Who the club should Recruit For 2018?

[Dragons22]

Would love to hear you guys' comments and opinions on who you think the club should recruit for 2018, With Ben Hunt already signed who else do you think should be targeted? If Duges wants more than 600K they Dragons shouldn't re-sign him. I think Dufty would work really well in the Fullback role. I would love the club to recruit Valentine Holmes and Jack Bird the 2 are great mates and if both offered lengthy big deals with lots of cash it would be very hard to reject it. If McInnes works out and the attack improves, the Dragons wouldn't need a Hooker. I think Widdop should be re-signed because I'd play Bird at lock and have him as a filter style lock and playing as a 3rd playmaker, he always wants he ball more often and has great ball playing skills. Holmes and MacDonald would be good wingers for 2018 if Mary goes and Young or Hornby aren't head coach I think the Dragons are genuine final contenders

 

[possm]

A new coach should be announced early. Let him decide the make up of our NRL squad and coaching staff.

I think it would be great to sign Bird but don't think we need Holmes. Both would want to play in the spine to get big bucks. With Hunt coming in 2018, there would really only be room for one extra in a spine position and I think that would be Bird at 6.

2018 spine - Dufty, Bird, Hunt McInnes. All young, talented and with lots of speed.

 

[kyussiscoming73]

Happy with the spine options.....let's re-evaluate after a dozen games.
Happy with the forwards.
Get rid of the average centre options, including Dugan, Aitken, Lafai.....keep the young backs.
We need a natural left centre......Simona, Whare...to partner Milne who will go up a level this year.

 

[Coffs dragon]

We need a real coach, a inspirational captain to lead and a shit hot goal kicker to top it all off.

 

[TomRedVRiver]

This is a hard one. I'd like to see how some of our young players go this year to determine if we should chase hard for particular players, however a lot of the good players will most likely sign new contracts before that.

If we're talking who i'd sign RIGHT NOW, then I think it's impossible to look past Jack Bird. That kid is destined for greatness and I feel like he could lock down the 5/8 spot for us for a decade. He's also incredibly versatile, you'd never have to worry about a vacant spot in the backline because he'd cover it.
A player like James Tedesco is hard to go past but he's probably going to be demanding around a 1 - 1.2 mil a season type figure. Besides, young Dufty looks promising, if he can deliver I wouldn't even consider trying to get into a battle for Tedesco.

I'd also look at locking up a couple of forwards. Guys like Jai Arrow, Joe Ofahengaue and Ben Matulino spring to mind. Young and powerful.

Mcinnes is yet to convince me, he's looking fit and everything but i'll need to see his game seriously lift to consider him as our genuine first hooker option moving forward. I know that young Robson might be available in future seasons, but if the club can have a genuine crack at Nathan Peats I think that's something they should look at.

By the way did I just see Kyuss refer to Dugan and Aitken as "average centres options"?
Buddy, are you okay?

 

[Crush]

This is kinda like saying what would you do if you won the lotto? Its never going to happen but fun to fantasize about. Bird, Holmes, Tedesco.....lets take them all!!!!!!

 

[Old Timer]

I really like the look of Mc Innes he trains hard, looks incredibly fit and has muscled up.
If he is given the correct game plan and is allowed to run the forwards as a good hooker does he will go well I believe as he looks like he really wants to be here.
However if the game plan is that De Belin is the ball playing forward and has any say in proceedings Mc Innes is doomed and so is the team.

 

[kyussiscoming73]

This is a hard one. I'd like to see how some of our young players go this year to determine if we should chase hard for particular players, however a lot of the good players will most likely sign new contracts before that.

If we're talking who i'd sign RIGHT NOW, then I think it's impossible to look past Jack Bird. That kid is destined for greatness and I feel like he could lock down the 5/8 spot for us for a decade. He's also incredibly versatile, you'd never have to worry about a vacant spot in the backline because he'd cover it.
A player like James Tedesco is hard to go past but he's probably going to be demanding around a 1 - 1.2 mil a season type figure. Besides, young Dufty looks promising, if he can deliver I wouldn't even consider trying to get into a battle for Tedesco.

I'd also look at locking up a couple of forwards. Guys like Jai Arrow, Joe Ofahengaue and Ben Matulino spring to mind. Young and powerful.

Mcinnes is yet to convince me, he's looking fit and everything but i'll need to see his game seriously lift to consider him as our genuine first hooker option moving forward. I know that young Robson might be available in future seasons, but if the club can have a genuine crack at Nathan Peats I think that's something they should look at.

By the way did I just see Kyuss refer to Dugan and Aitken as "average centres options"?
Buddy, are you okay?

Okay.....Duges could be a great right centre provided his halves can play. But I would rather keep Milne.....for potential and the right price.
We haven't got a specialist left centre.
I can't take back my Aitken comment.....he's no Bird or BJ.

 

[kyussiscoming73]

I really like the look of Mc Innes he trains hard, looks incredibly fit and has muscled up.
If he is given the correct game plan and is allowed to run the forwards as a good hooker does he will go well I believe as he looks like he really wants to be here.
However if the game plan is that De Belin is the ball playing forward and has any say in proceedings Mc Innes is doomed and so is the team.

