and the Dragons with one of the biggest nurseries if not the biggest has been stupid enough not to follow it and let it dwindle.

 

[Mojo]

Panthers used to be also-rans. I would argue they replicated what StG was like during the 60’s and early 70’s.