New recruits for 2023

[Dragon David]

It seems that John Fifita is very sure that he will land another NRL contract with another club at season’s end .

I wonder if Woodsy has been in his ear ?

I'm guessing you mean Andrew Fifita, Gareth. I would take Andrew for a year to mentor our younger forwards coming through like Akers etc.

 

[Number of the Beath]

I'm guessing you mean Andrew Fifita, Gareth. I would take Andrew for a year to mentor our younger forwards coming through like Akers etc.

This is what Woods should have been signed for, rather than being one of the frontline troops all season.
What's Mick Weyman doing these days? I would like to see the club get him on board to get hold of Lawrie / Kerr / J Hunt and teach them about forward play.

 

[baggygreen man]

This is what Woods should have been signed for

Agree. After all Woods was a Kangaroo. Still has a handy offload technique.

 

[baggygreen man]

Mick Weyman

Good player. You mean by 'to teach forward play', ball skills, offloads? Our own Chairman was one of the best. Watch some of his old vids.

 

[Inisai Toga]

Mick could teach cover tackles. Pulled off one the best ever; Ronnie Coote would have been proud of that one!

 

[Gareth67]

I'm guessing you mean Andrew Fifita, Gareth. I would take Andrew for a year to mentor our younger forwards coming through like Akers etc.

Oops , there goes my memory once again - back to the 80’s I believe . John , Andrew and David , no wonder a man gets confused !

 

[BLM01]

This is what Woods should have been signed for, rather than being one of the frontline troops all season.
What's Mick Weyman doing these days? I would like to see the club get him on board to get hold of Lawrie / Kerr / J Hunt and teach them about forward play.

Busy with his hardware business down Moruya and still involved with the Sharks

 

[SnowDragon]

Dragons eye huge play for million-dollar man Fifita​

by Adam Pengilly, smh.com.au
September 18, 2022 04:45 AM
The Dragons are preparing to make one of their most significant transfer splashes in recent history in a bid to bring David Fifita to the club.
The NRL’s most expensive forward will be a free agent on November 1 and with most of the player movement frenzy concentrating on halves Cameron Munster and Matt Burton, the future of the Titans million-dollar man has barely rated a mention.
Given his hefty price tag and struggles to ignite the Gold Coast as they narrowly avoided the wooden spoon, it is unsurprising the Titans are yet to expedite negotiations with their highest earner before he potentially heads to the World Cup.
But according to sources familiar with the situation, the Dragons are positioning themselves to make a huge play to lure Fifita to the Red V for 2024 to help rejuvenate an ageing forward pack.

The 22-year-old fell out of State of Origin favour this year and couldn’t replicate the 17 tries he scored in his first season on the holiday strip in 2021 when he helped the Titans to an unlikely finals berth.
But it hasn’t deterred the Dragons from identifying one of the game’s most destructive players as a primary signing target before the final year of his deal at the Titans.

Titans star David Fifita is in the sights of St George Illawarra once he;’s a free agent in November.Credit:GettyPhoto by: Getty
Fifita already has a connection with the club. He is dating St George Illawarra’s NRLW back-rower Shaylee Bent, who has been a leading light for Jamie Soward’s finals-bound team.
Newcastle have shown the Dragons the potential blueprint. The Knights signed Canberra’s Adam Elliott to a deal from next year after snaring the prized signature of his partner Millie Boyle to spearhead the Knights’ NRLW revival.
One of Fifita’s better displays of the season came with a try in a loss to the Dragons at WIN Stadium last month, and St George Illawarra can see Fifita making a permanent home in Wollongong.
The Dragons’ interest in former hooker and Cowboys star Reece Robson has been well known, and they will be able to table a deal to Robson from November if he doesn’t recommit to the Cowboys beforehand.

But the potential signing of Fifita would represent their biggest acquisition since Ben Hunt swapped the Broncos for St George Illawarra on a monster six-year deal in 2018.
Tonga coach Kristian Woolf last week named Fifita in an extended World Cup squad, and the back-rower has expressed an interest in playing for the Pacific nation in the United Kingdom.


