2022 Squad: Gains, Losses & Re-signings.

[Crush]

The thing is, with the speed of the game and all the injuries and suspensions that go along with it, there is really no point listing our best 17 (other than for fun) because by round 2 it’s likely to change and never be the same again all season.
We say Mbye is signed as a 14 but the second anyone in the 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9 jumper gets injured he will be lining up and starting in that number.

 

[denis preston]

Clune frees up what ? 200 to 300k ?

 

[OneEyedDragon]

Good news is Webbs latest statement below. I hope his definition of a "quality "player is the same as mine. This sounds like we will pursue at least two more signings to make up the 30. That's exciting , lets continue to dream who they could be ( Suli i assume makes up one but the Titans Front Rower ? )

The club still has a few spots available in our Top 30 roster for 2022 along with enough salary cap space to bring in quality players. Our recruitment committee remains active, but also patient, as we look for the right opportunities.

Any link to this "latest statement"?

 

[Dragsters]

The fact you're able to talk about options is positive in itself. I just can't see JDB moving to the front row however. Much like Yeo does for Penrith he is a very good link player and moving him away from lock would take this from his game. In my opinion the team would be significantly poorer if it were to happen

So much this.

JDB has to play lock.

All the good sides have a great defensive lock that can ball play.

We have one of the best, why would we move him?

Makes no sense to me...

 

[Forbes Creek Dragons]

The thing is, with the speed of the game and all the injuries and suspensions that go along with it, there is really no point listing our best 17 (other than for fun) because by round 2 it’s likely to change and never be the same again all season.
We say Mbye is signed as a 14 but the second anyone in the 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9 jumper gets injured he will be lining up and starting in that number.

No doubt, I’d near bet my house he’ll be starting by Anzac Day minimum.

 

[Maddragon99]

Again we only had 2 forwards run for >100m on Saturday Lawrie 135 & McGuire 112m compared to Taumalolo 209 & McLean 163m

For mine our problems start with a lack of brute force in the middle to get us up the field. Burgess & Molo will help but we’re still short of a big mobile middle forward in my opinion.

 

[Crush]

No doubt, I’d near bet my house he’ll be starting by Anzac Day minimum.

Round 2-4

 

[redv13]

Again we only had 2 forwards run for <100m on Saturday Lawrie 135 & McGuire 112m compared to Taumalolo 209 & McLean 163m

For mine our problems start with a lack of brute force in the middle to get us up the field. Burgess & Molo will help but we’re still short of a big mobile middle forward in my opinion.

>

 

[redv13]

Again we only had 2 forwards run for <100m on Saturday Lawrie 135 & McGuire 112m compared to Taumalolo 209 & McLean 163m

For mine our problems start with a lack of brute force in the middle to get us up the field. Burgess & Molo will help but we’re still short of a big mobile middle forward in my opinion.

Maybe Mary can source one for you

 

[Unsainty79]

Sounds good but a big no for Sullivan on the wing and he is about a stone lighter than 86-87 kgs

Whoops. Meant Ramsey.

 

[denis preston]

Any link to this "latest statement"?

Dear Red V members and corporate partners,

It has been a testing few months for the club with off-field incidents, the competition being moved to Queensland, a lack of wins and COVID-19 again impacting all our lives.

Our team has shown that it can compete with anyone in the competition for periods, but an inability to keep this up for an entire game means we aren't seeing results go our way.

As much as I don't want to relive one of the more trying periods for the club, the Shellharbour incident involving a group of our players who breached both the NSW health orders and the NRL’s biosecurity protocols cannot be ignored.

My hope is that people do not judge the club purely on what happened that weekend in Shellharbour, but by the swift and concise actions taken by the club in the following days.

Nobody at the club wavered in our position. It has undeniably had an effect on the club, but, at the same time, I don't believe we can use this as an excuse for poor performance on or off the field.

The biggest mistake that can be made now is to not learn and grow from this. The foundation of the club is solid both financially and culturally, but we need to be able to look back a year from now and see that we have a stronger culture and heightened trust from our community.

There are a lot of good people doing great work at St George Illawarra and I believe with the right direction, leadership and work ethic we can make great leaps forward in the not-too-distant future.

Football

When thinking about our football squad, it seems like we are our own worst enemy at times.

There have been several instances throughout this season where we have struggled to name a full list of 21 fit players due to suspension or injuries. This will be addressed in time as winning this competition is tough enough without putting additional hurdles up in front of ourselves.

Despite the challenges we have faced in a testing year, we have given ourselves an opportunity to play finals football, which will allow the squad to grow and to better understand how to handle situations within games.

Looking forward, there are some exciting things in the recruitment and player development space that should give you all surety that we are building a squad that can be successful in this competition.

