New recruits for 2023

[chewbacca]

"We have the Better Latrell"

Can anyone access the article about the team in today's Daily Telegraph? I refuse to give money to the evil empire but someone else may have less morals/ more money than me?

 

[Lethal25]

Forget about the Tigers. Damn Dragon Management. We never did need Woods and still don't need him. He is just soaking up salary cap space.

I couldn't agree more Possm. We have actually gone backwards in terms of signings vs lost players. It's hard to fathom how an organisation has dug a hole so deep that the only recognised player signings are two guys who couldn't even crack the wooden spooners first grade team. Couple this with previous years recruitment i.e. Woods & Mbye and it paints a grim picture

Bit of a rant here but give supporters some hope, that's all people want at this stage.

 

[Gareth67]

It is very disheartening to view the papers or FoxSports and see the signings of so many other teams .

The Dragons don’t get a mention , as they simply have not been as successful .

Money is undoubtedly the lure that will get players from one club to another , however the prospects of winning a premiership is also just as great .

It seems that the Dragons miss out on both counts , lack of financial clout and true prospects of holding the silver trophy anytime soon .

 

[Dragons4me]

It is very disheartening to view the papers or FoxSports and see the signings of so many other teams .

The Dragons don’t get a mention , as they simply have not been as successful .

Money is undoubtedly the lure that will get players from one club to another , however the prospects of winning a premiership is also just as great .

I don't understand it either. Whilst I don't like losing our cherished and historic ties to Kogarah where I was born, raised and love for the Dragons began, give me the south coast to live and play my 1st grade footy every time.

 

[Dragonslayer]

A member in JA wrote a very good post as to the apparent lackluster recruitment situation. Not to paraphrase but essentially:
1. It's pretty well certain this is Hook's final year of coaching, signing players that are on overs and longer term contracts will not sit well with the incoming coach (whoever that maybe)
2. The salary cap hasn't been finalised yet, but some talk it will be around 10.5m. However, it seems most, if not all of the increase, will be eaten up by the suggested increase in the minimum wage from $80k to $150k.
3. Teams that have 'gambled' on the cap increasing just to fit players in may have to squeeze out just to be cap compliant, case in question is the suggestion Stephen Crighton maybe one the Panthers have to let go, seeing they have gone big on retaining To'o and Martin.
4. The Dolphins entry has made it more competitive to sign any player and Agents are playing chess to get the best result for their client, playing off one against another, again this goes back to the previous point about cap management.

I think these are very valid points and playing the waiting game may prove more beneficial in the long run, than a brief "feel good' signing. We have some very promising youngsters signed to us and that side of the recruitment has been excellent, with a net cast far and wide, from country NSW to Northern Queensland to even NZ. Of course these boys will need a lot of guidance and some luck to make it all the way through. But, imagine we do produce a star, ready to go, only for them to be blocked by an overpaid lazy log who is only after the cash cow.

We need players who want to play and wear the Red V with pride and dignity, to which these youngsters will bring. Not some lard, who thinks the Red V is a $20 note.

 

[Dragon David]

A member in JA wrote a very good post as to the apparent lackluster recruitment situation. Not to paraphrase but essentially:
1. It's pretty well certain this is Hook's final year of coaching, signing players that are on overs and longer term contracts will not sit well with the incoming coach (whoever that maybe)
2. The salary cap hasn't been finalised yet, but some talk it will be around 10.5m. However, it seems most, if not all of the increase, will be eaten up by the suggested increase in the minimum wage from $80k to $150k.
3. Teams that have 'gambled' on the cap increasing just to fit players in may have to squeeze out just to be cap compliant, case in question is the suggestion Stephen Crighton maybe one the Panthers have to let go, seeing they have gone big on retaining To'o and Martin.
4. The Dolphins entry has made it more competitive to sign any player and Agents are playing chess to get the best result for their client, playing off one against another, again this goes back to the previous point about cap management.

I think these are very valid points and playing the waiting game may prove more beneficial in the long run, than a brief "feel good' signing. We have some very promising youngsters signed to us and that side of the recruitment has been excellent, with a net cast far and wide, from country NSW to Northern Queensland to even NZ. Of course these boys will need a lot of guidance and some luck to make it all the way through. But, imagine we do produce a star, ready to go, only for them to be blocked by an overpaid lazy log who is only after the cash cow.

