Issac Luke confirms Dragons move

[Como Connection]

It's actually quite concerning that all we attract is used by players and fringe first graders and all our young guys are going or want out..reduce Robson gone,leilua gone,lomax wants out..dufty too young Mundine gone to Souths has Tristan sailor signed yet???..these guys aren't given a fair crack at first grade so they all look else where..and we keep signing duds..graham knocked out again ', he should consider retirement I love his passion but his done too.

Lomax doesn't want out.
CC

 

[blacksafake]

Still no announcement from the club.
Is anybody there or are they all in off season mode.

 

[muzby]

Still no announcement from the club.
Is anybody there or are they all in off season mode.

The announcement is there and ready to go..

It’s just no one has worked out how to turn the computer on to send it..

 

[getsmarty]

Still no announcement from the club.
Is anybody there or are they all in off season mode.

All there...operations as per normal re media...LOL

 

[getsmarty]

CLUB NEWS

Breaking
Dragons confirm Luke signing
Author
Dragons.com.au dragons.com.au
Timestamp
Tue 19 Nov 2019, 07:55 AM

St George Illawarra have confirmed the signing of Issac Luke following the completion of all official documentation.

The veteran New Zealand international has signed a one-year deal ahead of the Dragons' 2020 NRL Telstra Premiership campaign.

Luke will enter his 14th season of first grade football, in a career that has spanned 271 NRL games with the South Sydney Rabbitohs (2007-15) and New Zealand Warriors (2016-19).

Only suspension prevented Luke from a premiership victory after South Sydney ended their 43-year grand final winning drought in 2014.

A key figure for New Zealand over the past decade, Luke has played 43 Tests for the Kiwis including their 2008 World Cup final win over Australia.

Coincidentally, the apprentice will become the master in 2020 with Luke signed to bolster the Dragons' hooking ranks beneath the club's 2019 Player of the Year Cameron McInnes; McInnes debuted at the Rabbitohs under Luke's tutelage six seasons ago.

"Everyone is already aware of Issac's career in regard to his longevity. Issac has walked the path of the NRL over a long period of time now and will be great for our squad," Director of Rugby League Pathways and List Management Ian Millward said.

"To have a really established back-up player of his calibre is exciting. Our coaching staff were keen to have him on our roster with plans in mind regarding how they'd like to play him, which have already been discussed with Issac as well as Cameron (McInnes).

"With Issac now on board, we have 25 players on our roster. 23 of them have played NRL and while that includes those who have just received their first taste of first grade like Jackson Ford and Jason Saab, we are pleased with Issac's injection of experience."


https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2019/11/19/dragons-confirm-luke-signing/

 

[getsmarty]

Millward on Luke signing
Dragons Director of Rugby League Pathways and List Management Ian Millward discusses the signing of veteran international Issac Luke.

https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2019/11/19/millward-on-luke-signing/

 

[Dragonslayer]

Interesting that this is a performance based contract.

 

[muzby]

Interesting that this is a performance based contract.

If only we used that approach for the coach..

But, in seriousness I wonder if that means he’ll have a small base contract and receive a bonus payment for every 1st grade game played?

 

[Dragonslayer]

If only we used that approach for the coach..

But, in seriousness I wonder if that means he’ll have a small base contract and receive a bonus payment for every 1st grade game played?

Not sure but the minimum wage for an NRK contracted player (1-26 of the top 30) is 130k fir 2020. So it could be asvyou say, or even as sumple as 10k a game, meaning he'd have to play 13 games as a minimum.

 

[Dragsters]

If only we used that approach for the coach..

If only.

We would be 5 years McGregor free...

 

[qld redvee]

Millward on Luke signing
Dragons Director of Rugby League Pathways and List Management Ian Millward discusses the signing of veteran international Issac Luke.

https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2019/11/19/millward-on-luke-signing/

smarty.
the way basil is talking I get a feeling that there is a rift between the pair .. words like 'the head coach was very keen and has plans and the club has backed him / coaching staff have plans re luke / coach has had dialogue with both luke and cam in regard to 2020 / head coach really keen on luke ...
" So how much input from other assisstant coaches and even basil re signing luke or did supercoach dig his heels in throw a tanty and get his way .. Obviously supercoach sees luke as an absolute gamebreaker and the difference between 15th and "glory"
smarty just seem strange that basil just used head coach during the conversation and seems like they arent on the same page ( which cant help the club)
any ideas

