Flanno's New Signings

[Dragon David]

This is slightly false, Cronulla gave tracey permission to negotiate with other clubs before seasons end, he was negotiating with us before November 1 and was allowed too.

Yes maybe slightly not right but initially he did seek a release several times and Cronulla refused it. Eventually the Sharks did give him permission to talk to rival clubs for 2025 so I would imagine Shane Flanagan will announce him coming to the Dragons one day.

"Given he has a year to go on his deal at the Sharks, it's believed the club are digging their heels in, but Tracey is almost a certainty to be elsehwere in 2025.

“He's a guy that we've been following for a while.. there are some clubs circling him,” Read told Triple M.

“St. George Illawarra and Shane Flanagan is one of them and probably the big one. He's (Tracey) now got permission to talk to rival clubs about 2025 as he has a year to go on his deal.

“He's asked for a release a few times now from the Sharks but Cronulla are digging in their heels saying, ‘no you aren't going to go, we are going to keep you next year' but he's now got permission to speak to rival clubs for 2025.

“I'd be stunned if he's not at the Dragons.

“I think the other reason why Cronulla are reluctant to let him leave is because they have him in the right price. They aren't paying him the earth. If he was to test the open market, he'd get a pretty healthy pay rise.”

Above is an excerpt from Zero Tackle.

 

[TheRev]

If there is a delay with Tracey, it will be an argument around the 2024 season.. I think the best years of his career are being wasted in sharks reserve grade on a bludger of a contract.. sharks should be letting him go. Hopefully he can agitate and get a 1st grade spot with us and a very substantial pay increase.. football careers are short.. and they have Dykes and probably others anyway coming through.

With the instability around Sloan, plus no Stewart, no Ramsey, honestly we literally need a genuine fullback like Tracey in our 17... but what we think we need.. isnt the sharks problem it is true.

 

[jak]

If there is a delay with Tracey, it will be an argument around the 2024 season.. I think the best years of his career are being wasted in sharks reserve grade on a bludger of a contract.. sharks should be letting him go. Hopefully he can agitate and get a 1st grade spot with us and a very substantial pay increase.. football careers are short.. and they have Dykes and probably others anyway coming through.

With the instability around Sloan, plus no Stewart, no Ramsey, honestly we literally need a genuine fullback like Tracey in our 17... but what we think we need.. isnt the sharks problem it is true

but don't you think the sharks would love to help out the dragons given the opportunity?

 

[st.phil]

Sharks unlikely to do is any favours

 

[Biglance]

Complete waste of time signing tracey if it's not for 2024. I can see where he plays in 2025.

It is clear that flano wants suli and lomax in the centres clear back up is tamale.

Wing? I don't think he's a winger.

We know they are chasing a 5/8

Likely fullback right but if he isn't here in 2024 means we likely have to go with Sloan which means surely by 2025 under flano he has improved to have the spot permanently

Otherwise by 2025 we are trying rumble

 

[TheRev]

but don't you think the sharks would love to help out the dragons given the opportunity?

hehe yes I'm not bias at all! But legit I think Tracey has about 3-4yrs left in his career.. hes 27.5 already and he is being taken advantage of atm.. I'd reckon hes on 200k or something.. if I was him I would want out now, or minimum a very sizeable upgrade effective immediately... atleast pay him what he's worth.

I just get frustrated that all the cap cheaters can afford to stockpile players (Broncos & Roosters the standouts)... all the talent should be fully shared out (via a draft or points system), and they should be instead relying on their juniors coming through as their depth.. like us pleb clubs have to do... The comp would be so much more better if it was a level playing field.

 

[baggygreen man]

It certainly couldn't hurt BGM

I misread that phrase as some fitness could not hurt BGM (BMM) the player. Members rarely use BGM so please guys refer to me by my signiture name as I have been unable to change my username.

 

[baggygreen man]

lomax in the centres

I read Flanagan will have both Sloan and Lomax vying for fullback. Hearing Sloan wont be ready to play until something like Round 5/6 so I think he will start Zac at the back and give Tamale a start in his place. The kid wasnt put in the 30 to warm a bench.

 

[baggygreen man]

I read Flanagan will have both Sloan and Lomax vying for the custodian role. Hearing Sloan wont be ready to play until something like Round 5 so I think he will start Zac at the back and give Tamale a start in his place. The kid wasnt put in the 30 to warm a bench.

 

[Dragon David]

I read that phrase as some fitness could not hurt BMM the player.
Please guys refer to me by my signiture name as I have been unable to change my username.

