2022 Squad: Gains, Losses & Re-signings.

[Crush]

Can we at least give him some recruitment achievements?

No no yet.
The jury is out on whether the recruitments will be good ones.
Molo and Sua seem positive.
The rest seem very very suspect.
Time will tell, happy to discuss at completion of 2022.

Also, interested to see how Dufty goes at Dogs. If he goes on to be a world beater I guess that will factor into the recruitment appraisal. Hopefully Sloan proves to be a better option.

 

[randomdragon]

Good post, lets keep it real.
The off season is great for the soul but lets not forget the 10 losses in a row to finish the season, the autoselection of Norman and the players blatantly ignoring Hooks instructions not to have the BBQ.
2022 is a new year and I cannot wait for it but lets not pump up Hooks tyres at this stage, hes acheived nothing other than failure thus far.

Disagree. With what he had he went well. He has been successful in promoting good culture and promoting a need for both st George and Illawarra to strengthen their pathways. He actually attends junior training, Mary didn’t even attend reserve grade.

 

[Crush]

Disagree. With what he had he went well. He has been successful in promoting good culture and promoting a need for both st George and Illawarra to strengthen their pathways. He actually attends junior training, Mary didn’t even attend reserve grade.

"He has been successful in promoting good culture"
Im sorry but we were the laughing stock last year because of our poor culture.

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

Dufty and his A defence, I might get a tattoo on my ankle of that one. He’s going to leak points like a sieve at the dogs.

My top 5 reasons for Hook arousal

1. Unlike Marys symphony of promises, when he was appointed Hook said “ I will do my best, no promises.” That’s just honesty. I didn’t know we had any left in our beloved cesspit of a sport.

2. Up until Bbq gate, he got a much better performance from underachieving players compared to McVirus. He effectively halted the leakage of respect and honour. He did so promptly and without the whining and excuses everyone was used to. Just about every player improved except the usual suspects.

3. He turned things around with some highly controversial signings. Everyone thought he’d lost it. He’s the opposite of Barrett as the dogs desperately try to buy a premiership. He fine tunes. He brought in weirdos like Matty Elliot to assist. That’s mind blowing.

4. He got rid of the yoga instructors and those corporate nuffies Mary hired.Footprint nonsense. He took the boys to the pub instead and people bonded properly with a chat and a beer.

5. Hes a brilliant league mind. Quiet and reflective. Not prone to Morris dancing like Mary or turning press conferences into bad comedy.

If you can hold on a bit longer, you could scrape into the finals this year. You were supposed to be the hope of the condemned and factory clubs last year, only to fall short! Bloody bbq gate.

For all of those reasons, when Madge is boned in round 9 ( although he’s changing a lot now), Hook should be the next coaching lamb to the slaughter at West Tigers.

 

[Crush]

Dufty and his A defence, I might get a tattoo on my ankle of that one. He’s going to leak points like a sieve at the dogs.

My top 5 reasons for Hook arousal

1. Unlike Marys symphony of promises, when he was appointed Hook said “ I will do my best, no promises.” That’s just honesty. I didn’t know we had any left in our beloved cesspit of a sport.

2. Up until Bbq gate, he got a much better performance from underachieving players compared to McVirus. He effectively halted the leakage of respect and honour. He did so promptly and without the whining and excuses everyone was used to. Just about every player improved except the usual suspects.

3. He turned things around with some highly controversial signings. Everyone thought he’d lost it. He’s the opposite of Barrett as the dogs desperately try to buy a premiership. He fine tunes. He brought in weirdos like Matty Elliot to assist. That’s mind blowing.

4. He got rid of the yoga instructors and those corporate nuffies Mary hired.Footprint nonsense. He took the boys to the pub instead and people bonded properly with a chat and a beer.

5. Hes a brilliant league mind. Quiet and reflective. Not prone to Morris dancing like Mary or turning press conferences into bad comedy.

If you can hold on a bit longer, you could scrape into the finals this year. You were supposed to be the hope of the condemned and factory clubs last year, only to fall short! Bloody bbq gate.

For all of those reasons, when Madge is boned in round 9 ( although he’s changing a lot now), Hook should be the next coaching lamb to the slaughter at West Tigers.

Youve written this like he took us to the finals. He acheived nothing. Your points
1. Hes honest. OK, didn't help the team make finals.
2. He got a much better performance from underperforming players than Mary. Did he? We came 11th and lost the last 10 games in a row.
3. He turned things around with controversial signings, even Matt Elliott.
We came 11th and Matt Elliott has been demoted.
4. He took boys to the pub. Yep, they loved the bonding. Then they ignored Hooks request not to break bubble protocol, BBQ time!
5. Hes a brilliant league mind. OK, what was the tactics of 2021? Slow the play the ball down by laying in the ruck. SIX AGAIN ring a bell?
Keep it real buddy.

