2026 Progression

[Pleasehelpstillchoking]

Interesting that there's been little or no commentary regarding Sloan and/or Cake for that matter.

Imo, Sloan will be the back-up fullback and starts the year in Cup. As has been said already, this will be Sloan's first full pre-season since starting in first grade. He's been injured for the past 2.

As for Cake, I feel his type of player including body shape is not the modern representation of a prop. Imo, he'll spend the majority of the year also playing Cup.

As far as future fullback is concerned, again just my opinion, is that Guthho will be the custodian for at least '26 season, with Sloan as his backup. There's little or no chance Atko will play there unless there's a injury catastrophe. He's been recruited to play in the halves and that's where he'll play. The fullback future lies with young Burton, that's where all the retention/recruitment energy and attention was directed at.

We have excelled in '25 at recruiting some of the very best, A+, youngsters that, in a couple of years, will really be pressing for higher grade selection, so our retention and pathways must be clear and obtainable, therefore recruiting and retaining deadwood is just folly. Whilst the current wave is impressive, we can't just simply say that this current group will lead us to a golden era, we must continue to have competition for spots in the teams, especially first grade if we are to return to regular finals appearances and premierships.

Like it or not, 2026 will be a development year, but in a good way. We may not challenge for finals, or maybe we will, who can say right now, but more importantly, we will see our current crop grow and develop their skills for playing regular first grade at elite level. Hamish Stewart in particular comes to mind. Add the junior tiers, in Matt's, SG Ball and JF coming on in 2026 that will make us so much stronger in '27 onwards.

Oh and happy new year to all Dragons fans.

 

[Pleasehelpstillchoking]

Maybe cake needs a new nickname. Will be interesting to see how he performs at peak fitness.

 

[Auntie.Gerald]

Tiny. Cake ?

 

[AyiosYiorgos]

Tiny. Cake ?

Muffin?

 

[getsmarty]

This ?

 

[2218]

wafer?

 

[Pleasehelpstillchoking]

Muffin?

Hopefully it ends up being Rock Cake

 

[SnowDragon]

Sloan fears the collision and so, is not ever likely to be a reliable first-gradere.

Look at 2025 and realise that’s changed, his issues are more positional and confidence

 

[Auntie.Gerald]

Hopefully it ends up being Rock Cake

bloody hell that brings back memories in my primary school lunch bag lol

good ol mum god rest her soul

 

[The Word]

Why are players like Blake and Luc looking so fit? Have we changed up our fitness and conditioning team? Or is Flanagan getting through to them?

 

[AyiosYiorgos]

Why are players like Blake and Luc looking so fit? Have we changed up our fitness and conditioning team? Or is Flanagan getting through to them?

No, last year of their contracts, looking for another deal, as i said before amazing what players will do when they're in their last year of their contract..

 

[The Word]

No, last year of their contracts, looking for another deal, as i said before amazing what players will do when they're in their last year of their contract..

Ok makes sense. 12 month rolling contracts going forward then if any of our off contract players seriously impress this year.

 

[possm]

No, last year of their contracts, looking for another deal, as i said before amazing what players will do when they're in their last year of their contract..

Well, we don't need either of them in 2027, so it won't be in the Big Red V.

 

[Stewartliddle]

.

 

[getsmarty]

https://archive.md/x0rgo

 

[Lindsay Moss]

Why are players like Blake and Luc looking so fit? Have we changed up our fitness and conditioning team? Or is Flanagan getting through to them?

their playing for contracts this year.

 

[ruthless dragon]

Why are players like Blake and Luc looking so fit? Have we changed up our fitness and conditioning team? Or is Flanagan getting through to them?

As I said at the start, there has been an emphasis on Boxing and targeted speed drills although no one on here seems to have a clue what that means!!

 

[RedVee]

Maybe cake needs a new nickname. Will be interesting to see how he performs at peak fitness.

Cupcake?

 

[thebigredv]

Maybe cake needs a new nickname.

The Vanilla Eclair

 

[maestro1]

Can we just send him to captain coach Dapto, already. Has no business anywhere near our club. If you listed every middle for every club, I'd struggle to find one I wouldn't swap with him.

Our club needs to move past these sort of mate/good bloke/previous connection type signings. Too many examples like losing McCinnes and Robson for McCullough, Jake Marketo continually in our squad over better players. Blake getting his original contract and letting Hame Sele go to the Rabbits. Letting Bostock go over lesser players. Unfortunately, a lot of our shitty decisions have had too much of a "Dapto" flavour about them. There is too much of a Dapto influence on the Illawarra side of the club.....
Dean Young is a Dapto junior, Paul McGregor, Jake Marketo, Blake Lawrie, Tyrell Sloan.....see a pattern. Hopefully Tim Watsford has come in and recognised the "chook raffle" style management and "Dapto" influence and has run a cement truck through it and shattered it's influence into a million pieces.
Why, (from our GF winning junior team, that contained Bud Sullivan, Junior Amone, Tyrell Sloan , Aaron Schoup, Matt and Max Feargai, etc,), do we see the "Dapto" flavour retained in an NRL capacity and the rest moved on. ? Sullivan asked for a release and eventually got one ( not from Dapto). Sloan asked for a release and talked out of it (he is from Dapto). Bud was the captain of that young team and starred in the GF against Manly. A decade and a half of extremely POOR decisions by putrid club management .
However, THINGS ARE DEFINITELY LOOKING UP. Come on season 2026.