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2021 - Squad, Signings, Re-signings

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getsmarty

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De Belin no distraction for Dragons in NRL
  • NRL
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    St George Illawarra's Jack de Belin's won't train with the NRL squad in the short term.
    Stood-down NRL star Jack de Belin trained with St George Illawarra for the past two seasons but coach Anthony Griffin is adamant it won't be a distraction for the team in 2021.

    A day after de Belin's retrial on rape accusations was scheduled for April in Sydney, after a jury in Wollongong failed to reach a verdict, Griffin said NRL training should be the furthest thing from the 29-year-old's mind.

    Speaking for the first time as Dragons coach on Thursday, Griffin said former State of Origin forward de Belin would not be returning to training in the short term.

    De Belin's presence at training has been labelled a distraction to the misfiring side in the past but Griffin said it wouldn't be a problem next season.

    "He's got a legal battle on his hands," Griffin said.

    "Personally I respect that, we've got no control over it so that will be his main focus at the moment, not training with the football team.

    "Right at the moment that's something external to what's happening here.

    "He's been in a legal battle, this is probably the furthest thing from his mind at the moment."

    Having their best forward in peak physical condition at training but unable to play has been a cloud hanging over the Dragons for the past two seasons.

    In both campaigns they have finished in the bottom four.

    It's a situation that threatens to spoil the Dragons' 2021 season too with de Belin's retrial set to commence in April, meaning if he is found not guilty the first match he could play is in round nine.

    It's understood the NRL has offered the club salary cap dispensation for de Belin's replacement while he is unavailable, after he agreed to a three-year deal with the Dragons.

    That contract is yet to be registered by the NRL and until the legal process is completed he is only receiving a percentage of his pay.

    Whether that has an impact on the salary cap and the Dragons' top 30 roster, Griffin is unconcerned.

    "It's honestly not an issue for me," he said.

    "I'll find out off Ryan Webb (Dragons chief executive) in due course into how that affects our salary cap, but I don't think it will affect it if the NRL has stood him down."

    Regardless, Griffin is confident in the players he has available despite losing Tyson Frizell, Korbin Sims, James Graham and Jacob Host.

    "(de Belin) hasn't been here for two years so we don't need to replace him," he said.

    "Tyson Frizell, James Graham, Jacob Host have left.

    "Poasa Faamausili has trained really well and Jack Bird has come onto the list.

    "I've got a lot of confidence with the guys on our list.

    "We've got a bit of capacity with our salary cap and we'll fill that when we have the right people."

    Australian Associated Press


    https://www.theleader.com.au/story/7039348/de-belin-no-distraction-for-dragons-in-nrl/?cs=9737
 
Como Connection

Como Connection

First Grade
Messages
5,930
possm said:
I have a feeling that our 2021 cap was going to be a real mess and even though we off-loaded a lot of cap space, there still needed to be some major surgery curried out for the next two seasons 2021 and 2022. So there is a mix of actions that need to be taken:
1. The recruitment of a couple of forwards to strengthen our pack.
2. The front ending of a a couple of contracts to reduce the salary cap problems we are likely to face in 2022.

The management of our salary cap has been nothing but a MESS.
Click to expand...
MARY MESS I SAY!
CC
 
G

getsmarty

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frizellt-200315_gt_0298.jpg


DRAGONS


Griffin's plan to overcome leader exodus
Author
Brad Walter NRL.com Senior Reporter
Timestamp
Thu 3 Dec 2020, 02:41 PM
walterbrad-head.png

Dragons coach Anthony Griffin believes he and experienced assistants Matthew Elliott and Peter Gentle can help overcome an on-field leadership void and get the best out of Ben Hunt.

While Cameron McInnes remains an inspirational captain, the Dragons have lost three of the other four members of the club’s leadership group in the past 12 months. Gareth Widdop and James Graham returned to England and Tyson Frizell departed for Newcastle.

Hunt, five-eighth Corey Norman and forwards Paul Vaughan, Tariq Sims and Trent Merrin are the next most experienced St George Illawarra players – although the latter was not a regular member of the starting line-up last season.

New recruit Jack Bird (87), fullback Matt Dufty (67) and prop Blake Lawrie (58) are the only other Dragons players to have made more than 50 NRL appearances.

Griffin, who has coached 173 NRL matches during seven seasons with Brisbane and Penrith, identified leadership as an area that needed to be developed at St George Illawarra and bought Elliott and Gentle on board to help achieve that.

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Analysing the Dragons' 2021 draw


Analysing the Dragons' 2021 draw

Elliott has coached 240 NRL matches with Canberra, Penrith and the Warriors, while Gentle - the interim coach at the Broncos last season - was a long-time assistant of Tim Sheens at Wests Tigers before taking on the Hull FC job in 2014 and 2015.

