The Rumours Thread

[Trifili13]

And Riccio also saying that players want to know who will be coaching the Dragon's in 2024. That's like saying I am not going to the Rooster's or Penrith or whatever club you want to name until you tell me who will be the coach in 2 years time. No one can tell you that with certainty.

Regarding Sloan, while he might be very talented, not all make it out of their age group and into first grade. I would say if all players are fit, out best backline is:
FB: Ramsey
WIng: Rava and Feagai
Centres: Lomax and Suli
5/8: Amone
Half: Hunt

Now you can argue that Bud should be half and Hunt hooker, but where does Sloan play? Maybe takes Feagai's wing position, but then Feagai will be pissed and maybe want a release. Also we have the other Feagai brother. Then you will have supporters saying you should not drop Feagai for Sloan as Feagai has done nothing wrong. Same if you drop Ramsey to appease Sloan, you might have Ramsey then getting pissed off and asking for a release and supporters getting all upset. Now I am not here to support Hook, but where does Sloan play in that backline?

Bottom line for me as a few have said, perform week in week out in ressies, and if you get a chance in the firsts, take it and don't give the coach an excuse to drop you. Do you really think that Hook is purposely not playing Sloan if he thinks Sloan can help him win more games, but no, I won't play Sloan and jeopardize my coaching position?

 

[slippery5]

All this lamenting re the shocking treatment of Sloan by a coach who supposedly offers nothing bla bla bla

Feagai is now an established 1st grade quality winger, Amone is now an established 1st grade 5/8, Ramsey is now well on the way to establishing his 1st grade credentials, Suli but for injury had a decisive input into our attack and defence more so than anything he was delivering at Manly and Ben Hunt had his best year ever at the club and one should not forget until injured Rava was showing huge improvement under the high ball and corner post defence.

All of these players improved in season 2022.

Despite all of this a rumour persists that there is a sooky la la wanting out because our coach didn’t achieve anything and offers nothing.

Well if in fact Hook didn’t achieve anything and offers nothing then surely it must follow that the players I mentioned must have done everything to improve by themselves.

If that be the case then it beggars the question why couldn’t Sloan follow suit?

Now if the rumour re Sloan is incorrect then hopefully he puts the right pair of glasses on in 2023 and focusses fully on the job in hand.

Everything that Hook may have done to help individuals like Rava & Hunt have their best year was nullified by the continual selection of WOODS & McCullough. another year another repeat of Latimore & Norman.
F##k I wish I could follow another club with a professional management & coaching staff.

 

[slippery5]

So true Illusion and Baggers. I think Hook said to Sloan that "you played shit" and that was that. Hook did not give him any encouraging words which would have gone a long way with understanding what he needed to do. Ended up in Ressies with no mentoring. I'm sure that Sloan was practising a lot but he also would have needed someone to help with his confidence which as a young kid is something that is essential.

Yes, Griffin gave Sloan a couple of chances late last year and a couple at the start of this year, but I think his overall treatment of him after the Sharks game in particular was the straw that might now be breaking the camel's back.

These things happen a lot to players when expectations are high of them. Some get encouragement like Ilias of Souths did from JD and now Ilias is playing a preliminary final and might make it to the GF.

I realise that Ramsey has taken the bull by the horns and has made a big improvement and understandably should be the full back at the Dragons. So the door was open for Ramsey and closed on Sloan and whatever happens to him, I wish him luck.

Correct as you say regarding Ilias, but the difference was he was hooked mid game & was shown faith in their belief in him by being included in the starting side the following week to prove himself.

 

[Old Timer]

Everything that Hook may have done to help individuals like Rava & Hunt have their best year was nullified by the continual selection of WOODS & McCullough. another year another repeat of Latimore & Norman.
F##k I wish I could follow another club with a professional management & coaching staff.

So IYO Hook is to blame for Burgess running into personal problems requiring him to go to rehab and also responsible for Sims & Moose being suspended which allowed. woods to be selected?
Mc Cullough definitely on Hooks head but also recruitments for not having better options.

 

[BLM01]

this isnt the person i was referring too but did hear we were chasing him

So who were you referring to?

