Lachlan Maranta joins the Dragons in 2019

[JohnnoMcJohnno]

I'd rather get Vidot back.

 

[ALSGI]

Well may he be a depth signing but he isn’t a very good one as he is absolute shit and Millward should keep his mouth shut instead of offering dumb comments like he will be handy at SOO time.
As if any of our 1-5 are going to get picked for rep duties and the notion that if one did that Miranda would be a shoe in to play NRL is farsical.
As I said if you need to sign him do so but stop guilding the Lilly

FMD mate. Very negative again.

How dare we sign an experienced, professional for some added depth and experience in a young ISP team for a whole year! Then a presser pretty much saying exactly that.

Millward didn’t gild the lilly in any way, in fact probably shattered any hope Lachlan has of playing FG. He talked about him not being a Nene replacement, but did say he wouldn’t be overwhelmed if he got an opportunity. A very good point really. Also talked about his experience being an influence on the younger players and finally said he was a “good little pick up”.

WTF is wrong with any part of the presser?

 

[Old Timer]

FMD mate. Very negative again.

How dare we sign an experienced, professional for some added depth and experience in a young ISP team for a whole year! Then a presser pretty much saying exactly that.

Millward didn’t gild the lilly in any way, in fact probably shattered any hope Lachlan has of playing FG. He talked about him not being a Nene replacement, but did say he wouldn’t be overwhelmed if he got an opportunity. A very good point really. Also talked about his experience being an influence on the younger players and finally said he was a “good little pick up”.

WTF is wrong with any part of the presser?

Love it how you & others keep going to the negative button re what I post but when I post positives about our youth and how they should get a go ahead of all the plodders we sign, it is never seen as positive it is couched in "they're not ready or not up to it terms".
I am negative about the likes of Maranta as that IMO is what his signing deserves.
Tell me exactly what Maranta has done in the last 2 years that warrants him being a "good little pick up"?
He left RL because he couldn't cut the mustard, yet now he returns to RL and is considered a good depth signing whilst we lose youth that had potential upside.
We are a club that refuses to find out the unanswered questions that loom around our youth as we continue to fill the roster with cast offs.
We signed Pereira, Pearson, the "Fijian Sensation" who are all unproven and now a plodder as a back up and people consider that as good, well I consider it shit and would rather see our youth on the wing and in the centres in ISP.
Imagine if Lomax does make 1st in the centres and either Aitken or Lafai goes to ISP and you have Maranta there as well do you not think the pathway is yet again blocked?
Re The presser why even mention he will be handy when SOO comes around and does that not constitute that he would be in the mix and if so I consider that guilding the Lilly?
In fact it is such a lack lustre signing why did we even have a presser?
All the media all the hype re: big signings, re: we will wait until the cap issues come to the fore and good players are forced onto the market and today we announce Maranta FMD people are easily pleased.
Have a look at all the posts about who was coming and see if anyone mentioned Maranta as a good option but because Millward says it is people fall into line.
For the record much of our depth is already in 1st grade so get it back to ISP where it belongs and buy a proven star and then I'll think Millward is doing well.

 

[ALSGI]

Love it how you & others keep going to the negative button re what I post but when I post positives about our youth and how they should get a go ahead of all the plodders we sign, it is never seen as positive it is couched in "they're not ready or not up to it terms".
I am negative about the likes of Maranta as that IMO is what his signing deserves.
Tell me exactly what Maranta has done in the last 2 years that warrants him being a "good little pick up"?
He left RL because he couldn't cut the mustard, yet now he returns to RL and is considered a good depth signing whilst we lose youth that had potential upside.
We are a club that refuses to find out the unanswered questions that loom around our youth as we continue to fill the roster with cast offs.
We signed Pereira, Pearson, the "Fijian Sensation" who are all unproven and now a plodder as a back up and people consider that as good, well I consider it shit and would rather see our youth on the wing and in the centres in ISP.
Imagine if Lomax does make 1st in the centres and either Aitken or Lafai goes to ISP and you have Maranta there as well do you not think the pathway is yet again blocked?
Re The presser why even mention he will be handy when SOO comes around and does that not constitute that he would be in the mix and if so I consider that guilding the Lilly?
In fact it is such a lack lustre signing why did we even have a presser?
All the media all the hype re: big signings, re: we will wait until the cap issues come to the fore and good players are forced onto the market and today we announce Maranta FMD people are easily pleased.
Have a look at all the posts about who was coming and see if anyone mentioned Maranta as a good option but because Millward says it is people fall into line.
For the record much of our depth is already in 1st grade so get it back to ISP where it belongs and buy a proven star and then I'll think Millward is doing well.

