disillusioned saint supporter

[emu62]

new to these things,so be gentle with me
Been a saints supporter for 50 years & just don't understand the clubs treatment of juniors.From Mondays game its obvious we are lacking pace.
Matt Dufty scores 3 blistering tries in the 20s V Manly.Last week scores one with sheer speed, sets up 2 others & saves a few with tackles. Scored more tries than anyone in history of the 20s,the commentators rave about him but guess what? he has been told by the club to look elsewhere for next year. Local junior with a dream of playing nrl with dragons
Maybe he is not up to first grade but how would they know as he hasn't even had a game in the cutters. Luciano Leilua has not been re signed -disgraceful.Addin Fonue-Blake sacked for his indisgression but that happened 5 months after being found guilty ,poor kid was heart broken. no need to mention Jack Bird, he would be running around in the cutters today,if still at saints.All thru the juniors i hear the perception that to get a chance they need to go elsewhere
Would love to hear peoples thoughts on this

 

[Old Timer]

new to these things,so be gentle with me
Been a saints supporter for 50 years & just don't understand the clubs treatment of juniors.From Mondays game its obvious we are lacking pace.
Matt Dufty scores 3 blistering tries in the 20s V Manly.Last week scores one with sheer speed, sets up 2 others & saves a few with tackles. Scored more tries than anyone in history of the 20s,the commentators rave about him but guess what? he has been told by the club to look elsewhere for next year. Local junior with a dream of playing nrl with dragons
Maybe he is not up to first grade but how would they know as he hasn't even had a game in the cutters. Luciano Leilua has not been re signed -disgraceful.Addin Fonue-Blake sacked for his indisgression but that happened 5 months after being found guilty ,poor kid was heart broken. no need to mention Jack Bird, he would be running around in the cutters today,if still at saints.All thru the juniors i hear the perception that to get a chance they need to go elsewhere
Would love to hear peoples thoughts on this

Welcome on board Emu 62 and the quality of your post will find you lots of allies here.

No rhyme or reason as to why the indefensible happens other than they (the board and old boys club) have their snouts so far in the trough and have become so fat, they can't turn around themselves or anything else for that matter and they have to keep eating to be able to come out the other side while everyone behind them stands in their shit.

 

[goggles]

Insightful first post Emu, welcome aboard!
Well said Old Timer, that about sums it up...

 

[Dragonbaal]

I wrote the below email early last week , so I hear your pain, and just like everything else with our club adminstration, it is soo bloody frustrating:

To whom it may concern,

I am not sure of any other way of communicating my thoughts to the management of the Dragons, i.e. Peter Doust, Ian Millward, David Warwick or Paul McGregor, so I would appreciate if you could pass this on.


Gentlemen,

I write to you pleading with you to not let more of our talented under 20's leave the club.

I know a couple have been resigned, however, you MUST PLEASE resign Matt Dufty, Luciano Leilua and Isaac Thompson, as well as the halves.

Our club was shown to be a complete embarrassment letting Jack Bird go and then trying to resign him-please do not make the same mistake again.

As it appears we are having trouble signing good players, can you at least keep some of the talent we obviously already have.

Regards,

 

[Lovemedragons]

I wrote the below email early last week , so I hear your pain, and just like everything else with our club adminstration, it is soo bloody frustrating:

To whom it may concern,

I am not sure of any other way of communicating my thoughts to the management of the Dragons, i.e. Peter Doust, Ian Millward, David Warwick or Paul McGregor, so I would appreciate if you could pass this on.


Gentlemen,

I write to you pleading with you to not let more of our talented under 20's leave the club.

I know a couple have been resigned, however, you MUST PLEASE resign Matt Dufty, Luciano Leilua and Isaac Thompson, as well as the halves.

Our club was shown to be a complete embarrassment letting Jack Bird go and then trying to resign him-please do not make the same mistake again.

As it appears we are having trouble signing good players, can you at least keep some of the talent we obviously already have.

Regards,

Well said Dragonbaal!

 

[The Cobra]

I posted something similiar on the JA forum last night but it's not there today,probably removed because I hinted at what should be done to our management team (HA HA) & coaching staff!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Objective View]

Welcome Emu. Keep up the good posts.

Straight Shooter

*I'm guessing you're about 54 years old?

 

[emu62]

54 years-spot on

 

[Forster Dragon]

We as a club have serious issues with management,coaching and recruitment.We all feel the same.

 

[Blood Shot Eyes]

new to these things,so be gentle with me
Been a saints supporter for 50 years & just don't understand the clubs treatment of juniors.From Mondays game its obvious we are lacking pace.
Matt Dufty scores 3 blistering tries in the 20s V Manly.Last week scores one with sheer speed, sets up 2 others & saves a few with tackles. Scored more tries than anyone in history of the 20s,the commentators rave about him but guess what? he has been told by the club to look elsewhere for next year. Local junior with a dream of playing nrl with dragons
Maybe he is not up to first grade but how would they know as he hasn't even had a game in the cutters. Luciano Leilua has not been re signed -disgraceful.Addin Fonue-Blake sacked for his indisgression but that happened 5 months after being found guilty ,poor kid was heart broken. no need to mention Jack Bird, he would be running around in the cutters today,if still at saints.All thru the juniors i hear the perception that to get a chance they need to go elsewhere
Would love to hear peoples thoughts on this

Welcome emu62 its nice to have a fellow supporter in the 50+ group weve been around the red v for quite a while havnt we and weve seen a lot of changes but as you point out not enough when it comes to our local juniors getting a go...maybe just maybe we will be around when our mob finally wake up and get their selections going in the right direction

 

[Dragonscales]

1. Dufty and Leilua haven't been asked to look elsewhere, they are still in the stages of contract negotiation. I have no idea where this rumour came from.