 

[Dragon Blood]

So IYO Hook is to blame for Burgess running into personal problems requiring him to go to rehab and also responsible for Sims & Moose being suspended which allowed. woods to be selected?
Mc Cullough definitely on Hooks head but also recruitments for not having better options.

OT...I follow your posts with the utmost respect for your free will posts and opinions on this forum. Most times I agree with you and sometimes not, but I bite my tongue and don't reply out of respect.

However, I have noticed of late that you are very defensive our 3rd consecutive worst coach in the last decade.

Are you and Hook related, mates... etc? Some of your Hook love posts have really baffled me???

What I have seen so far from Hook over 2 seasons has been no better or at best identical to the Price and Mary years.

It's the same old boring Dragons footy dished out week upon week, by playing a poor and safe copy and paste team sheets every week to sponge more $$$ from our dopey board that accepts mediocrity which is exactly what Price, Mary, and Hook have been taking advantage of as HC's.

We have become a "has been retirement club" that no player or their managers want to come to unless we are paying overs for. Hence cap problems.

In my opinion, Hook should've been punted after the last round and then the incompetent BOD should have made a call and brought in a hard-arsed new HC to start ASAP before pre-season that understands the "modern game". I hope I'm wrong but in 2023 we will be battling to avoid the spoon rather than a semi-final spot.

With respect!

DB

 

[Dragon Blood]

So IYO Hook is to blame for Burgess running into personal problems requiring him to go to rehab and also responsible for Sims & Moose being suspended which allowed. woods to be selected?
Mc Cullough definitely on Hooks head but also recruitments for not having better options.

Furthermore, who was behind the signing and was praised by the media of Moga, Mbye, Burgess, Moose, Sharon, and Mcallah "for 3fing years" at bargain basement scraping the bottom-of-the-barrel prices...and now 3rd string rake Liddle from the 2022 wooden spooners after apparently failing a medical?

You pay peanuts and you get monkeys as the saying goes at the detriment of losing quality young and promising local juniors by copy and pasting your reputation at the expense of the club's future success.

I'm happy if we finish 9th to 15th in 2023 as long as these kids get a full pre-season and most 2023 to gain valuable NRL experience in 2023. Besides the first Souths game, I enjoyed watching the last 3 rounds the most this year.

P.S I have verbally stated before that Parra will never win a comp with Mitchell at 7 and the same with Hunt at 7 at the Saints....there is just something missing in both their games...just a gut feeling.

 

[dragon thomo]

The issue i have with Griffin is twice last year he had Sullivan on the bench and then sent him on the field with only five minutes remaining. One of those times there was only 1 minute. During those games we needed some spark as we has the slug McCullock playing offering a big 0.
The other game we had no chance to win as we were soundly beaten.

 

[Trifili13]

The following is not to fully exonerate or let Griffen off the hook (pun is fully intended) for his treatment of Sloan. While most are saying "look at Demetriou and how he kept faith with Ilias and how he has improved" a key factor to me is also the quality of the players around him. Let's not forget that Ilias is in a team that has now made 5 prelims in a row. I would think that would help to make you a better player. The South's forwards win most battles which obviously allows a half more time and space. We on the other hand are a team that has now missed the top 8 for 4 seasons in a row. That surely can't be all on the coach, maybe it also says a fair bit about the overall quality of our team. To miss the semis once could be just an off season, to constantly miss them I would think means we simply don't have enough good players.

 

[carltonsouth79]

I watched the show, and it is speculation from start to finish! The pot stirrer (Riccio) admits that Sloan has NOT made a formal request to leave, and Riccio "believes" that the Dragons would deny such a request. I can't say that there is definitely no substance to the story, but at the moment it is all smoke and mirrors and journalists stirring the pot! Hopefully Sloan sucks it up and just gets better!

Ricccio seems to have an agenda for some reason. He also posted that Fifita shouldn’t go anywhere near the Dragons.

 

[dungay dragon]

And Riccio also saying that players want to know who will be coaching the Dragon's in 2024. That's like saying I am not going to the Rooster's or Penrith or whatever club you want to name until you tell me who will be the coach in 2 years time. No one can tell you that with certainty.

