Corey Norman

[thebigredv]

He's a total disgrace and fraud.

...and the first player picked next week.

 

[thebigredv]

100%. I've seen a few people compliment Norman's long kicking + tactical kicking skills.

I think they are comparing him to Josh McCrone...so not too bad actually.

 

[Kylez3]

I think they are comparing him to Josh McCrone...so not too bad actually.

I'd take McCrone over Jarrad Hayne's best mate tbh.

 

[thebigredv]

The saddest part of this whole Norman saga is that I actually remember him dismantling McGregor's Dragons one night when he was at the Eels.

I'm starting to think our club is the one you go to in order to end your career. We haven't developed or improved a decent player in ages. Almost everyone seems to go backwards once they put on that first grade jersey.

Maybe its just another loss speaking but if they moved us to Brisbane and called us the Firehawks I think it'd be best for my mental wellbeing. Could be done with this once and for all.

 

[RedVDave]

Many will disagree but Norman wasn't the problem his kicking game was pretty decent. That game was lost by our no go forward and lack of possession.

Also Sims our only forward with 100+ metres next closest was Jackson Ford with 85 simply not good enough.

 

[thebigredv]

Many will disagree but Norman wasn't the problem his kicking game was pretty decent. That game was lost by our no go forward and lack of possession.

Also Sims our only forward with 100+ metres next closest was Jackson Ford with 85 simply not good enough.

When our forwards aren't going forward (which happens too often) just look at the way Hunt takes on the game with physicality and energy. You are not wrong that he was not the reason we lost but he could do more, a lot more than just be a passenger.

 

[DragonInTheInnerWest]

Norman has been solid this year but hasn’t done enough to earn a new contract. Certainly not on the coin he’s on. He is unfairly maligned at times but you have to be honest and the fact is for all the talent the fella has, he’s a rocks and diamonds player. Sometimes he looks rep quality and at other times a park footballer. Often in the same half of football. Save the salary and go with the home grown kids. Amone and Sullivan should be ready to step up and Clune is an experienced backup.

 

[Gippsy]

You are happy with Hook playing the patient game with the young guys but you are ignoring the fact that we (should) have loads of cap to spend regardless of how they have been loading contracts.

Watch Reece Walsh tonight. He's 18 and killing it. I'd rather pay big $ for somrone like that to throw into the mix than to put all the eggs in the basket of 6 or 7 developing juniors who, like it or not, are yet unproven in first grade. Sorry but the truth is, right now, he makes Ramsey look second rate.

I'm not ignoring anything. If we had a Reece Walsh or a Kalyn Ponga or a Sam Walker I'm sure he'd be in there. The fact is we don't have these sort of players. If we do, they are put in the Dragons system which is not developing any one. I agree with you, our best juniors, Ramsay, Amone, even Dufty, are not killing it like some of these 18 & 19 year olds at other clubs. I blame our system that's been in place for the last 10 years. Want proof, look at how Garrick & Saab, Robson, Luciano etc are doing once they left.

IMO Griffen has some massive problems to fix. He knows our juniors are not ready and he had to buy some seasoned first graders. What I'm saying is the next step in our rebuild should be like Panthers or Storm. Get the best juniors in the country like Panthers have done, or replace our ageing players with the best young players in that position, like Storm do. That's the point I'm trying to make. But our problems won't be fixed this year or even next year, we need a long term plan.

 

[thebigredv]

I'm not ignoring anything. If we had a Reece Walsh or a Kalyn Ponga or a Sam Walker I'm sure he'd be in there. The fact is we don't have these sort of players. If we do, they are put in the Dragons system which is not developing any one. I agree with you, our best juniors, Ramsay, Amone, even Dufty, are not killing it like some of these 18 & 19 year olds at other clubs. I blame our system that's been in place for the last 10 years. Want proof, look at how Garrick & Saab, Robson, Luciano etc are doing once they left.

IMO Griffen has some massive problems to fix. He knows our juniors are not ready and he had to buy some seasoned first graders. What I'm saying is the next step in our rebuild should be like Panthers or Storm. Get the best juniors in the country like Panthers have done, or replace our ageing players with the best young players in that position, like Storm do. That's the point I'm trying to make. But our problems won't be fixed this year or even next year, we need a long term plan.

Agreed on all accounts we need to be tenacious but we look prehistoric at management level.

Take notice Griffin.

Walsh was bought.
Ponga was bought.
Walker was bought.

And crucially those players left because they believed in what the coach was doing, including our one time coach and favourite son, Nathan Brown. And God they look beautiful when they move the ball like the entertainers we used to be under Brown....that's another story.

Aside from Molo which was an astute proactive purchase he is hell bent on signing old Broncos when he could be signing future stars.

 

[Gippsy]

Interestingly, it was Brown that bought Walsh and Ponga. I agree 100%, this is what we need.