Dragons coach Anthony Griffin has recruited a number of veterans including Aaron Woods, Andrew McCullough, Moses Mbye, Josh McGuire and George Burgess on cut-price deals, or others heavily subsidised by their previous clubs.
But they missed the finals this year and are in desperate need of roster surgery to complement young talents like Junior Amone, Cody Ramsey and Mat Feagai, who showed promise in the NRL this year.
Tigers hooker Jacob Liddle remains the only significant external signing for next season, brought in for depth at hooker despite McCullough still having another 12 months to run on his contract.
St George Illawarra are also closing in on another No.9 option in Queensland Cup hooker Haele Finau, who has been in the Storm system with the Brisbane Tigers.

The Dragons are expecting clarity on Hunt’s future within the fortnight. The Dally M Medal contender and captain is weighing up a two-year extension which would take him through until the end of the 2025 season

 

[SnowDragon]

Possum, you getting you wish? Hopefully at min wage?

 

[possm]

Dragons eye huge play for million-dollar man Fifita​

by Adam Pengilly, smh.com.au
September 18, 2022 04:45 AM
The Dragons are preparing to make one of their most significant transfer splashes in recent history in a bid to bring David Fifita to the club.
The NRL’s most expensive forward will be a free agent on November 1 and with most of the player movement frenzy concentrating on halves Cameron Munster and Matt Burton, the future of the Titans million-dollar man has barely rated a mention.
Given his hefty price tag and struggles to ignite the Gold Coast as they narrowly avoided the wooden spoon, it is unsurprising the Titans are yet to expedite negotiations with their highest earner before he potentially heads to the World Cup.
But according to sources familiar with the situation, the Dragons are positioning themselves to make a huge play to lure Fifita to the Red V for 2024 to help rejuvenate an ageing forward pack.

The 22-year-old fell out of State of Origin favour this year and couldn’t replicate the 17 tries he scored in his first season on the holiday strip in 2021 when he helped the Titans to an unlikely finals berth.
But it hasn’t deterred the Dragons from identifying one of the game’s most destructive players as a primary signing target before the final year of his deal at the Titans.
View attachment 66335
Titans star David Fifita is in the sights of St George Illawarra once he;’s a free agent in November.Credit:GettyPhoto by: Getty
Fifita already has a connection with the club. He is dating St George Illawarra’s NRLW back-rower Shaylee Bent, who has been a leading light for Jamie Soward’s finals-bound team.
Newcastle have shown the Dragons the potential blueprint. The Knights signed Canberra’s Adam Elliott to a deal from next year after snaring the prized signature of his partner Millie Boyle to spearhead the Knights’ NRLW revival.
One of Fifita’s better displays of the season came with a try in a loss to the Dragons at WIN Stadium last month, and St George Illawarra can see Fifita making a permanent home in Wollongong.
The Dragons’ interest in former hooker and Cowboys star Reece Robson has been well known, and they will be able to table a deal to Robson from November if he doesn’t recommit to the Cowboys beforehand.

But the potential signing of Fifita would represent their biggest acquisition since Ben Hunt swapped the Broncos for St George Illawarra on a monster six-year deal in 2018.
Tonga coach Kristian Woolf last week named Fifita in an extended World Cup squad, and the back-rower has expressed an interest in playing for the Pacific nation in the United Kingdom.


Dragons coach Anthony Griffin has recruited a number of veterans including Aaron Woods, Andrew McCullough, Moses Mbye, Josh McGuire and George Burgess on cut-price deals, or others heavily subsidised by their previous clubs.
But they missed the finals this year and are in desperate need of roster surgery to complement young talents like Junior Amone, Cody Ramsey and Mat Feagai, who showed promise in the NRL this year.
Tigers hooker Jacob Liddle remains the only significant external signing for next season, brought in for depth at hooker despite McCullough still having another 12 months to run on his contract.
St George Illawarra are also closing in on another No.9 option in Queensland Cup hooker Haele Finau, who has been in the Storm system with the Brisbane Tigers.

The Dragons are expecting clarity on Hunt’s future within the fortnight. The Dally M Medal contender and captain is weighing up a two-year extension which would take him through until the end of the 2025 season

Well, I have been advocating the recruitment of Fifita and Robson for a while now; much to the amazement of some members. I am pleased the club is at least considering the recruitment of these players and it does appear to me that there is sufficient funds to close the deal.

Get the job done Saints and we will be on our way to be great again.

 

[possm]

Possum, you getting you wish? Hopefully at min wage?

There is a long way to go in this process. I think we would be in a better position to sign these players if we had someone with the capacity to present an attractive deal to these players. Not just salary under the salary cap but a TPA and other incentives that are currently presented to marquee players by other clubs.

