Junior Amone

[Dragon David]

for 2022 - Bud needs to take Mbye's 14 jumper

Mbye is Hook's recruitment so he will keep him in the 14 jumper I reckon. Sullivan to Hook is a work in progress and knows he is still young and has time to further develop before getting a full time ticket in the first grade squad.

I think that many other club scouts/recruiters will be keeping their eyes on our young ones, not only Sloan, Sullivan, Amone, Ramsey, Feagaii boys but those that are coming through the system and so our pathways need to be clear and used for our youth and keep the ones we really know will turn out to be the best. We unfortunately can't keep them all but I would be pissed if we did lose players like Sullivan and Sloan too soon without giving them more chances in first grade.

Dragonslayer produced a list of players in the Signings thread as follows:-

"As we stand there are 22 players on our books for next year:

7 Backs:
Feagai x2, Lomax, Ramsey, Ravalawa, Sloan & Suli

3 Halves:
Amone, Hunt & Sullivan

1 Hooker:
McCullough

6 Props (leaving out JDB atm):
Burgess, J. Hunt, Kerr, Lawrie, F. Molo & Woods

2 Edge forwards:
Bird & Sua

1 Lock:
JDB

2 Utility players:
Fuimaono & Mbye

Hooker is the first signing priority:
Seeking a quality hooker, or do we go with promoting young Muhleisen. There's always Mbye!!

Signing a hooker from outside would mean 23 players in the squad

Props:
I think there will be some movement in this space. M. Molo should get a contract, and I think JDB will play middle from now on. Another that could be promoted is Coric, but another outsider would be a good thing.

Signing M. Molo, Coric and 1 from outside would mean increasing the squad to 26.

Edge forward:
Personally, I think Bird would be better suited at lock. I believe that we are in talks with Burns to re-sign, and I think they'll offer Gosiewski an extension.

Re-signing Burns and Gosiewski would mean increasing the squad to 28.

IMO only Moga might also get an extension so that would mean 29.

There's no rumour or whisper to say that any other player who is listed above are moving on.

From this we can see why we haven't been rampant in recruitment. There are tweaks here and there but the main priority remains a quality hooker. And yes, I may be far off course with a few that may be re-signed, but as for now, that's how I see us for season '23."

So we will have most of the guys in the squad for next year at least.

 

[slippery5]

Probably!

So taking the Jack Gibson approach ( which I would take take every day of the week over Griffin] used to say "pick your best 13 & move them around to play your best run on side.
Hence he used to play a half/ dummy half in Taylor at fullback.

So do you play Bud at 9 & leave Hunt at 7 or would it be stronger to play a familiar halves combination of Bud & Amone & play the QLD SOO hooker at 9???

I think I know the answer !!!!!!!!

 

[possm]

Hunt to hooker and we look for a replacement when Hunt leaves. So, no need to buy a hooker.

Ramsey, Sloan, and Stewart (next year as a development player), as fullbacks.

Ramsey, Matt Feagai, and Ravalawa as our wingers

Suli, Max Feagai, and Lomax as centers

Sullivan, Amone, and Sloan as our halves.

De Belin, F Molo, New prop, Lawrie, and Cotric as props

Su'A, Bird, Burnes, and two new players as our backrow forwards.

 

[denis preston]

The other point to consider is as good as he is playing , leaving Hunt at 7 wont make us premiers or even top 6 so why not plan for the future with both Bud & Hunt interchanging 7 & 9 ? A bit radical I know but unless there is a injury to one of the two halves he is not going to get the experience he needs. It also looks like the experience factor in playing reggies is diluted by the low standard and touch football quality defence that prepares no one for NRL.

 

[randomdragon]

didn't Ryan papenhuyzen come off the bench and play lock for the storm? and nicho Hynes. Hopefully bud is patient and bides his time which im sure he is.

 

[slippery5]

didn't Ryan papenhuyzen come off the bench and play lock for the storm? and nicho Hynes. Hopefully bud is patient and bides his time which im sure he is.

Didn't the Storm have a formidable 1, 6,7, & 9 already with B.Smith & H. Grant as back up 9's. That's why they came off the bench.
We unfortunately have a tortoise at 9 who does not engage the ruck or get us quick yards out of dummy half & because of that he is unable to give support if ( God forbid ) we make a break through the ruck, like your Smiths Grant & Koroisau do repeatedly for there teams.

