2024 Squad List

[JohnnoMcJohnno]

Who are our back-up halves? I assume Hunt will play next year (assuming he feels like it), but Amone could be in prison, Sullivan gone to who knows where, and Bird will probably still be injured. Is Zach Herring up to it? Can't see his name on a contract list anywhere.

 

[since77]

Who are our back-up halves? I assume Hunt will play next year (assuming he feels like it), but Amone could be in prison, Sullivan gone to who knows where, and Bird will probably still be injured. Is Zach Herring up to it? Can't see his name on a contract list anywhere.

I hope for Bud’s sake he’s smart enough not to sign with the Tigers.

 

[Dragonslayer]

A lot to play out in the Sullivan saga.

Even if Bud wants to sign elsewhere, we still have to grant him the release. At $500k a season and suspect to injuries, it would be a risk for someone to sign him, therefore also a risk for us to keep him. A double edged sword as they say.

I feel there's more to the injury than what's being said, imo of course.

As far as back-up halves. Yes we are thin in this area, hence I believe we'll sign Flanno Jr as a utility half/hooker. There's a lot to like about young Herring and even back further to LKT or the other half (name escapes me atm) in JF. But they are lacking proper experience and exposure, something Flanno Snr will hopefully address.

I feel the plan is to nurse the young halves through next year and use Flanno Jr as the utility to cover Amone and/or Liddle.

 

[Slippery Morris]

deleted

 

[getsmarty]

Ex-Raider makes call on NRL return as star signs with new club immediately: Transfer Whispers

Ex-Raider makes call on NRL return as star signs with new club immediately: Transfer Whispers

www.foxsports.com.au

 

[getsmarty]

https://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/payne-haas-rejects-three-clubs-as-storm-enter-race-to-sign-nrls-best-prop/news-story/e46423606dfd2fbcf8ab20decbadaffe

 

[qld redvee]

Just hope all these players manage to get other contracts otherwise there's not many spots to fill and flanno won't be rapidly improving the squad

 

[thebigredv]

Happy with the clean out but where are all the signatures???

I don’t want to be ‘that guy’ again but the Dragons need to start landing some quality NOW.

Every year it’s the same complaint from me. Starting to see a lot of movement and players putting pen to paper and we are still waiting with baited breath for some broken Bulldogs prop to join. It’s not that I don’t think Flanagan can’t identify those players but as a club we never get it done.

Every year I’m told to be patient and we end up with jack all.

We need Tino or Fifita or Haas for starters. Nothing less. Offer them a pub, starring film role, peptides whatever. Get it done. Give us something!

 

[Dragon David]

You know I really do want to be positive and want to believe that Flanno knows what he is doing. The telling of several of the players that they can look elsewhere is fine provided of course that the replacements are FAR BETTER than the ones that he has told that they are not wanted. In saying this, are there any FAR BETTER players on the market and are we a chance of securing their services and at what price? The Bulldogs and Roosters are at it and even the Storm is looking at shoring up squad strength. Do we have a better chance of wooing these BETTER players than those clubs?

Is Flanno doing this culling knowing that he has guys lined up and ready to sign or will he be waiting for 1 November when he comes over as head coach and we can start to negotiate with those players from that date? I suppose any replacement player who is 15% better than the ones told to look elsewhere is better than nothing and of course the replacements would ideally want to play for the Dragons and wear the jersey with pride and not just to come over and get a gig playing first grade for the fun of it.

Our squad needs so much improving in terms of better quality players it is not funny - a big job and I really hope that we do get those better players that Flanno says we need.

 

[thebigredv]

Is Flanno doing this culling knowing that he has guys lined up and ready to sign or will he be waiting for 1 November when he comes over as head coach and we can start to negotiate with those players from that date?

what we do know is that he is in discussions with multiple players. No one on here would have any idea who they are but I agree, there are some players of worth out there but that window shuts fast if you don’t act.

we also know as fact it is very hard to attract players of note to our shambles of an organisation. When I hear Haas and Storm in same sentence I know immediately that this door is closed for us for example. I wouldn’t sign with a dragons if I was Payne Haas. If he is purely money oriented we might have a chance and so the vicious cycle repeats.

Su’a was the last semi marquee signing for us and Hunt before him. Both have asked for releases in recent times. And so we are left with a lot of the rot that Flanagan is beginning to cleanse us of. I know we will need to be patient for him to turn us around but we can’t sole rely on those coming through the ranks. We need a symbol of hope in the form of two or three big names, big talents that shift reputation of the club. I’m just darn sick of waiting while other clubs just get it done.

 

[TheRev]

Flanno said a few weeks back that the old Flanno would have rushed out and spent all his money.. but the older Flanno is more patient.. said he had 6 months to fill his roster.. hopefully there are a couple we can wrap up once their clubs finish their season.

Dont get your hopes up for the Big Trio though.. Haas has been very clear hes going to a Top4 side.. Tino/Fifita maybe.. but more than likely it was just a contract upgrade ploy.. but tbh im still glad we r in it.. need to make these sides pay thru the nose as often as possible.

 

[redVinme]

The replacements for fringe players dont have to be heaps better. Just more committed and cheaper. So we can have more space for actual decent signings. No point complaining about a 3/400k nobody being replaced with 200k nobody.

Need to rebuild the culture with players looking for a chance not ones that think they entitled to 20.