 

[blacksafake]

Dragons eye huge play for million-dollar man Fifita​

by Adam Pengilly, smh.com.au
September 18, 2022 04:45 AM
The Dragons are preparing to make one of their most significant transfer splashes in recent history in a bid to bring David Fifita to the club.
The NRL’s most expensive forward will be a free agent on November 1 and with most of the player movement frenzy concentrating on halves Cameron Munster and Matt Burton, the future of the Titans million-dollar man has barely rated a mention.
Given his hefty price tag and struggles to ignite the Gold Coast as they narrowly avoided the wooden spoon, it is unsurprising the Titans are yet to expedite negotiations with their highest earner before he potentially heads to the World Cup.
But according to sources familiar with the situation, the Dragons are positioning themselves to make a huge play to lure Fifita to the Red V for 2024 to help rejuvenate an ageing forward pack.

The 22-year-old fell out of State of Origin favour this year and couldn’t replicate the 17 tries he scored in his first season on the holiday strip in 2021 when he helped the Titans to an unlikely finals berth.
But it hasn’t deterred the Dragons from identifying one of the game’s most destructive players as a primary signing target before the final year of his deal at the Titans.
View attachment 66335
Titans star David Fifita is in the sights of St George Illawarra once he;’s a free agent in November.Credit:GettyPhoto by: Getty
Fifita already has a connection with the club. He is dating St George Illawarra’s NRLW back-rower Shaylee Bent, who has been a leading light for Jamie Soward’s finals-bound team.
Newcastle have shown the Dragons the potential blueprint. The Knights signed Canberra’s Adam Elliott to a deal from next year after snaring the prized signature of his partner Millie Boyle to spearhead the Knights’ NRLW revival.
One of Fifita’s better displays of the season came with a try in a loss to the Dragons at WIN Stadium last month, and St George Illawarra can see Fifita making a permanent home in Wollongong.
The Dragons’ interest in former hooker and Cowboys star Reece Robson has been well known, and they will be able to table a deal to Robson from November if he doesn’t recommit to the Cowboys beforehand.

But the potential signing of Fifita would represent their biggest acquisition since Ben Hunt swapped the Broncos for St George Illawarra on a monster six-year deal in 2018.
Tonga coach Kristian Woolf last week named Fifita in an extended World Cup squad, and the back-rower has expressed an interest in playing for the Pacific nation in the United Kingdom.


Dragons coach Anthony Griffin has recruited a number of veterans including Aaron Woods, Andrew McCullough, Moses Mbye, Josh McGuire and George Burgess on cut-price deals, or others heavily subsidised by their previous clubs.
But they missed the finals this year and are in desperate need of roster surgery to complement young talents like Junior Amone, Cody Ramsey and Mat Feagai, who showed promise in the NRL this year.
Tigers hooker Jacob Liddle remains the only significant external signing for next season, brought in for depth at hooker despite McCullough still having another 12 months to run on his contract.
St George Illawarra are also closing in on another No.9 option in Queensland Cup hooker Haele Finau, who has been in the Storm system with the Brisbane Tigers.

The Dragons are expecting clarity on Hunt’s future within the fortnight. The Dally M Medal contender and captain is weighing up a two-year extension which would take him through until the end of the 2025 season

The author is a dragons supporter so I’d imagine there’s some truth to this & it’s not just another BS dragons story.

 

[mickeylane]

yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes!!!
about time about time about time about time about time about time !!

 

[qld redvee]

Dragons eye huge play for million-dollar man Fifita​

by Adam Pengilly, smh.com.au
September 18, 2022 04:45 AM
The Dragons are preparing to make one of their most significant transfer splashes in recent history in a bid to bring David Fifita to the club.
The NRL’s most expensive forward will be a free agent on November 1 and with most of the player movement frenzy concentrating on halves Cameron Munster and Matt Burton, the future of the Titans million-dollar man has barely rated a mention.
Given his hefty price tag and struggles to ignite the Gold Coast as they narrowly avoided the wooden spoon, it is unsurprising the Titans are yet to expedite negotiations with their highest earner before he potentially heads to the World Cup.
But according to sources familiar with the situation, the Dragons are positioning themselves to make a huge play to lure Fifita to the Red V for 2024 to help rejuvenate an ageing forward pack.

