McInnes and Madge having breakfast together

[Maddragon99]

I wouldn’t, we bought Cam as a hooker and Hunt as a 7. We have a squad albeit an incomplete one and no matter what they are worth we select the best person in the best position imo. If Cam isn’t cutting it at 9 we bring in BB if Hunt isn’t cutting it at 7 we bring in Sullivan or Clune. Hunt can go back to CC and work on his game in a lesser comp not shunt a bloke out of position who is doing their job. If Hunt did his job, McInnes wouldn’t need to kick. Nothing stopping Hunt from taking a dart or kick out of dummy half anyway playing 7.

All your points are fair enough but in reality Hunt won’t ever play CC no way you’d risk a $1M player getting injured in CC.

Hook will give Hunt every opportunity at 7 if he does get dropped it’s more likely to the bench or extended bench.

The bigger question is can Hook fit Hunt/McInnes/Clune/Amone into the 2022 squad & the impact that has on the contract extension of McInnes.

 

[Coffs dragon]

I call it a bullshit story and seriously why would he want to return to the coaching of Madge Maguire.
Wasn’t Madge the coach responsible with letting him leave the Bunnies in the first place, because he had both Cook & signed Robbie Farah to be roadblocks in front of him.
That surely wouldn’t fill you with 100% confidence.
It’s purely a dip testing his market value for his management to sort out with the Dragons.

 

[Walpole]

I call it a bullshit story and seriously why would he want to return to the coaching of Madge Maguire.
Wasn’t Madge the coach responsible with letting him leave the Bunnies in the first place, because he had both Cook & signed Robbie Farah to be roadblocks in front of him.
That surely wouldn’t fill you with 100% confidence.
It’s purely a dip testing his market value for his management to sort out with the Dragons.

I don't know, being coached by Mary has probably opened his eyes.

 

[Old Timer]

All your points are fair enough but in reality Hunt won’t ever play CC no way you’d risk a $1M player getting injured in CC.

Hook will give Hunt every opportunity at 7 if he does get dropped it’s more likely to the bench or extended bench.

The bigger question is can Hook fit Hunt/McInnes/Clune/Amone into the 2022 squad & the impact that has on the contract extension of McInnes.

So you think risking an underperforming $1m player in 1st grade every week just because of his price tag is effective coaching?

Hook is a tough nut and make no mistake no one will carry favouritism with him regardless of their price tag.

 

[Coffs dragon]

I don't know, being coached by Mary has probably opened his eyes.

Whilst he all know that Mary was a peanut coach, he did have the confidence to sign McInnes and reward him with the captaincy after Gaz Widdop jumped off the sinking JetSki.
Certainly Madge is a far far better coach than McJetski, but I question his trust in Cam.

 

[Maddragon99]

So you think risking an underperforming $1m player in 1st grade every week just because of his price tag is effective coaching?

Hook is a tough nut and make no mistake no one will carry favouritism with him regardless of their price tag.

I’m just a realist mate, it’s naive to think a player’s financial value doesn’t impact the coach or clubs decisions.

Fore instance, if Hunt & Norman didn’t have such significant salaries they would have both been traded by now because they have both been abject failures. But as things stand they combine for almost 20% of our cap so therefore both Hunt & Norman will be playing first grade

 

[TruSaint]

I’m just a realist mate, it’s naive to think a player’s financial value doesn’t impact the coach or clubs decisions.

Fore instance, if Hunt & Norman didn’t have such significant salaries they would have both been traded by now because they have both been abject failures. But as things stand they combine for almost 20% of our cap so therefore both Hunt & Norman will be playing first grade

Not having a go at you, as what you say is a common practice, but its also the reason we have been abject failures for a decade.

Lets assume, as you say that both Hunt and Norman were dud signings. The worst thing you can do is reward that and double down on the error, just beacuse the wages bill says so.

It's what's frustrated fans and pundits alike. We have a handful of players that are "undroppable". The cost is already there, it wont go away, so playing out of form players, be it Hunt, Norman or anyone for that matter has a massive opportunity cost.

Im not suggesting they wont come good. I hope they do. However the team sheet should not be based on payroll.

Better players have been dropped over the years by many clubs.

 

[Old Timer]

I’m just a realist mate, it’s naive to think a player’s financial value doesn’t impact the coach or clubs decisions.

Fore instance, if Hunt & Norman didn’t have such significant salaries they would have both been traded by now because they have both been abject failures. But as things stand they combine for almost 20% of our cap so therefore both Hunt & Norman will be playing first grade

Glad you’re not the coach because that is just the sort of thinking that got us into this mess and if the club still supported that theory then Mc Fookknuckle would still be coach.

Get used to the new era because it is surely coming and thank god it isn’t long before we get to see it.

Hook owes nobody anything and all the duds in the roster are not of his doing.

Sure he will give them a chance but he won’t tolerate bad form regardless of who it is.

