New recruits for 2023

[baggygreen man]

Reserve grader ? You're kidding .He did play some good games last year and under the right coach should come good. Admit discipline a problem but a good coach fixes that and never plays him in a position that exposes his defensive issues out wide.

We will have to differ on him then. One last word.. he is well into his career, at his fourth club (us twice), has never nailed down a position. Does some good things occasionally, mostly he looks clueless.

 

[possm]

Thank you for all that info. In my opinion, these figures should be public knowledge. Then there would be less chatting and more transparency.

Has Ben Hunt really been extended? Can't find that announcement anywhere?

 

[OneEyedDragon]

"Has Ben Hunt really been extended? Can't find that announcement anywhere?"

Quite right @possm . I am starting to get my hopes up that the club is finally showing some backbone and is not caving in to Hunt's demands. If so, I hope they stay strong, if they extend Hunt, do it on their terms, not his. While they are about it, they can stay firm on not granting any early releases to the talented juniors who might ask for a release. (They can give McCullough and Woods an early release if they want one!)
Unfortunately, my hopes are usually dashed quite quickly!

 

[blacksafake]

Has Ben Hunt really been extended? Can't find that announcement anywhere?

Will probably be announced at halftime of the GF tonight.

 

[BLM01]

Brent Read mentioned Ratchet Clauses in the new Hunt deal
Here are a couple i would insert and insist
1 Play where is best for the Team 7 or 9
2 Retire from all Rep Football commencing forth with
3 Delete any though of Hook being long term Coach or else
4 Assist at every opportunity with the development of Sullivan and Wallace
Point 2 the poignant one
At Bens age he should be now concentrating on Club football and not Rep Football
One would anticipate he will be selected in the Aussie World Cup squad , so he will have little or no recovery time , before pre season training
Same goes for Origin .Too much injury risk at his age
All energies into the Dragons or play elsewhere

He mentioned them cause the Dragons removed them and upped the offer

 

[Gareth67]

He mentioned them cause the Dragons removed them and upped the offer

My thoughts also BLMO1 . If he is prepared to represent his home state at hooker he should at the very least do the same for “ the club he wanted to stay with “ - his words .

How many players have done the same through out the years , so many that the list would fill a Wilbur Smith novel .

The time has come for Ben to make the transition to the hooker role that he has filled so admirably for Queensland and by so doing allowing the young chaps their opportunity in the halves .

The Dragons would be a far more potent team in attack should that eventuate .

 

[OneEyedDragon]

My thoughts also BLMO1 . If he is prepared to represent his home state at hooker he should at the very least do the same for “ the club he wanted to stay with “ - his words .

How many players have done the same through out the years , so many that the list would fill a Wilbur Smith novel .

The time has come for Ben to make the transition to the hooker role that he has filled so admirably for Queensland and by so doing allowing the young chaps their opportunity in the halves .

The Dragons would be a far more potent team in attack should that eventuate .

Agreed. Hunt to hooker might be tougher on Ben, but it would help the Dragons keep the youngsters and help build the club for the future. Fans might tolerate a few losses if they could see the club at least moving towards better things.

 

[SaintPeter]

Surely the Penrith club have some excess talent (esp front rowers) that Hook (and our other talent scouts ??) would know about and be able to bring to our club.
They sure looked like they have plenty of young guns coming through.

 

[Dragon David]

Surely the Penrith club have some excess talent (esp front rowers) that Hook (and our other talent scouts ??) would know about and be able to bring to our club.
They sure looked like they have plenty of young guns coming through.

Please see the Rumours thread. Latest post is that we and the Tigers are after Lenui.

 

[Dragon David]

Surely the Penrith club have some excess talent (esp front rowers) that Hook (and our other talent scouts ??) would know about and be able to bring to our club.
They sure looked like they have plenty of young guns coming through.

The Koori Cup competition showed several big guys running around with plenty of ability. Several would already have contracts with NRL clubs but there surely would have been others wanting a club to join and if there were any of our scouts there then maybe they might be lining up a couple who could help our cause?

 

[denis preston]

Surely the Penrith club have some excess talent (esp front rowers) that Hook (and our other talent scouts ??) would know about and be able to bring to our club.
They sure looked like they have plenty of young guns coming through.

That's what our Pathways program is all about until we just recently blocked our most promising player in a decade position at 7 !

 

[denis preston]

He mentioned them cause the Dragons removed them and upped the offer

Do you know this for a fact BLM ? You would think for sure transition for Bud must have been discussed and thats why it probably took so long to negotiate. Upped the Hunt offer to make sure of it and save them having to pay 800k for a decent hooker perhaps ? We probably will never know and these things in Dragons land are very much kept in house.

 

[SGMax]

I find it hard to be too critical of the Dragons recruitment while the NRL creates such an uneven playing field favouring the wealthier clubs.
I have done the estimate calculation on our roster and can see where they have used up their cap.
The NRL need to take a look at the obvious inequities and realise this system doesn't work and its being rorted.

I cannot understand how the Roosters can have Tedesco, Manu, Tupou, Sualli, in their back 5 and not be under cap pressure....and even still be considering a play for RTS....after signing B.Smith and have Keary and Walker (now with 3 years under his belt) in the halves. It goes on in their pack as well.

The Panthers are releasing a few players but a look across their team still makes it hard to believe they can squeeze them all in under the cap....surely even the young talent get upgraded once they establish themselves in 1st grade.
Dragons have 1 marquee player and we are struggling to fit in any new top line talent.

