Jack Bird

[Drain the Dragon]

What annoys me is when these players make their NRL debut for another club and the impression given is that they've come through that club's system.

Whare made his debut at Manly. And I'll bet they will all talk Hastings up as a born and bred Rooster if he plays this weekend. Same with Bird if he goes elsewhere.

BTW, doesn't Jack Bird have an on-going health issue which is expensive to treat? And is the club providing him with any assistance with this condition?

 

[j0nesy]

Dean Whare left at the end of 09 when gasnier and cooper where at the height of their powers. Can any one name a junior (not established 1st grader ala josh morris) we should have kept over an established 1st grader, who left our club and career has kicked on.

Luke Patten / Amos Roberts
Craig Fitzgibbon / Solomon Homono

 

[TonyTrugett]

Luke Patten / Amos Roberts
Craig Fitzgibbon / Solomon Homono

Yeh not sure you read my question properly. Not established first graders. I was talking juniors looking for an opportunity.

 

[Rex Terp]

This is the risk for clubs like ours with strong nurseries. How much time and effort goes in to developing and fostering our youth only to have sides with strong cheque books come along and cherry pick? I don't know how we address it effectively. People talk of cap concessions for juniors, but you still have to have the funds to finance it.

It comes down to dollars and cents in the end. I honestly don't know how we compete with that at present. We certainly don't appear to be winning that battle on the face of it.

From what I hear, it's not necessarily money that is the issue. It's more on principle. The club won't pay an 18 year old x dollars because that's far too much etc etc. We want people to stays the club for the right reasons etc etc.

Personally I think it's archaic. And what concerns me is we have 5 home grounds, 2 regions, and starting now to focus a lot on external players. As I said above, unless you're wining every year, it starts to feel like a shell of a place.

 

[j0nesy]

Yeh not sure you read my question properly. Not established first graders. I was talking juniors looking for an opportunity.

Stewart brothers, ummm... that red haired bloke that went to NQL. Ummm... You're right not many.

 

[Godz Illa]

From what I hear, it's not necessarily money that is the issue. It's more on principle. The club won't pay an 18 year old x dollars because that's far too much etc etc. We want people to stays the club for the right reasons etc etc.

Personally I think it's archaic. And what concerns me is we have 5 home grounds, 2 regions, and starting now to focus a lot on external players. As I said above, unless you're wining every year, it starts to feel like a shell of a place.

Not to mention the whoring out of the jersey: the club's identity.

Our identity is diluted, we've all but abandoned our home, and apparently now the reliance on juniors - something the club prided itself on and held up as a key strength v. other clubs - is falling by the wayside. "Red v", "key communities", "organic growth"... our supposed foundations, are shown to be paper thin.

 

[Father Ted]

Not to mention the whoring out of the jersey: the club's identity.

Our identity is diluted, we've all but abandoned our home, and apparently now the reliance on juniors - something the club prided itself on and held up as a key strength v. other clubs - is falling by the wayside. "Red v", "key communities", "organic growth"... our supposed foundations, are shown to be paper thin.

And as time goes by you feel less and less a part of something that was wonderful. Actually I feel abandoned and it's all for the benefit of the corporates and television ratings and who will in turn abandon the club when enough disenchanted people walk away. Just my opinion but Doust and Smith have built the biggest house of cards.

 

[Father Ted]

Well here's hoping he will stay

 

[twinkletoes]

I don't think he would get the same mentoring at Cronulla compared to Young & Hornby so I can't understand why he would leave.

Unfortunately it seems to be the "Young People" mentality these days that they want everything instantly and not be patient to work towards achieving your goals

 

[bottle]

I don't think he would get the same mentoring at Cronulla compared to Young & Hornby so I can't understand why he would leave.

Unfortunately it seems to be the "Young People" mentality these days that they want everything instantly and not be patient to work towards achieving your goals

$$$ It's short term thinking, but it's what makes the world go around after all. There are some clubs you would think players would avoid like poison, the Sharks being one of them. Always involved in one drama or another. Yet still they manage to secure signings.

If what Rex says is right it's more about principle than affordability on our part though so that is disappointing if so.

 

[Godz Illa]

And as time goes by you feel less and less a part of something that was wonderful.

I'm losing my religion.