The addition of Jaydn Su'A, Francis Molo and George Burgess will add size and strength to our playing squad while Moses Mbye will provide tremendous versatility and support to our young outside backs and Andrew McCullough at hooker. The re-signing of Tyrell Fuimaono is another plus for us ahead of the 2022 season.

Another bright spot has been the glimpses of our young players featuring in first grade. Tyrell Sloan, Talatau Amone, Jayden Sullivan, Max and Mat Feagai and Cody Ramsey are names that I'm sure we’ll hear a lot in the future.

The club still has a few spots available in our Top 30 roster for 2022 along with enough salary cap space to bring in quality players. Our recruitment committee remains active, but also patient, as we look for the right opportunities.

Red V Membership

In this our members appreciation week, I want to give a big thank you to all our Red V members who have again shown us great support this year.

Unfortunately, the movement of the competition to Queensland has meant some members didn’t have access to all their allocated matches but rest assured that our membership team are working through options for you and will be in contact in the coming weeks.

A positive that has come from the competition relocation has been the club’s stronger connection with our Queensland members who normally are not able to attend many games. We have a tremendous amount of support in Queensland so it’s great that those members are able to enjoy our games live and give their support to the players.

Merchandise

Our merchandise range with Classic Sportswear has been incredibly popular this year and our online store is still in operation with orders shipped daily during lockdown. Keep an eye out for specials and Father’s Day gift idea's by visiting shop.dragons.com.au.

Corporate partners

The support of our corporate partners has continued to be fantastic as this second wave of COVID-19 has impacted our season and hindered our ability to deliver on our game day commitments due to the relocation of the second half of the season.

Despite this setback, the good work of our partnerships team has seen us able to maximise the delivery of signage and branding while delivering ‘make good’ opportunities wherever possible which has been well received by our partners.

We have had many positive discussions with our key partners regarding renewal of partnerships and look forward to sharing some positive news in the coming weeks.

On behalf of the Dragons’ management team, playing group and staff, I would like to thank our corporate partners for your understanding, patience and unwavering support throughout this season. You have enabled us to maintain a strong position through the remainder of 2021 and put us in good stead for 2022 and beyond.

NRL Women's Premiership

We have done a huge amount of work with our women’s program this year.

You would know by now that Mat Head is our NRL Women's Premiership coach for the upcoming campaign while we have also established a female Dragons Academy.

Our NRL Women's Premiership roster is shaping up nicely with some exciting announcements still to come.

We have begun building the foundations for the upcoming campaign and remain flexible as the format and timing of the season is yet to be finalised by the NRL given the current societal repercussions of COVID-19.

In conclusion

Although we have had to endure a heavily interrupted season on various fronts, we remain in a reasonable position financially even though our revenues have taken a major hit. By being smart with spending during difficult periods we have put ourselves in a position to weather this storm without stifling our growth plans for the future.

Our goal as always is to put this club into a position where we are financially stable, culturally strong and competing in finals every year. We will continue to plan carefully and execute well to ensure that we achieve this goal.

We are disappointed that we are not able to host you at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium or WIN Stadium at the moment but please continue to take care of yourself and those around you and we look forward to seeing you all again in the not-too-distant future.

Yours faithfully,
Ryan Webb
CEO - St George Illawarra Dragons

 

[redv13]

Ryan Webb, bloody breath of fresh air. Really like this bloke

 

[Md1]

JF doesn’t offer a lot unfortunately. He was a gun in the lower grades - big things predicted, but so far it hasn't happened. He hasn't got big enough or aggressive enough or with a big enough motor to play long minutes at the top of his game. So where does that leave him? Better options are available I think (or is that I hope?)

Ford, Simms, any backrower (Friz) we have had….it’s not their fault. It’s our systems fault. We give the ball to our 2rf like they are props when that isn’t their role. We have zero structure in attack which doesn’t allow our 2rf to hit a line. A backrower is meant either get the ball out wide off a shift or he is to run off a half during a backline movement. The line he runs pretty much has to be flat almost forward (running at the inside shoulder of oppositions half and outside shoulder of back rower) to provide an option for his half.

If there is no FB sweeping behind to create a 3on2 or if 2rf isn’t running that line flat and fast our backrowers are used as Battering rams not as hole hitters or options in that play. and if this happens the defence just moves laterally onto the next player and then there is no overlap. With a FB running out the back the half has the option of hitting the 2rf or the FB. Which puts the defence in two minds and therefore creates the hole in defence as their half is thinking wait who is getting the ball

We have 2 problems either our 2rf don’t hit their lines or their is no structure in attack. If we keep playing like this Su’a will Be a waste especially if not used as a hole hitter. Ford isn’t the problem he would be awesome in a team where all players know their roles

 

[Mickthedragon]

I would be absolutely stoked if we could nab Suli and Fotuaika. They would be great signings

 

[Maddragon99]

>

Thanks, my bad

 

[blacksafake]

Ford, Simms, any backrower (Friz) we have had….it’s not their fault. It’s our systems fault. We give the ball to our 2rf like they are props when that isn’t their role. We have zero structure in attack which doesn’t allow our 2rf to hit a line. A backrower is meant either get the ball out wide off a shift or he is to run off a half during a backline movement. The line he runs pretty much has to be flat almost forward (running at the inside shoulder of oppositions half and outside shoulder of back rower) to provide an option for his half.