Regarding Sloan, while he might be very talented, not all make it out of their age group and into first grade. I would say if all players are fit, out best backline is:
FB: Ramsey
WIng: Rava and Feagai
Centres: Lomax and Suli
5/8: Amone
Half: Hunt

Now you can argue that Bud should be half and Hunt hooker, but where does Sloan play? Maybe takes Feagai's wing position, but then Feagai will be pissed and maybe want a release. Also we have the other Feagai brother. Then you will have supporters saying you should not drop Feagai for Sloan as Feagai has done nothing wrong. Same if you drop Ramsey to appease Sloan, you might have Ramsey then getting pissed off and asking for a release and supporters getting all upset. Now I am not here to support Hook, but where does Sloan play in that backline?

Bottom line for me as a few have said, perform week in week out in ressies, and if you get a chance in the firsts, take it and don't give the coach an excuse to drop you. Do you really think that Hook is purposely not playing Sloan if he thinks Sloan can help him win more games, but no, I won't play Sloan and jeopardize my coaching position?

WELL SAID

 

[Illusion]

OT...I follow your posts with the utmost respect for your free will posts and opinions on this forum. Most times I agree with you and sometimes not, but I bite my tongue and don't reply out of respect.

However, I have noticed of late that you are very defensive our 3rd consecutive worst coach in the last decade.

Are you and Hook related, mates... etc? Some of your Hook love posts have really baffled me???

What I have seen so far from Hook over 2 seasons has been no better or at best identical to the Price and Mary years.

It's the same old boring Dragons footy dished out week upon week, by playing a poor and safe copy and paste team sheets every week to sponge more $$$ from our dopey board that accepts mediocrity which is exactly what Price, Mary, and Hook have been taking advantage of as HC's.

We have become a "has been retirement club" that no player or their managers want to come to unless we are paying overs for. Hence cap problems.

In my opinion, Hook should've been punted after the last round and then the incompetent BOD should have made a call and brought in a hard-arsed new HC to start ASAP before pre-season that understands the "modern game". I hope I'm wrong but in 2023 we will be battling to avoid the spoon rather than a semi-final spot.

With respect!

DB

OT...I follow your posts with the utmost respect for your free will posts and opinions on this forum. Most times I agree with you and sometimes not, but I bite my tongue and don't reply out of respect.

However, I have noticed of late that you are very defensive our 3rd consecutive worst coach in the last decade.

Are you and Hook related, mates... etc? Some of your Hook love posts have really baffled me???

What I have seen so far from Hook over 2 seasons has been no better or at best identical to the Price and Mary years.

It's the same old boring Dragons footy dished out week upon week, by playing a poor and safe copy and paste team sheets every week to sponge more $$$ from our dopey board that accepts mediocrity which is exactly what Price, Mary, and Hook have been taking advantage of as HC's.

We have become a "has been retirement club" that no player or their managers want to come to unless we are paying overs for. Hence cap problems.

In my opinion, Hook should've been punted after the last round and then the incompetent BOD should have made a call and brought in a hard-arsed new HC to start ASAP before pre-season that understands the "modern game". I hope I'm wrong but in 2023 we will be battling to avoid the spoon rather than a semi-final spot.

With respect!

DB

Right on ..... Should have been punted , but what I'm feeling he is warming the chair for D. Young to come in if the first 6 games or so are showing no improvement ..... And that will be another story ...... Is Flanno still with us , and nothing about him to maybe coach , just curious ?

 

[denis preston]

Everything that Hook may have done to help individuals like Rava & Hunt have their best year was nullified by the continual selection of WOODS & McCullough. another year another repeat of Latimore & Norman.
F##k I wish I could follow another club with a professional management & coaching staff.

I think you will find that most clubs have coaches pets that selection frustrates their fans.

 

[baggygreen man]

Is Flanno still with us

Good question @Illusion. Someone mentioned we need a a hard arsed coach to get the best out of our current mediocrity. So we do. Would Flanagan fit that bill?

 

[Trifili13]

Ricccio seems to have an agenda for some reason. He also posted that Fifita shouldn’t go anywhere near the Dragons.

To be fair to Riccio, if any of us were Fifita with no loyalty to the Dragon's like we have as fans of the club, what would make you come to us? We continuously bag our coach and BOD for not knowing what they are doing and yet we expect top line players to come. The players might not be rocket scientists but their managers know where to direct their players.

