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2021 - Squad, Signings, Re-signings

Messages
802
Taking a look at Nico Hynes would be a definite option... Duf has lost me I’m afraid . His commitment to D is terrible and even in attack seems to be in dream land at times... Nico wants a regular 1st grade spot and is behind Pappen... worth investigation
Players from Melbourne look twice as good as they are. Broncos players look half as good as they are. Hynes will get overpaid for his next contract, hopefully not by us.
 

Illusion

Bench
Messages
3,270
They have a system that they all play a part in. Take them out of that and they will join the rest of our team in one out runs and dropped ball.
That's why Bellamys a good coach ..... Their system has been good ever since they entered the NRL ..... Our coaching structures since Bennett have been a rubble ..... Anyway back to our rubble of a team , must win on Sunday , Not confident at all .....
 

hewi

Bench
Messages
4,231
Paul Gallen can remember it w
arthritis’, which is a condition you have for the rest of your life … But I was never going to give it up. I was always going to fight until I literally couldn’t do it any more.”

Bird lasted another 62. And then lifted the NRL trophy with his arm strapped like a mummy for good measure.

Little wonder former Sharks coach Shane Flanagan also points to that unforgettable night at Stadium Australia five years ago when asked to share a story that best speaks to the character of the man he lured from the Dragons as a teenager
In normal games he’d be off and missing five to six weeks," Flanagan said. "It was a horrendous injury. It looked awful. But no way in the world was he coming off. He was unbelievable. That’s typical Bird, shakes it off and says 'I’m going to be the best player on the field'.
"I’m not going to lie, there were times there I thought about giving up. I just knew it wasn’t the right decision. There’s always thoughts going through your mind whether this is the right thing to do or not and whether to keep putting your body through the drama."

The toll on Bird was more than just physical. The abuse he copped from irate Broncos fans was relentless.

“People calling me a bust or whatever they want to say, it cut me deep,” Bird said as he prepares to return to Brisbane for Magic Round next weekend.

“It killed me that it didn’t work out for me up there. I wish it did because I loved the place, I loved living there and I loved the club. They put faith in me. They signed me on good coin and put faith in me to try and make semi finals, make grand finals.

“If I could turn back time … it’s not my fault I got injured. If I was healthy up at Brisbane I don’t think they would have wanted to shop me around.”

Gallen’s relationship with Bird goes back well before anyone in the NRL had ever heard of him. At the request of agent David Riolo, Gallen attended a fundraiser in Wollongong back in 2012 after Bird had been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.
”I remember I bought this Usain Bolt-signed spike,” Gallen said.

“It was probably a fake, but anyway I bought it for two grand. There’s a fair chance it’s not even real.”

Gallen still remembers the day he thought he had convinced Bird to knock back offers from Brisbane and Newcastle to remain at the club with whom he had just won a premiership.

“I had one last coffee with him and he gave me a figure that he would stay at Cronulla for,” Gallen admits. “I drove back to the club. There were cameras waiting out the front so I dropped him at the other side of the Leagues Club. I told him, ‘Birdy, I’m going to give this figure to Flanno right now. You f---ing walk into his office and you tell him and get it done today’.

“I went home and rang Flanno half an hour later and said, ‘did you speak to Birdy?’ He said, ‘He walked past my office but never walked in’. Between me dropping him off and that call to Flanno, he obviously spoke to someone and never went into Flanno’s office. The deal was announced with Brisbane that afternoon. The rest is history. He left
Sitting there listening to Bird relive the pain of what he endured during his three seasons at the Broncos, you can’t help but wonder whether leaving Cronulla was the biggest mistake of his career. Plenty told him it was at the time.

He was the best young player in the game, whose world unravelled from the moment he set foot in Queensland. Does anything change if he stays? Was the money even worth it?

“I don’t regret it,” Bird fires back. “I actually had more money on the table at other clubs. I just wanted to test myself, get out of my comfort zone and try something different. There’s definitely no regrets. I got coached by Wayne [Bennett]. Got a nice house up there. Got mates up there. I loved living there.

“I kind of wanted to give Brisbane one more shot at playing up there ... but I don’t think the club wanted me. I actually don’t even know the truth behind it all. My manager was telling me this, the club was telling me that. You just don’t know.
“By the end of it I said, ‘Listen, if you guys don’t want me, I’m happy to go - so let’s just sort out a deal and get it over and done with’. I probably needed to come back home and find myself again and be around family and friends and enjoy footy again.”

Darius Boyd’s mental health battle over the years has been well documented. The former Broncos captain could see the emotional toll the injuries were having on Bird and regularly made time to have a coffee, or even just watch a game of NFL together.
“He wears his heart on his sleeve and he wants to be the best and doesn’t want to let people down,” Boyd said.

“That’s a great attribute to have, but on the flip side it can really eat away at you. Unfortunately with social media these days, everyone likes to stick the boot in and kick people when they’re down. Most of the time it’s pretty unwarranted and pretty disgusting what’s said from people who have opinions that don’t mean a lot.“

Despite the support, Bird’s mental state was slowly deteriorating. He distanced himself from those who tried to help him, shutting down as the reality of his predicament began to wear him out.

He tried to bottle up the pain until, one night, it all spilt out. Bird broke down in tears after returning home following more abuse from members of the public.
“I’m the type of person who doesn’t really speak out about tough times and stuff,” Bird said. “I don’t really seek help. My partner would always get me to try and speak up, but I’d never do it.

