Manly in the gong.

[jeffdragon]

We need a miracle.
That sums it up

 

[justadragon]

Rav needs to go to ressies, possibly 4 new forwards, keep Marshke at14, we get pumped and there will be something else we need to fix.

 

[TheRev]

3 or 4 of the missing forwards will be back.. that will be huge.. Marschke seems night and day more dangerous and just more footy iq than mulheissen.. not sure about the backs.. dont think flanno will change them yet.. most of our problem is our pack... we really could have won by a lot tonight, but Flanno spoke to leg speed lacking from the middle which perhaps our missing 4 can fix.. manly wont be easy tho..

 

[Number of the Beath]

Rav needs to go to ressies, possibly 4 new forwards, keep Marshke at14, we get pumped and there will be something else we need to fix.

I couldn't agree more. Rava is shot.
A big, strong guy with legs like tree trunks but he just does not back himself.
Maybe we could exchange him for Schiller, who has the goods but isn't getting a go at the Raiders.

 

[Dragon David]

Rav needs to go to ressies, possibly 4 new forwards, keep Marshke at14, we get pumped and there will be something else we need to fix.

Rav is not the only one that should not be playing first grade. There are several that should be dropped. These past two weeks our players have clocked off when they should have been tough to break and with fierce intensity. We are a weak rabble and are just not good enough.

The team can improve in certain areas but the way that they can dissolve quickly and capitulate easily means that the improvement will take a lot more effort and getting the players to put in more. This means they will tire sooner. The better team players are able to pace themselves better and not use up unnecessary energy.

The Cowboys were under the pump when we shot way ahead on the scoreboard but they didn't panic and stuck to their guns and persevered and once they scored straight after bloody Mariner bombed a certain try, the floodgates just opened up and they were capable of defending their lead while we couldn't.

I'm sorry to say this but to me it is very obvious that this year will be a lot worse than what Flanno has said. He can say whatever, but blind Freddy can "see" that we just are not the full deck. Flanno and Co. are working on the basis that we were beaten by a few points in a number of games last year and with a bit more luck we could have won those games. It's like saying if I went to the shop a bit earlier I could have bought the winning lottery ticket - just not good enough.

So for the pre- season they have got the guys stronger, faster, fitter fair enough but so too have the other clubs and they have better players.

I say again, we did beat the Titans convincingly but they are not the yardstick for us to use as to how we will be travelling along this year. They have been a rabble as well so far under Dessie and he could be the first coach to be sacked.

I would not like to be in Flanno's shoes. He has massive problems to resolve.

 

[steerlerbab]

Flanno said he is putting the best 17. Well if you look at it closely, the base of this team is still what Hook was using, For example the backline is more or else the same that Hook had, Take Flanno Jnr out and put Amone in.

The problem is.

1. We cannot attract marquee players. We went after few this year and none came. We have to find out why? Is it the person that is negotiating for us? or what is it that others offer and we cannot.

2. We have not developed a noteworthy juniors in recent years. Sloan and Lomax are the only ones that play first grade regularly and came thru our junior ranks.

3. Even in non marquee player market, we seem to get those that have passed their use by date or those that would not make it in other teams.

We won;t end up wooden spooners as Flanno said but making top 8 is becoming harder and harder as we keep losing.

 

[TheRev]

Flanno said he is putting the best 17. Well if you look at it closely, the base of this team is still what Hook was using, For example the backline is more or else the same that Hook had, Take Flanno Jnr out and put Amone in.

The problem is.

1. We cannot attract marquee players. We went after few this year and none came. We have to find out why? Is it the person that is negotiating for us? or what is it that others offer and we cannot.

2. We have not developed a noteworthy juniors in recent years. Sloan and Lomax are the only ones that play first grade regularly and came thru our junior ranks.

3. Even in non marquee player market, we seem to get those that have passed their use by date or those that would not make it in other teams.

We won;t end up wooden spooners as Flanno said but making top 8 is becoming harder and harder as we keep losing.

Correct.. everyone on here laughed over the off-season when I have been telling them that the Tigers and Dogs are a minimum of 2yrs in front of us on a roster rebuild.. they got their marquees years ago (and tbf the market was much easier then), and they have continued to build on that in attracting more good quality 1st graders off the back of them.. plus both clubs have a series of kids come through that are the absolute real deal.. not just being carried for development.. they are genuine stars within their first few games.

