Flanno's New Signings

[Dragon David]

Raiders gave him permission to talk to other clubs but when the Dragons showed their interest Ricky changed his mind. Don't think we could get much worse at this recruitment business.

It just goes to show that even coaches couldn't care less for our club. Is it a hate thing? Have we become a diseased club that only players who are the "beggars cannot be choosers" guys coming to us? Are they thinking that as we won 11 premierships on the trot, and a few later on, that we don't deserve to be premiership contenders for a considerably long time? Are they banking on the Dolphins or Titans or Warriors winning their first grand final before we even get to the grand final for some years?

It is about time we get a break and be seen to be winners rather than losers.

 

[Dragon David]

If they want one of our players in the future... give them the same option in return....

Here, here getsmarty.

 

[St Tangles]

Raiders gave him permission to talk to other clubs but when the Dragons showed their interest Ricky changed his mind. Don't think we could get much worse at this recruitment business.

They gave him permission in September he had no suitors.
If we took him then they would have let him go.

 

[thebigredv]

They gave him permission in September he had no suitors.
If we took him then they would have let him go.

What an absolute dog's breakfast!

Whether or not you think Woolford would be a good acquisition for us, there is now what looks like a complete scramble to fill a squad. Now reading Manly won't be letting their winger come to us either. Wow.

There isn't a position left where we couldn't enhance or add depth to but in my opinion, with only Mulheisen and Liddell at 9 due to Kyle's promotion to halves, Woolford would be a good one year signing but alas not now available due to our club's complete lack of foresight and planning.

It's a far cry from "we won't be rushing in to sign anyone".

 

[St Tangles]

What an absolute dog's breakfast!

Whether or not you think Woolford would be a good acquisition for us, there is now what looks like a complete scramble to fill a squad. Now reading Manly won't be letting their winger come to us either. Wow.

There isn't a position left where we couldn't enhance or add depth to but in my opinion, with only Mulheisen and Liddell at 9 due to Kyle's promotion to halves, Woolford would be a good one year signing but alas not now available due to our club's complete lack of foresight and planning.

It's a far cry from "we won't be rushing in to sign anyone".

I don't think he would make any difference for us.
We look like amateurs compared to most other clubs.
It reeks of desperation.
Our roster has been poorly managed for so long now it's depressing.

 

[Dragons4me]

What it does do is create opportunity. Here is a chance to do something big. Everyone is writing us off in '24 but who knows. Happy to play underdog 'cause when we jag an unexpected win, how sweet the victory will be.
Go you mighties!!

 

[Nanadragon]

I'm hoping it's not Flanno they don't want to come for.
He did have a bad reputation as we all know. And some people in the game will have long memories. We're happy to forgive and forget but maybe others aren't

 

[thebigredv]

What it does do is create opportunity. Here is a chance to do something big. Everyone is writing us off in '24 but who knows. Happy to play underdog 'cause when we jag an unexpected win, how sweet the victory will be.
Go you mighties!!

Even an underdog needs to have some weapon. Since the Bennett era we've overachieved i.e. shown that underdog mentality in only 2 of the 12 seasons ('15, '18). Two seasons you'd credit as passable in the joint venture history. Forgive me for feeling pessimistic.

It's great you think we might surprise the competition this year but unless Fifita and Tamale are both some kind of instant immortals we have nothing spectacular to throw at the competition. Please don't use the 'Flanno will have 'em up' line because what does that even mean? I'm keen to hear some tangible reasons to believe in the team, something we can hang our hat on but by even the way that we are trying to recruit anything with a pulse, not even the coach has belief in this lot, sad to say.

 

[OneEyedDragon]

What it does do is create opportunity. Here is a chance to do something big. Everyone is writing us off in '24 but who knows. Happy to play underdog 'cause when we jag an unexpected win, how sweet the victory will be.
Go you mighties!!

Thanks D4M. So good to read something that is remotely positive about the club. There are a lot of depressed fans out there. I can't change anything so can just hope for better things to come. Hopefully some things will start to go our way.

 

[Illusion]

Thanks D4M. So good to read something that is remotely positive about the club. There are a lot of depressed fans out there. I can't change anything so can just hope for better things to come. Hopefully some things will start to go our way.

Really can't get any worse , can it ? I say this every year and it does .......

 

[steerlerbab]

The problem is shortage of players in the market. Remember last year. Even, Bennett had a hard time to fill in Dolphins roster and in halves marqee players that he went after he did not get (Monster/Ponga). So this has nothing to do with our club or Flanno. The reason for shortage:
a) 17 team is too much
b) Bigger money in Union
c) Covid - Basically, lower grades and junior leagues stopped.

The only way out is for our club to develop our own juniors like Panthers. Our nursery is as big as theirs but our pathways is stuck in 80s.