2. We offered Jack Bird the most money we've ever offered a junior in the clubs history.

3. Addin Fonua Blake is a grub who beats women, charged with assault on two separate occasions and was originally a Souths and Parramatta junior.

4. We've blooded Host and Aitken already. Dragons want Dufty to continue his development in under 20s then in Reserve Grade. Luciano Leilua, Hame Sele, and Patrick Herbert have been promoted to NSW Cup which means we are looking at them to play first grade.

You're angry at nothing.

 

[Walpole]

Calling what Fonua-Blake did an "indiscretion" is pathetic. Who gives a shit if he was "heartbroken"? That's the sort of apologist crap the NRL needs to stamp out.

 

[saintm]

1. Dufty and Leilua haven't been asked to look elsewhere, they are still in the stages of contract negotiation. I have no idea where this rumour came from.

2. We offered Jack Bird the most money we've ever offered a junior in the clubs history.

3. Addin Fonua Blake is a grub who beats women, charged with assault on two separate occasions and was originally a Souths and Parramatta junior.

4. We've blooded Host and Aitken already. Dragons want Dufty to continue his development in under 20s then in Reserve Grade. Luciano Leilua, Hame Sele, and Patrick Herbert have been promoted to NSW Cup which means we are looking at them to play first grade.

You're angry at nothing.

Up until last Friday Dufty had not been approached to stay at the Dragons...In fact he was told he was not in their future structure! He had an offer off another club and asked for a release which was denied... then late friday the Dragons "changed" their tune and have offered him to stay this is all from the mouth of a very close family member. Personally, i think he will get a better opportunities any where else but the dragons!!!!

 

[sensesmaybenumbed]

I'm also furious. I backed the Dragons for a win last week, and they were up against a team without a win since April. I was 7/7 after Sunday, then this happened.

 

[denis preston]

Up until last Friday Dufty had not been approached to stay at the Dragons...In fact he was told he was not in their future structure! He had an offer off another club and asked for a release which was denied... then late friday the Dragons "changed" their tune and have offered him to stay this is all from the mouth of a very close family member. Personally, i think he will get a better opportunities any where else but the dragons!!!!

Interesting... Who in their right mind wouldn't at least try and keep him in our system ??? Does the charge of mind by the club indicate a new direction being forced by Mary's inenptitiude or perhaps the new coaches call ??

 

[pjljmjjj]

Interesting... Who in their right mind wouldn't at least try and keep him in our system ??? Does the charge of mind by the club indicate a new direction being forced by Mary's inenptitiude or perhaps the new coaches call ??

The likely reason is that he was selected in Under 20's NSW team and Mary and his cronies didn't want to look stupid by not offering a contract. If it was me I would take the offer elsewhere as at least they had shown an interest and had some forward thinking.

 

[since77]

2. We offered Jack Bird the most money we've ever offered a junior in the clubs history.


You're angry at nothing.[/QUOTE]

But we didn't offer him what any elite young player wants most - an opportunity in First Grade. We didn't lose him over money - we lost him because of poor management and a stubborn belief that all juniors have to be tarred with the same brush and must be blooded conservatively.

 

[TonyT6]

"Poor AFB," your kidding he deserved to go, complete grub.

 

[Dragsters]

2. We offered Jack Bird the most money we've ever offered a junior in the clubs history.


You're angry at nothing.

But we didn't offer him what any elite young player wants most - an opportunity in First Grade. We didn't lose him over money - we lost him because of poor management and a stubborn belief that all juniors have to be tarred with the same brush and must be blooded conservatively.[/QUOTE]

Indeed and this conservative thinking is precisely what needs to change in order to keep up with the evolving expectations of the young elite athletes of today and if we are to realise the benefits of the exceptional junior nursery we have at our disposable.

Penrith are a good case study of a club that has made significant changes in recent years and are now beginning to reap the rewards.

If we continue down this current road we will simply continue to be fertile ground for the rest of the NRL teams to plunder.

Get with the times dragons!

 

[emu62]

1. Dufty and Leilua haven't been asked to look elsewhere, they are still in the stages of contract negotiation. I have no idea where this rumour came from.

2. We offered Jack Bird the most money we've ever offered a junior in the clubs history.

3. Addin Fonua Blake is a grub who beats women, charged with assault on two separate occasions and was originally a Souths and Parramatta junior.

4. We've blooded Host and Aitken already. Dragons want Dufty to continue his development in under 20s then in Reserve Grade. Luciano Leilua, Hame Sele, and Patrick Herbert have been promoted to NSW Cup which means we are looking at them to play first grade.

You're angry at nothing.

Never said Leilua was asked to look elsewhere but IMO a young guy with that much talent should already be signed up.But Dufty certainly was & Phil Gould tried to get him before the June 30 dead line,release was denied.Fonua Blake might be a grub as you say,.I only know of one assault where he pushed his girlfriend over,,not that i condone this but i thought he should be given a chance, instead i bow to your superior knowledge on that subject Jack bird was never a money issue .As i said i have been red & white for around 50 years & angry is not the word i would use more just frustrated