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Flanno's New Signings

Slippery Morris

Slippery Morris

First Grade
Messages
8,103
Some people say that without Hunt Saints would have been or will be rubbish but I disagree. He is a great player but a very selfish one as Saints had a young spine of Sloan/Amone/Sullivan building for the future as these guys were absolute killing it in the juniors for all to see. Seeing them play together in the juniors was pretty special and Saints fans could see it, just like I imagine Panthers fans seeing a young Cleary/Luia and Edwards in the juniors. They should have had at least 1 full season or 20 games under their belts where they all played together consecutively to gel and be ready for 2024. Instead 1 is facing jail and the other is gone. This all happened because of Hunt. If Hunt played at 9 to help these kids develop Saints would have a great spine going into this year and would be in top shape for a crack at finals. Imagine the good ball Hunt would have provided to these kids to spark the attack? Hunt clearly did not want that to happen and Hook let him get his way. Also they can say the attack is nothing if not for Hunt. Well obviously since he demands the ball 100% of the time. He also bombed a lot of tries and did not control the back end of games when in good positions which people seem to forget. Poor options on last plays were key to this. Watch the Parra game as the best example of this. Saints played so well that game and should never of lost that game.

Now the team is a mess because of Hunt, Saints now have to keep him because the best junior is gone and there is nobody else available. If Dearden does not come it will be because the Capt of Saints said how much better it is to live in Qld and all his antics to get out of the club. AFB is Saints only hope for a big signing because he is a junior but I am sure the Dogs will throw all this money at him to make it hard for Saints because they can.
 
possm

possm

Coach
Messages
16,702
baggygreen man said:
I have been saying the same thing for a while now..

Take his useless brother with him. He must have been responsible for CONCEDING AT LEAST ONE TRY PER MATCH!!! THAT IS A DISGRACE.

The junior winger you speak of, Sione Finau? , a gun, he and his Reggie centre mate Savelio Tamale formed a dangerous partnership..
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Yes,u Matt let in a few tries, running in and not stopping the ball. Aitken used to do the same thing.

Is it that Griffin gave him an impossible task or, is it someone inside of him that kept missing their target leaving the left outnumbered all the time?

For some reason, Flanno is not pushing him out, but there are plenty of young outside backs coming through.
 
Dragon David

Dragon David

First Grade
Messages
9,585
I know that Flanno has said that he hoped to have at least 3 players signed up before Christmas.

I hope that this is still on the cards and I hope that the players he has targeted are the ones that have been rumoured to be AFB, Deardon and Luki for 2025. Good luck to him.

For 2024 then, he needs to sign a couple at least to improve our roster for that year. We know that there are not that many decent ones so who can he be targeting?
 
R

rasaint

Juniors
Messages
1,154
Roosters won premierships in 2018 and 2019 stuck with ‘hopeless old ‘ Cooper Cronk 35 years old in 2019. Ben Hunt is similar in build and some other aspects to Cronk. Hunt runs the ball better than Cronk, but Cronk was a master tactician.

Hunt will play well in 2025, if we still have him. Then if Hunt ends up with AFB, Dearden, we somehow keep Sua and pickup another quality backrower, we will be in the mix.

One rule holds true; you have to have the ‘cattle‘ on the park to win games. Our 2023 team had no real forward firepower except Sua, with some help from JDB and F Molo. Replace Hunt with Cronk and it would make no difference. Hunt behind a good pack and it’s a world of difference.
 
Dragon David

Dragon David

First Grade
Messages
9,585
Dragon David said:
I know that Flanno has said that he hoped to have at least 3 players signed up before Christmas.

I hope that this is still on the cards and I hope that the players he has targeted are the ones that have been rumoured to be AFB, Deardon and Luki for 2025. Good luck to him.

For 2024 then, he needs to sign a couple at least to improve our roster for that year. We know that there are not that many decent ones so who can he be targeting?
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Just adding to my post as above, there is an article that is on NRL.com which I have given the link below and it shows that for next Year, Flanagan won't be panic buying. The squad will basically be the same with Sele and Kyle Flanno added as he said that there isn't much available for 2024 and his aim is to get the big ones in 2025. There was no mention of Tom Eisenhuth. So if there is going to be any major announcements it will be the signing of the 2025 players.

He wants the current crop to be fitter, stronger and have more endurance as he feels that the players we have plus several of the younger ones coming up in the lower grades should win us lots more games in 2024.