Mate, the 26yo guy hasn’t played a game for us yet and he’s already a shit signing according to you. That’s really a pretty f**ked up view imo. I’m impressed that you didn’t call him a journeyman but a plodder is not justified until he plods for us.

As for Millward mentioning SOO in the presser - that’s what depth ‘squad’ players are for, and he qualified the comment by saying “if he get’s the opportunity”. Doesn’t mean he’s on anybody’s radar for FG.

I agree with your view on our juniors and pathways. I’d prefer to risk one of ours in the squad but it doesn’t mean Maranta is shit signing or that Millward gilded the lilly in the presser in any way.

 

[denis preston]

Love it how you & others keep going to the negative button re what I post but when I post positives about our youth and how they should get a go ahead of all the plodders we sign, it is never seen as positive it is couched in "they're not ready or not up to it terms".
I am negative about the likes of Maranta as that IMO is what his signing deserves.
Tell me exactly what Maranta has done in the last 2 years that warrants him being a "good little pick up"?
He left RL because he couldn't cut the mustard, yet now he returns to RL and is considered a good depth signing whilst we lose youth that had potential upside.
We are a club that refuses to find out the unanswered questions that loom around our youth as we continue to fill the roster with cast offs.
We signed Pereira, Pearson, the "Fijian Sensation" who are all unproven and now a plodder as a back up and people consider that as good, well I consider it shit and would rather see our youth on the wing and in the centres in ISP.
Imagine if Lomax does make 1st in the centres and either Aitken or Lafai goes to ISP and you have Maranta there as well do you not think the pathway is yet again blocked?
Re The presser why even mention he will be handy when SOO comes around and does that not constitute that he would be in the mix and if so I consider that guilding the Lilly?
In fact it is such a lack lustre signing why did we even have a presser?
All the media all the hype re: big signings, re: we will wait until the cap issues come to the fore and good players are forced onto the market and today we announce Maranta FMD people are easily pleased.
Have a look at all the posts about who was coming and see if anyone mentioned Maranta as a good option but because Millward says it is people fall into line.
For the record much of our depth is already in 1st grade so get it back to ISP where it belongs and buy a proven star and then I'll think Millward is doing well.

Glass half Full OT ! You talk of potential scenarios in a very negative fashion. I would have thought all fans would be interested in who we signed for the ISP side , particularly as he has NRL experience , which answers your last line. Retention & recruitment is not like a game of Monolpoly and is probably one of the hardest roles in a club and over the past 3 years Millward has done very well at it ( or should I say excellent. ? ) My impression ( and I may be wrong ) is that whenever the club makes a decision it is the wrong one in your eyes. Keep that up and you run the risk that your opinion won't count for much here and you will have to change your moniker to either Statler or Waldorf. !

 

[Old Timer]

Mate, the 26yo guy hasn’t played a game for us yet and he’s already a shit signing according to you. That’s really a pretty f**ked up view imo. I’m impressed that you didn’t call him a journeyman but a plodder is not justified until he plods for us.

As for Millward mentioning SOO in the presser - that’s what depth ‘squad’ players are for, and he qualified the comment by saying “if he get’s the opportunity”. Doesn’t mean he’s on anybody’s radar for FG.

I agree with your view on our juniors and pathways. I’d prefer to risk one of ours in the squad but it doesn’t mean Maranta is shit signing or that Millward gilded the lilly in the presser in any way.

Agree to disagree but just because I don't like something / someone doesn't mean I'm negative.
It just means I hold a different position to someone else.
I call it as I see it and IMO if the notion of good RL players (especially backs) going to RU and then coming back better isn't farcical enough the though that mediocre RL players going to RU not making it and then coming back better is even more farcical.
Brad Thorne & SBW are the 2 exceptions and that is for a very good reason.
For the record if either Lafai or Aitken was in ISP would we need Maranta as the depth signing?

