Flanno's New Signings

[Smurf]

Lodge's offers are circa $350k pa
He wants nearly double that

Bennett shafted him

 

[Harry Bath]

Re the forwards and missing a big bopper… yes another pig would be great but clearly flanno is confident enough that it’s still gotta be the right player at the right price on the right terms otherwise we roll with the current crop. 12 months on, I don’t see a signing like RFM happening for eg, getting pickier

Agree RFM was picked up late last year when Flanagan panicked due to not signing a number of other prospects

 

[Desperate Dragon]

Lodge's offers are circa $350k pa
He wants nearly double that

Bennett shafted him

I really think Lodge is Flanagan's plan B if there is not a prop forward available that is suitable to our needs in the next few months.
Plenty of young blokes will get their chance to impress in February, plus who knows if there will be some disgruntled big bopper from another club looking to move on pushing for a spot in the top 17 elsewhere.
Always seems to be a few late moves in rosters each year prior to the premiership kick off in March.

 

[jackmac]

I can't see Lodge signing anywhere but us at the moment unless he is Super League bound.

Would Lodge even be eligible for Super League ?
Doubt the UK government are handing him work visa .

 

[Jubilee]

Would Lodge even be eligible for Super League ?
Doubt the UK government are handing him work visa .

Maybe he could pay someone to smuggle him in from Calais.

 

[Jubilee]

Agree RFM was picked up late last year when Flanagan panicked due to not signing a number of other prospects

Yes, Flanno panicked. Understandable. The roster was a mess. Directionless. There were leadership players with agendas. Youth not being brought on. So I think he grabbed RFM bcs he was a mature leader without an agenda who was available at a cheap price. Same reason he took on Corey Allan. He wanted guys who had some experience and good attitudes at a cheap price until he could steady the ship (get rid of troublemakers on his terms). More politics than ancient Rome.

 

[Auntie.Gerald]

I think it is more that Flano needed to overhaul the list and needed momentum

that doesn’t mean everyone will be an Ace of spades

some are value signings like RFM, TomE, Sele and Tui…..who bring in good vibes good experience professionalism…..let’s hope injury free in 2025 for he Sele and Blake otherwise the writing is on the wall for Blake and RFM and maybe Molo boys also

Flano needed flexibility, new blood, energy and he has got that in the main the last two off seasons. Pretty good all round effort in recruitment

and re-signed some important juniors who are on cusp of being important parts of 17

 

[AyiosYiorgos]

Lodge's offers are circa $350k pa
He wants nearly double that

Bennett shafted him

He aint getting double that, $350k maybe $400k tops for him, he should take it, as he wont get any better in Super league

 

[blacksafake]

Lodge's offers are circa $350k pa
He wants nearly double that

Bennett shafted him

No wonder he’s club less

 

[dragon thomo]

I am not a fan of Lodge but we are desperate for a big aggressive body to support our up and coming forwards. $ 400 a year tops 2yr deal.

 

[musso]

Could it be that we are in play for Lodge and Atkinson with only 1 roster spot remaining, therefore it's also reliant on releasing players? Plus, if we were to get Atkinson for this year, Fitz will hold off as late as possible to remove any advantage for a pre-season with us.

 

[Victoire]

Atkinson would be nice, but I don't think it's at all likely. Flanagan has said a few times he wants one more middle forward. It's certainly very curious that Lodge has still not signed anywhere this late in the piece

 

[Smurf]

Atkinson would be nice, but I don't think it's at all likely. Flanagan has said a few times he wants one more middle forward. It's certainly very curious that Lodge has still not signed anywhere this late in the piece

Lodge was all but signed with Souths
Right at the death Bennett pulled the deal
Not sure why

Dragons - and a couple of others have offered low ball offers

He wants more due to his young northern beaches famikiy

super league ( at this stage is a definite no )

basically he wants a better , higher offer

but he must be getting desperate

 

[kit66]