 

[BLM01]

Would you say Hunt is our best 9???

No. he is our best 7 and you dont weaken a 7 to fill a 9.
McCulloch / Mybe / Connor M, McGuire or even Sullo can fight it out for our best 9 at this very minute. If we sign someone better than that lot then OK with that too
Over to you recruitment and retention

 

[redandwhite4evr]

Mbye is Hook's recruitment so he will keep him in the 14 jumper I reckon. Sullivan to Hook is a work in progress and knows he is still young and has time to further develop before getting a full time ticket in the first grade squad.

I think that many other club scouts/recruiters will be keeping their eyes on our young ones, not only Sloan, Sullivan, Amone, Ramsey, Feagaii boys but those that are coming through the system and so our pathways need to be clear and used for our youth and keep the ones we really know will turn out to be the best. We unfortunately can't keep them all but I would be pissed if we did lose players like Sullivan and Sloan too soon without giving them more chances in first grade.

Dragonslayer produced a list of players in the Signings thread as follows:-

"As we stand there are 22 players on our books for next year:

7 Backs:
Feagai x2, Lomax, Ramsey, Ravalawa, Sloan & Suli

3 Halves:
Amone, Hunt & Sullivan

1 Hooker:
McCullough

6 Props (leaving out JDB atm):
Burgess, J. Hunt, Kerr, Lawrie, F. Molo & Woods

2 Edge forwards:
Bird & Sua

1 Lock:
JDB

2 Utility players:
Fuimaono & Mbye

Hooker is the first signing priority:
Seeking a quality hooker, or do we go with promoting young Muhleisen. There's always Mbye!!

Signing a hooker from outside would mean 23 players in the squad

Props:
I think there will be some movement in this space. M. Molo should get a contract, and I think JDB will play middle from now on. Another that could be promoted is Coric, but another outsider would be a good thing.

Signing M. Molo, Coric and 1 from outside would mean increasing the squad to 26.

Edge forward:
Personally, I think Bird would be better suited at lock. I believe that we are in talks with Burns to re-sign, and I think they'll offer Gosiewski an extension.

Re-signing Burns and Gosiewski would mean increasing the squad to 28.

IMO only Moga might also get an extension so that would mean 29.

There's no rumour or whisper to say that any other player who is listed above are moving on.

From this we can see why we haven't been rampant in recruitment. There are tweaks here and there but the main priority remains a quality hooker. And yes, I may be far off course with a few that may be re-signed, but as for now, that's how I see us for season '23."

So we will have most of the guys in the squad for next year at least.

I'm in the Lomax to the forwards camp- probably lock -taking De Belin's place. This frees up a right centre position for one of the Feagais whom I still feel lack out and out pace for the wing.

 

[Gold_Coast Dragon]

No. he is our best 7 and you dont weaken a 7 to fill a 9.
McCulloch / Mybe / Connor M, McGuire or even Sullo can fight it out for our best 9 at this very minute. If we sign someone better than that lot then OK with that too
Over to you recruitment and retention

Hunt is not a complete halfback. Until Sullivan gets a few games there, we don't know who our best halfback is.

 

[KogarahWarrior]

I'm in the Lomax to the forwards camp- probably lock -taking De Belin's place. This frees up a right centre position for one of the Feagais whom I still feel lack out and out pace for the wing.

Not sure about Max, but from what I've seen, Matt has wonderful ball skills.

 

[BLM01]

Hunt is not a complete halfback. Until Sullivan gets a few games there, we don't know who our best halfback is.

No one said he is a complete halfback. He is our best ATM and proving it WIWO.
Sullivan may be.. in time but not now. I have watched him in reggies and 1sts when given a chance. Sullo is brave but he has still to learn all parts of kicking game and getting a side around a park.
However we all will be watching Round 17 closely where Sullo may get his chance at 7

 

[redandwhite4evr]

No one said he is a complete halfback. He is our best ATM and proving it WIWO.
Sullivan may be.. in time but not now. I have watched him in reggies and 1sts when given a chance. Sullo is brave but he has still to learn all parts of kicking game and getting a side around a park.
However we all will be watching Round 17 closely where Sullo may get his chance at 7