If there is no FB sweeping behind to create a 3on2 or if 2rf isn’t running that line flat and fast our backrowers are used as Battering rams not as hole hitters or options in that play. and if this happens the defence just moves laterally onto the next player and then there is no overlap. With a FB running out the back the half has the option of hitting the 2rf or the FB. Which puts the defence in two minds and therefore creates the hole in defence as their half is thinking wait who is getting the ball

We have 2 problems either our 2rf don’t hit their lines or their is no structure in attack. If we keep playing like this Su’a will Be a waste especially if not used as a hole hitter. Ford isn’t the problem he would be awesome in a team where all players know their roles

Some valid points md1.
Su’a & Burns so run some good lines so let’s hope they’re used correctly. There’s been some good signs of Burns running good lines lately so maybe Hook is aware of this by signing them.

 

[randomdragon]

Fotuaika won’t be coming for next year unfortunately.. he is off contract the year after and I highly doubt Titans let him go early

 

[OneEyedDragon]

Dear Red V members and corporate partners,

It has been a testing few months for the club with off-field incidents, the competition being moved to Queensland, a lack of wins and COVID-19 again impacting all our lives.

Our team has shown that it can compete with anyone in the competition for periods, but an inability to keep this up for an entire game means we aren't seeing results go our way.

As much as I don't want to relive one of the more trying periods for the club, the Shellharbour incident involving a group of our players who breached both the NSW health orders and the NRL’s biosecurity protocols cannot be ignored.

My hope is that people do not judge the club purely on what happened that weekend in Shellharbour, but by the swift and concise actions taken by the club in the following days.

Nobody at the club wavered in our position. It has undeniably had an effect on the club, but, at the same time, I don't believe we can use this as an excuse for poor performance on or off the field.

The biggest mistake that can be made now is to not learn and grow from this. The foundation of the club is solid both financially and culturally, but we need to be able to look back a year from now and see that we have a stronger culture and heightened trust from our community.

There are a lot of good people doing great work at St George Illawarra and I believe with the right direction, leadership and work ethic we can make great leaps forward in the not-too-distant future.

Football

When thinking about our football squad, it seems like we are our own worst enemy at times.

There have been several instances throughout this season where we have struggled to name a full list of 21 fit players due to suspension or injuries. This will be addressed in time as winning this competition is tough enough without putting additional hurdles up in front of ourselves.

Despite the challenges we have faced in a testing year, we have given ourselves an opportunity to play finals football, which will allow the squad to grow and to better understand how to handle situations within games.

Looking forward, there are some exciting things in the recruitment and player development space that should give you all surety that we are building a squad that can be successful in this competition.

The addition of Jaydn Su'A, Francis Molo and George Burgess will add size and strength to our playing squad while Moses Mbye will provide tremendous versatility and support to our young outside backs and Andrew McCullough at hooker. The re-signing of Tyrell Fuimaono is another plus for us ahead of the 2022 season.

Another bright spot has been the glimpses of our young players featuring in first grade. Tyrell Sloan, Talatau Amone, Jayden Sullivan, Max and Mat Feagai and Cody Ramsey are names that I'm sure we’ll hear a lot in the future.

The club still has a few spots available in our Top 30 roster for 2022 along with enough salary cap space to bring in quality players. Our recruitment committee remains active, but also patient, as we look for the right opportunities.

Red V Membership

In this our members appreciation week, I want to give a big thank you to all our Red V members who have again shown us great support this year.

Unfortunately, the movement of the competition to Queensland has meant some members didn’t have access to all their allocated matches but rest assured that our membership team are working through options for you and will be in contact in the coming weeks.

A positive that has come from the competition relocation has been the club’s stronger connection with our Queensland members who normally are not able to attend many games. We have a tremendous amount of support in Queensland so it’s great that those members are able to enjoy our games live and give their support to the players.

Merchandise

Our merchandise range with Classic Sportswear has been incredibly popular this year and our online store is still in operation with orders shipped daily during lockdown. Keep an eye out for specials and Father’s Day gift idea's by visiting shop.dragons.com.au.

