Lachlan Maranta joins the Dragons in 2019

[baggygreen man]

Was Tariq ever going to leave us? No. Not after his sensational 2018 and the fact his brother is joining making him the third Sims boy to play for the Dragons.

Reckon Norman is also a good replacement for Gaz. I have one beef why did we resign duds Dufty and Aitken.

@Dragonsman4life

 

[Dragonslayer]

OT if you have played league then you should know that young blokes coming through do look up and learn off other experienced players around them as I have done and I am sure others on here or anywhere can attest to.
Coaches and support staff are one thing, rubbing shoulders with experienced players when you get promoted are another
By the way I am not saying Maranta (who is only 25 now I believe) is the best answer or most experienced, or a great signing but he has some. I believe that is all Dragons are looking for to help these young backs coming through. Outside Aitken & Lafai who are centres we dont have experienced No's 1-5.
Your arguments that coaches do all for young players is flawed thats all. You said it yourself what is what like in the old days...that has not changed to a point.
Those clubs you are talking about debuting 20 year old wingers, tell me what players they surround themselves with to suppoty your argument of today.
We have a shortage in the back 5 thats all and did last year except for Flo.

May I add that youngsters of today are more interested in the $$$ rather than the prestige of wearing the jumper. The dats of working hard, then coming to training, playing on a weekend, then backing up for work on a Monday are long gone. Heroes now are scene as rich, with so much time on their hands, that inevitably gets them into trouble. The percentage of youth who can make the leap to 1st grade is very small, many fall at the hurdles that each level puts up be that SG Ball, HM, U20's or even ISP. The discipline required increases at each level, some just dont cut it. This is where older heads play an important role. Heads that are clean skinned and know the pitfalls of being a professional footballer, I feel are just as important as the right coaching.

We gave 6 young and promising juniors in our DS this year, an initiative I think the NRL has got right). Masters, Ford, Lomax (H), Saab, Lovodua and Blacker will all benefit from the the stories from these experienced heads. And dont tirger the youngsters who are already transitioned, such as Lomax (Z), Lawrie, Host and Robson to hame a few.

The issue OT is referring to, and I agree with him here, is that at the Dragons, these older heads are given priority, just because they have experience. The folly of this is that without opportunity, the youth will never get the experience they need. They of course leave, we scream that recruitement ket them go, but in reality, they were never given the opportunity because of this reliance on experience.

 

[BLM01]

May I add that youngsters of today are more interested in the $$$ rather than the prestige of wearing the jumper. The dats of working hard, then coming to training, playing on a weekend, then backing up for work on a Monday are long gone. Heroes now are scene as rich, with so much time on their hands, that inevitably gets them into trouble. The percentage of youth who can make the leap to 1st grade is very small, many fall at the hurdles that each level puts up be that SG Ball, HM, U20's or even ISP. The discipline required increases at each level, some just dont cut it. This is where older heads play an important role. Heads that are clean skinned and know the pitfalls of being a professional footballer, I feel are just as important as the right coaching.

We gave 6 young and promising juniors in our DS this year, an initiative I think the NRL has got right). Masters, Ford, Lomax (H), Saab, Lovodua and Blacker will all benefit from the the stories from these experienced heads. And dont tirger the youngsters who are already transitioned, such as Lomax (Z), Lawrie, Host and Robson to hame a few.

The issue OT is referring to, and I agree with him here, is that at the Dragons, these older heads are given priority, just because they have experience. The folly of this is that without opportunity, the youth will never get the experience they need. They of course leave, we scream that recruitement ket them go, but in reality, they were never given the opportunity because of this reliance on experience.

I agree with your comments but how is Maranta been given priority? and for what?.You have echoed what I said about rubbing shoulders with older players.
But OT was talking about the Maranta signing as I am in this case. A spot in the Top 30 who will likely play ISP all year as will Allgood. I dont necessarily agree with Maranta as the right player but I am in agreeance with the concept and why
....purely looking at who are outside our Top 30 or who are development players or just come in to the Top 30 as potential 1-5 positions.
We have minimal experience there and that is my point, not and I dont think he will get a start in 1st grade over our better or younger players although Basil referred to SOO cover which none of our back 5 will feature anyway which I agree is a stupid starry eyed justification

 

[denis preston]

Is this bloke from Bronco royalty ? Is he related to Barry Maranta ?