That's me in the corner

 

[CarrrnDragons]

same old furore when someone leaves... I remember the Evander Cummins, Kem Seru, Jake Marketo threads who are currently all on the bench for NSW cup teams.. Bird appears good, agreed, but in the NRL will he be too small for the forwards and too slow for the backs?? don't know him well enough..and if its 13 he is to play is he a better option than Merrin or JDB.. don't think so

 

[Mr Red]

same old furore when someone leaves... I remember the Evander Cummins, Kem Seru, Jake Marketo threads who are currently all on the bench for NSW cup teams.. Bird appears good, agreed, but in the NRL will he be too small for the forwards and too slow for the backs?? don't know him well enough..and if its 13 he is to play is he a better option than Merrin or JDB.. don't think so

no - but with a few off seasons training with the first grade squad putting on some size, he would definitely be a better forward option then Ah Mau, Hunt, Harrison, matthews, Groat and co, which i think is more the issue.
we let promising juniors leave only to sign and extend the contracts of has-beens from other clubs...

 

[Fingerbang]

no - but with a few off seasons training with the first grade squad putting on some size, he would definitely be a better forward option then Ah Mau, Hunt, Harrison, matthews, Groat and co, which i think is more the issue.
we let promising juniors leave only to sign and extend the contracts of has-beens from other clubs...

If he is off contract, and chooses to take an offer from another club....how in the hell is that "Dragons letting him leave"? He is a free agent and can take any offer he wants. Are you proposing Doust offers him stupid money he can't refuse?

 

[GT0007]

If he is off contract, and chooses to take an offer from another club....how in the hell is that "Dragons letting him leave"? He is a free agent and can take any offer he wants. Are you proposing Doust offers him stupid money he can't refuse?

Mr REDneck is not good with logic can you dumb it down a lil?

 

[watatank]

I don't think it's about us 'letting' a good young player go, they shouldn't even be in the open market for other clubs to sign. If you see most of the good young players at other clubs, they are either all signed up or their club quickly moves to have them signed up and find a pathway for them into the first grade system. You see these players debut, and you think that they would be a good addition to our club, only to find that that player is no chance of going anywhere. With us it always seems as though those players are more open to other clubs coming in and poaching. We have already lost Hastings, Bird could be next, they're two of our very best of a strong group of juniors.

 

[GT0007]

same old furore when someone leaves... I remember the Evander Cummins, Kem Seru, Jake Marketo threads who are currently all on the bench for NSW cup teams.. Bird appears good, agreed, but in the NRL will he be too small for the forwards and too slow for the backs?? don't know him well enough..and if its 13 he is to play is he a better option than Merrin or JDB.. don't think so

You're making too much sense!

 

[watatank]

same old furore when someone leaves... I remember the Evander Cummins, Kem Seru, Jake Marketo threads who are currently all on the bench for NSW cup teams.. Bird appears good, agreed, but in the NRL will he be too small for the forwards and too slow for the backs?? don't know him well enough..and if its 13 he is to play is he a better option than Merrin or JDB.. don't think so

What does Bird's place in the squad have to do with Merrin or De Belin?

He's a ball playing backrower, why does this limit him to 13? There are other positions in the backrow. He has actually been playing on the edge, a position we have no depth in, as opposed to what Merrin and De Belin do.

Bird has a history of playing in the halves, obviously been playing in the forwards most recently, I'm sure he could be a utility as he develops, maybe he could even convert to hooker. And he still has next year in the U20s so he still has plenty of time to grow and develop his game.

You're right in that we can't predict how good he will be or otherwise but surely you could recognise that the calibre of players coming through is not up to standard?

 

[Fingerbang]

I understand what you are saying watatank.....I just fail to see how Doust or the club are to blame if we lose him. If Bird chooses to not extend current contract....and wait to see what other offers he gets when off contract, and accepts an offer from another club....how is that Dragons letting him go?

 

[MaxPower]

same old furore when someone leaves... I remember the Evander Cummins, Kem Seru, Jake Marketo threads who are currently all on the bench for NSW cup teams.. Bird appears good, agreed, but in the NRL will he be too small for the forwards and too slow for the backs?? don't know him well enough..and if its 13 he is to play is he a better option than Merrin or JDB.. don't think so

Cummins is playing in the Sydney Shield comp, two levels below reserve grade.