This happened because we sat on our hands for 2-3 yrs as a club (probably more).. and every other club pulled away during this time.. even the Knights, Raiders, Sharks, Titans etc.... and now Flanno has an absolute nightmare situation ahead to fix it.. what he has to do is try to keep his/our head above water (scrounging wins) while our 18yr old kids come through.. but thats very hard to do if we arent winning 1st grade games... because we wont even be able to retain those kids... they'll be keen to take all those offers to go play for the roosters etc etc.

At the same time Shane has to keep trying to recruit those marquees (or frankly any incremental improvement he can find)... if I have only 1 complaint about the way Flanno handled the last 6 months.. is that he was very tight on the purse strings (which is prudent yes), but I dont think he realised just how difficult (and how critical) it was going to land that first big star.. and if it was me.. I would have happily paid 300k (or more) overs to get a Dearden or a Mam or an AFB or anyone that is a figure-head to build a side around... now we are looking at 2026 to 'maybe' land a marquee.. thats no use to us.. we may not have that long.... Shane is going to have to grind away in 2024, thinking outisde the box for how to improve this roster.. while at the same time trying to fix that line-speed of ours and get us some damn wins... if we dont get wins, our hole gets deeper and deeper.

 

[hewi]

As for the 8 that is a pipe dream especially with the for and against we have after 3 rounds. The question I keep asking myself is why can’t or don’t they come up in defence after about 10 minutes .

 

[2010Dragons]

Flanno said he is putting the best 17. Well if you look at it closely, the base of this team is still what Hook was using, For example the backline is more or else the same that Hook had, Take Flanno Jnr out and put Amone in.

The problem is.

1. We cannot attract marquee players. We went after few this year and none came. We have to find out why? Is it the person that is negotiating for us? or what is it that others offer and we cannot.

2. We have not developed a noteworthy juniors in recent years. Sloan and Lomax are the only ones that play first grade regularly and came thru our junior ranks.

3. Even in non marquee player market, we seem to get those that have passed their use by date or those that would not make it in other teams.

We won;t end up wooden spooners as Flanno said but making top 8 is becoming harder and harder as we keep losing.

Question: We cannot attract marquee players. We went after few this year and none came. We have to find out why?

Answer: Most marquee players don't want to travel over an hour every day to the Gong for training and games.
So, we end up with below average players chasing money (All of our dumb useless forwards)
Players who would not get a game with other clubs chasing money (Suli, Bird, RFMariner Flanno Jnr ).
Players who are ready to retire looking for a one last big pay. (Hunt & Debelin)

Most quality up and coming marquee players are born and breed in Sydney who want to be near family and mates and not travel 2 hours every day after getting flogged at training.

 

[Illusion]

Question: We cannot attract marquee players. We went after few this year and none came. We have to find out why?

Answer: Most marquee players don't want to travel over an hour every day to the Gong for training and games.
So, we end up with below average players chasing money (All of our dumb useless forwards)
Players who would not get a game with other clubs chasing money (Suli, Bird, RFMariner Flanno Jnr ).
Players who are ready to retire looking for a one last big pay. (Hunt & Debelin)

Most quality up and coming marquee players are born and breed in Sydney who want to be near family and mates and not travel 2 hours every day after getting flogged at training.

Would you come to us if you didn't have to ?

 

[2010Dragons]

Would you come to us if you didn't have to ?

Once when the mighty Dragons were a standalone team based in Sydney everyone wanted to play and join the club.
The merge was the worst thing that happened to this once mighty club.
Just look around… chooks, panthers, storm, broncos are all standalone successful clubs every new talented player wants to join.

 

[AyiosYiorgos]

Storm and Bronco's have been basically 1 team/1 city clubs, panthers shit for majority of their existence and chooks came alive again in the 2000's and are now ruthless and want to win at all costs. Sydney teams have up's and downs.
As long as we are shit we wont attract players, i don't believe the "Gong makes a difference to come and play at, players will come to get an opportunity, playrs will come to continue their careers, marquee players will sign if we are performing like a top 4 club, AFB chose sharks over us cause he thinks they can win a GF sooner than we can and that is the issue, we have performed shit for so long that players will go to another club, the next few years are crucial, we need a statement signing for next year we will need to prize a way a contracted player as their doesnt seem to be much available.