The other big difference is how patient the emerging talent is with the wealthier teams....waiting for their limited opportunities for years while at the Dragons, even while signed to long term contracts and inexperienced and unproven they are making demands for 1st grade spots or to leave for other teams.

 

[Dragons4me]

I find it hard to be too critical of the Dragons recruitment while the NRL creates such an uneven playing field favouring the wealthier clubs.
I have done the estimate calculation on our roster and can see where they have used up their cap.
The NRL need to take a look at the obvious inequities and realise this system doesn't work and its being rorted.

I cannot understand how the Roosters can have Tedesco, Manu, Tupou, Sualli, in their back 5 and not be under cap pressure....and even still be considering a play for RTS....after signing B.Smith and have Keary and Walker (now with 3 years under his belt) in the halves. It goes on in their pack as well.

The Panthers are releasing a few players but a look across their team still makes it hard to believe they can squeeze them all in under the cap....surely even the young talent get upgraded once they establish themselves in 1st grade.
Dragons have 1 marquee player and we are struggling to fit in any new top line talent.

The other big difference is how patient the emerging talent is with the wealthier teams....waiting for their limited opportunities for years while at the Dragons, even while signed to long term contracts and inexperienced and unproven they are making demands for 1st grade spots or to leave for other teams.

Gread post. So just how will the Panthers fit all of their players under the salary cap? Will the NRL be prepared to scrutinise the books of probably their most successful current NRL club? More importantly, would we ever find out? That's the cynical and jealous me talking. I guess success breeds success and where TPA's come into play. If only we had a visionary BOD who similarly wanted to see our brand up where it deserved to be. I live in hope

 

[redv13]

Nothing about our game is a level playing field.
Salary Cap . Please!!!
3rd party agreements.
Unfair draws year after year.
The strong get stronger whilst the weak get weaker. Every team has the same $ amount to spend for 30 man squads yet realistically only a very small few have a legitimate chance to win the gf.

Our great game is now a joke and the bosses don’t give a f**k

 

[Trifili13]

Nothing about our game is a level playing field.
Salary Cap . Please!!!
3rd party agreements.
Unfair draws year after year.
The strong get stronger whilst the weak get weaker. Every team has the same $ amount to spend for 30 man squads yet realistically only a very small few have a legitimate chance to win the gf.

Our great game is now a joke and the bosses don’t give a f**k

Agree. First of all you don't play everyone home and away so the competition is compromised before a tackle is made, or in our a 6 again is given.

 

[bathtime]

Betting more and more supporters are beginning to hate Ben Hunt. Yet we look like being stuck with him for three more bloody years. $700K acceptable $900K unacceptable. We have been denied a decent prop to boost our pack and a much needed line busting edge forward because of this man's self interest. If Hunt had the clubs best interests at heart he'd have accepted the lesser offer. If FO had any balls they'd had told Hunt take the first offer as the kitty is empty. He did not so as a life long Dragons diehard I call him an egostistical greedy a***hole with not one iota of true RedV character.

No . I'm not his contract which we are not really privy to, are his business trying to get the most cash out of last seasons. This would have been a sad year without him.

 

[Gareth67]

I find it hard to be too critical of the Dragons recruitment while the NRL creates such an uneven playing field favouring the wealthier clubs.
I have done the estimate calculation on our roster and can see where they have used up their cap.
The NRL need to take a look at the obvious inequities and realise this system doesn't work and its being rorted.

I cannot understand how the Roosters can have Tedesco, Manu, Tupou, Sualli, in their back 5 and not be under cap pressure....and even still be considering a play for RTS....after signing B.Smith and have Keary and Walker (now with 3 years under his belt) in the halves. It goes on in their pack as well.

The Panthers are releasing a few players but a look across their team still makes it hard to believe they can squeeze them all in under the cap....surely even the young talent get upgraded once they establish themselves in 1st grade.
Dragons have 1 marquee player and we are struggling to fit in any new top line talent.

The other big difference is how patient the emerging talent is with the wealthier teams....waiting for their limited opportunities for years while at the Dragons, even while signed to long term contracts and inexperienced and unproven they are making demands for 1st grade spots or to leave for other teams.

Excellent post SGMax !

 

[Gareth67]

Agreed. Hunt to hooker might be tougher on Ben, but it would help the Dragons keep the youngsters and help build the club for the future. Fans might tolerate a few losses if they could see the club at least moving towards better things.

It certainly would be for the betterment of the team . And as you say O.E.Dragon ,there will also be some early losses as they find their feet.

However we must remember that no young player comes into 1st grade without a few stumbles along the way . Of course a good coach would be able to smooth the path for them , but eventually they will build the confidence to go on to bigger and better things.

Finally , all clubs have gone through these same situations in bringing their youth to take over from an ageing team stalwart , there is simply no getting away from this , as it is part of the cycle of life of a - all rugby league players.

Unfortunately there are occasions where the coach fails to see that .

 

[possm]

I'd like to see the NRL take more of an interest in the performance of their Club BODs. An in the end try to correct some of the poor decision making going on by some clubs.

At the very least, under the NRL license, provide a star rating from 1 to 10 on the performance and shape of each club on an annual basis.

In addition, it would not be such a bad idea if Clubs were invited to rate the NRL with a star rating of 1 to 10 each year as well.