We need players who want to play and wear the Red V with pride and dignity, to which these youngsters will bring. Not some lard, who thinks the Red V is a $20 note.

All good points Dragonslayer.

 

[redandwhite4evr]

A member in JA wrote a very good post as to the apparent lackluster recruitment situation. Not to paraphrase but essentially:
1. It's pretty well certain this is Hook's final year of coaching, signing players that are on overs and longer term contracts will not sit well with the incoming coach (whoever that maybe)
2. The salary cap hasn't been finalised yet, but some talk it will be around 10.5m. However, it seems most, if not all of the increase, will be eaten up by the suggested increase in the minimum wage from $80k to $150k.
3. Teams that have 'gambled' on the cap increasing just to fit players in may have to squeeze out just to be cap compliant, case in question is the suggestion Stephen Crighton maybe one the Panthers have to let go, seeing they have gone big on retaining To'o and Martin.
4. The Dolphins entry has made it more competitive to sign any player and Agents are playing chess to get the best result for their client, playing off one against another, again this goes back to the previous point about cap management.

I think these are very valid points and playing the waiting game may prove more beneficial in the long run, than a brief "feel good' signing. We have some very promising youngsters signed to us and that side of the recruitment has been excellent, with a net cast far and wide, from country NSW to Northern Queensland to even NZ. Of course these boys will need a lot of guidance and some luck to make it all the way through. But, imagine we do produce a star, ready to go, only for them to be blocked by an overpaid lazy log who is only after the cash cow.

We need players who want to play and wear the Red V with pride and dignity, to which these youngsters will bring. Not some lard, who thinks the Red V is a $20 note.

Points 2,3 and 4 make sense DS- the Dragons being the quiet achievers, cultivating local talent/promising fringe players and playing the long game.

BUT - and it's a massive but-and I'm sounding like a broken record because I've said it before- why would these same sage, quiet achieving, long game playing Dragons visionaries extend the tenure of a lame duck coach for 2023 knowing that we can't rely on promise alone and need to recruit proven quality for 2024. These recruits and their agents will require some certainty around the coaching. I'm assuming that the Dragons will have a crack at Jeremiah Nanai but getting him to leave NQ and come to Wollongong for money alone probably won't work- unless- UNLESS- there is movement on the Dean Young front as well.

 

[Crush]

Do we really have super promising youngsters signed to us? Like I mean, I’m sure we do but are ours any more promising than other clubs?
Did we kill it at junior level last year? Just glancing at the various ladders, we came 10/16 in NRL, 8/12 in reserves, 4/12 in Jersey Flagg, St George 14/15 in SG Ball, Illawarra 5/15 in SG Ball.

It’s hardly outstanding.

 

[randomdragon]

Do we really have super promising youngsters signed to us? Like I mean, I’m sure we do but are ours any more promising than other clubs?
Did we kill it at junior level last year? Just glancing at the various ladders, we came 10/16 in NRL, 8/12 in reserves, 4/12 in Jersey Flagg, St George 14/15 in SG Ball, Illawarra 5/15 in SG Ball.

It’s hardly outstanding.

beat penrith twice in jersey flegg and they won the comp.

 

[Yow]

Do we really have super promising youngsters signed to us? Like I mean, I’m sure we do but are ours any more promising than other clubs?
Did we kill it at junior level last year? Just glancing at the various ladders, we came 10/16 in NRL, 8/12 in reserves, 4/12 in Jersey Flagg, St George 14/15 in SG Ball, Illawarra 5/15 in SG Ball.

It’s hardly outstanding.

No club has a whole team come thru out of reggies or Jersy Flegg even if they win the comp as long as you can get 3 or 4

 

[possm]

We could have 17 top-line juniors involved in our junior system but that would make very little difference to our current situation. Putting all your eggs into the 'promising junior basket' is half our problem. In fact, I would dare to say that a mix of promising juniors as back-fill top-line 17 mixture of juniors from previous years and recruits from outside the club is the preferred solution.

