Kyle Flanagan

[R&WTILLIDIE]

Our player roster is coming from a very low base. Flanno is developing our juniors and introducing them to the top grade. I think we need to back his judgement. I do find it frustrating that we can't recruit topliners like the other clubs. That should be one of the first items of business for our new CEO to solve. I'm over us rummaging through the reject bin of the other also-ran clubs.

Mate. This is my take. If you’re a top class young player, who has a number of top teams chasing after you. Why the f**k would you want to sign for a team where its home base is in f**king Wollongong when you can choose to live in Sydney where there all types of cool things available for a young kid. This is something that the St George faction didn’t think about when they merged with mediocre Illawarra…I mean, come on. One of the most famous rl clubs chose to sell their soul and merge with f**king Illawarra.

 

[possm]

Wouldn’t care if we had Haas and Tino - Kyle is still slow, poor kicking game and just overall a reserve grader skill set etc. that wouldn’t magically change, it’d just be masked

We need a clever halfback who can manage the team and make right decisions at the right time. DCE is the perfect solution.

 

[Saints supporter]

Mate. This is my take. If you’re a top class young player, who has a number of top teams chasing after you. Why the f**k would you want to sign for a team where its home base is in f**king Wollongong when you can choose to live in Sydney where there all types of cool things available for a young kid. This is something that the St George faction didn’t think about when they merged with mediocre Illawarra…I mean, come on. One of the most famous rl clubs chose to sell their soul and merge with f**king Illawarra.

This is an absolute furphy. Players go to Canberra to get an NRL start....nothing wrong with Canberra's roster. I can't put
my finger on why we can't attract and retain the best but it's definately not the location. Third parties? Club culture? Recruitment strategy? Poor management personnel?

 

[Lovemedragons]

Mate. This is my take. If you’re a top class young player, who has a number of top teams chasing after you. Why the f**k would you want to sign for a team where its home base is in f**king Wollongong when you can choose to live in Sydney where there all types of cool things available for a young kid. This is something that the St George faction didn’t think about when they merged with mediocre Illawarra…I mean, come on. One of the most famous rl clubs chose to sell their soul and merge with f**king Illawarra.

I am certain this is a factor, although the merger with Illawarra was not a completely stupid idea, if it had been done right. it wasn’t done right, it was done like if Australia and NZ merged as countries and we made Wellington the capital (sorry Kiwi friends).

 

[JohnnoMcJohnno]

This is an absolute furphy. Players go to Canberra to get an NRL start....nothing wrong with Canberra's roster. I can't put
my finger on why we can't attract and retain the best but it's definately not the location. Third parties? Club culture? Recruitment strategy? Poor management personnel?

I reckon it's a factor. If you're a young bloke and you're offered a run with a Sydney club or a Wollongong club, most will opt for Sydney. Canberra is a modern city, it's the National capital, plenty of facilities and good transport links, probably ranks above Wollongong as a destination in a lot of peoples minds.

I reckon it's probably not as big a factor as the perception of us being an amateur club in a professional competition, or the perception of being run by dinosaurs and old boys, or the perception of WIN as an owner who doesn't really care. But it's a factor nonetheless.

 

[since77]

This is an absolute furphy. Players go to Canberra to get an NRL start....nothing wrong with Canberra's roster. I can't put
my finger on why we can't attract and retain the best but it's definately not the location. Third parties? Club culture? Recruitment strategy? Poor management personnel?

The Dragons have been run by a board who have presided over a one way slide from premiership winning team in 2010 to having the worst roster in the NRL several seasons in a row. Over a decade of woeful decisions and poor roster management and idiotic coaching appointments. Finally have the right coach but still a terrible roster, particularly the forwards.
This will be the 7th year in a row we wont play finals. We’ve played 3 finals games since 2011. So why on earth would anyone of quality, anyone motivated by success want to play here? Unlike the other handful of desperate cellar dweller sides we won’t even try and pay overs to try and snare the players we need. The club is a joke, the board are incompetent and ambition-less and when and if we finally see success again it will probably be through luck (remember fluking into Wayne Bennett?) rather than design. Thats why we can’t recruit. It’s got nothing to do with geography.

 

[possm]

The NRL side should be St George who have two NSW Cup sides, Illawarra and St George. NRL home games at Kogarah and NSW Cup at Wollongong.