Can you please give us your signature name.

 

[Parko1310]

I read Flanagan will have both Sloan and Lomax vying for the custodian role. Hearing Sloan wont be ready to play until something like Round 5 so I think he will start Zac at the back and give Tamale a start in his place. The kid wasnt put in the 30 to warm a bench.

Not sure where that's coming from. Sloan's injury was a maximum 10 week full recovery period. He'll be back to full training by early January at the latest

 

[st.phil]

I read Flanagan will have both Sloan and Lomax vying for the custodian role. Hearing Sloan wont be ready to play until something like Round 5 so I think he will start Zac at the back and give Tamale a start in his place. The kid wasnt put in the 30 to warm a bench.

Nah Sloan back to full contact December

 

[justadragon]

Nah Sloan back to full contact December

Flanno wants to get him into the boxing ring, I'd imagine thats just the type of contact he needs !!

 

[st.phil]

I initially thought Tracey could be an option at 6 but it sounds like Flanno has Kyle firmly in mind for that with a view to being more of an organiser and letting Hunt focus on running game. I must admit - having a half that has kicked a 1st grade field goal would be welcome...

Think Tracey is hitting late 20's and his FB window is either closed or closing. Sloan for me has so much upside and sooo much natural talent - if he came good he can single handedly transform this team but jurys out majorly on his tougness and physicality... the koori KO injury could not have come at a worse time

 

[Auntie.Gerald]

It’s a brittle medium term strategy if we think Tracey is the best solution

3 x ACL reconstructions through out his career so far hence why such little games played to date

Short term FB though I can see why we would need him for 2024 and he has got skills as well as multiple positions he can play

What price are we prepared to pay beyond 2024?

 

[Dragon David]

It’s a brittle medium term strategy if we think Tracey is the best solution

3 x ACL reconstructions through out his career so far hence why such little games played to date

Short term FB though I can see why we would need him for 2024 and he has got skills as well as multiple positions he can play

What price are we prepared to pay beyond 2024?

Nowadays Auntie.Gerald there are not that many players that have escaped some form of injury or two (many serious) in their playing careers. In the circumstances there is pot luck involved when a player is signed. Mose Masoe joined us but never played, George Burgess played but wasn't much chop after he had that hip surgery prior to signing with us, Tommy Turbo more out than in, Papenhuysen injury prone, etc. etc., the list goes on and on. We had Cody Ramsey all set for fullback in 2023 but he gets the ulcerative colitis, now Sloan with his ankle. We had Widdop and his shoulder and so on.

The game is tough and every player can expect to suffer with hamstring tears, shoulder injuries, broken limbs, serious head knocks etc. So what I am saying is we need to take a player on face value. Know his abilities and how they can be utilised in the team and hope for the best that he remains injury free. So Tracey has that ability that we need to fill the void at fullback. He should be signed and if Sloan shows merit later down the track by showing that his defensive skills are far better than what they have been, then see where he fits in at that time.

 

[TheRev]

Stage 1 is moving our roster from F-Tier => to => D-tier, and if we cant sign superstars.. we are bringing in good trainers, good attitude, good attitude to defence.. a couple of years time really isnt the focus, roster management is always an ongoing task over time.. and we cant even predict who will thrive or wilt. Tracey might end up a centre or a winger.. if someone actually shows the talent to displace him @ fullback, thats fantastic..

Its a bit of a cart before the horse situation.. as we are never getting an A or B tier roster until we start winning games... and we have millions of cap unspent.. we need more 1st grade ready bodies in our 30.

 

[Dragonslayer]

Imo, Tracey will be here in '25 and a certain current half will not.

 

[Trifili13]

hehe yes I'm not bias at all! But legit I think Tracey has about 3-4yrs left in his career.. hes 27.5 already and he is being taken advantage of atm.. I'd reckon hes on 200k or something.. if I was him I would want out now, or minimum a very sizeable upgrade effective immediately... atleast pay him what he's worth.

I just get frustrated that all the cap cheaters can afford to stockpile players (Broncos & Roosters the standouts)... all the talent should be fully shared out (via a draft or points system), and they should be instead relying on their juniors coming through as their depth.. like us pleb clubs have to do... The comp would be so much more better if it was a level playing field.

Unfortunately the top teams will vote against any draft or points system as it would impact their ability to stockpile talent at a cheap price given the "winning culture" of their clubs while poorer teams like us offer overs and still can't attract anyone decent.

 

[FlickFlano]

Go the Dragons