 

[Old Timer]

smarty.
the way basil is talking I get a feeling that there is a rift between the pair .. words like 'the head coach was very keen and has plans and the club has backed him / coaching staff have plans re luke / coach has had dialogue with both luke and cam in regard to 2020 / head coach really keen on luke ...
" So how much input from other assisstant coaches and even basil re signing luke or did supercoach dig his heels in throw a tanty and get his way .. Obviously supercoach sees luke as an absolute gamebreaker and the difference between 15th and "glory"
smarty just seem strange that basil just used head coach during the conversation and seems like they arent on the same page ( which cant help the club)
any ideas

Millward is sweeping all the debris under Mc Fookknuckle's chair in the hope that when it all goes pear shape he puts himself in the frame for the coaches job.
No other possible reason IMO.

 

[Brutalitops]

I really don't get the furore over this. Much more pressing issues at the club than a bottom dollar backup hooker rotation. As far as backup hookers go in the NRL he's still got to be one of the best I suppose.

Much more annoyed by Leilua leaving. No excuses now to not retail Lomax with that

 

[Overseas dragon]

Yeah, not bad value considering that "No one is coming here."

yes and the media are reporting we signed a marque player it seems wow wow wow

 

[Old Timer]

I really don't get the furore over this. Much more pressing issues at the club than a bottom dollar backup hooker rotation. As far as backup hookers go in the NRL he's still got to be one of the best I suppose.

Much more annoyed by Leilua leaving. No excuses now to not retail Lomax with that

Luke gets here because we offload Robson and have no faith in Lovodua as we continue to have no clear pathway.
A 32 year old going nowhere players that waltzes into our squad should be a reason for us all to be concerned.
So IMO signing the likes of Luke is at the very heart of our issues.

 

[Dragonsamy]

Millward is sweeping all the debris under Mc Fookknuckle's chair in the hope that when it all goes pear shape he puts himself in the frame for the coaches job.
No other possible reason IMO.

I think you are correct. It looks that way

 

[Brutalitops]

Luke gets here because we offload Robson and have no faith in Lovodua as we continue to have no clear pathway.
A 32 year old going nowhere players that waltzes into our squad should be a reason for us all to be concerned.
So IMO signing the likes of Luke is at the very heart of our issues.

The Robson part is irrelevant personally. The fact is Robson is stuck behind McInnes, a future captain of our club, in the pecking order. It was less us letting him go than it was him moving somewhere with an open pathway for him to become the full-time hooker in very little time.

Seeing as there weren't really any other signings pushing down the door to be made from the 2020 available players market, a 1 year deal for Luke is not the end of the world and he seems to know his place in the squad.

 

[71saintsimon]

This is a typical dragons purchase over the hill and way past his used by date , what’s alarming is how this is a preference to them over there own juniors like Luciano leillua and Reece Robson , what’s there to be excited about james graham and Isaac Luke in there mid thirties whilst there also injury prone while our juniors go perform at the highest level when they finally get to play under a decent coach aka Ruben Garrick , this management at the dragons simply must go they are destroying the club destroying the culture of what this club once stood for there alarming protection and support of a coach who’s been an utmost failure refusing to give these young kids a decent go and forcing them to leave and persisting with old dead wood is totally diabolical

 

[since77]

smarty.
the way basil is talking I get a feeling that there is a rift between the pair .. words like 'the head coach was very keen and has plans and the club has backed him / coaching staff have plans re luke / coach has had dialogue with both luke and cam in regard to 2020 / head coach really keen on luke ...
" So how much input from other assisstant coaches and even basil re signing luke or did supercoach dig his heels in throw a tanty and get his way .. Obviously supercoach sees luke as an absolute gamebreaker and the difference between 15th and "glory"
smarty just seem strange that basil just used head coach during the conversation and seems like they arent on the same page ( which cant help the club)
any ideas

I did notice that he certainly used odd turns of phrase several times in that interview - it was if he was deliberately trying to not mention McGregor.

 

[Dragon Revival]

Luke past his best, Graham concussed, De Belin not available, no playmakers, useless centres and crappy wingers and incompetent/cheating coaches. Good reasons to hope for the worst. Frank, Norm, Harry and our other stalwarts must be recoiling in horror as to how a club could have stuffed up so much!