 

[maestro1]

This is an absolute furphy. Players go to Canberra to get an NRL start....nothing wrong with Canberra's roster. I can't put
my finger on why we can't attract and retain the best but it's definately not the location. Third parties? Club culture? Recruitment strategy? Poor management personnel?

Doust, Haran, Craig Young, Millward. They are the reason why.

 

[I'm Hornby]

Doust, Haran, Craig Young, Millward. They are the reason why.

So if we manage to sign a decent player soon are you going to heap praise on the above or will you redirect it all to your man the coach with the dubious past?

I would say most potential signings look at the club on face value and see a dodgy coach who cares nothing for player welfare other than his son and a club that only ever signs has beens. When they see that, the decision is pretty clear on where they sign.

 

[Dragon David]

The Dragons have been run by a board who have presided over a one way slide from premiership winning team in 2010 to having the worst roster in the NRL several seasons in a row. Over a decade of woeful decisions and poor roster management and idiotic coaching appointments. Finally have the right coach but still a terrible roster, particularly the forwards.
This will be the 7th year in a row we wont play finals. We’ve played 3 finals games since 2011. So why on earth would anyone of quality, anyone motivated by success want to play here? Unlike the other handful of desperate cellar dweller sides we won’t even try and pay overs to try and snare the players we need. The club is a joke, the board are incompetent and ambition-less and when and if we finally see success again it will probably be through luck (remember fluking into Wayne Bennett?) rather than design. Thats why we can’t recruit. It’s got nothing to do with geography.

Amazing, but not surprised, that we have not made finals for 7 years in a row including this wasted year.

We all know who the culprits are and what we lacked and still do and this has been a continuing saga for us fans.

Will this ever be part of history when we would say "remember the days when we used to whinge about our management, our roster, our coaches when all three were basket cases every year for 7 years or more"? I'd like to think so and it will happen but when is the big question?

We have all been patient but our patience is wearing thin. Each year we think everything looks promising but mostly it is false hope.

It will take someone who has total Dragons love and loyalty who will do anything at his level in management or a new part owner who can input lots of cash to get this once great club back up to the top. Rebuild the great Dragons image.

A good coach will find it tough to get the club to finals if the roster is mediocre. The spirit of the young ones we have coming through will need continued raising up and kept happy and developed to the best the club can achieve. We have the nucleus of a strong team for the years ahead which if managed well will bring us success.

 

[Gomarchin]

Amazing, but not surprised, that we have not made finals for 7 years in a row including this wasted year.

We all know who the culprits are and what we lacked and still do and this has been a continuing saga for us fans.

Will this ever be part of history when we would say "remember the days when we used to whinge about our management, our roster, our coaches when all three were basket cases every year for 7 years or more"? I'd like to think so and it will happen but when is the big question?

We have all been patient but our patience is wearing thin. Each year we think everything looks promising but mostly it is false hope.

It will take someone who has total Dragons love and loyalty who will do anything at his level in management or a new part owner who can input lots of cash to get this once great club back up to the top. Rebuild the great Dragons image.

A good coach will find it tough to get the club to finals if the roster is mediocre. The spirit of the young ones we have coming through will need continued raising up and kept happy and developed to the best the club can achieve. We have the nucleus of a strong team for the years ahead which if managed well will bring us success.

Just curious, but what are our two new BOD members (Creagh & Coyne) doing to make sure we become a club vying for premierships every year?

 

[raydragon]

Mate. This is my take. If you’re a top class young player, who has a number of top teams chasing after you. Why the f**k would you want to sign for a team where its home base is in f**king Wollongong when you can choose to live in Sydney where there all types of cool things available for a young kid. This is something that the St George faction didn’t think about when they merged with mediocre Illawarra…I mean, come on. One of the most famous rl clubs chose to sell their soul and merge with f**king Illawarra.

You are a real dickhead.

 

[Dragon David]

Just curious, but what are our two new BOD members (Creagh & Coyne) doing to make sure we become a club vying for premierships every year?

Yes, I'm wondering as well Gomarchin. Are they just yes men? Andrew Lancaster I thought would have been more active in making sure our football results would be far better than what they have been since he was appointed the Chairman of The Board. I somehow think that Peter Doust has some bearing on how things should be run and might have more to say even though Lancaster is the Chairman. I dunno, but it all starts and ends at the top and that is where we have problems methinks.