2025 is the year that there is tonnes of cap space. Need to do what hook was meant to do first and that's correct the ship

 

[blacksafake]

Happy with the clean out but where are all the signatures???

I don’t want to be ‘that guy’ again but the Dragons need to start landing some quality NOW.

Every year it’s the same complaint from me. Starting to see a lot of movement and players putting pen to paper and we are still waiting with baited breath for some broken Bulldogs prop to join. It’s not that I don’t think Flanagan can’t identify those players but as a club we never get it done.

Every year I’m told to be patient and we end up with jack all.

We need Tino or Fifita or Haas for starters. Nothing less. Offer them a pub, starring film role, peptides whatever. Get it done. Give us something!

Be patient

 

[thebigredv]

Be patient

Walked right into that one!

But in all honesty, I don't want to be told by anyone anymore that there are salary cap issues we have to contend with or that the next Mbye style signing will add great value to the squad etc. It's all just made up dribble and weak excuses people use as an out. I don't get this sense from Flanagan which is good.

I just want to read tomorrow that we have landed some big fish. And yes, I know that landing big fish doesn't equal instant success but this young squad needs balance - players that can perform at a consistently elite level and lead the younger talent coming through. Not freakin Aaron Woods, George Burgess or Andrew McCullough brought in to serve their own self interests.

 

[thebigredv]

Flanno said a few weeks back that the old Flanno would have rushed out and spent all his money.. but the older Flanno is more patient.. said he had 6 months to fill his roster.. hopefully there are a couple we can wrap up once their clubs finish their season.

Dont get your hopes up for the Big Trio though.. Haas has been very clear hes going to a Top4 side.. Tino/Fifita maybe.. but more than likely it was just a contract upgrade ploy.. but tbh im still glad we r in it.. need to make these sides pay thru the nose as often as possible.

At the end of the day no coach can could get anywhere near success with the current set of players. They have been shown time and time again to be unprofessional and untrainable. Obviously Flanagan has identified that and is under no illusions. Interestingly he seems intent on retaining Hunt which is equally understandable as it is controversial (great competitor but also a sook who hasn't delivered much at 7) and has made a clear call on Sullivan which it seems most are resigned to and ok with (providing there is a better replacement).

So far he has landed Sele which just feels like a slight improvement on a BMM or Musgrove who has barely been sighted in FG. Hardly excitingif truth be told.

It will come down to Shane using his connections and the removal of hurdles (board) within the club to get some good players that will bring about a bit of a culture change. He can take his 6 months. I get that but that pretty much makes 2024 not much more than another stop-gap year where hopefully we see a new coach bring a bit more resolve and cohesion to the playing ranks.

 

[Walpole]

The chances of us signing anyone of note seem fairly remote. Haas isn't interested and our fearless leader has probably spent the origin series bad mouthing us to his QLD mates, meaning Tino and Fifita will walk a mile the other way. We aren't going to be able to simply buy a team.

Which means it's going to be up to the coach to fire up the usual array of average first graders and develop the juniors into actual NRL players. Is Flanagan, minus the peptides, capable? Remains to be seen, he's definitely a better Fox commentator than Hook (who sounds like he's taken a mountain of valium), so that's something I guess...

We'll finish 16th this year - what's the goal next season? 10th? Top 8 the year after? 2026 before we're really any good if everything goes our way and it turns out the Flanagan's are any more than cut rate Cleary's.

 

[Georgeg]

Beaten in all 3 grades by Manly last weekend, surely there’s some talent in other teams itching for a run

 

[Dragon David]

As Walpole mentioned above - "We aren't going to be able to simply buy a team" - not like the Bulldogs, which doesn't mean total success of course but would go a long way in getting us winning lots more games.

Simply put, the club has not been able to get many decent signings that are of the standard that Bennett had - not saying that even under Bennett that we had the greatest but they were the type that you could depend on. Flanno has identified what we need. He is patient for the right type of players to nab. He knows where our weaknesses are. He needs to fill those places with the right players that's all.

 

[Dragonslayer]

Happy with the clean out but where are all the signatures???

I don’t want to be ‘that guy’ again but the Dragons need to start landing some quality NOW.

Every year it’s the same complaint from me. Starting to see a lot of movement and players putting pen to paper and we are still waiting with baited breath for some broken Bulldogs prop to join. It’s not that I don’t think Flanagan can’t identify those players but as a club we never get it done.

Every year I’m told to be patient and we end up with jack all.

We need Tino or Fifita or Haas for starters. Nothing less. Offer them a pub, starring film role, peptides whatever. Get it done. Give us something!

Clean-out? Well sort of.

Most of the players tapped have a contract with us for 2024. In other words, if they can't find another or better deal then they will be on our books next year.

So in reality we can't go and sign this player and that player until they have indicated they (the tapped players) are leaving.

Flanno is at least giving them the opportunity to seek another team very early before Nov 1.

 

[Slippery Morris]

I think Flanno is waiting till his Manly duties are over before he brings in all this new blood to Saints. As a coach of another club it just won't look good signing all these players as he could have his eye on players that Manly are also keen on. 5 more weeks to go and hopefully he starts fulltime and all the news will follow. I don't see Manly making the finals especially after loosing to the Chooks.

Looks like he has a heap of irons in the fire so I am sure some will come off and there will be some appointments announced soon. What a dud year or should I say years have we had. Hopefully next year will be more exciting.