Corporate partners

The support of our corporate partners has continued to be fantastic as this second wave of COVID-19 has impacted our season and hindered our ability to deliver on our game day commitments due to the relocation of the second half of the season.

Despite this setback, the good work of our partnerships team has seen us able to maximise the delivery of signage and branding while delivering ‘make good’ opportunities wherever possible which has been well received by our partners.

We have had many positive discussions with our key partners regarding renewal of partnerships and look forward to sharing some positive news in the coming weeks.

On behalf of the Dragons’ management team, playing group and staff, I would like to thank our corporate partners for your understanding, patience and unwavering support throughout this season. You have enabled us to maintain a strong position through the remainder of 2021 and put us in good stead for 2022 and beyond.

NRL Women's Premiership

We have done a huge amount of work with our women’s program this year.

You would know by now that Mat Head is our NRL Women's Premiership coach for the upcoming campaign while we have also established a female Dragons Academy.

Our NRL Women's Premiership roster is shaping up nicely with some exciting announcements still to come.

We have begun building the foundations for the upcoming campaign and remain flexible as the format and timing of the season is yet to be finalised by the NRL given the current societal repercussions of COVID-19.

In conclusion

Although we have had to endure a heavily interrupted season on various fronts, we remain in a reasonable position financially even though our revenues have taken a major hit. By being smart with spending during difficult periods we have put ourselves in a position to weather this storm without stifling our growth plans for the future.

Our goal as always is to put this club into a position where we are financially stable, culturally strong and competing in finals every year. We will continue to plan carefully and execute well to ensure that we achieve this goal.

We are disappointed that we are not able to host you at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium or WIN Stadium at the moment but please continue to take care of yourself and those around you and we look forward to seeing you all again in the not-too-distant future.

Yours faithfully,
Ryan Webb
CEO - St George Illawarra Dragons

Ok. Thanks for that @denis preston

 

[Rob Dragon 1]

So, with a few rumoured signings on the carousel, time to look at a few players and consider where they will play next year.

Jack Bird - with the rumoured (I think all but) signing of Suli, that would leave centre out. I don't think edge forward is his go either.

So, where will Jack play? IMO Jack will replace the other Jack.

Tariq Sims - I think his time at starting 2nd row is quickly coming to an end. Burns seems a brighter prospect and with some rumoured signings and some very promising juniors coming through, I can't see Tariq in the starting 13.

So, where does Tariq play? IMO he will start the season on the edge, but will transition to the bench sooner than later.

Cody Ramsey - Is he a starting winger? and I don't think Matt Feagai has done anything wrong in that position. That fact that we have both Feagai's and Ramsey to battle out that spot is good, but 3 don't go into 1. 2 will miss out.

So, IMO Cody will have to force his way back into the 17, he starts in Reggies next year, along with Max.

Jack DeBelin - IMO will move to the front row.

The big (or little) 3 - Sloan, Amone and Bud. Sloan will play fullback, that's pretty well locked in already (IMO), however, with Hunt coming back into the 7, and the apparent "trial" of Lussick, one of Amone or Bud will miss out.

So, IMO Sloan to fullback, Amone will play 6 and partner Hunt, now what about Bud, can he be the #14 or #17 each week to only cover half or hooker?

Moses Mbye - was signed to play #14, I think that's where he'll play as he can cover all backline plus some hooking duties.

There are a few others to discuss eg: Josh Kerr but I don't want to make this post into a novel, however, there are some very tough decisions to be made in the off-season, no more harder than re-signing Bud and finding him a position in the team that will entice him to re-sign.

Dragonslayer, I agree with most of your views but for JDB. You are starting to see sides with a good #13 who plays one off the ruck and acts as a receiver (Yeo, Murray, Radley, Jake T). They can both straighten the attack when required but can also ball play out the back. JDB is pretty decent in this role. My other issue is that I don't think he is big enough to play at Prop. I think we weaken one position (#13) to attempt to strengthen another (Prop). Those moves are fraught with danger.

I agree fully re your views on Bird, Sims and Ramsay.

 

[Dragonslayer]

Dragonslayer, I agree with most of your views but for JDB. You are starting to see sides with a good #13 who plays one off the ruck and acts as a receiver (Yeo, Murray, Radley, Jake T). They can both straighten the attack when required but can also ball play out the back. JDB is pretty decent in this role. My other issue is that I don't think he is big enough to play at Prop. I think we weaken one position (#13) to attempt to strengthen another (Prop). Those moves are fraught with danger.

I agree fully re your views on Bird, Sims and Ramsay.

100% agree.

My opinion or whatever you call it, is based on the fact he's only had 1 offload in his 10 games, however, I'm quite happy to leave him at lock with a full pre-season under his belt. Don't be surprised though if some stage next year, young Coric gets a few games at the #13, he's an out-and-out gun.