 

[Fat Tony Kandos]

Is this bloke from Bronco royalty ? Is he related to Barry Maranta ?

Barry is Lachlan's grandfather.

 

[denis preston]

Barry is Lachlan's grandfather.

Geez he was a Bronco founder , you would have thought he would have enough connections to get a call back to the Broncos system.Or he hates his grand fathers guts !

 

[Warabrook saint]

Was Tariq ever going to leave us? No. Not after his sensational 2018 and the fact his brother is joining making him the third Sims boy to play for the Dragons.

Reckon Norman is also a good replacement for Gaz. I have one beef why did we resign duds Dufty and Aitken.

@Dragonsman4life

Have you seen some of the tries Dufty scored this year

 

[Old Timer]

OT if you have played league then you should know that young blokes coming through do look up and learn off other experienced players around them as I have done and I am sure others on here or anywhere can attest to.
Coaches and support staff are one thing, rubbing shoulders with experienced players when you get promoted are another
By the way I am not saying Maranta (who is only 25 now I believe) is the best answer or most experienced, or a great signing but he has some. I believe that is all Dragons are looking for to help these young backs coming through. Outside Aitken & Lafai who are centres we dont have experienced No's 1-5.
Your arguments that coaches do all for young players is flawed thats all. You said it yourself what is what like in the old days...that has not changed to a point.
Those clubs you are talking about debuting 20 year old wingers, tell me what players they surround themselves with to suppoty your argument of today.
We have a shortage in the back 5 thats all and did last year except for Flo.

The 20 year olds that debut at other clubs are not surrounded by or reliant on hacs.
Their potential is observed, recognised and rewarded by surrounding them with 1st graders.
If you were talking a spine player or a tough nut up front then OK but a f**king B grade mid to late 20's winger is ridiculous.
Remember how did re-signing KFFL go for us?

 

[BLM01]

The 20 year olds that debut at other clubs are not surrounded by or reliant on hacs.
Their potential is observed, recognised and rewarded by surrounding them with 1st graders.
If you were talking a spine player or a tough nut up front then OK but a f**king B grade mid to late 20's winger is ridiculous.
Remember how did re-signing KFFL go for us?

I agree re KFFL but that was Mulholland and he was bought for a 1st grade position. You echo what I said you agree with the concept but not the choice but it is an ISP pick up only....no big issue to throw the toys out of the cot for.
We lack experience in the back 5. The problem is there is no one available for this year waiting for a contract yet except for maybe Hayne which was their target but we all know how that ended up.
We dont have money for a Jennings..he wants about 500K to switch otherwise he stays at Souths. Norman will use up most money available.
The last spot we have available they will wait for the right 1st grader who will be available prior to June 30 to boost our squad where you can pay them next to nothing (I hope) like a Gasnier in 2010

Just for starters look at last years Top 10's back 5 and then go to their next level down. St George has got the least experienced back 5 out the lot this year including depth in ISP.
That is our own recruitments fault and before people say why let Nene go. He was a loose cannon on and off the field and reportedly in his his training ethic and I support letting him go or if he was homesick or whatever.
What happens if Maranta kills it and plays like a star..who knows!

 

[possm]

I agree re KFFL but that was Mulholland and he was bought for a 1st grade position. You echo what I said you agree with the concept but not the choice but it is an ISP pick up only....no big issue to throw the toys out of the cot for.
We lack experience in the back 5. The problem is there is no one available for this year waiting for a contract yet except for maybe Hayne which was their target but we all know how that ended up.
We dont have money for a Jennings..he wants about 500K to switch otherwise he stays at Souths. Norman will use up most money available.
The last spot we have available they will wait for the right 1st grader who will be available prior to June 30 to boost our squad where you can pay them next to nothing (I hope) like a Gasnier in 2010

Just for starters look at last years Top 10's back 5 and then go to their next level down. St George has got the least experienced back 5 out the lot this year including depth in ISP.
That is our own recruitments fault and before people say why let Nene go. He was a loose cannon on and off the field and reportedly in his his training ethic and I support letting him go or if he was homesick or whatever.
What happens if Maranta kills it and plays like a star..who knows!

