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Rumours and Stuff

Poupou Escobar

Post Whore
Messages
101,436
Mate you lost that one. Any politician can tell you, public opinion is an important resource.
I agree it’s a resource, just not as significant as whatever lured Drown and Lomax away. Since we weren’t in the top three last year (although we were number one for NRLW) hopefully this will enhance our recruitment/retention going forward. Great job by Serdaris and MON though. Credit where it’s due.
 

85 Baby

Bench
Messages
2,903

Delboy

First Grade
Messages
8,963

Dragons are desperate

Should the club match their 5m over 5 year offer?
A ready made excuse for the possibility of another failed recruitment. It would be a positive if they were able to land a competitive rep level player. Whilst you can build with juniors,all clubs need an experienced , elite group to get to the required top 4.
 

Poupou Escobar

Post Whore
Messages
101,436
A ready made excuse for the possibility of another failed recruitment. It would be a positive if they were able to land a competitive rep level player. Whilst you can build with juniors,all clubs need an experienced , elite group to get to the required top 4.
This explains why the Dragons have supposedly offered so much.
 

Poupou Escobar

Post Whore
Messages
101,436
Nah if we sign him it means he took massive unders.

The fact is that with expansion (and R360 removing players from the pool) we should expect every squad to get weaker. Obviously some won’t because they have ways around the salary cap. Does that include us? Results over a quarter of a century suggest not.
 

85 Baby

Bench
Messages
2,903
Nah if we sign him it means he took massive unders.

The fact is that with expansion (and R360 removing players from the pool) we should expect every squad to get weaker. Obviously some won’t because they have ways around the salary cap. Does that include us? Results over a quarter of a century suggest not.
We should also expect merkins to get paid more than Joe Armchair Administrator thinks they’re worth
 

King-Gutho94

Referee
Messages
20,272
A ready made excuse for the possibility of another failed recruitment. It would be a positive if they were able to land a competitive rep level player. Whilst you can build with juniors,all clubs need an experienced , elite group to get to the required top 4.
I keep hearing from Journos on podcasts and radio that the club is in a good spot were on the up and Carayannis said today on SEN when they did a dive into Parramatta's prospects for 2026 he keeps hearing from people inside the club its the happiest has been in a long time with what Ryles is building.

So what's missing when it comes to convincing high calibre recruits to join.

We just lost 2 rep quality players on there day out the door and while both had there own flaws.

Have they been adequately replaced.

Lomax looks like it will be replaced by Brian Kelly who i rate in the bottom 5% of centres in the game which will cause some reshuffling in the backline.

Dylan is being replaced by Pezet on a Loan deal basically.

We keep talking up how good our juniors well sorry for being cynical but i have heard the same stuff for 20 years.

MON did a puff piece with News corp in March 2024 about our SG Ball side that won in 2023.

And he labelled 7 players coming through the ones to watch and club was finally ready to produce first grade talent.

The 7 players - Matt Arthur, Ethan Sanders, Blaize Talagi, Josh Lynn, RIchard Penisini, Charlie Guymer, Sam Tuivati.

Well 4 of them are already out the door, one can't get himself fit enough to get through 6 weeks of footy & the jury is out on Guymer.

Tuivati well i guess we wait & see looks promising but needs game time.

Jarryd Hayne/Krisnan Inu duo remains probably the last talented juniors i have seen us develop that you sat back and went very early on gee we have a few prospects here.

Both were playing rep footy in 2007 at 19 years of age.
 

Poupou Escobar

Post Whore
Messages
101,436
We keep talking up how good our juniors well sorry for being cynical but i have heard the same stuff for 20 years.
The only times in the past 40 years we’ve won an under 19 or under 20 comp were 1985, 1990 and 2023. That’s the key age group, for halves and forwards anyway. The best outside backs at that age group should have graduated already. They should be playing against grown men.
the jury is out on Guymer.

Tuivati well i guess we wait & see looks promising
Guymer has shown a lot more than Tuivaiti. But he is a year older. I’m actually concerned we haven’t resigned him yet.
 
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