Latu - Packer replacement

[Dennis Papaioannou]

Is he as good or better than Packer?
Has Millward got any salary cap left?

Surely money isn't the issue with the departure of both Packer and Dugan.
This should be a priority signing as Latu is just as aggressive and robust as Packer but offers more in attack.
He is a beast and would add another dimension to our pack.
Wouldn't you like to see Millward get of his bum and really have a crack at this signing?
He let Packer walk out the door without a whimper.
Redemption awaits.

 

[Drag Queen]

Surely money isn't the issue with the departure of both Packer and Dugan.
This should be a priority signing as Latu is just as aggressive and robust as Packer but offers more in attack.
He is a beast and would add another dimension to our pack.
Wouldn't you like to see Millward get of his bum and really have a crack at this signing?
He let Packer walk out the door without a whimper.
Redemption awaits.

I'm not sure Packer was on big coin. The resigned juniors (which were quite a few) would be on 80K each. It all adds up and we paid god knows how much on Hunt. Not sure the coffers are as good as we would like.

 

[Dragon Revival]

If Dugan is currently on $750,000 and Packer $300,000, Milne $200,000, McCrone $200,000 and FaiFai Loa $200,000 we must have money available of over $1 million for new signings unless someone has stuffed up.

 

[Drag Queen]

If Dugan is currently on $750,000 and Packer $300,000, Milne $200,000, McCrone $200,000 and FaiFai Loa $200,000 we must have money available of over $1 million for new signings unless someone has stuffed up.

Are you sure about these numbers mate? I know Milne is on half what you quoted here.

 

[TomRedVRiver]

We're going to have a fight on our hands if the Knights want him. They'll offer him crazy money, they're desperate for decent first graders right now and have the money to splurge.

 

[Mattc]

We're going to have a fight on our hands if the Knights want him. They'll offer him crazy money, they're desperate for decent first graders right now and have the money to splurge.

I can live with being outbid if they were to offer him crazy money. What I can't live with is not being in the running in the first place. Latu would be an ideal addition, and if he wants to leave Penrith, we need to be in the running.

 

[Dragon Revival]

The sum of the 5 figures that I have estimated total $1,650,000 and with the departure of Glymin, Havili, Lewis, Masoe, Marketo, Matthews and others over $2 million dollars will be going out of the salary cap which will be reduced by payments to Hunt and Pereira and other contract upgrades.We must have at least $1 million to spend on external players plus any increase in the salary cap.

 

[Frank Facer]

If Dugan is currently on $750,000 and Packer $300,000, Milne $200,000, McCrone $200,000 and FaiFai Loa $200,000 we must have money available of over $1 million for new signings unless someone has stuffed up.

I recall hearing/reading that Dugan is on 850K this year.

 

[Dragonslayer]

If everything is fact about who is chasing him then he would need to choose between:
Knights: coach N Brown - team that probavly will win its 2nd consecutive spoon this year. Possible improvenent in 2018.
Warriors: coach S Kearney - team has potential but has never really delivered or has the will to deliver.
Dragons: coach P McGregor - team that will probably play finals footy this year but is plagued by coaching mediocrity and poor decisions.

My thoughts are that the Broncos will make a late play for him as a long term prop and release Blair (add to that they are also loosing Ese Ese).

Those are his choices and i know who will win in the long run.

 

[age.s]

Panthers fan, here in peace.

I like Latu. He was excellent in 2016. I wouldn't call him a Packer replacement. He's not going to lead your pack but he's big enough, very skillful with a nice offload and was willing to have a go. I was super impressed with him last year but he's been pretty poor this year. Seems lazy, disinterested, grabby defense and a few pounds heavier than he should be. Could be a symptom of our dud coach but he could also be one of those players who fades in and out of form. I'm never going to be thrilled about losing a young player with plenty of room to improve but at the moment he's the weakest player in our 17 for mine and we're having an utterly dud year.

I'd have Packer over him as a player (even at his best), but by all accounts he's a good dude so he'd be a culture improvement. If he does join your lot I genuinely hope he does well (against anyone but us ).

