Flanno's New Signings

[baggygreen man]

We do have some big forwards coming through the problem is they are playing Aus schoolboys and are a few years off.

Perhaps not as far off as appears, with Jacob Halangahu, Finau Latu being moved into our Top 30 in '25. Probably one or two others including Loko Jr.

 

[redVinme]

Perhaps not as far off as appears, with Jacob Halangahu, Finau Latu being moved into our Top 30 in '25. Probably one or two others including Loko Jr.

Would love one of them to seperate themselves from the rest and come in 18/19 and just be a tearaway.

Hopefully a couple pan out. Exciting times after years and years of shit hopefully the pathways take some shape

 

[Parko1310]

Would love one of them to seperate themselves from the rest and come in 18/19 and just be a tearaway.

Hopefully a couple pan out. Exciting times after years and years of shit hopefully the pathways take some shape

I'd be surprised if Dylan Egan doesn't debut at some point this year as well. We're pretty short in the second row.

 

[redVinme]

I'd be surprised if Dylan Egan doesn't debut at some point this year as well. We're pretty short in the second row.

Would be good if he did. And the manly boys. If even one of the sticks and shows rep potential it saves us 500k

 

[BlackDuckSaint]

Would love one of them to seperate themselves from the rest and come in 18/19 and just be a tearaway.

Hopefully a couple pan out. Exciting times after years and years of shit hopefully the pathways take some shape

Loko Pasifika Tonga is a monster. He already stands apart.

195cm and 118kg.

I am pretty sure he is 18 because he is still eligible for SG ball next year.

He played two games of NSW cup last year and just signed on to the top 30 for 25' and 26'.

Coaches definitely see something in him

 

[hewi]

First domino that needs to fall is sign Dearden, once we have him then Hunt can go. Second domino AFB then we will be looking so much better.

 

[rasaint]

I get the dislike of Ben Hunt. However, be careful what you wish for. Hunt is a high level player who can run, break through, bulldozer over, assist trys and kick reasonably well. A satisfactory defender. In opinion has had to carry the team.

Look here we are with 2024 season close by and like other recent times not signing any high level players, talking about the up and coming juniors ( recently Feagai, Sloan, Amone, Sullivan examples)and how amazing when they hit NRL, give Zac clean,/ early ball and coach him properly and we need TPAs etc.

My point is the only recognised high level player is Ben Hunt. Of course, he obviously got sick of waiting for some big purchases and while I totally disagree with behaviour have some sympathy ( as I do for all of us long suffering dragon supporters). I’ll be very surprised to see any top recruitment soon or ability to land a big fish. Hope I’m wrong.

Yet still looking forward to the season come what may.

 

[Slippery Morris]

I love what Penrith are doing. It shows how important it is to have great juniors coming through with the right coach in Nathan Cleary the tired one. It is the combination of retaining the best of the best within and implementing a system that all players in all grades are following to have this production line of guys coming in and not missing a beat.

 

[Parko1310]

I get the dislike of Ben Hunt. However, be careful what you wish for. Hunt is a high level player who can run, break through, bulldozer over, assist trys and kick reasonably well. A satisfactory defender. In opinion has had to carry the team.

Look here we are with 2024 season close by and like other recent times not signing any high level players, talking about the up and coming juniors ( recently Feagai, Sloan, Amone, Sullivan examples)and how amazing when they hit NRL, give Zac clean,/ early ball and coach him properly and we need TPAs etc.

My point is the only recognised high level player is Ben Hunt. Of course, he obviously got sick of waiting for some big purchases and while I totally disagree with behaviour have some sympathy ( as I do for all of us long suffering dragon supporters). I’ll be very surprised to see any top recruitment soon or ability to land a big fish. Hope I’m wrong.

Yet still looking forward to the season come what may.

Exactly, why get rid of Hunt when he clearly improves the team? I totally get all the dislike for him, how he carried himself was completely inappropriate. I'd say terrible advice from his manager mixed in with desperation to win a comp before retiring are just some of the explanations for his behaviour. Doesn't make it okay behaviour nonetheless.

But, in reality, no matter how much anyone dislikes Ben it is undeniable that he's our best player. It's also likely that without him we would've gotten the spoon last year. The point is, he is in the elite bracket, and people can state he's been unsuccessful in luring players to the club blah blah blah. Calling that out for what it is, it's sour grapes. Every player speaking about Hunt from QLD and AUS camps in interviews, and previous Brisbane players, always indicates they love playing with Hunt. He is not the issue regarding recruitment, in fact he's more likely to help us in that department. Sorry, but not a single player in the NRL is moving clubs at the prospect of playing with Blake Lawrie, Sloan, Lomax. Our team becomes an absolute shambles without him, even more than it already is, and I'd put good money on us getting the spoon if he left us with our current squad.

We have the money to keep Hunt and sign Dearden, making us a better team than having Dearden and no Hunt. We also have the money to do this, as well as sign AFB and Luki. Any team in the comp is better off having Ben Hunt, and if we can afford to keep him and sign all these players, why would we deliberately weaken our prospects at potentially giving the comp a shake just because he had a whinge.

 

[hewi]

Hunt is on huge money , will we win a premiership in 24/25 with him? The answer is no so let him go spend the money on Dearden he is the future and should help get other very good younger players to the club.

