The more and more time passes, the more and more red & white flavoured kool aid I'm starting to drink...
As some long time posters have been alluding to for a while now - I'm really worried about the fact that we simply don't have the players we need. We keep entering into new seasons well short in key positions compared to even those clubs whom will compete in the same realm as us (positions 7 down to about 14 on the ladder). Our recruitment has been nothing short of p**s poor for years now.
We continuously seem hesitant in wanting to promote our juniors, and even when we do, its usually a short cameo off the bench with 5-10mins left in the game. So far, there has been little change in this notion since Flanno came onboard (even yesterday - Parramatta had a tonne of seasoned first grade experience running around in NSW Cup while some young players got a run up top... they may feel pain now but this will pay off for them in future years).
I'm not sure how much longer we can "take the pain" without some "pain killers" - that being giving our juniors a run over a crop of players who either have one foot out the door already or are at least standing close to the door either ready to scoot out at the first opportunity or be pushed out.
We've had 14 full seasons since the 2010 premiership - we've played finals three times since, in 2011 (5th), 2015 (7th), 2018 (7th) ... and even in each of those seasons there are plenty of arguments as to why we should have finished higher than we did.
We still need a massive cleanout.
So far, of the players we recruited for this year, the only ones I'd be happy to consider a contract extension for (possibly seeing out the rest of their careers at the Dragons) would be Gutho and Val Holmes as we will still need solid heads around the group for another handful of years yet (my mind is very much subject to change here).
Of our current forward pack - the Couchman brothers, Liddle and Stewart can hang around. Other than that, I'd be releasing everyone else, locking up pretty much all of our current NSW Cup forward pack (with the exception of Michael Molo), and throwing the salary cap at a Lindsay Smith (2027 and beyond) + another seasoned first grade edge back rower (maybe a Nikora or Talakai to take advantage of the inevitable Sharks salary cap squeeze).
Additionally, LKT and Glover - continue to hone your long kicking game skills and the halves positions will be yours to keep within another two years. Benny Rumble, Hayden Buchanan, Cody Ramsey (if he can press on with his health issues) - spots are available for each of you in the backs if you continue to hone your games in the right direction.