 

[Dragon David]

Once when the mighty Dragons were a standalone team based in Sydney everyone wanted to play and join the club.
The merge was the worst thing that happened to this once mighty club.
Just look around… chooks, panthers, storm, broncos are all standalone successful clubs every new talented player wants to join.

Yep, the merger isn't working for us one bit insofar as being a Dragons supporter goes. The merger has killed us and will continue to do so for the many reasons that have been said on this forum.

As TheRev has said, clubs like the Bulldogs and the other merged club the Tigers recognised the need to get "marquee" guys and they have done so and be ahead of us by at least 2 years. The Tigers have Luai still to come next year and the Dogs keep on changing their squad as quickly as they can.

The fact that we have two grounds separated by long drives does not make it attractive so that is one reason why we don't "get" the ones to come and the other is now the disharmony shown by a couple of the guys wanting out and the apparent unattractive club we have turned out to be.

 

[2010Dragons]

Back when Bennett was our coach, he suggested the players based in Sydney should carpool to training at the Gong.
So clever team of Gypsy, Tyson and many others purchased a minibus to shuttle the Sydney boys to training every training day.
Being involved with the club for many years, speaking to many new players, this is and was one of the biggest issues to attracted and retain good players.

 

[Draginzaaar]

Back when Bennett was our coach, he suggested the players based in Sydney should carpool to training at the Gong.
So clever team of Gypsy, Tyson and many others purchased a minibus to shuttle the Sydney boys to training every training day.
Being involved with the club for many years, speaking to many new players, this is and was one of the biggest issues to attracted and retain good players.

They were still doing that 2 or 3 years ago. Didn't work.

 

[currumbinsaint21]

I never thought we would make the eight this year but i thought we would be in the
battle for a while now after three rounds the only battle we are in is for the spoon

 

[Rocket Rod]

I agree with what most of you have said BUT there is one major problem other than our paltry roster which is and I’ve said it before that there are way too many teams and not enough quality players to go around. No teams have any depth even the Broncs they have a couple of stars out and they get belted. The Panfers may be the exception only because it is the rugby league heartland for juniors.
The NRL should be reducing the number of teams NOT increasing.
12 quality teams with none of these bullshit 40 and 50 scorelines

 

[since77]

Geez there's some miserable sods on this thread. It's round 3. Calm down. Things will turn around, just not at the speed some people here want. Blame the board and the previous three idiotic coaching appointments in a row for the spot we're in now. Flanagan will turn this around. But hey, it's going to take time.
I already like the 2024 Dragons more than the 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019 versions.
Dragons by 6.

 

[Dragon David]

I agree with what most of you have said BUT there is one major problem other than our paltry roster which is and I’ve said it before that there are way too many teams and not enough quality players to go around. No teams have any depth even the Broncs they have a couple of stars out and they get belted. The Panfers may be the exception only because it is the rugby league heartland for juniors.
The NRL should be reducing the number of teams NOT increasing.
12 quality teams with none of these bullshit 40 and 50 scorelines

I think you are right with what you have added Rocket. The more clubs we get playing in the NRL the worse the bottom clubs will become. There will be the haves and the have nots and the gulf between the two will get deeper and wider.

They might think that it will bring in a bit more revenue and presence in the sporting world but the expense of it all will be a massive drop off of the popularity for the bottom teams and that to me doesn't bode well.

There just won't be the good spread of the good players in all of the teams to benefit them. That is why there has to be a better system brought in on top of a stringent salary structure and cap, otherwise there will be struggles.

I agree that we should not be increasing the number of teams but reducing them to say 12 as you say Rocket so that there will be an better spread of talent and each team can play each other twice in the season and revert back to the top 4 in the finals.

As well as this we should have the two lower grades being played on the same day/venue to make it possible for fans to spend the whole day watching their teams playing in all grades. To me this will make game day more attractive to fans and that is what it should be about.

Again I am hoping for a win against the Sea Eagles next weekend. It's going to be tough of course but where there is a will, there is a way and Flanno has to find this desperately.

 

[hewi]

I would like to believe we can beat Manly by 6 , the reality is about the same as me finding a unicorn.