 

[Slippery Morris]

Hooks handling and opinions of of Corey Norman in 2021 turned me off him. He really had this thing of picking him regardless of form and even wanted to extend his contract. No different to Mary, he picked some underperformers and gave them way too many chances for my liking.

Hoping things change this year but I have a feeling Mbye will be the new Norman and that is he will be taking a spot regardless of form.

 

[thebigredv]

The results in 2021 were trash.

That's fact. The way people commentate, defend or criticise it comes down to a difference in one's philosophy and tolerance for pain and mediocrity.

I don't recall, at any point of my 30 odd years of watching Dragons, being so sure we'd lose a game to another mid range team than I did come the second half of last season. I could smell the fetid stench of failure bursting through the TV screen.

There is no refuting this and I'd suggest every honest fan would say they felt the same at one point or another.

It's not Hook's doing. Some of it was avoidable though and there's so many that are happy to excuse that. I'm not all that forgiving for him persisting with a player that no sooner retired stating he was 'over it anyway'. That's poor misjudgement no matter how learned the coach is.

Hook's made a start in rehashing the squad and looks set to give the youth the reigns which will appease all fans. Yes, I'm more circumspect than some about the recruitment but can at least agree our squad has matured and strengthened in some of the areas of need.

To reiterate what Crush said, like never before the proof will be in the pudding. Not one fan will be hoping for anything but success. Merely making finals will be brilliant given the nature of the competition. Another failure and then one can expect to hear the anguish of fans who won't so meekly submit to the obscurity and humiliation which it feels to which we've sunk in years gone by.

Hopefully we are signing Griffin up to extension come end of year and the likes of Sloan and Sua are being mentioned at the Dally Ms

 

[SnowDragon]

So if he has had some chances and not made it, is that due to injuries? Or does he have some weakness in his game? Defence? Anyway, development guy who has a chance to impress. Nice depth potentially. Big fast and strong by the look of it.

 

[AyiosYiorgos]

I'd rather Hook over Mary x100, you can see things have improved and there is hope and we have a purpose in trying to build the club in a positive way, with our junior pathways and im loving how we have brought in young players from QLD, NSW and NZ its not Mary's smoke and mirrors anymore..

 

[randomdragon]

"He has been successful in promoting good culture"

Im sorry but we were the laughing stock last year because of our poor culture.

He inherited the shit culture. Judge him on this year after he’s made his own signings. Stop death riding it’s boring

 

[Crush]

"He has been successful in promoting good culture"

He inherited the shit culture. Judge him on this year after he’s made his own signings. Stop death riding it’s boring

Yeah death riding the team I have supported my whole life just to win the internet against some random Ill never meet. Righto.

 

[pinball_collector]

they signed all the juniors coming through. that was enough for me to give him the thumbs up.

 

[randomdragon]

Yeah death riding the team I have supported my whole life just to win the internet against some random Ill never meet. Righto.

Also, a year ago suli didn’t want to come, now suli and his manager have said it’s a great club to deal with. That surely is a success? Or not in your eyes?

 

[denis preston]

Yeah death riding the team I have supported my whole life just to win the internet against some random Ill never meet. Righto.

I don't know if you have entirely grasped the meaning of "supporter "

 

[Crush]

I don't know if you have entirely grasped the meaning of "supporter "

Happy Australia Day brother!
Sorry for being a drag.

 

[boardlumps62]

We have signed a hooker from the Dogs Bradley Dietz. He is a School Teacher should have a few brains about him rare these days in the NRL. Said he loves organising team get togethers and he owns a Webber Q

 

[Gareth67]

We have signed a hooker from the Dogs Bradley Dietz. He is a School Teacher should have a few brains about him rare these days in the NRL. Said he loves organising team get togethers and he owns a Webber Q

Well that’s poor form by the doggies, apparently they have given Vaughny the BBQ duties over Dietz - no wonder the bloke moved to the Dragons .

 

[boardlumps62]

Well that’s poor form by the doggies, apparently they have given Vaughny the BBQ duties over Dietz - no wonder the bloke moved to the Dragons .

That's where Vaughny's ability lies wasted as a Frontrower lol.

 

[epDragon62]

We have signed a hooker from the Dogs Bradley Dietz. He is a School Teacher should have a few brains about him rare these days in the NRL. Said he loves organising team get togethers and he owns a Webber Q

Taking the piss, I assume?

 

[hewi]

Bradley Deitz - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I feel that chef would have looked better than school teacher to get a go at the Dragons