Got to agree.
However, I rate De Belin. The one obvious flaw is he passes way before the line and it doesn't ask any questions to the defence. If he had a forward trailing him and he has 2 legitimate options he can trouble the defence.....and a bit more offloading, which he can do. He can and should watch some Corey Parker games and get some tips.

 

[Old Timer]

Okay.....Duges could be a great right centre provided his halves can play. But I would rather keep Milne.....for potential and the right price.
We haven't got a specialist left centre.
I can't take back my Aitken comment.....he's no Bird or BJ.

Mann is a specialist left side player.
As Benny V has stated having him closer to the ball would be beneficial so LC is a good option.

 

[Old Timer]

Got to agree.
However, I rate De Belin. The one obvious flaw is he passes way before the line and it doesn't ask any questions to the defence. If he had a forward trailing him and he has 2 legitimate options he can trouble the defence.....and a bit more offloading, which he can do. He can and should watch some Corey Parker games and get some tips.

Every time JDB starts to think he is a rabbit in the headlights and quickly shot by the spot lighters.
Tackle all day and run hard with the ball under your wing Jack.
If you make a break great and then look for the offload.

 

[KiamaSaint]

Every time JDB starts to think he is a rabbit in the headlights and quickly shot by the spot lighters.
Tackle all day and run hard with the ball under your wing Jack.
If you make a break great and then look for the offload.

I don't get it OT, every team needs these kind of players who can go 80 minutes, why does Mary insist on complicating his role?

 

[getsmarty]

New Coach.

 

[Saint_JimmyG]

Okay.....Duges could be a great right centre provided his halves can play. But I would rather keep Milne.....for potential and the right price.
We haven't got a specialist left centre.
I can't take back my Aitken comment.....he's no Bird or BJ.

As Milne currently plays left centre, I don't understand your comment.

 

[GC Dragon]

As Milne currently plays left centre, I don't understand your comment.

Milne has never played left centre . He is totally a right side player which is why Aitken was moved to left centre . Most of our centres in the club are right side players . Lafai and Mann are left centres and they seem to use young Thompson more as a winger now and even he has been playing on the right side .

 

[emu62]

New Coach.

Agree Getsmarty, as I'm sure most people do but I would phrase it slightly different. Instead of "new coach" just a "coach" would do, as i am not sure we have one
Not one necessarily to attract other players to the club but firstly to be able to guide & develop the juniors we already have. IMO the signing of Hunt is enough.All the talk of signing Tedesco,Holmes, Moses.......etc just reminds me of Manly & the Roosters trying to buy premierships.
There is only one thing i admire about the Storm & that is they generally don't chase established stars but develop their own .When Orford left they manufactured a half back by the name of Cronk and i think it didnt turn out too bad. I would love to see us using similar methods & take advantage of the wonderful junior nursery we have

 

[Crush]

Agree Getsmarty, as I'm sure most people do but I would phrase it slightly different. Instead of "new coach" just a "coach" would do, as i am not sure we have one
Not one necessarily to attract other players to the club but firstly to be able to guide & develop the juniors we already have. IMO the signing of Hunt is enough.All the talk of signing Tedesco,Holmes, Moses.......etc just reminds me of Manly & the Roosters trying to buy premierships.
There is only one thing i admire about the Storm & that is they generally don't chase established stars but develop their own .When Orford left they manufactured a half back by the name of Cronk and i think it didnt turn out too bad. I would love to see us using similar methods & take advantage of the wonderful junior nursery we have

I agree emu. I think we have recruited very well. We needed a big fast winger, more grunt in the forwards and a quality halfback. Macdonald,Vaughan and hunt were 3 of the best on the market for those qualities. I think we should now be looking within the club. Mann could be our next nightingale. Develop aitken and milne, bring the young guns dufty and field through, keep the forwards hungry with competition for spots and obviously get a new coach.

 

[BennyV]

If you'd go for anyone, it'd be Bird. Obviously Tedesco would be great, or Holmes, as fullbacks, but in reality we've got no chance of shifting them from their current clubs, they are the keystone in the future of the Tigers/Sharks.

Outside of that, there's not a whole lot we desperately need, other than the guy with the clipboard.

 

[Old Timer]

I don't get it OT, every team needs these kind of players who can go 80 minutes, why does Mary insist on complicating his role?

I have a couple of theories as to why

Mary had trouble selling the plan to others in the team so maybe Jack was the last card in the deck?

or

Maybe they are just birds of a feather because of this analogy

Jack's response time to ball playing is very slow, deliberate and repetetive just like watching the gears in a cheap watch moving in slow motion.

He will play the ball, the dummy half will pass the ball, I will catch the ball, I will look for the runner, I will pass the ball.

When you listen to Mary speak or answer questions at a presser he has a similar pattern, slow, deliberate and repetitive.

 

[blacksafake]

A broom big enough to sweep out L plate,Doust & the Board then start with a COACH.
As far as players go all the obvious ones mentioned, imo aint gonna happen.I don't think we are too far off the mark re the playing squad but for me someone like Wade Graham.A ball playing backrower who can hit the holes & tackle would compliment our pack.Hutch may be the type to fill this roll in the future when he recovers from his knee injury.