 

[Smacka]

In reference to Tyrell Sloan ... I too like the young Fella but here's a few facts to consider :
6'1" + 84kgs + silky speed ; much been said of his light frame
Graeme Langlands - 6'+78kgs + capable speed (but played with grit , tenacity , often selected out of position)
Michael Potter - 5'9"+ 82kgs + adequate speed (played with heart , occasional 5/8)
Ben Hornby - 6'+ 86kgs + adequate speed (played tenaciously , shifted to half)
Brian Johnson - no physical characteristics available but had lightning speed , was often maligned for poor defence & inability to catch bombs BUT turned it all around & became one of the best of his time !
Were the Coaches of these respective past Players responsible for the skills / attitude on display or did the Players themselves respond to criticisms / shortcomings & develop their game ?

 

[Old Timer]

OT...I follow your posts with the utmost respect for your free will posts and opinions on this forum. Most times I agree with you and sometimes not, but I bite my tongue and don't reply out of respect.

However, I have noticed of late that you are very defensive our 3rd consecutive worst coach in the last decade.

Are you and Hook related, mates... etc? Some of your Hook love posts have really baffled me???

What I have seen so far from Hook over 2 seasons has been no better or at best identical to the Price and Mary years.

It's the same old boring Dragons footy dished out week upon week, by playing a poor and safe copy and paste team sheets every week to sponge more $$$ from our dopey board that accepts mediocrity which is exactly what Price, Mary, and Hook have been taking advantage of as HC's.

We have become a "has been retirement club" that no player or their managers want to come to unless we are paying overs for. Hence cap problems.

In my opinion, Hook should've been punted after the last round and then the incompetent BOD should have made a call and brought in a hard-arsed new HC to start ASAP before pre-season that understands the "modern game". I hope I'm wrong but in 2023 we will be battling to avoid the spoon rather than a semi-final spot.

With respect!

DB

DB
Thanks for your 2 posts and I'll try to answer some of the points you raise

As a coach I think Hook is little more than run of the mill and for sure I had hoped for more from him.

Our defence has been tragic, our attack incredibly limited with little variety except for the last 5 games this year where I could see some small glimmer of coordinated structure. No doubt some of this is the coach but no doubt some of it very much roster related as well.

IMO players wishing to get a start in the NRL can either catch a ball, pass a ball and tackle or they can't so how much of this can a coach teach a player or how much extra work can the player do himself?

A good example is how people talk about Nathan Cleary staying behind long after others have left the paddock just practising his various types of kicks. Are people trying to tell me that the coaching staff are there with him 100% of the time? He gets better because he constantly works at it.

I have posted a lot about Sloan on the proviso that the rumours re him and Hook are true. I am basically saying that despite Hook's known limitations other players in the 1st grade side have improved and cemented their spots in the top grade.

I am also saying that 3 promising junior players imporved their skills, took their chances and were rewarded accordingly. I am also saying that it is abundantly clear IMO that Sloan failed to do that and has ended up behind Ramsey and that is because Ramsey wanted it more.

Others in here are of the opinion that Sloan deserves the FB spot on the basis that he has more potential and that Hook has failed to tap into. Well this goes back to my statement re catching, passing and tackling and again IMO Ramsey does it better than Sloan at this point in time and Ramsey has continued to improve in these key areas while Sloan has not.

Hook can't make him catch the high ball, Hook can't make him tackle the attacking player or be desperate in trying to stop tries near the line so why then should Hook reward him for his failure in these areas when someone else has obviously improved and is willing to do what is required?

Re the various signings under Hook I had some hope that Mybe and Woods would be more valuable than they proved to be and I must say that Mc Cullough 3 year deal is a complete f**k up. Maguire and Burgess I could actually understand the reasoning. Woods IMO has got a lot of extra game time due to the suspensions of Sims and Maguire and the inability of Kerr and Hunt to step into the hole.

If Maguire & Sims had not spent so much time on the sideline then perhaps Woods might have played less and Hunt & Kerr more.

Sullivan is a conundrum where people fail to see how much game time he lost due to nagging injuries and of course they say he should be the hooker instead of Mc Cullough which is not a theory I subscribe to.