Hunt is an enigma and I'm conflicted about how the club should progress with him beyond 2022- yes, he is the club's best player and now a leader but if truth be told, he doesn't have a lot of consistent internal competition and thus the roller coaster results. He isn't even ranked as Queensland's top half back- let alone Australia's. Part of me doesn't want him to stand in the way of the next gen (Sullivan and Amone) in 2023 (or beyond) when he will be 33 and thinks he should be the starting No 9 with the ageing and slow McCullough, a good defender, given a back row role like McInnes for the final year of his contract. Hunt is one of those players who could probably play till he's 40-his body shape hasn't changed much in the years he's been playing but he is slowing and it shows in him struggling to tackle the quicker players. It may come down to the dollars he wants beyond 2023.

 

[slippery5]

No. he is our best 7 and you dont weaken a 7 to fill a 9.
McCulloch / Mybe / Connor M, McGuire or even Sullo can fight it out for our best 9 at this very minute. If we sign someone better than that lot then OK with that too
Over to you recruitment and retention

Yes, but Lockyer was Broncs best FB & Bennett had no issues moving him !!!!!!!
You can prance around all year with that belief or you can see what Bud & Amone can do as a combo & play Hunt at 9 to lead them forward.
Only the brave would do that, something our current & former coach are NOT.

 

[SEAT 1A]

Hook has raised a few eyebrows with his selections of Bud and Slone, I can't question his progression path with Amone.

Amone has put in from the start. He looked buggered early on however, never really looked out of place.

It's not black and white yet but in the Souths game, Hook's on the money with Amone.

 

[Illusion]

Yes, but Lockyer was Broncs best FB & Bennett had no issues moving him !!!!!!!
You can prance around all year with that belief or you can see what Bud & Amone can do as a combo & play Hunt at 9 to lead them forward.
Only the brave would do that, something our current & former coach are NOT.

Moving Hunt to 9 and Bud to 7 will give us much more attacking ability ......

 

[Walpole]

Moving Hunt to 9 and Bud to 7 will give us much more attacking ability ......

A season of that in 2023 and lure Reece Robson back for 2024, when his contract is up at the Cowboys. Solved.

 

[denis preston]

Hunts next contract is 2024 onwards ? Would his age catch up with him to play the most intense position on the field 9 ? Would the Dragons offer him a one or two year extension at half ( or a third ) his current contract to be a 14th player mainly playing a shared role at 9 ? What is clear to me is 7 shouldn't be his role by then, perhaps a fill in as 14th man at times but not his main role. Age catches up with everybody and we as a club have lived that more than most with Woods, Burgess, Macca, Merrin, Dan Hunt, Marshall,Cooper, Young, Hornby, Fien etc , etc , etc. Love St Wayne's policy , better cut them a year early rather than a year too late.

 

[Mojo]

Why can‘t we bring Muhleisen up-to-speed for 1st grade? From what I’ve seen of him, he’s a talented 9. With Macca and Hunt in their early 30s and Muhleisen and Sullivan in their early 20’s, there seems to be an obvious rotation/transition plan as far as I can see.

 

[BLM01]

Yes, but Lockyer was Broncs best FB & Bennett had no issues moving him !!!!!!!
You can prance around all year with that belief or you can see what Bud & Amone can do as a combo & play Hunt at 9 to lead them forward.
Only the brave would do that, something our current & former coach are NOT.

Bennett could afford that as he had the luxury of class around him in their squad.
And he moved him to even a more pivotal position from 1 to 6.
I will keep saying you dont move your best player in your side to 9
Big difference, if Hunt's form drops this year by all means, but until then we need more stability as we are just starting to get combos with our 1, 6 & 7

 

[justadragon]

No. he is our best 7 and you dont weaken a 7 to fill a 9.
McCulloch / Mybe / Connor M, McGuire or even Sullo can fight it out for our best 9 at this very minute. If we sign someone better than that lot then OK with that too
Over to you recruitment and retention

I'd like to agree with you but I cant, I have also watched Sullivan play and to me he has the potential to pull a game out of the fire moreso than hunt and is also a better game manager. yeah sure he will make mistakes and hopefully learn from them, and the ultimate is speed combined with vison. Hunt would still be able to doo what he does from 9 and in my opinion we would be enhancing our 7 with extra qualities that Sullivan has. But thats my opinion.