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The Rumours Thread

The Villain

Juniors
Messages
941
It seems to me that the Club has no interest in appointing Chane Flannagan a head coach or Kyle Flannagan as a backup halfback. Maybe if they do get a swap deal (Hunt for Fifita) then they might consider Kyle as a backup half.
A Hunt/Fifita swap? Where did this come from?
 

possm

Coach
Messages
15,591
A Hunt/Fifita swap? Where did this come from?
Hunt is talking to the Titans and Saints are talking to Fifita. Both players are looking to around a 1m dollar contract. And to top it all off, Fifita's girlfriend is playing for Saint's NRLW side.

A swap would make all concerned very happy.
 
Messages
3,746
I know very little about Jack Burrows, I do know he has never played for the Dragons or the Steelers.

Not much of a rumour, but I read Fifita is on the outer at Titans.
Interestingly he has just changed managers to Illawarra based David Riolos Titan Management.
Really. Plus he is dating one of our own female players. Two ticks. I am not surprised Fifita is on the outer with Titans.. given how much they are paying for him. That was how we fans felt back in 2018 bringing a virtual unknown, Ben Hunt here and forking out #1.1m for him. I was in total shock when heard he was on the same coin for five more years.
 

Yow

Juniors
Messages
361
While Sloan undoubtedly has talent, I wouldn't be trusting Anasta, he is probably just trying to get another client as a player manager.

I rhink the best people for talent identification, although they are not always correct, are the talent scouts, but the quiet ones, not the ones who are chummy with the press. People who have been in rhe game for years and can really spot talent. Anyone who has been in the game can spot someone like Sua'ali'i, the trick is to spot the 15 year old kid who is not the best in his team but with a bit coaching can turn into a very good player. Even Bennett for all he has done in the game, you wouldn't think he needs anyone to help him, yet didn't he have someone (name escapes me but I think he was also Jack Gibsons assistant) in the box with him on GF day in 2010.

I wouldn't trust any of them in the press or tv these days. When they call every second player as being a great player, then immortal if not enough for the Raper's, Gasnier's, Chang, Fulton, etc. They all just want to be in the good books with the players and clubs.
I think it was Cyril Connell
 
Messages
3,746

Sloan has supposedly gone through with a request, but not much validity in this story in my opinion.
Finally some clarity on this topic.. good call FO. So Tyrell did seek a release but we refused. That is the best news I have received this week. The 20 year old knows the club wants him so the onus is now on him to knuckle down and prove he is worthy of the RedV.
 
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SGMax

Juniors
Messages
441
Did you watch him in Ressies. I saw him at fullback in one televised match before Griffin returned him for the last two games of the season on the wing. He was nothing short of outstanding, with three try assists, two of his own tries, safe under the kick and even his defense had improved. What he showed in that game was hard to teach ball skills and vision, and told me he had been working on his game.
Naturally after being dropped the kids confidence zeroed. I saw it in his body language. You and others misread it as disinterest. After all he is still 20.. a baby in nappies in sporting terms.
No I didn't see him in Ressies.
Yes I heard he had a good game or two towards the end of the season.
Did you see his efforts in ressies during the main part of the season?
Reports were that he was disinterested, missing tackles, making unforced errors and was not working on improving any parts of his game.

No one is disputing his skills and natural ability.
He needs to improve his attitude and effort during games to show he deserves the chance to play 1st grade when the next opportunity comes.

Should he sign with another team such as the Dolphins, I can't see him as the first choice fullback. It will be the same as at the Dragons, waiting for him to get it right and realise his potential.
That could still be a couple of years awayif he doesn't get cracking.
 
Messages
3,746
No I didn't see him in Ressies.
Yes I heard he had a good game or two towards the end of the season.
Did you see his efforts in ressies during the main part of the season?
Reports were that he was disinterested, missing tackles, making unforced errors and was not working on improving any parts of his game.

No one is disputing his skills and natural ability.
He needs to improve his attitude and effort during games to show he deserves the chance to play 1st grade when the next opportunity comes.

Should he sign with another team such as the Dolphins, I can't see him as the first choice fullback. It will be the same as at the Dragons, waiting for him to get it right and realise his potential.
That could still be a couple of years awayif he doesn't get cracking.
Have given my take on his lack of interest in above post. In a word immaturity.
 

