Ex-Canterbury Bulls forward scores Dragons deal

[R&WTILLIDIE]

How complicated do you imagine the role of a prop is?

You'd think it would be easy right?

How did our props go last year?

 

[stgill2001]

Got 1 thing on his side. redemption to not let this opportunity slip.. EG: Manu mau

 

[Como Connection]

Will Matthews if fine leave him be please.

 

[jenninga]

Fullback not settled, centres not settled, something clearly going on with Morris whether we work out something for next season (and beyond) or not which is not helping. We may have players available for those positions but quality of players and the combinations themselves remains to be seen. It looks better on paper than it does in reality at this stage, could change though.

Agree,centres is a problem for us as well as some mongrel in the forwards.
We need some mongrel in the centres as well,we have too many backs who are too light on there feet and not powerful enough.

 

[jenninga]

Will Matthews if fine leave him be please.

No,p*ss him off as well,bring in new players,the current have done f#*kall for 3 years now ,enough of give him another off season,please.

 

[DRAGONSNZ]

Everyone also thought Aliomai (or whatever the f** his name is), that PNG park player, Pumipi, Harrison, Matthews, Ah Mau, Vea, O'Brien and Groat were poor gambles over the past couple of off seasons and they were right. This bloke is a less-than-reserve-grade standard clown. This is the rubbish we are left to recruit.

Abysmal.

Well you go and try getting a Bulldogs or Roosters prop to break there contract, your a total dreamer mate, they are cheating the cap and you expect them to break a contract that is probably worth 3 times more than we are offering them. Why would they? they are going to always be around the playoffs and getting paid probably 2 or times more then anything we can offer. Look at Sam Kasiano mate he is happy to spend the rest of his time on the Blldogs bench then join us because he still makes more and is most probably going to play finals footy..

 

[BlackDuckSaint]

a 6ft 5in prop who played Yawnion...not league

wow just wow lol

League fans give Union a bad wrap. But I like both codes. The differences in roles of props for Union and League aren't that different from one another.
League Props are traditionally leaner cause that don't require the same mass to anchor the scrums and they are stronger defensively in a lateral sense cause in Union they just set up the pillar and post if they aren't in the ruck and defend against pick and drive.
But... If he is playing Union in New Zealand as a Prop/Hooker, I have no doubt that he'll be tough as nails. Which gives me solace. There was a West Tigers Junior who unfortunately decided to play Union. 6'6" 140+ kgs named Will Skelton, playing 'yawnion'... You think he wouldn't cut it in the NRL?

 

[DRAGONSNZ]

League fans give Union a bad wrap. But I like both codes. The differences in roles of props for Union and League aren't that different from one another.
League Props are traditionally leaner cause that don't require the same mass to anchor the scrums and they are stronger defensively in a lateral sense cause in Union they just set up the pillar and post if they aren't in the ruck and defend against pick and drive.
But... If he is playing Union in New Zealand as a Prop/Hooker, I have no doubt that he'll be tough as nails. Which gives me solace. There was a West Tigers Junior who unfortunately decided to play Union. 6'6" 140+ kgs named Will Skelton, playing 'yawnion'... You think he wouldn't cut it in the NRL?

Ye mate, there are a bunch of idiots in here I reckon. Nearly everyone of the Kiwi league team grew up playing union in NZ. RTS only started playing League in 2011 when the schools competition started up then he signed for the Roosters Under 20's the same year. Benji Marshall was a Rugby Player SBW was a Auckland Junior Union player then started playing League. It doesn't matter 2 shits in NZ if you play league or Union because most of us can play both without any difficulty.

YOUR FIRST DREAM IN NZ IS TO PLAY FOR THE ALL BLACKS THAT IS OVER EVERYTHING, EVEN IF YOUR A LEAGUE PLAYER, I GUARANTEE THEY WOULD HAVE DREAMT ABOUT PLAYING FOR THE AB'S. THATS WHY YOU SEE GUYS LIKE SBW AND BENJI COME BACK HERE AND TRY AND MAKE.

 

[BennyV]

No,p*ss him off as well,bring in new players,the current have done f#*kall for 3 years now ,enough of give him another off season,please.

This. Sick of clowns whinging about holding onto plodders like Ah Mau and Matthews because 'they will continue to improve over the off season' or they 'were showing some form' or any other dumbass reason. Meanwhile, the dogs bench is better than our starting pack!

These guys shouldn't be near our top 17, if they are then we have huge issues.

 

[Mixmasterreece]

You guys are about to sign Antonio Kafusi aren't you?

 

[Soul Dragon]

You'd think it would be easy right?

How did our props go last year?