 

[Parko1310]

Hunt is on huge money , will we win a premiership in 24/25 with him? The answer is no so let him go spend the money on Dearden he is the future and should help get other very good younger players to the club.

$900K is not huge money, especially not in the current salary cap. His wage is about where it should be. People seem to forget he's not on 1.2mil anymore after he signed a new deal, and people also forget the cap has gone up significantly.

 

[VodkaSaint]

Tigers want Lui.
Got to offload Klemmer
Klemmer under Flanno’s tutelage
Yes please.

would love to see him with us with AFB please

 

[VodkaSaint]

Great, thanks redV.

what about the young lads from Manly, how are they Going ?

 

[Dragon David]

I get the dislike of Ben Hunt. However, be careful what you wish for. Hunt is a high level player who can run, break through, bulldozer over, assist trys and kick reasonably well. A satisfactory defender. In opinion has had to carry the team.

Look here we are with 2024 season close by and like other recent times not signing any high level players, talking about the up and coming juniors ( recently Feagai, Sloan, Amone, Sullivan examples)and how amazing when they hit NRL, give Zac clean,/ early ball and coach him properly and we need TPAs etc.

My point is the only recognised high level player is Ben Hunt. Of course, he obviously got sick of waiting for some big purchases and while I totally disagree with behaviour have some sympathy ( as I do for all of us long suffering dragon supporters). I’ll be very surprised to see any top recruitment soon or ability to land a big fish. Hope I’m wrong.

Yet still looking forward to the season come what may.

Agreed rasaint. I'm not happy with what Hunt had said about us and kept on whinging about things and saying that he wanted out, but he does have those qualities as you have noted. I too have the same feelings that if I was playing at the Dragons I would be pissed off with the club not getting these better players to give us a chance of being up the top.

It isn't unreasonable for anyone to have these feelings but the problem was that Hunt couldn't keep his mouth shut. Hopefully after all of his gripes, he has made the club take more notice and will get these better players and hopefully that will get him to shut his trap.

 

[Desperate Dragon]

what about the young lads from Manly, how are they Going ?

Viliami Fifita is the one to watch.
Came to us carrying an injury or two this year. Full pre season under his belt going into 2024.
A lot of positive comments about him on the Manly supporter's fan site when he left.
Tuitavake goes all right as well.

 

[justadragon]

I love what Penrith are doing. It shows how important it is to have great juniors coming through with the right coach in Nathan Cleary the tired one. It is the combination of retaining the best of the best within and implementing a system that all players in all grades are following to have this production line of guys coming in and not missing a beat.

100% they also had Shane Richardson to set the club up for success, unlike Harran who set us up to be a laughing stock.

 

[justadragon]

Exactly, why get rid of Hunt when he clearly improves the team? I totally get all the dislike for him, how he carried himself was completely inappropriate. I'd say terrible advice from his manager mixed in with desperation to win a comp before retiring are just some of the explanations for his behaviour. Doesn't make it okay behaviour nonetheless.

But, in reality, no matter how much anyone dislikes Ben it is undeniable that he's our best player. It's also likely that without him we would've gotten the spoon last year. The point is, he is in the elite bracket, and people can state he's been unsuccessful in luring players to the club blah blah blah. Calling that out for what it is, it's sour grapes. Every player speaking about Hunt from QLD and AUS camps in interviews, and previous Brisbane players, always indicates they love playing with Hunt. He is not the issue regarding recruitment, in fact he's more likely to help us in that department. Sorry, but not a single player in the NRL is moving clubs at the prospect of playing with Blake Lawrie, Sloan, Lomax. Our team becomes an absolute shambles without him, even more than it already is, and I'd put good money on us getting the spoon if he left us with our current squad.

We have the money to keep Hunt and sign Dearden, making us a better team than having Dearden and no Hunt. We also have the money to do this, as well as sign AFB and Luki. Any team in the comp is better off having Ben Hunt, and if we can afford to keep him and sign all these players, why would we deliberately weaken our prospects at potentially giving the comp a shake just because he had a whinge.

All the points you mention Parko are true, but lets not forget he was the club captain of the Dragons, to go out and ask for a release whilst you are away at SOO is a gutless act. So whilst the club is at one of its lowest ebb's he goes out citing the weather as a partial reason to leave. I could just imagine Provan, Smith, Raper coming up with that.

 

[FlickFlano]

Go the Dragons

 

[Dragon David]

For the past 3 years we have had a halfback so hell bent on doing everything himself we dont really know if he improves the team or hampers it. The hook way was simply do everything Ben wants and the Carr way was dont rock the boat.

What is undeniable is that for this period of time the dragons attack has been close to if not the most disorganised mess in the NRL and the player whos job it was to organise the attack was Ben Hunt.

The start to season 2024 is really going to be interesting because I doubt Flano will allow his son to be organised out of the game by Hunt the way he has taken other players out of the dragons attack by removing all space/time from them.

Hunt at 57 or however old he is is not going to play his best season in 2024 and 2025 even less so, if you can use him to get Dearden then why not. Even better try grab an edge as well.

Haahaaa! Yes the way that Hunt isn't organising the team in attack is because he is too old to. At 57, you would think that he would be well and truly retired. Sorry Flick, just had to have a go.

Hunt will be 34 next March.

 

[FlickFlano]

Go the Dragons