Jack Bird

[nrlnrl]

It seems the timing of the announcement has been made to cause maximum distraction to the NYC side's preparation...deliberately

I think the timing is ok. It comes when the side has a week off & more than likely a few team mates would've known he was going.

 

[Jubileeboy]

I don't understand the "you can't keep them all" reasoning.

You should do EVERYTHING you can to keep your best. Hastings and Bird were our best.

I don't understand the "you can keep them all" reasoning.

Maybe it's possible that we just happen to be good at identifying and developing young players ?......but that's another argument

 

[Gomarchin]

I don't understand the "you can keep them all" reasoning.

Maybe it's possible that we just happen to be good at identifying and developing young players ?......but that's another argument

It's not possible to keep all of them but why can't we keep our best??

 

[Get2dachopper!]

It's not possible to keep all of them but why can't we keep our best??

I said it in another post. Seems to be a reluctance in giving our juniors a go in first grade, could be another reason why they are leaving.

I'm sure bird will get at least a bench spot next season at the sharks. Had he stayed with us, he be likely just training with the nrl squad and possibly given some game time in the cutters while we stubbornly persist with nuffies like ah Mau an Harrison in the nrl side.

 

[TheRev]

Enough have actually, however their development once they hit first grade ends due to the crap coaching staff we have had in place for three years....
DeBelin, Stockwell , Merrin, Quinlan, Rein, to name a few I think would all be far better if they had good coaching the last three seasons..

Most of those blokes were on the scene years ago and have not kicked on, nothing has come through in recent times, Garvey was the 1 exception but we got unlucky there, Hastings/Bird would have made it.. but gone.. OBrien was the one upgraded this year but hes got an awful lot of work to do yet.

Merrin btw has had 5 full seasons in 1st grade already, hes no rookie.. Rein has secured a spot, but barely, his replacements (King/Garvey) just havent come through.

 

[BennyV]

Most of those blokes were on the scene years ago and have not kicked on, nothing has come through in recent times, Garvey was the 1 exception but we got unlucky there, Hastings/Bird would have made it.. but gone.. OBrien was the one upgraded this year but hes got an awful lot of work to do yet.

Merrin btw has had 5 full seasons in 1st grade already, hes no rookie.. Rein has secured a spot, but barely, his replacements (King/Garvey) just havent come through.

To be fair, youre question wasnt about rookies, it was about juniors that weve brought on as first graders, and Red made a good point that theres been quite a few over the last 3-5 years, considering other ourchases weve made to cover what was an old squad.

Issue is that when they get to the point to make the jump to firsts, they are stalled due to an appalling coaching setup.

 

[saintm]

He didn't make the announcement. Cronulla did. He will be giving his all as always when he plays for the dragons over the next few weeks.Jack Bird is not the only player leaving the club twinkletoes why dont you give them some of your undivided attention.

Jack would have had to agree to when the release was going out.... I agree the timing sucks! It's not all about him he has played well in a well coached team with players that have as much potential as him...

It will be interesting to see how he goes at cronulla.... George keeps saying his a fullback they have Gordon (player of the year), the guy in nsw cup and Valentine Holmes.

I reckon he will be a wing or centre

 

[to_ddeath]

It seems the timing of the announcement has been made to cause maximum distraction to the NYC side's preparation...deliberately

Yeah sure, Bird is the new PR kid at Scumulla. What crap.


T.

 

[nrlnrl]

Jack would have had to agree to when the release was going out.... I agree the timing sucks! It's not all about him he has played well in a well coached team with players that have as much potential as him...

It will be interesting to see how he goes at cronulla.... George keeps saying his a fullback they have Gordon (player of the year), the guy in nsw cup and Valentine Holmes.

I reckon he will be a wing or centre

george43 is a Sharks fan or a phantom who dabbles in a few different forums

 

[bottle]

The reason we can't keep them all at any cost is financial constraints, commonly known as a salary cap.
Spend big on retaining a junior by giving them what they want (which by any measure is a gamble), compromise any chance of assembling a balanced and competitive squad.