The 22-year-old fell out of State of Origin favour this year and couldn’t replicate the 17 tries he scored in his first season on the holiday strip in 2021 when he helped the Titans to an unlikely finals berth.
But it hasn’t deterred the Dragons from identifying one of the game’s most destructive players as a primary signing target before the final year of his deal at the Titans.
View attachment 66335
Titans star David Fifita is in the sights of St George Illawarra once he;’s a free agent in November.Credit:GettyPhoto by: Getty
Fifita already has a connection with the club. He is dating St George Illawarra’s NRLW back-rower Shaylee Bent, who has been a leading light for Jamie Soward’s finals-bound team.
Newcastle have shown the Dragons the potential blueprint. The Knights signed Canberra’s Adam Elliott to a deal from next year after snaring the prized signature of his partner Millie Boyle to spearhead the Knights’ NRLW revival.
One of Fifita’s better displays of the season came with a try in a loss to the Dragons at WIN Stadium last month, and St George Illawarra can see Fifita making a permanent home in Wollongong.
The Dragons’ interest in former hooker and Cowboys star Reece Robson has been well known, and they will be able to table a deal to Robson from November if he doesn’t recommit to the Cowboys beforehand.

But the potential signing of Fifita would represent their biggest acquisition since Ben Hunt swapped the Broncos for St George Illawarra on a monster six-year deal in 2018.
Tonga coach Kristian Woolf last week named Fifita in an extended World Cup squad, and the back-rower has expressed an interest in playing for the Pacific nation in the United Kingdom.


Dragons coach Anthony Griffin has recruited a number of veterans including Aaron Woods, Andrew McCullough, Moses Mbye, Josh McGuire and George Burgess on cut-price deals, or others heavily subsidised by their previous clubs.
But they missed the finals this year and are in desperate need of roster surgery to complement young talents like Junior Amone, Cody Ramsey and Mat Feagai, who showed promise in the NRL this year.
Tigers hooker Jacob Liddle remains the only significant external signing for next season, brought in for depth at hooker despite McCullough still having another 12 months to run on his contract.
St George Illawarra are also closing in on another No.9 option in Queensland Cup hooker Haele Finau, who has been in the Storm system with the Brisbane Tigers.

The Dragons are expecting clarity on Hunt’s future within the fortnight. The Dally M Medal contender and captain is weighing up a two-year extension which would take him through until the end of the 2025 season

Interesting re hooker . Report says we are closing in on Finau who is a 22 year old hooker from Brisbane tigers ..
So if we pull this off our hooking stocks will be
Mccullough Liddle Finau Mbye sullivan muhleisen...
We need props and second rowers but we are furiously strengthening the hooker position so our junior in muhleisen may have 2 hookers in front of him plus utilities and 1 very old option .. Once again what is this strategy whilst we have Bud and sloan not happy with having pathways blocked ( more like no clear planning by staff) Muhleisen could be placed in the same position.. Ah thats right its the bring em back on huge contracts ploy a la robson .... great system we have

 

[Trifili13]

Interesting re hooker . Report says we are closing in on Finau who is a 22 year old hooker from Brisbane tigers ..
So if we pull this off our hooking stocks will be
Mccullough Liddle Finau Mbye sullivan muhleisen...
We need props and second rowers but we are furiously strengthening the hooker position so our junior in muhleisen may have 2 hookers in front of him plus utilities and 1 very old option .. Once again what is this strategy whilst we have Bud and sloan not happy with having pathways blocked ( more like no clear planning by staff) Muhleisen could be placed in the same position.. Ah thats right its the bring em back on huge contracts ploy a la robson .... great system we have

Appears we are a brothel of a club so we need as many "hookers" as possible.

 

[denis preston]

I'm guessing you mean Andrew Fifita, Gareth. I would take Andrew for a year to mentor our younger forwards coming through like Akers etc.

IMO Andrew Fifita would be the last person I'd trust to mentor our young forwards.

 

[Scientologist]

I'd be in the yes camp but I think with any signing, the $$ that we need to pay is the key question. We probably need to pay more for rep players because they don't want to play for an underperforming team with an average coach and little prospect of winning a comp so there is a premium for that. If the Titans or Saints need to pay $1mil a season for Fifita, more successful clubs like Easts or Melbourne might only need to pay $800K. How we get to be one of those clubs is the question for me. Does signing Fifita attract other good players because our chances of being a serious contender have significantly improved? Maybe, and maybe not.