 

[TomRedVRiver]

Love it how you & others keep going to the negative button re what I post but when I post positives about our youth and how they should get a go ahead of all the plodders we sign, it is never seen as positive it is couched in "they're not ready or not up to it terms".
I am negative about the likes of Maranta as that IMO is what his signing deserves.
Tell me exactly what Maranta has done in the last 2 years that warrants him being a "good little pick up"?
He left RL because he couldn't cut the mustard, yet now he returns to RL and is considered a good depth signing whilst we lose youth that had potential upside.
We are a club that refuses to find out the unanswered questions that loom around our youth as we continue to fill the roster with cast offs.
We signed Pereira, Pearson, the "Fijian Sensation" who are all unproven and now a plodder as a back up and people consider that as good, well I consider it shit and would rather see our youth on the wing and in the centres in ISP.
Imagine if Lomax does make 1st in the centres and either Aitken or Lafai goes to ISP and you have Maranta there as well do you not think the pathway is yet again blocked?
Re The presser why even mention he will be handy when SOO comes around and does that not constitute that he would be in the mix and if so I consider that guilding the Lilly?
In fact it is such a lack lustre signing why did we even have a presser?
All the media all the hype re: big signings, re: we will wait until the cap issues come to the fore and good players are forced onto the market and today we announce Maranta FMD people are easily pleased.
Have a look at all the posts about who was coming and see if anyone mentioned Maranta as a good option but because Millward says it is people fall into line.
For the record much of our depth is already in 1st grade so get it back to ISP where it belongs and buy a proven star and then I'll think Millward is doing well.

Ravalawa. His name is Mikaele Ravalawa.

You and others should start using his name rather than just calling him the Fijian flyer/sensation/extraordinare.

 

[Old Timer]

Glass half Full OT ! You talk of potential scenarios in a very negative fashion. I would have thought all fans would be interested in who we signed for the ISP side , particularly as he has NRL experience , which answers your last line. Retention & recruitment is not like a game of Monolpoly and is probably one of the hardest roles in a club and over the past 3 years Millward has done very well at it ( or should I say excellent. ? ) My impression ( and I may be wrong ) is that whenever the club makes a decision it is the wrong one in your eyes. Keep that up and you run the risk that your opinion won't count for much here and you will have to change your moniker to either Statler or Waldorf. !

The answer to that is in the eye of the beholder.
If people are observant they will see that I question plodders at the expense of our youth and if that is being negative then long may I be so because I would rather f**k around finding out if someone can make 1st grade and hold down a position rather than have a back up who has already failed that task.
As i just posted to ALSGI if Lafai or Aitken was in ISP would we need Maranta?

 

[GC Dragon]

Our club has a serious fetish with plodders . I understand we need minimum wage roster fillers but what's wrong with our so called talent scouts finding a few 18 or 19year old kids who at least have a small chance of becoming first graders .
Players like Maranta , Nickols , Allgood are never was never will be players . And the idea that they can teach young players is equally ridiculous . What exactly are they teaching ?...How to become serial reserve graders ?

 

[redandwhite4evr]

The addition of R Jennings would give us a very solid backline with depth not seen for a number of years:

1. Dufty, Norman, Field, Maranta, Lomax
2. Jennings, Pearson, Pereira
3. Lomax, Maranta, Aitken
4. Jennings, Lafai, Pearson
5. Pearson, Pereira, Ravalawa, Maranta
6. Widdop, Norman Field
7. Hunt, Norman, Field

Note: Norman and Jennings still not signed.

I'll admit that Maths was not my strongest subject at school, but I'm wondering how we can sign Norman, Maranta ÁND Jennings with the cap space we're reported to have at our disposal in 2019.

Journalists quote figures which may not be accurate so my analysis might be well off. The DT recently quoted SGI had about $550,000 to throw at Norman in 2019 and Norman was on nearly $900,000 at Parra of which they've already paid a small component towards his 2019 salary. That was before Mann was released.

Assuming Mann's release freed up around $350,000 (maybe more- who would know), I was thinking that SGI had more than enough to fund a reduced contract for Norman- but not much more.

