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Flanno's New Signings

since77

since77

Bench
Messages
2,708
Daptodragon said:
So we are letting 2 try scoring wingers Sloan and Finau go, we are truly a dumb club.
Click to expand...
It’s hilarious that after the majority of fans over all forms of social media have wanted Sloan to be punted ever since his debut that now there are people who think the club is dumb to let him go.
Give me a solid, slower, SMARTER , more reliable guy over Sloan every day of the week. And I was one of the few who supported Sloan when everyone else was bagging him. I was wrong.
The club has invested over 70 games into Sloan and as recently as last week he’s still COSTING us games.
It would be “dumb” to keep hoping he comes good.
 
possm

possm

Coach
Messages
16,761
since77 said:
It’s hilarious that after the majority of fans over all forms of social media have wanted Sloan to be punted ever since his debut that now there are people who think the club is dumb to let him go.
Give me a solid, slower, SMARTER , more reliable guy over Sloan every day of the week. And I was one of the few who supported Sloan when everyone else was bagging him. I was wrong.
The club has invested over 70 games into Sloan and as recently as last week he’s still COSTING us games.
It would be “dumb” to keep hoping he comes good.
Click to expand...
Defense, courage taking the high ball, and the ability to read a game are the main skills Sloan has been short on. Our coaching staff have not been able to address these problems in a positive way.

I do not doubt that Sloan would be a superstar in the ESL and if I was his manager, that's where I'd advise he should go. Like Duffty and Quenlan before him, Sloan would be in high demand in the ESL.

He is of no value to the Dragons, except perhaps as a swap for a high-quality prop in the ESL.
 
M

matPORTS

Juniors
Messages
719
If Klemmer wants to keep going I'd keep him one more year vs bringing Josh Kerr back with an eye on the market to potentially snare a marquee forward for 2027 and beyond (it might be a while before some more decent prospects come onto the market or we may not get the opportunity for anything at all given the expansion clubs coming in).

Kerr is not going to forge out too much longer in the NRL. The fact that he, his manager and Super League clubs all have 'mutual interest' now says it all...

Since settling in, I've been happy with Klemms effort and the experience he brings (even if the stats sheets show differently). Although I get that people may have concerns about him being able to go a further year (and even being in the team now). Even still, if he falls off the cliff completely, we should have some others knocking the door down to start (i.e. Ryan C, LPT, Stewart, Guler, anyone we might be able to bring in for depth, etc - see next point).

What about targeting one of either Hamlin-Uele or Talakai ? Sharks got to shed players due to cap constraints.

Adam Douiehi - if we can get him gives us a lot of versatility. Like the idea of him playing lock as his mainstay position.

Is Damien Cook surplus to requirements?

I agree with trying to coax Coates away from Melbourne. Can we squeeze him out for 2026, play him on the wing with an eye to him taking over from Gutherson at full-back down the line? What a great left side combo with Val Holmes !

Do we live to regret letting Sloan go, or do we persist for another 12 months? Has all the talent in the world to make that right wing spot his own... but how many more heart attacks do his defensive deficiencies give us? I'm going to give him every opportunity to show us something in these final six weeks, and I'll lean towards keeping him for now.

Squeezing Coates out of Melbourne now would be the hardest thing (I will forgive all the errors of the Price, Mary & Hook era and no longer say anything negative about the board if we could pull a signing like this off). Signing Doueihi + also Hamlin-Uele for depth up front should be easy if we have a competent recruitment team that knows what they're doing (LMAO).

Reality is - our future lies in our youth and holding onto these guys, alongside a small handful of solid signings from outside the club (might only be able to attract a maximum one marquee in the next handful of years alongside a couple of decent first graders).

This would be my starting 13... then use the rest to make up the bench.

1. Gutherson
2. Sloan
3. Suli
4. Holmes
5. Coates
6. Atkinson
7. King-Togia

8. T Couchman
9. Liddle
10. Klemmer
11. Egan
12. Su'a
13. Doueihi

R Couchman
Allan
Cook
Leilua
Stewart
Pasifiki-Tonga
Halangahu
Guler
Hamlin-Uele/Talakai
Tsougranis
Lawrie (pains me to list him but he's still on the books officially)
K Flanagan
Buchanan
Liu
 
possm

possm

Coach
Messages
16,761
1. Ramsey or sign a marquee fullback
2. Williams
3. Gutherson
4. Holmes
5. Cootes
6. Atkinson/LKT
7. Doueihi/Reed
8. New Marquee Prop/Klemmer
9. Liddle
10. Leilua/T Couchman
11. Egan/Halangahu
12. Su'A
13. Stewart

14. Cook/Flanagan
15. R Couchman/T Couchman
16. Tonga/Fifita
17. Suli//Tsougranis
 
Dragonslayer

Dragonslayer

First Grade
Messages
7,923
There are simply no 'marquee' props 'on the market' at present. Come Nov1 there will be, not only us, but the new clubs trying to shake the tree as well.

As I suggested in another thread, moving LL to prop would, at the very least, give us a mobile big body who can offload, and his lateral defense wouldn't be profoundly exposed, it's just whether he has the stamina and will to play in the middle on a consistent basis.
The rise, and hopefully, the successful return of Egan to the edge role, I feel necessitates LL moving into the middle.

Signing (rumour only at present) Kerr, is not as bad as some may think. His form with the Phins has been good, and like LL is mobile and can offload. Issue for him is 'minutes played'. He has, however, seemed to fix his error rate, as he doesn't appear in the top 50 players for errors (not saying he doesn't make any mind you). His tackle efficiency is also good in the 93-94% range.

LPT, T Couch and Guler would make up the remaining props. There's also Cake, as I feel no-one will put their hand up for '26. Liu is a young pup and probably needs some time in Cup at least to start next year.

Stewart would be a lock-in for Lock and I can understand the methodology around letting JDB go. Stewart can also play as a prop which would also bring JH into consideration for the Lock position.

Edge forwards, Su'a, R Couch, JH, NT and Egan
 
thebigredv

thebigredv

First Grade
Messages
6,229
Outlaw Pete said:
You can’t coach speed so Flannigan let’s all our speedy wingers go.
Sorry we missed out on Ryles or more likely stuffed up negotiations
Click to expand...
Haran's still got a job.
Kyle will still be first picked.
Corey Allan will be extended to be our speedy winger outside Suli.
We will attempt to sign some off cuts playing cup elsewhere and will be rejected.

All at the time when if we recruited the right experienced players in key positions we could build a gun squad with the young blokes coming through.

Alas, the Flano regime is really starting to stink. He should have done a better job at coaching Finau to defend than just cutting him. JDB can tackle but somehow surplus to requirements.

And who have we signed? No one.
 
G

getsmarty

Immortal
Messages
35,709

Market Watch: Raiders snap up a Dragon, Hayes stays with Dogs​

Sione Finau's final moment in Dragons colours came while scoring a try, as the injured winger prepares for a fresh start at Canberra. Plus see who are the top-five free agents up for grabs.

 
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