 

[Maddragon99]

Dragons eye huge play for million-dollar man Fifita​

by Adam Pengilly, smh.com.au
September 18, 2022 04:45 AM
The Dragons are preparing to make one of their most significant transfer splashes in recent history in a bid to bring David Fifita to the club.
The NRL’s most expensive forward will be a free agent on November 1 and with most of the player movement frenzy concentrating on halves Cameron Munster and Matt Burton, the future of the Titans million-dollar man has barely rated a mention.
Given his hefty price tag and struggles to ignite the Gold Coast as they narrowly avoided the wooden spoon, it is unsurprising the Titans are yet to expedite negotiations with their highest earner before he potentially heads to the World Cup.
But according to sources familiar with the situation, the Dragons are positioning themselves to make a huge play to lure Fifita to the Red V for 2024 to help rejuvenate an ageing forward pack.

The 22-year-old fell out of State of Origin favour this year and couldn’t replicate the 17 tries he scored in his first season on the holiday strip in 2021 when he helped the Titans to an unlikely finals berth.
But it hasn’t deterred the Dragons from identifying one of the game’s most destructive players as a primary signing target before the final year of his deal at the Titans.
View attachment 66335
Titans star David Fifita is in the sights of St George Illawarra once he;’s a free agent in November.Credit:GettyPhoto by: Getty
Fifita already has a connection with the club. He is dating St George Illawarra’s NRLW back-rower Shaylee Bent, who has been a leading light for Jamie Soward’s finals-bound team.
Newcastle have shown the Dragons the potential blueprint. The Knights signed Canberra’s Adam Elliott to a deal from next year after snaring the prized signature of his partner Millie Boyle to spearhead the Knights’ NRLW revival.
One of Fifita’s better displays of the season came with a try in a loss to the Dragons at WIN Stadium last month, and St George Illawarra can see Fifita making a permanent home in Wollongong.
The Dragons’ interest in former hooker and Cowboys star Reece Robson has been well known, and they will be able to table a deal to Robson from November if he doesn’t recommit to the Cowboys beforehand.

But the potential signing of Fifita would represent their biggest acquisition since Ben Hunt swapped the Broncos for St George Illawarra on a monster six-year deal in 2018.
Tonga coach Kristian Woolf last week named Fifita in an extended World Cup squad, and the back-rower has expressed an interest in playing for the Pacific nation in the United Kingdom.


Dragons coach Anthony Griffin has recruited a number of veterans including Aaron Woods, Andrew McCullough, Moses Mbye, Josh McGuire and George Burgess on cut-price deals, or others heavily subsidised by their previous clubs.
But they missed the finals this year and are in desperate need of roster surgery to complement young talents like Junior Amone, Cody Ramsey and Mat Feagai, who showed promise in the NRL this year.
Tigers hooker Jacob Liddle remains the only significant external signing for next season, brought in for depth at hooker despite McCullough still having another 12 months to run on his contract.
St George Illawarra are also closing in on another No.9 option in Queensland Cup hooker Haele Finau, who has been in the Storm system with the Brisbane Tigers.

The Dragons are expecting clarity on Hunt’s future within the fortnight. The Dally M Medal contender and captain is weighing up a two-year extension which would take him through until the end of the 2025 season

We badly need an impact player of this type, kind of a modern day Gordon Tallis but I’m not sure this is the guy .

 

[JohnnoMcJohnno]

I don't want David Fifita if he's going to cost a million bucks. You pay that sort of money to someone who can orchestrate a win - a Munster, or a Lattrell, or a B Hunt. You don't pay it to someone who's only skill is to run full tilt at the line off a short pass. Waste of money. I'd rather have George Rose back.

 

[Maddragon99]

I don't want David Fifita if he's going to cost a million bucks. You pay that sort of money to someone who can orchestrate a win - a Munster, or a Lattrell, or a B Hunt. You don't pay it to someone who's only skill is to run full tilt at the line off a short pass. Waste of money. I'd rather have George Rose back.

If the club is planning on making a play for Fifita it would explain the lack of signings so far, perhaps they have been hoarding cash to pay Fifita?

My concern is obvious. Is Griffin the right coach to get the best out of Fifita? Me thinks no, Holbrook hasn’t been able to.