For year 2024, lets hope Hunt/Flanno combo works or Flanno has to think out of the box and move Sloan to Five/Eight.

 

[Dragon David]

I'm hoping it's not Flanno they don't want to come for.
He did have a bad reputation as we all know. And some people in the game will have long memories. We're happy to forgive and forget but maybe others aren't

That could be a problem as you say Nana with Flanno. I had written quite a bit more but thought I'd leave it in the past.

 

[justadragon]

We have had and still have an incompetent GM, a dysfunctional board and the previous coaches were delusional. It doesnt take much to understand where it all went wrong. Now that the media have focussed on another Dragons debacle like recruiting, we will never stop hearing the end of it. Lets get real, hard work and our own pathways are the only solution to our clubs dilemma. Yes we probably have the weakest roster in the NRL, i dont care if we get the wooden spoon for the next 2 years, but those lower grades better be fighting out grand finals, our juniors are the only way out of this mess.

 

[Dragon David]

We have had and still have an incompetent GM, a dysfunctional board and the previous coaches were delusional. It doesnt take much to understand where it all went wrong. Now that the media have focussed on another Dragons debacle like recruiting, we will never stop hearing the end of it. Lets get real, hard work and our own pathways are the only solution to our clubs dilemma. Yes we probably have the weakest roster in the NRL, i dont care if we get the wooden spoon for the next 2 years, but those lower grades better be fighting out grand finals, our juniors are the only way out of this mess.

If we win the wooden spoon for the next two years justa there will be several people at Board level and at coaching level receiving their termination notices. It will hopefully spark us in re-inventing the Dragons as posted by Auntie.Gerald in his thread.

I know that our 2024 roster is poor compared to the top 8 clubs but what I want to see is our players just not giving up and trying all the way to the end of each game - just do not quit and keep trying. The juniors will be our strength one day. They have to be.

 

[justadragon]

I'm hoping it's not Flanno they don't want to come for.
He did have a bad reputation as we all know. And some people in the game will have long memories. We're happy to forgive and forget but maybe others aren't

Can see what you are saying ND, James Hird had the same issues in the AFL, but we must also remember that we need good relationships with the managers just as much as the players, and I believe Flanno has that but not the rest of the club. I still wanted Richardson to come to the Dragons, if he was there you wouldnt have seen any of this nonsense going on, but you would have seen some heads roll.

 

[justadragon]

If we win the wooden spoon for the next two years justa there will be several people at Board level and at coaching level receiving their termination notices. It will hopefully spark us in re-inventing the Dragons as posted by Auntie.Gerald in his thread.

I know that our 2024 roster is poor compared to the top 8 clubs but what I want to see is our players just not giving up and trying all the way to the end of each game - just do not quit and keep trying. The juniors will be our strength one day. They have to be.

Maybe if we win 2 wooden spoons in a row Dave, we will get what has happened at the Tigers, and that I would look forward to.

 

[Parko1310]

When you really think about it, how absolutely incredible is it that Ben Haran still has a job at this club? Let alone the GM of football. Astounding, nonsensical, ridiculous, outrageous, amateurish, weak, disgusting, unfathomable are just some of the many words I can think of to describe it.

 

[Draginzaaar]

The problem is shortage of players in the market. Remember last year. Even, Bennett had a hard time to fill in Dolphins roster and in halves marqee players that he went after he did not get (Monster/Ponga). So this has nothing to do with our club or Flanno. The reason for shortage:
a) 17 team is too much
b) Bigger money in Union
c) Covid - Basically, lower grades and junior leagues stopped.

The only way out is for our club to develop our own juniors like Panthers. Our nursery is as big as theirs but our pathways is stuck in 80s.

For year 2024, lets hope Hunt/Flanno combo works or Flanno has to think out of the box and move Sloan to Five/Eight.

Bigger money in Union.? How many teams do they have? Not many.

 

[Dragon David]

Maybe if we win 2 wooden spoons in a row Dave, we will get what has happened at the Tigers, and that I would look forward to.

Same here justa. We have to hit rock bottom in order to start the climb back up. Might need packing quite a lot of energising foods for the long haul up that ladder.

 

[Dragon David]

It has been said that our coffers are overflowing with cash for us to sign several decent players and yet we find it very difficult to get those decent guys to put pen to paper for this year and importantly for 2025.

Now that the Panthers will lose Luai to the Tigers from 2025, they will have extra money to go out into the market and sign some beauties if they need to bearing in mind that they have other players within their system who can step up. So if we were after the likes of Metcalfe or Manu or Terrell May or David Fifita etc., we could be competing with the Panthers to sign either of them and you can bet London to a brick they would prefer going to the Panthers.

While we might have some quality juniors coming through our system, we do need one or two quality marquees to help us improve for the future and I know that what I have said Flanagan has already got this in his head but I am just emphasising this need.