Today, the DT has announced that SGI will be paying Norman around $600,000 in 2019 and more for 2020 and 2021 from Widdop's deal when he departs at the end of 2019.

Don't know what they got Maranta for but it appears to me that we'd have less than $300,000 to offer Jennings for 2019 - which is probably less than he's already rejected at Souths.

As I say, there's a lot of conjecture in these figures so if anyone has any other analysis that can get Jennings on board, I'm all ears.

 

[denis preston]

The answer to that is in the eye of the beholder.
If people are observant they will see that I question plodders at the expense of our youth and if that is being negative then long may I be so because I would rather f**k around finding out if someone can make 1st grade and hold down a position rather than have a back up who has already failed that task.
As i just posted to ALSGI if Lafai or Aitken was in ISP would we need Maranta?

So who are you classifying as "plodders " who are taking the NRL spots of Host , Hoss , Lulia , Dufty , Field and Robson ? ( who I agree must be given good game time next year , if they deserve it )

 

[MILEY CYRUS]

Maranta makes scoring an easy try look difficult. Bombed so many tries for the Broncos. A bit like Nightingale this year.
Maranta couldn't even make the QLD Reds team. Any decent NRL player normally ends up playing for the Wallabies.

 

[possm]

I'll admit that Maths was not my strongest subject at school, but I'm wondering how we can sign Norman, Maranta ÁND Jennings with the cap space we're reported to have at our disposal in 2019.

Journalists quote figures which may not be accurate so my analysis might be well off. The DT recently quoted SGI had about $550,000 to throw at Norman in 2019 and Norman was on nearly $900,000 at Parra of which they've already paid a small component towards his 2019 salary. That was before Mann was released.

Assuming Mann's release freed up around $350,000 (maybe more- who would know), I was thinking that SGI had more than enough to fund a reduced contract for Norman- but not much more.

Today, the DT has announced that SGI will be paying Norman around $600,000 in 2019 and more for 2020 and 2021 from Widdop's deal when he departs at the end of 2019.

Don't know what they got Maranta for but it appears to me that we'd have less than $300,000 to offer Jennings for 2019 - which is probably less than he's already rejected at Souths.

As I say, there's a lot of conjecture in these figures so if anyone has any other analysis that can get Jennings on board, I'm all ears.

Millward said he was looking at recruiting two outside backs and a marque player. No one except a small group of people know how much we have left in our cap but I feel sure we would have enough to fit in Norman at 500k - half price with Parra paying the rest, Marander whith Herbert's ISP money and Jennings with Mann's money plus what we had left in the cap after Widdop departs. Everything points to Widdop leaving prior to round 1 of season 2019.

 

[GC Dragon]

Well may he be a depth signing but he isn’t a very good one as he is absolute shit and Millward should keep his mouth shut instead of offering dumb comments like he will be handy at SOO time.
As if any of our 1-5 are going to get picked for rep duties and the notion that if one did that Miranda would be a shoe in to play NRL is farsical.
As I said if you need to sign him do so but stop guilding the Lilly

Got to admit I had a laugh at that ...Like the origin selectors will be lining up for our Wingers . I have watched Maranta play and he isn't a hope in hell of playing first grade .

 

[Old Timer]

So who are you classifying as "plodders " who are taking the NRL spots of Host , Hoss , Lulia , Dufty , Field and Robson ? ( who I agree must be given good game time next year , if they deserve it )

DP
I suppose the definition of "depth" probably needs to be better defined in the context of these debates and for mine it means he could make it into 1st grade and he is ahead of most others we already have in the ranks in ISP.
I'm on the record for Latimore, Lafai & Aitken all plodders, IMO Pereira is honest but not sure he would get a gig at any other club however all good quality depth signings and should be ISP.
If Latimore was ISP full time then Allgood could be dispensed with most likely.
When I say Maranta is a road block that is in the context of if we pick our best side Lomax plays 1sts so either Lafai or Aitken or both (Norman dependant) is / are in ISP so if Maranta is also in ISP then he will obviously be blocking someone from the juniors.
In recent years we have had so many ordinary players jamming the joint up with not so many high quality signings, that I see the only way forward is from within or high quality signings, where we will no doubt pay overs until we at least become a real force in the competition and then we might acquire better players without paying overs.
What coach / recruitment in his right mind would even contemplate a Lachlan Miranda style player getting a gig behind our pack and if that was not their intention then don't call him a "depth" signing call him a hack or a filler.