“I’m a person that bottles things up, so it was kind of hard to get through it … I show a brave face on the outside, but deep down it was hurting not to play footy. The first year I was injured I put on a lot of weight, I got a little bit depressed. I pushed some people away that meant a lot to me.”

During that year, Gallen visited Bird in Brisbane while preparing for a boxing match. His friend was no longer the person he once was.

“In 2016, you would have thought he was an arrogant little prick if you didn’t know him,” Gallen said.
 

Inisai Toga

Juniors
Messages
1,586
Interesting read, hard to disagree about the now but ignores the younger brigade that are starting to come thru.

https://www.theroar.com.au/2021/05/11/a-tale-of-two-rebuilds-dragons-versus-bulldogs/
agree, well written to suit the author’s line of argument, but, ignoring basically half a dozen young players that were blooding. I like Griffins assimilation of the young and old, but a few up and coming young forwards would be nice. He has secured the Cows prop next year, but a young John Jansen or Graeme Wynn type would compliment things nicely.
 

KiamaSaint

Coach
Messages
18,001
Interesting read, hard to disagree about the now but ignores the younger brigade that are starting to come thru.

https://www.theroar.com.au/2021/05/11/a-tale-of-two-rebuilds-dragons-versus-bulldogs/
"So with neither the Dragons or Bulldogs exactly flushed with junior talent...". That is a bit disingenuous.

Dufty (junior), Rav (debut), Ramsey (debut), Lomax (debut), Bird (ok no debut but was a junior), JDB (ok not playing but still debut), Sims (junior), Lawrie, Mat and Max Feagai, Sullivan, and Amone. They are the ones off the top of my head. I think the club is going ok on that front under Hook.

By the way, Mary is a dick that didn't give locals an opportunity, not denying that.
 

Illusion

Bench
Messages
3,270
"So with neither the Dragons or Bulldogs exactly flushed with junior talent...". That is a bit disingenuous.

Dufty (junior), Rav (debut), Ramsey (debut), Lomax (debut), Bird (ok no debut but was a junior), JDB (ok not playing but still debut), Sims (junior), Lawrie, Mat and Max Feagai, Sullivan, and Amone. They are the ones off the top of my head. I think the club is going ok on that front under Hook.

By the way, Mary is a dick that didn't give locals an opportunity, not denying that.
This is what we have been screaming for under Mary to give the young guys a chance , it is happening under Hook .... It won't be all roses after 9 games so I'm willing to buy into what ever Hook is doing ..... Not going to win the premiership this year or next but even if Hook is moved on after his 2 years at least the next coach would have young players with 1st grade experience ready to go ..... This is needed to be ready to win a Comp within 5 years .....
 
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kit66

Bench
Messages
4,081
I liked the look of a couple of those big Doggies forwards the other day namely Renouf Atoni ( 59 minutes - 15 runs for 164 mtrs with 66 pcm's and 35 tackles ) and Ofahiki Ogden ( 25 minutes, 10 runs for 88 mtrs and 19 tackles ). Both are off contract this year along with Seumanufagai. Atoni is only 25 and Ogden 24 so their best is yet to come. We need some punch up the middle and either of those lads could help us out. I'd even try to lure Atoni across this year if JDB's situation drags on into another trial.
 

BLM01

Coach
Messages
10,000
I liked the look of a couple of those big Doggies forwards the other day namely Renouf Atoni ( 59 minutes - 15 runs for 164 mtrs with 66 pcm's and 35 tackles ) and Ofahiki Ogden ( 25 minutes, 10 runs for 88 mtrs and 19 tackles ). Both are off contract this year along with Seumanufagai. Atoni is only 25 and Ogden 24 so their best is yet to come. We need some punch up the middle and either of those lads could help us out. I'd even try to lure Atoni across this year if JDB's situation drags on into another trial.
Could not agree more about those two dogs players you mentioned
 

Slippery Morris

First Grade
Messages
7,924
Interesting read, hard to disagree about the now but ignores the younger brigade that are starting to come thru.

https://www.theroar.com.au/2021/05/11/a-tale-of-two-rebuilds-dragons-versus-bulldogs/

Bad article. Saints have the potential future backline of Feagai x2, Dufty, Bird, Ramsey, Lomax and a halves pairing of Sullivan and Amone. All Dragons juniors. Bulldogs 1-7 are mostly bought. Rava I think will be Saints only exception in a couple of years as they will keep hold of him. The old brigade of Hunt and Norman are their to provide the experience for Sullivan and Amone to eventually take the reins. Hunt will teach these boys to become great players and have them primed. .

Bulldogs cap is spent on wingers and centres. Is that a really smart idea? Saints will probably look to buy a top notch hooker in the next season or 2 ( Brandon Smith please) as that is the only piece to the puzzle I feel. The forwards they have now will come good and they will probably stock up on a few in the next couple of years but again, some good Saints boys with Lawrier, Sims, Ford and possibly JDB. Kerr made his debut at Saints so you may count him as 1. Forwards are cheaper to replace than a back that is for sure.
 

Maddragon99

Juniors
Messages
2,075
Report coming out that Moses Mbye has signed with an unnamed Sydney club

god I hope it’s not us
The fullback rumours aren’t going away. Yet another mixed performance from Dufty, couple of nice tries but a cold drop which would have lead to a 3rd try & I’m pretty sure his pass was intercepted in the second half.
 

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