 

[getsmarty]

I'm not ignoring anything. If we had a Reece Walsh or a Kalyn Ponga or a Sam Walker I'm sure he'd be in there. The fact is we don't have these sort of players. If we do, they are put in the Dragons system which is not developing any one. I agree with you, our best juniors, Ramsay, Amone, even Dufty, are not killing it like some of these 18 & 19 year olds at other clubs. I blame our system that's been in place for the last 10 years. Want proof, look at how Garrick & Saab, Robson, Luciano etc are doing once they left.

IMO Griffen has some massive problems to fix. He knows our juniors are not ready and he had to buy some seasoned first graders. What I'm saying is the next step in our rebuild should be like Panthers or Storm. Get the best juniors in the country like Panthers have done, or replace our ageing players with the best young players in that position, like Storm do. That's the point I'm trying to make. But our problems won't be fixed this year or even next year, we need a long term plan.

Griffin is aware of this....he is no fool....it will take a number of years to fix the damage done by others....winning our 1st 4 or so games ( Excluding Sharks Round 1 ) was a false dawn...add to that the Fact that with so many players out we have not fielded a consistent side for weeks ..apart from those opening games.

We are in the market....It is tough to watch @ the moment , but I would rather have guys like Griffin/Gentle/Elliot/nighty/soward involved in the rebuild....

Hopefully when we start to get a few bodies back...we will start to be competitive again....This year is basically a right off.

Let's all hang in there....

 

[mickeylane]

Interestingly, it was Brown that bought Walsh and Ponga. I agree 100%, this is what we need.

there will be 3 starting players bought and a handful of squad players
1 and 6 to compliment Molo

 

[DragonInTheInnerWest]

I’m sorry but there are some quite ridiculous comments being made about our juniors. Ponga is a seasoned first grader now. As is Dufty. The other players mentioned are all just early on and it’s too soon to tell with Walker, Walsh et al. To me Walker looked like a major liability against the Broncos. A couple of teams have already shown he’s probably in there too early.

It’s all well and good when your team is stacked with rep players and putting the cleaners through teams. It’s another thing bringing in juniors up alongside a patched up squad. So ‘killing it’ is rather subjective. Even Ponga isn’t in the best five fullbacks in the comp at this point with three seasons under his belt.

It’s the right call to let Dufty go. Ramsey, Max and Mat, Amone and Sullivan have all shown they can handle first grade within a handful of appearances. Let’s see how they are going after the 25-50 game mark in full strength teams.

We will miss Dufty’s running and pace but once Ramsey finds his feet, in his proper position, we have a player with far more upside, who goes at the ball, contests bombs and can cope with the rough stuff. His pace and running game are well documented.

Even now, Max and Mat are better prospects than Pereira et al. There’s more than a good chance Amone will unseat Norman by year’s end. The guy’s played three or four games out of position. Max is yet to regularly line up in the centres.

it’s a bit much expecting these guys to dominate the second they walk into first grade. We just have to be thankful that with Griffin we have an experienced hand at developing juniors. We’ve already seen a generation of juniors cruelled by a rookie coaching crew, and I include Dufty in that bracket.

 

[Willow]

After watching the game v Tigers, I'm convinced that Norman isn't the problem.

 

[BLM01]

After watching the game v Tigers, I'm convinced that Norman isn't the problem.

He unfortunately was one of our best last night in a bad lot, set up our 2 tries and put Sims in a hole
Threw some good passes as we tried to get around their compressed defence
His running game to get through the line is ordinary and bit cross field at times
Hunt the lucky kick and drop for our 1st try..apart tried but did little to set up our play

 

[getsmarty]

After watching the game v Tigers, I'm convinced that Norman isn't the problem.

Correct...but is he part of our future ? Dependent on the progression of others and whether he will be willing to except lower coin on a short term deal.

 

[Inisai Toga]

He unfortunately was one of our best last night in a bad lot, set up our 2 tries and put Sims in a hole
Threw some good passes as we tried to get around their compressed defence
His running game to get through the line is ordinary and bit cross field at times
Hunt the lucky kick and drop for our 1st try..apart tried but did little to set up our play

Agree, but we’ve got to get deeper in attack. He also had some nice touches with Simms and Ramsey too in the second half. Like to see Lomax running on to the ball a-bit more like this when he comes back.

 

[RedVDave]

After watching the game v Tigers, I'm convinced that Norman isn't the problem.

Every year rightly or wrongly there seems to be LU scapegoat that cops all the hate and brunt regardless in years gone by it's been Matt Prior, Jason Ryles, Euan Aitken, Trent Barrett, Mitch Rein. Whilst others have stated "we won't ever win a premiership with Dean Young at hooker" or "Ben Hornby is not a halfback"

After watching my beloved dragons be woeful under 2 peanuts for a decade I'm willing to persist with an experienced and proven coach not everything in life is a quick fix.

 

[Dragonslayer]

My guess is that they'll offer him a 1yr extension at say 300-350k (guessing only), however, if he receives a 'better' offer, they'll let him go ie 2yr deal somewhere else.

 

[Dragon David]

Interestingly, it was Brown that bought Walsh and Ponga. I agree 100%, this is what we need.

Brown can identify talent that's for sure. I hope Hook can because we need some extraordinary talent to come our way from now onwards.