This is what I thought.

www.nrl.com

'They could do a bit of interchanging': Flanagan's plans for Lomax and Sloan

Dragons coach Shane Flanagan discusses why he won't rush to sign players, his fullback options for next season and how the new Centre of Excellence can fully unify the club.
www.nrl.com www.nrl.com
 
justadragon

justadragon

Bench
Messages
4,205
rasaint said:
Roosters won premierships in 2018 and 2019 stuck with ‘hopeless old ‘ Cooper Cronk 35 years old in 2019. Ben Hunt is similar in build and some other aspects to Cronk. Hunt runs the ball better than Cronk, but Cronk was a master tactician.

Hunt will play well in 2025, if we still have him. Then if Hunt ends up with AFB, Dearden, we somehow keep Sua and pickup another quality backrower, we will be in the mix.

One rule holds true; you have to have the ‘cattle‘ on the park to win games. Our 2023 team had no real forward firepower except Sua, with some help from JDB and F Molo. Replace Hunt with Cronk and it would make no difference. Hunt behind a good pack and it’s a world of difference.
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No Way !!! We have Reynolds in our squad in 2023 and we win maybe 4-5 more games .
 
R

rasaint

Juniors
Messages
1,154
Fair opinion Justadragon, but I stick to my opinion.

Yes Reynolds is a top class half back. No question. This season he was behind the powerful Brisbane pack led by Haas. His backline meant he was throwing passes and kicking for Ezra Mam, Herbie Farnworth , Kotoni Staggs, Selwyn Cobbo and the electrifying Reece Walsh. Phew! I would be happy to have just Mam ( absolute speedster) who was amazing the whole season and particularly the close Grand Final loss to Panthers. Adam Reynolds has never had to play behind a weak pack,even with South’s. No knocking him just stating how it is.

Ben Hunt had well let’s say hasn’t had that advantage at dragons since 2019. 2018 yes and we were cruelled at the end by losing Gareth Widdop and Tariq simms for rest of season ( his best form ever) in the thrashing off Bennents Brisbane in 1 st semi.
 
Slippery Morris

Slippery Morris

First Grade
Messages
8,103
Ben Hunt was surrounded by his ex-mates in Corey Norman, McCullough, Maguire. He had Tariq Sims, JDB, Sua, F Molo. He has had decent forwards so it was not all that bad.

In regards to Reynolds, just look at how Souths have been since he has gone? The team is stacked with good players yet they struggle to make a GF. Bronco's were a wooden spoon team before he joined. Reynolds would have taken Souths or Brisbane to the GF last season easy. Ben Hunt would not that is for sure. Why? Because he is no good at managing a game as Cronk or Reynolds. If you look at the games Saints lost last year in the backend of the season, if Saints had Reynolds or Cronk they simply do not lose those games.

I think Flanno though is a smart coach and will change that and Hunt's game will get to that level as Reynolds and Cronk if his head is right. Flanno will actually improve Hunt unlike Mary and Hook who just let him do whatever he wanted. Just give the ball to Hunt on the last tactics. Flanno will actually set the play better so when Hunt gets the ball his options will be so much more than just a bomb and he will excel but I just hope his attitude is 100% committed to the cause and not elsewhere.
 
D

Desperate Dragon

Juniors
Messages
904
Watched an interview earlier today online done with a guy from WIN television station in Wollongong talking to Flanagan.
A couple of things of note for me were:
1) I am not convinced Flanagan is all that interested in Tracey.
Was asked specifically if the interest in Tracey and Manu was real, and basically said he doubted if either player wanted to move from their current club.
2) Mentioned that he still hoped to pick up 3/4 quality signings for 2024.
3) Confirmed that the bigger fish signings were planned for 2025.
I have listened to Flanagan in several interviews during the past few months, and this one by far was the one he was most tight lipped in so far about potential signing targets.
 
TheRev

TheRev

Coach
Messages
13,000
Desperate Dragon said:
1) I am not convinced Flanagan is all that interested in Tracey.
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It sounds like it didnt work out with the player swap, and he really was one of those 2024 signings that would have improved us dramatically.. but 2025.. hes 28, Sloan or Rumble have had another 12mths.. and other guys will come off contract to headhunt.. like hes not nearly as exciting a prospect.. I suspect thats whats gone down..

If Tracey really wanted out he could force the clubs hand imo.. I think we arent going to bend over backwards to make it happen.
 
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