 

[Saint_JimmyG]

We are kidding aren’t we surely this is not for real?
Just watched Millward’s presser and I love the KPI “he’s a really good person”
Couldn’t get a permanent gig in NRL got even less time in Rugby but we give him a home and Millward says he will be handy at SOO time also said the same of Allgood FMD that sort of talk shits me to tears.
We are already bog average in the centres and wing so let’s be even more so.
If you want to buy him do so but make it abundantly clear to the fans that he is ISP only and stop trying to justify yet another “bargain”

TBF, Maranta’s tenure at Brisbane was curtailed by injury, not talent. Up until his last year in the NRL, he was a fairly regular player in Wayne Bennett’s squad.

His acquisition does seem redolent of Denan Kemp though. The sad reality is Maranta gets a gig in first grade, he’ll be the Dragons most experienced winger by a considerable margin.

 

[ALSGI]

Our club has a serious fetish with plodders . I understand we need minimum wage roster fillers but what's wrong with our so called talent scouts finding a few 18 or 19year old kids who at least have a small chance of becoming first graders .
Players like Maranta , Nickols , Allgood are never

Ravalawa. His name is Mikaele Ravalawa.

You and others should start using his name rather than just calling him the Fijian flyer/sensation/extraordinare.

Agree, don’t like the tone of the flyer comments.

Mika is what they call him I believe. Good luck to him.

 

[BLM01]

I'll admit that Maths was not my strongest subject at school, but I'm wondering how we can sign Norman, Maranta ÁND Jennings with the cap space we're reported to have at our disposal in 2019.

Journalists quote figures which may not be accurate so my analysis might be well off. The DT recently quoted SGI had about $550,000 to throw at Norman in 2019 and Norman was on nearly $900,000 at Parra of which they've already paid a small component towards his 2019 salary. That was before Mann was released.

Assuming Mann's release freed up around $350,000 (maybe more- who would know), I was thinking that SGI had more than enough to fund a reduced contract for Norman- but not much more.

Today, the DT has announced that SGI will be paying Norman around $600,000 in 2019 and more for 2020 and 2021 from Widdop's deal when he departs at the end of 2019.

Don't know what they got Maranta for but it appears to me that we'd have less than $300,000 to offer Jennings for 2019 - which is probably less than he's already rejected at Souths.

As I say, there's a lot of conjecture in these figures so if anyone has any other analysis that can get Jennings on board, I'm all ears.

Dont forget 2 months pf Normans salary for 2019 has been paid by Parra in Nov / Dec, that is 940 - 150 odd. No one knows what the figures are or break up. Dont listen to reporters guessing what is in our salray cap. They also guess from speaking to player managers

 

[redandwhite4evr]

Dont forget 2 months pf Normans salary for 2019 has been paid by Parra in Nov / Dec, that is 940 - 150 odd. No one knows what the figures are or break up. Dont listen to reporters guessing what is in our salray cap. They also guess from speaking to player managers

I hadn't forgotten- that's why I mentioned that Parra had already paid a small component of his 2019 salary.

But it is all guess work as you say- if the JDB situation is as bad as his accuser makes out, we might need to keep some of this money for a good backrower. We're a bit thin on experience and quality after Frizz, Sims and Luc. I don't rate Host.

 

[BLM01]

I hadn't forgotten- that's why I mentioned that Parra had already paid a small component of his 2019 salary.

But it is all guess work as you say- if the JDB situation is as bad as his accuser makes out, we might need to keep some of this money for a good backrower. We're a bit thin on experience and quality after Frizz, Sims and Luc. I don't rate Host.

I do rate Host but needs a bit more size and needs to be a better defender but I think it will come..but sure we dont have a replacement for JDB. But I was thinking the other day that I thought on field after the origin stuff JDB was still in the clouds in regards to focusing on what he needed to do in the back half of the year and rip in for us. I was just wishing he would get out of the backline in attack..injury or not he thought he was irreplacable...he was in the 17 and did not perform as well after origin. He did play OK in the Broncos game but who did'nt.