Offer Lodge 2-3 years on around $450-500 K a year and move his family to the Gong.
He's only 29 and a real enforcer. He could change the whole dynamic of our team. Run him as a starting prop and give him two 20 minute stints per game (or 25min start then 15-20mins in the second half) . He's at a good stage of his playing career. Then go after some young gun props (if our young'ns fail to launch) for 2026/27.
He's our last chance for a decent prop for this year you'd think and could be the difference between making the 8 and languishing in the bottom 6. Why we haven't already got this done is part of the continuing mystery of our big man recruitment failures.
AFB
RCG
Terrell May
Saifiti
Utoikamanu
Horseburgers
Guler
Royce Hunt
Finefeuiaki
I'm sure I've missed a couple more as well. How did we manage to not sign any of these players ? It's like walking across the Princes Hwy at peak hour, blindfolded and managing to not get hit, it's that ridiculous.
Meanwhile the Tiges sign Hunt, May and fkg Luai, fmd. Please explain.

 

[True_Believer]

Offer Lodge 2-3 years on around $450-500 K a year and move his family to the Gong.
He's only 29 and a real enforcer. He could change the whole dynamic of our team. Run him as a starting prop and give him two 20 minute stints per game (or 25min start then 15-20mins in the second half) . He's at a good stage of his playing career. Then go after some young gun props (if our young'ns fail to launch) for 2026/27.
He's our last chance for a decent prop for this year you'd think and could be the difference between making the 8 and languishing in the bottom 6. Why we haven't already got this done is part of the continuing mystery of our big man recruitment failures.
AFB
RCG
Terrell May
Saifiti
Utoikamanu
Horseburgers
Guler
Royce Hunt
Finefeuiaki
I'm sure I've missed a couple more as well. How did we manage to not sign any of these players ? It's like walking across the Princes Hwy at peak hour, blindfolded and managing to not get hit, it's that ridiculous.
Meanwhile the Tiges sign Hunt, May and fkg Luai, fmd. Please explain.

"Horseburgers" got a similar treatment to Woolford. Allowed to look but not released.

 

[Auntie.Gerald]

The Bulldogs are in a window albeit a small dunny door window

They need another prop asap to match their Thompson for 2026 if they really think they are ready to be in a GF.

They would have signed Josiah Pahulu if they wanted him for 2026 and they havent.........which is strange

I suspect we would be keen on Pahulu for 2026 also and would have more cap then the Dogs for 2025. I wonder if Pahulu does want to stay in QLD and is playing some games to extend?

There is certainly an element of patience .....which makes total sense ie all the clubs are 24/7 trying to improve the list and players moving on and off top30 lists in the off season.

And im sure we are going real hard to get another year minimum for LPT to stay 2027 and hopefully 2028

2025 - Lodge and Pahulu would be nice > swap out Blake or Rava ?
2026 - Pahulu, Hazelton, Oregon, Seve, other?

 

[RufusRex]

AFB - travel
RCG - we didnt want to pay for 3rd year
Terrell May - travel and we didnt really want
Saifiti - his partner was told not to come by a former players wife
Utoikamanu - couldnt compete with the Storm and got too expensive
Horseburgers - raiders didnt release
Guler - raiders didnt release
Royce Hunt - were not interested
Finefeuiaki - was a choice between Luki/Fine/Leilua - we got one ... Also Fine is an edge forward not a big prop


The failures are basically AFB/Reg/Saifiti and for various reasons stated above we missed them all.

 

[blacksafake]

AFB - travel
RCG - we didnt want to pay for 3rd year
Terrell May - travel and we didnt really want
Saifiti - his partner was told not to come by a former players wife
Utoikamanu - couldnt compete with the Storm and got too expensive
Horseburgers - raiders didnt release
Guler - raiders didnt release
Royce Hunt - were not interested
Finefeuiaki - was a choice between Luki/Fine/Leilua - we got one ... Also Fine is an edge forward not a big prop


The failures are basically AFB/Reg/Saifiti and for various reasons stated above we missed them all.

The Saifiti one doesn’t surprise me.

 

[Jubilee]

The Saifiti one doesn’t surprise me.

He is a log anyway.

 

[musso]

For me AFB was the only one of the lot worth the price tag and maybe RCG at 2 years only though.