He needs to be playing either 7 or 6 so if Hunt is the 7 then he has to be 6 but Amone was given his shot for that and took it so it only leaves 7 and the arguement whether Hunt should be the 9 and obviously that is another subject for another day.

So in the end all this means I can see some reasons why some things happen and I can see some some terrible shit from coaches and players but I can't subscribe to the thinking that Sloan has been discriminated against, or left out in the cold or purposefully not coached because Hook either doesn't like him or doesn't rate him but interestingly last night on Fox it was reported that Sloan is on $350,000 at our club so if that is true does anybody think his performances are in line with that pay packet?

So I'm not defending Hook but I am questioning Sloan's dedication to the task and hopefully all the rumours are just that and then Sloan gets his head down and bum up and we see him improve and earn his spot wherever that may be in the 1st grade side.

 

[baggygreen man]

In reference to Tyrell Sloan ... I too like the young Fella but here's a few facts to consider :
6'1" + 84kgs + silky speed ; much been said of his light frame
Graeme Langlands - 6'+78kgs + capable speed (but played with grit , tenacity , often selected out of position)
Michael Potter - 5'9"+ 82kgs + adequate speed (played with heart , occasional 5/8)
Ben Hornby - 6'+ 86kgs + adequate speed (played tenaciously , shifted to half)
Brian Johnson - no physical characteristics available but had lightning speed , was often maligned for poor defence & inability to catch bombs BUT turned it all around & became one of the best of his time !
Were the Coaches of these respective past Players responsible for the skills / attitude on display or did the Players themselves respond to criticisms / shortcomings & develop their game ?

Good post. Seems Tyrell Sloan is closest to Brian Johnson currently.. plus ball skills. If Jonno can rise above adversity lets hope Tyrell can too. The thing I am pondering tho if he does stay.. where will he play? Fullback, his preferred position is filled for the foreseeable future unless a new coach thinks otherwise. The halves are taken. Griffin played him on the wing last few games. But with Rava certain to return next season and Feagai doing nothing wrong, no spot there either. The only place is #14. Griffin aeems to prefer Sully there tho.

 

[Parko1310]

If it is true that Sloan is on 350k... well that just pretty much sums up the problems this club finds itself in year on year. That is ridiculous money, especially given the amount of games he'd played before signing the new deal. In my view, Ramsey took his shot at the fullback position and Sloan fumbled terribly. That's not to say Sloan can't make it back in to first grade. The kid has talent and that is undeniable but (if the rumours are true) sitting around, having a sook and believing you're entiitled to a first grade spot will not get you anywhere. I hate to say it because I want him to do as well as anyone else on the forum does, but his performances were no where near first grade standard and his performances in reggies did not warrant selection is first grade thereafter. Bag hook all you want, he made the right call, and he is the one who bares the brunt of that call. Media refuse to acknowledge sloan isn't first grade standard at this stage, but if hook had just left him there do you think the media would still be kissing sloan's ass or would they be tearing shreds off him? Sloan needs to dust himself off and see next year and beyond as an opportunity and a challenge. Work hard for that spot, and when an opportunity comes, take it.

 

[denis preston]

In reference to Tyrell Sloan ... I too like the young Fella but here's a few facts to consider :
6'1" + 84kgs + silky speed ; much been said of his light frame
Graeme Langlands - 6'+78kgs + capable speed (but played with grit , tenacity , often selected out of position)
Michael Potter - 5'9"+ 82kgs + adequate speed (played with heart , occasional 5/8)
Ben Hornby - 6'+ 86kgs + adequate speed (played tenaciously , shifted to half)
Brian Johnson - no physical characteristics available but had lightning speed , was often maligned for poor defence & inability to catch bombs BUT turned it all around & became one of the best of his time !
Were the Coaches of these respective past Players responsible for the skills / attitude on display or did the Players themselves respond to criticisms / shortcomings & develop their game ?

Fair point Smaka but in those days fullbacks generally didn't have to contend with fit 110k forwards barrelling down on them but yes some or perhaps a lot of responsibility & onus is on the player to improve. Now days they have a shitload of support staff compared to 30 years ago.