Maybe we did not need so many backup wingers that have not been test in first grade however, if we let Widdop go early, we would have R Jennings money plus. Mary and Millward must be happy with the standard of a couple of our wings - Pearson and Pereira.

 

[redandwhite4evr]

Maybe we did not need so many backup wingers that have not been test in first grade however, if we let Widdop go early, we would have R Jennings money plus. Mary and Millward must be happy with the standard of a couple of our wings - Pearson and Pereira.

Hard to understand what Millward saw in Maranta. Greg Martin is on record as saying that Maranta was the worst signing for the Queensland Reds that he had seen. It's almost like he's disappeared into the Bermuda Triangle for the last two years when he's been with the Reds-there's no mention of him. The omens look bad.

 

[watatank]

Did you see the Millward being interviewed about Maranta, pretty clear he is there to round out the top 30 squad. If you look at the players actually in the squad, Maranta looks like he will probably end up playing centre in ISP. Has a history of playing wing and fullback coming through the grades and may be asked to play there in ISP, depending on who gets called up to first grade. Highly doubtful he gets called up to play first grade ever (you never know) but it would take many injuries and no one developing for that to happen

 

[Drag Queen]

Did you see the Millward being interviewed about Maranta, pretty clear he is there to round out the top 30 squad. If you look at the players actually in the squad, Maranta looks like he will probably end up playing centre in ISP. Has a history of playing wing and fullback coming through the grades and may be asked to play there in ISP, depending on who gets called up to first grade. Highly doubtful he gets called up to play first grade ever (you never know) but it would take many injuries and no one developing for that to happen

Geez, that's a sweeping statement. Nobody thought Jordan Pierara would get a knock at FG either at the grand old age of 25 either. Keep an open mind.

 

[watatank]

He's in the top 30, he's available for selection. And he has actually played more first grade than all the fullback/wing options we have got. It's just unlikely he plays because we have players earmarked for those spots. Just stating the obvious.

 

[dragonssamy61]

Is this bloke from Bronco royalty ? Is he related to Barry Maranta ?

Yeap

 

[Dragonslayer]

Less than a week after the announcement of this signing and it still has me baffled beyond comprehension.

Millward in his interview was almost apologetic for signing him.

The only explanation I can come up with is tgat it fits the player profile McGregor wants. Average (some less) players with 1st grade experience, unwanted in the marketplace who can fit in to 1st grade at the drop of a hat. Think McCrone, Allgood and Lats.

The issue here us not the player, its the simple fact that McGregor has a habit of dropping his hat too regularly for my liking

 

[redandwhite4evr]

Less than a week after the announcement of this signing and it still has me baffled beyond comprehension.

Millward in his interview was almost apologetic for signing him.

The only explanation I can come up with is tgat it fits the player profile McGregor wants. Average (some less) players with 1st grade experience, unwanted in the marketplace who can fit in to 1st grade at the drop of a hat. Think McCrone, Allgood and Lats.

The issue here us not the player, its the simple fact that McGregor has a habit of dropping his hat too regularly for my liking

This bloke seems to be unwanted by NRL clubs and Rugby franchises alike- the fact that he doesn't seem to have played even a few minutes for the Reds in the last two years in a low achieving Reds Super Rugby Team worries me. As you say, It's not as if we're short of average players already.

With the fine handed out to the Tigers, it may be that Millward blinked too soon. They may have to shed players to meet their reduced 2019 cap. I wouldn't want any of their backs but a backrower like Chris Lawrence would be good to provide cover if De Belin is found guilty.

 

[Old Timer]

Geez, that's a sweeping statement. Nobody thought Jordan Pierara would get a knock at FG either at the grand old age of 25 either. Keep an open mind.

The difference is that Pereira never had a go at NRL level until he got his chance last year with us.
Maranta has had that chance and failed, left fir rugby and failed and then got a gig with us after 2 years in the wilderness and was even behind Nabuli so tell me why we need to keep an open mind.

 

[Life's Good]

If I was Lachlan Maranta I would be positively excited that a thread about me was 4 pages long. I'm pretty sure there would not be one single thread dedicated to him in the Broncos forum. We really know how to make new players welcome........

 

[possm]

Mary has a thing for experienced players who are past it. No doubt Maranta comes cheap and like Millward said, takes up one more spot in his squad of 30. Maranta will probably not get a run in first grade.