The Villain

Juniors
Messages
941
Hunt is talking to the Titans and Saints are talking to Fifita. Both players are looking to around a 1m dollar contract. And to top it all off, Fifita's girlfriend is playing for Saint's NRLW side.

A swap would make all concerned very happy.
Ok. I wasn’t aware of the Hunt Gold Coast talks.
 

redandwhite4evr

Juniors
Messages
1,829
If we are to keep Sloan and Sullivan, we need to rid the club of Hook. I have a feeling that neither of these two potentially great players have had much to do with Hook and both are being shunned and ignored by the out of favour coach.

There appears to be a very lack of inclusiveness by the coach of these young up and comers.

Sloan knows what his shortcomings are. He knows that he needs to work hard on his body building and strength and catching and defensive issues. I think that he is working on them. I think that he wants a coach that believes in him, same as Sullivan.

Why would they want to leave? They love the Dragons but if they are not getting guidance and encouragement then they would be feeling left out. They aren't the go out and drink guys, including the likes of Amone and the Feagai brothers who all 5 have been mates for years and waiting for the day that they will all be playing in the red and white in first grade together.

None of this will happen with Hook being in charge. Penrith realised Hook was not the coach to get them a premiership and even though in his last year at that club when they were in the top 4-5 and geared to play finals footy, they sacked him. That decision has certainly changed a lot for the Panthers as evidenced by where they currently are at in virtually all grades this year - successful.

I was hoping that Hook would be good for us but now I don't think that he has the ability and know how to coach the squad to reach the top 8 let alone the top 4 and is a poor man manager.
Well said DD-I likened Sloan, Sullivan and Amone in a past post to the Ella brothers- they had an instinctive understanding for what the others were going to do when playing junior reps-eg a grubber thru from Amone and Sloan speeding through to pounce on it. Sloan's appearances last year in the NRL showed us what a talent he is. And in conjunction with the Feagai brothers, I envisioned a golden backline era for the Dragons with the five of them playing together.

This is now unlikely to happen and Griffin is the major reason for it. The game has passed him by and blaming his assistants won't get him off the hook (excuse the pun).
 

Mojo

Bench
Messages
3,432
Well said DD-I likened Sloan, Sullivan and Amone in a past post to the Ella brothers- they had an instinctive understanding for what the others were going to do when playing junior reps-eg a grubber thru from Amone and Sloan speeding through to pounce on it. Sloan's appearances last year in the NRL showed us what a talent he is. And in conjunction with the Feagai brothers, I envisioned a golden backline era for the Dragons with the five of them playing together.

This is now unlikely to happen and Griffin is the major reason for it. The game has passed him by and blaming his assistants won't get him off the hook (excuse the pun).

Yep! In brief: fk Hook, keep the young guys.
 

redandwhite4evr

Juniors
Messages
1,829

Looks like the board’s already made up their mind on hook reading into young’s comment. Perfectly set up for his son to return… fmd.
If (and it could be a big if as there are unnamed "sources" involved) Young has given Sloan a wink and a nudge that the thorn in his caboose will be gone in 12 months, this club is even more dysfunctional than I thought. Why, after the great Mary extension went horribly wrong, would they want to repeat that mistake- and now Chairman Craig is virtually admitting to Sloan that they've made another mistake! Bizarre!
 

Mjab

Juniors
Messages
968
I hope the story isn't true and I don't believe it is for this reason. Sloan and Sullivan are both on holiday in the gold coast. You would hardly think that whilst they're on holiday either one of them would be agitating for a release. It might be Sloan's management kicking up a storm or just lazy journalism picking up an old story. Riccio isn't exactly credible, and no credible journalist has actually come out and reported this story a second time thus far.
Both checking out the dolphin facility 😬
 

denis preston

First Grade
Messages
8,226
If (and it could be a big if as there are unnamed "sources" involved) Young has given Sloan a wink and a nudge that the thorn in his caboose will be gone in 12 months, this club is even more dysfunctional than I thought. Why, after the great Mary extension went horribly wrong, would they want to repeat that mistake- and now Chairman Craig is virtually admitting to Sloan that they've made another mistake! Bizarre!
Kees that’s really taking a long bow!
 
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