If what they want is a premature chance at an NRL position, succumb to their wishes at the risk of playing them too early and damaging either them or the team.
Sometimes blooding them seems to work out ok, like Brooks. Sometimes holding them back seems to work out ok, like Barba/Keary. If anyone can work out the science behind getting this right let me know, because I'm clueless as to how you make the right call on this.

One thing is for sure though, play them early and they stink it up, and it would simply be another reason to for some blood letting on the forums.

 

[giboz71]

The reason we can't keep them all at any cost is financial constraints, commonly known as a salary cap.
Spend big on retaining a junior by giving them what they want (which by any measure is a gamble), compromise any chance of assembling a balanced and competitive squad.

If what they want is a premature chance at an NRL position, succumb to their wishes at the risk of playing them too early and damaging either them or the team.
Sometimes blooding them seems to work out ok, like Brooks. Sometimes holding them back seems to work out ok, like Barba/Keary. If anyone can work out the science behind getting this right let me know, because I'm clueless aas to how you make the right call on this.

One thing is for sure though, play them early and they stink it up, and it would simply be another reason to for some blood letting on the forums.

Mate..I agree. Rookies kicking on is a lottery, some of it related to good management, some just blind luck. I get that.

I guess the frustration for Dragons fans is that we have had limited success in 3 years due to an underachieving squad. We've finished 9th, 13th and 11th, yet we have persisted with fringe first graders getting starts in the top grade (Ah Mau, Harrison, Hunt, Stanley and Green seem to be the favourite targets in these forums).

I can understand rookies being held back if we are contending every year, but ffs we've been atrocious for 3 years now. You'd think in that time the coaches would have tried something different and at least we would have had something to show in those 3 years? The tigers have been crap like us but they have Brooks, Tedesco, Moses and Sironen to look forward to.

We have nothing to be positive about, other than a misused salary cap, our best juniors jumping ship and the distinct possibility of losing 2 of our best players and loyal servants.

It's an out and out disaster to be honest.

 

[bottle]

The Tiges were probably forced to blood some younger than they might have liked due to injuries. They may have already been in their plans, who knows?
I think part of the issue is that we were always on the cusp of competing for the 8, so the 'play it safe' policy was utilised. In some ways, it may have been better if we were less of a chance, it might have forced the hand a little bit.
Again, who knows?

 

[jenninga]

Salary Cap would also be impacted when promoting junior players.
The irony is we have been lucky/unlucky with injuries last couple of seasons and we haven't been forced to blood juniors like the Tigers.
When I say unlucky we have continually put up with same rubbish average performers because they have remained injury free.
Not that I wish any players to be injured.




Only AhMau.

 

[Russell Crowe's Band]

He will be centres or back row.
Centres hopefully.

Anything but ayshford.

 

[twinkletoes]

Yeah sure, Bird is the new PR kid at Scumulla. What crap.


T.

Well smartarse why would he announce in the middle of a final series...use some brains if you can find any??

 

[grouch]

Calling it a lottery is just making excuses for yet another club stuff up. Some young players are safer bets than others.

Losing Bird and Hastings in consecutive years = throwing pocket aces into the muck.

 

[Slippery Morris]

Bird is a 2 year deal to the Sharks. In 2 years Saints may snap him back like they did Beau Scott. I hope so anyway. Plus Sharks may not be around in 2 years the way they are going.

 

[Miller was a legend]

Rubbish Slippery. By then we will be the Cronulla / StGeorge Dragon Sharks or just take Illawarra off your hands.

Only way is up for the Sharks, but we do know what your going through. It's a horrible slide

 

[Get2dachopper!]

Rubbish Slippery. By then we will be the Cronulla / StGeorge Dragon Sharks or just take Illawarra off your hands.

Only way is up for the Sharks, but we do know what your going through. It's a horrible slide

And so your financial woes have turned around mainly due to that realestate development?