 

[Dragonslayer]

We have attempted to trade Norman not 1 single bite, even from o/s.
Hunt 'activated' his player option as he knew no-one wanted him. Wether he plays 1st grade or not is irrelevant. His salary is the same. Saying he has to play 1st grade is akin to saying Aitken was a star right centre.
Bennett, the master coach, had no issues dropping him to reserve grade. Another point here is Hunt has played 250+ games in first grade and.almost 1/3 of these coming off the bench.

A players salary should in no way determine their position in the team. If he doesn't like it then he can ask for a release, which at this stage the only takers maybe in ESL at an equivalent salary.

So, there are 4 ways this could play out:
1. He performs as a 7 at the highest level.
2. He gets dropped to the bench (which obviously he's used to)
3. He gets dropped to CC and hopefully regains his form aka as Bennet did
4. He seeks a release

Playing him as a 9 to justify his salary is McGregor like thinking. If he was killing it as a hooker then no issue, but statistically he's not.

As I said, he gets paid the same wether he plays 1st grade, CC, sits on the bench or doesn't play at all.

 

[thebigredv]

Since when would a Dragons captain be so keen to leave their club!? When was the last time that happened?

And people say our club isn't broken.

 

[TruSaint]

Since when would a Dragons captain be so keen to leave their club!? When was the last time that happened?

And people say our club isn't broken.

Steven Edge.
Hooker to boot.

 

[Old Timer]

Steven Edge.
Hooker to boot.

Slam dunk

 

[Old Timer]

Steven Edge.
Hooker to boot.

How did we forget Widdop?

 

[TruSaint]

How did we forget Widdop?

My bad

 

[Maddragon99]

Not having a go at you, as what you say is a common practice, but its also the reason we have been abject failures for a decade.

Lets assume, as you say that both Hunt and Norman were dud signings. The worst thing you can do is reward that and double down on the error, just beacuse the wages bill says so.

It's what's frustrated fans and pundits alike. We have a handful of players that are "undroppable". The cost is already there, it wont go away, so playing out of form players, be it Hunt, Norman or anyone for that matter has a massive opportunity cost.

Im not suggesting they wont come good. I hope they do. However the team sheet should not be based on payroll.

Better players have been dropped over the years by many clubs.

Given the club’s financial exposure I think it’s safe to assume that getting increased production out of Hunt/Norman is a KPI in Hook’s contract. It’s very unfair because is not responsible for their signings but he’s now responsible for their performance. His pre-existing relationship with them at Brisbane was no doubt a reason why Hook got the job.

Glad you’re not the coach because that is just the sort of thinking that got us into this mess and if the club still supported that theory then Mc Fookknuckle would still be coach.

Get used to the new era because it is surely coming and thank god it isn’t long before we get to see it.

Hook owes nobody anything and all the duds in the roster are not of his doing.

Sure he will give them a chance but he won’t tolerate bad form regardless of who it is.

as I said I’m just a realist.

 

[Maddragon99]

We have attempted to trade Norman not 1 single bite, even from o/s.
Hunt 'activated' his player option as he knew no-one wanted him. Wether he plays 1st grade or not is irrelevant. His salary is the same. Saying he has to play 1st grade is akin to saying Aitken was a star right centre.
Bennett, the master coach, had no issues dropping him to reserve grade. Another point here is Hunt has played 250+ games in first grade and.almost 1/3 of these coming off the bench.

A players salary should in no way determine their position in the team. If he doesn't like it then he can ask for a release, which at this stage the only takers maybe in ESL at an equivalent salary.

So, there are 4 ways this could play out:
1. He performs as a 7 at the highest level.
2. He gets dropped to the bench (which obviously he's used to)
3. He gets dropped to CC and hopefully regains his form aka as Bennet did
4. He seeks a release

Playing him as a 9 to justify his salary is McGregor like thinking. If he was killing it as a hooker then no issue, but statistically he's not.

As I said, he gets paid the same wether he plays 1st grade, CC, sits on the bench or doesn't play at all.

Apples & Oranges mate. Bennett’s authority is unquestionable. Hook has a 2 year deal so he has no choice other than to make it work.

 

[Crush]

How did we forget Widdop?

Because he was so forgettable.....

 

[TruSaint]

Given the club’s financial exposure I think it’s safe to assume that getting increased production out of Hunt/Norman is a KPI in Hook’s contract. It’s very unfair because is not responsible for their signings but he’s now responsible for their performance. His pre-existing rel

as I said I’m just a realist.

Again, I see your point.
I hope you can see mine.

As an example, after nearly 7 years of showing he wasn't up to the task, I would suggest even given our financial predicament, sacking Mary would have saved us in the long run.

Yes the payout would have hurt, but the upside would have made up for that. Recruitment/ retention, moral, memberships, etc would have compensated the loss.

The club has been penny wise and pound stupid for 10 years.

 

[Dragonslayer]

Apples & Oranges mate. Bennett’s authority is unquestionable. Hook has a 2 year deal so he has no choice other than to make it work.

Exactly, Hook can't afford to play underperforming players. As you say he doesn't have the time.

 

[Eatons Hill Dragon]

My bad

can we also add Trent Barrett in 2006 and then Mark Gasnier in 2008 to the list of departing skippers.