 

[Dennis Papaioannou]

The sum of the 5 figures that I have estimated total $1,650,000 and with the departure of Glymin, Havili, Lewis, Masoe, Marketo, Matthews and others over $2 million dollars will be going out of the salary cap which will be reduced by payments to Hunt and Pereira and other contract upgrades.We must have at least $1 million to spend on external players plus any increase in the salary cap.

The point is we need to sign quality - no journeymen or fringe first graders hoping that McGregor will coach them to stardom.
Having McGregor as our coach doesn't exactly provide a lot of incentive to come to St.George which has hamstrung us all along..

 

[Dennis Papaioannou]

Panthers fan, here in peace.

I like Latu. He was excellent in 2016. I wouldn't call him a Packer replacement. He's not going to lead your pack but he's big enough, very skillful with a nice offload and was willing to have a go. I was super impressed with him last year but he's been pretty poor this year. Seems lazy, disinterested, grabby defense and a few pounds heavier than he should be. Could be a symptom of our dud coach but he could also be one of those players who fades in and out of form. I'm never going to be thrilled about losing a young player with plenty of room to improve but at the moment he's the weakest player in our 17 for mine and we're having an utterly dud year.

I'd have Packer over him as a player (even at his best), but by all accounts he's a good dude so he'd be a culture improvement. If he does join your lot I genuinely hope he does well (against anyone but us ).

You wanna swap coaches? Our dud fr yours

 

[Gareth67]

That's has always been the Dragons problem for quite some time now - we are too damn slow making any sort of move for players . Pounds to peanuts that Millward will discover that Latu will be available when someone mentions that it is on the Dragon Forum .

Either that or we will be ' trumped ' at the very end by one of the money clubs .
All I can say , is that if he is indeed looking for a capable replacement for big Russ , then he had better get moving , before the cobwebs are so bluudy thick , that he won't be able to exit his office .

Getting back to Latu , I just seen a pic. of him , very similar in looks to that firebrand Jeremy Smith . That was a great signing for the Big Red V and if Latu has the same potential , he would indeed be a good addition to our forward pack .

 

[dragonssamy61]

Are you sure about these numbers mate? I know Milne is on half what you quoted here.

Milne on 85 to 100 so i think you are spot on

 

[dragonssamy61]

That's has always been the Dragons problem for quite some time now - we are too damn slow making any sort of move for players . Pounds to peanuts that Millward will discover that Latu will be available when someone mentions that it is on the Dragon Forum .

Either that or we will be ' trumped ' at the very end by one of the money clubs .
All I can say , is that if he is indeed looking for a capable replacement for big Russ , then he had better get moving , before the cobwebs are so bluudy thick that he won't be able to exit his office .

Gareth all that worring is no good for your health lol

 

[blacksafake]

Knowing us he'll sign with the warriors & we'll end up with Lillyman with Millward trumping him an experienced rep player

 

[age.s]

You wanna swap coaches? Our dud fr yours

Hmm not sure you'd enjoy seeing Widdop at fullback, De Bellin at 5/8 and Dugan catching a cold at center. Mary probably won't have some eerie form of mind control over Gould so there's a chance he could actually be turfed. I'll take the risk I think.

 

[Saint_JimmyG]

If Warriors and Knights are the other options we should be pushing hard for him to come to the Dragons. Knights are a project that many won't want to get onboard with, and moving to NZ is a big commitment. Sign him up and he can slot in for Packer replacement easily.

With McGregor and co. in charge, the Dragons are also a long-term "project" that many players are avoiding at all costs.

 

[Saint_JimmyG]

Doesn't look like he will be at Penrith next year.
Couple of clubs interested but would be a good replacement for Packer.
Big and aggressive that can also offload.
Still pretty young - long term prospect.
Thoughts?

Saints are more likely to recruit a Dunamis Lui standard type of player before signing someone who is worth getting excited about.

 

[Gareth67]

Gareth all that worring is no good for your health lol

Yes your right Sammy . It's just that my whittling knife is broken and I needed something to get my teeth into . Ethel is no good , both of her hearing - aids are on the blink , so she can't hear a damn thing I say to her .
She was watching the news the other day and saw Queen Lizzie and told me that she isn't the Queen of England anymore ? ?
I hope that is not a sign of things to come . But I am not worried , I always have my beloved Dragons to look forward to .