Most ppl would agree Creagh went well at Prop and Cooper was solid for most of the year. Friz & Stockwell were out injured a fair bit. According to the forum we need some more size and 1 or 2 more props with mongrel. I dont recall anyone writing off the whole pack

 

[R&WTILLIDIE]

Most ppl would agree Creagh went well at Prop and Cooper was solid for most of the year. Friz & Stockwell were out injured a fair bit. According to the forum we need some more size and 1 or 2 more props with mongrel. I dont recall anyone writing off the whole pack

Our forwards were out muscled by pretty much every team last year. So what is our clubs' solution? Sign up a guy who has never played in the league.

Regardless of his size, the fact that he has never played league is a real concern to me...Yet you tend to think that if he is a big enough unit then all should be ok.

If our forwards went ok last year then I would welcome this guy. But under the circumstances, this is a bit of a worry.

 

[getsmarty]

Fijian flyer Eto Nabuli rises from bag-carrier to Dragons recruit

By Ben Horne

Oct. 7, 2014, 3:48 p.m.

Eto Nabuli in action for Penrith in the NSW Cup. Picture: Getty Images

NRL

The Fijian flyer discovered by Andrew Johns and Brad Fittler carrying bags in a Suva Hotel has knocked back a Super Rugby deal to keep his NRL dream alive at St George Illawarra.

Eto Nabuli risked everything two years ago after a chance meeting with the NRL greats, to come to Australia and link with the Penrith Panthers having never played rugby league before.

But after failing to come to terms with the Panthers for a new deal beyond this season, it appeared Nabuli’s hopes of playing in the NRL might have been dashed.

Australian Super Rugby franchise Western Force had tabled an attractive offer to the 26-year-old winger, but Nabuli told his manager he wasn’t ready to leave the 13-man game.

Due to be married in Fiji later this week with Fittler and Johns among the guests, Nabuli has received some more good news, accepting a two-year contract to join the Dragons.

With speculation surrounding the future of Test winger Brett Morris in the red v, the timing might be good for Nabuli, who is yet to crack a first grade debut.

‘‘The Force came up with a really good two-year offer, but the (NSW Cup) finals series reinvigorated his passion for rugby league and made him realise it was his passion,’’ Nabuli’s manager George Christodoulou told AAP.

‘‘He’s rolled the dice again. Hopefully he can finally achieve his goal.’’

In one of the most remarkable league stories of the past few years, Fittler and Johns were in Fiji on a talent-spotting mission when they were taken aback by the physical presence of Nabuli carrying bags in the hotel foyer.

The pair got Nabuli out on the training paddock and were impressed by his raw ability.

Not long after Nabuli had been offered a lifeline by Penrith, where he has starred on the wing for their NSW Cup team - winning this year’s premiership and just falling short of winning the inaugural State Championship.

He has made incredible sacrifice to get this far, leaving his partner and young baby back home to pursue his dream of making a better life for his family.

Speaking after Sunday’s State Championship loss to the Northern Pride, Nabuli said he was desperate to stay in the NRL.

‘‘I want to play first grade,’’ Nabuli said.

‘‘I’m happy to stay in the NRL because the first time I played league I really liked it.’’

At the Panthers, Nabuli was stuck behind the likes of Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, David Simmons, Josh Mansour and Kevin Naiqama.

AAP

http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/...-from-bag-carrier-to-dragons-recruit/?cs=2382

 

[Soul Dragon]

Our forwards were out muscled by pretty much every team last year. So what is our clubs' solution? Sign up a guy who has never played in the league.

Regardless of his size, the fact that he has never played league is a real concern to me...Yet you tend to think that if he is a big enough unit then all should be ok.

If our forwards went ok last year then I would welcome this guy. But under the circumstances, this is a bit of a worry.

I'm just not prepared to write him off before seeing him play. Saffy only played 8 NRL games before joining the Dragons, while he wasn't my fav player he didn't seem to suffer much from the transition. This guy is much bigger and if he has mongrel that's a good start. I respect your point in regard to if our pack was already performing well you could accept it but I'd rather a budget signing like this than spending 400k on a flop or 800k on Fafita.....how did he go this year for the Sharks?

 

[R&WTILLIDIE]

I'm just not prepared to write him off before seeing him play. Saffy only played 8 NRL games before joining the Dragons, while he wasn't my fav player he didn't seem to suffer much from the transition. This guy is much bigger and if he has mongrel that's a good start. I respect your point in regard to if our pack was already performing well you could accept it but I'd rather a budget signing like this than spending 400k on a flop or 800k on Fafita.....how did he go this year for the Sharks?

Fifita is a gun and spent the majority of last season injured. I hope this new bloke proves me wrong.