"Matthew and Peter are both experienced coaches in their own rights, they have both been around for a long time and I thought it was important that we got as much experience in here as we could," Griffin said.


"I think the playing group at the moment needs that. It is not a player-driven group at the moment so we need a really experienced coaching staff at the moment to help them really learn and guide them through the next 18-months."

After coaching Hunt at Brisbane until 2014, Griffin will be looking to the representative playmaker to step up for the Dragons next year after a season in which he shifted between halfback, hooker and five-eighth and was dropped from the Queensland team for the Origin decider.

Griffin said where Hunt played next season depended on his form and attitude as Adam Clune, Jayden Sullivan and Norman are also vying for positions in the halves.

"It doesn’t bother me what they are worth, it is just what they can do for the team," Griffin said in response to questions about Hunt’s $1 million pay packet.

"Everyone is training really well so they will all get their chance in time.

melliott2.jpg

New Dragons assistant coach Matt Elliott. :copyright:NRL Photos
"I just think he has got a lot more potential in him to unlock and Ben knows that. Everyone here wouldn’t be happy with what has happened here the last couple of years so hopefully, I will be able to help him do that."

Asked what he was looking for from Hunt, Griffin said: "Hard work, honesty, leadership. All of those things that have got to be important to him if he is going to have a serious crack".

Bird is still recovering from knee surgery that forced him to miss the entire 2020 season and is expected to start training with his new team-mates in mid-January.

Griffin said no decision had been made about where the former NSW Origin utility would play but centre and the back-row are positions where the Dragons appear to be light on.

pgentle.jpg

Dragons assistant coach Peter Gentle. :copyright:dragons.com.au
"He is still a really young man, he is fit, he has been a little bit out of luck injury-wise but everything I have seen so far from the way he is moving at the moment and where his mind is at he is really gearing up for a big season," Griffin said

"I am looking forward to getting him back to his best. He has played about half a dozen games in the last two years so he will take a little bit of time to find his feet."

Former Blues lock Jack de Belin is not expected to resume training until January as he prepares to face a re-trial on sexual assault charges in Sydney next April.


https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2020/12/03/griffins-plan-to-overcome-leader-exodus/
 
G

getsmarty

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JUNIOR REPS


Dragons on the lookout for 'homestay' accommodation
Author
Dragons.com.au dragons.com.au
Timestamp
Fri 4 Dec 2020, 07:42 AM

The St George Illawarra Dragons are currently looking for 'homestay' accommodation for some of our junior players who have moved to the Illawarra region from out of the area.

The costs associated with housing these players is subsidised by the St George Illawarra Dragons.

If you would like more information, or if your family, or someone you know, may have a spare room and would be interested in assisting one of these young players, please contact the club's wellbeing officer Scott Stewart via email – sstewart@dragons.com.au.



https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2020/12/04/dragons-on-the-lookout-for-homestay-accommodation/
 
G

getsmarty

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33,485
DRAGONS SKIPPER COULD TEST OPEN MARKET

Meanwhile, one of the Dragons’ best in another disappointing season could be on the move.

Cameron McInnes comes off-contract at the end of 2021 and Hooper reports that there has been talk that he will test his value.

“He’s signed with the Red V for next season and will be there but beyond that there’s been some talk late this week that Cameron will go out and test his value on the open market next week,” Hooper told Triple M NRL’s Summer Session.

“I think we will actually see him physically go out and meet with some rival clubs for 2022 and beyond.

“He’s on the record saying he wants to play number 9, and I can totally understand that, he’s one of the best hookers in the game.

“But we did see this season just finished he had some success filling in as a small running lock forward style of role.”

Former Dragons coach Paul McGregor has previously stated that re-signing McInnes should be the club’s top priority.

“The Dragons are lucky to have him, and my only hope is they do everything to keep him. If he comes off contract there will be plenty of clubs after him,” he told the Sydney Morning Heraldin September.

The Dragons will be keen on re-signing McInnes given his undeniable leadership value but he will also garner plenty of interest from other clubs so they will need to move fast.

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Cameron McInnes comes off-contract at the end of 2021. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

 
possm

possm

Coach
Messages
15,591
If Hunt does not fire in the halves, Griffin will be faced with a choice, move him to 9 for the rest of his term or off-load him to another club. But if Hunt moves to 9, I'm afraid that McInnes will accept a big offer from another club.
 
SAP58

SAP58

Juniors
Messages
1,814
Buz-V said:
Hearing Zane Musgrove from Tigpies is a potential signing. Big Prop, Anyone seen him play?
Click to expand...
Reported in today’s Telegraph as well, still under contract to the Tigers a bit of work to do if we want him.
 
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