Furthermore, if St George were a stand-alone club with no ties to the Illawarra, we like many other clubs could just pick and choose whichever promising juniors from any district we wanted without the cost and responsibility of running the Illawarra junior development program. An additional benefit of not having to partner with WIN Corp who since buying the Illawarra shares have done nothing other than promote and facilitate things in Wollongong.

For me the joint venture with Illawarra has been a complete failure. The only way this could have succeeded was if the St George arm controlled first-grade and reserve-grade with the Illawarra arm being charged with junior development and a feeder club role for St George.

In my time, Illawarra along with Cronulla are break-away clubs form the once great St George Club. If the NRL wanted a regional club in Wollongong, then they should have invested accordingly, in the same way they did in Newcastle.

I am 66 years of age, was born in Wollongong, and followed St George all my life. I just can't see the benefit of the 'joint venture' where any club can target an Illawarra junior club or player well outside their district and with relatively little cost.. Furthermore, I am very sure there would not be the division at Board level nor the backroom deals done that are plainly against the interests of the Club.

I say the Club should be challenging the NRL to fairly compensate development Clubs and write rules to protect their interests. Make it clear that the current system is not viable and present the St Georg Club case as an example; a top-line club brought to its knees through a joint venture program that did not deliver the promises and projected claims of a Super Club as the end result.

Instead, we sit quietly and watch the push from the Illawarra Gordons and WiIN Corp together with the NRL, slowly but progressively facilitating the relocation of our club to Wollongong.

 

[Crush]

beat penrith twice in jersey flegg and they won the comp.

So Penrith won the comp, nice.

 

[possm]

So Penrith won the comp, nice.

Penrith is not a joint venture and completely controls its junior development program. They own most of their junior clubs.

 

[Parko1310]

So Penrith won the comp, nice.

Mate if you actually followed the flegg you'd know our team's season was cruelled by injury in the middle and back end of the year. A lot of the SG Ball boys had to step up and play throughout the season. They were in with a very good shot at winning the comp. evidenced by being in the top two for the majority of the comp and as Random said, beating the eventual premiers twice. With the amount of injuries they had to key personnel its a miracle they managed to stay in the top four and even progress through the first week of finals. Was a great season and team otherwise.

 

[Crush]

Mate if you actually followed the flegg you'd know our team's season was cruelled by injury in the middle and back end of the year. A lot of the SG Ball boys had to step up and play throughout the season. They were in with a very good shot at winning the comp. evidenced by being in the top two for the majority of the comp and as Random said, beating the eventual premiers twice. With the amount of injuries they had to key personnel its a miracle they managed to stay in the top four and even progress through the first week of finals. Was a great season and team otherwise.

Thanks for providing a bit of insight Parko, you're right I don’t follow the flegg, I just looked up the stats.
I really hope that we see something translate from junior grade success through to our NRL and NSW Cup level.

 

[qld redvee]

Thanks for providing a bit of insight Parko, you're right I don’t follow the flegg, I just looked up the stats.
I really hope that we see something translate from junior grade success through to our NRL and NSW Cup level.

crush
more to the point lets hope the club provides better coverage for flegg and sg ball next year

 

[Qdf]

We could have 17 top-line juniors involved in our junior system but that would make very little difference to our current situation. Putting all your eggs into the 'promising junior basket' is half our problem. In fact, I would dare to say that a mix of promising juniors as back-fill top-line 17 mixture of juniors from previous years and recruits from outside the club is the preferred solution.

Furthermore, if St George were a stand-alone club with no ties to the Illawarra, we like many other clubs could just pick and choose whichever promising juniors from any district we wanted without the cost and responsibility of running the Illawarra junior development program. An additional benefit of not having to partner with WIN Corp who since buying the Illawarra shares have done nothing other than promote and facilitate things in Wollongong.

For me the joint venture with Illawarra has been a complete failure. The only way this could have succeeded was if the St George arm controlled first-grade and reserve-grade with the Illawarra arm being charged with junior development and a feeder club role for St George.

In my time, Illawarra along with Cronulla are break-away clubs form the once great St George Club. If the NRL wanted a regional club in Wollongong, then they should have invested accordingly, in the same way they did in Newcastle.

I am 66 years of age, was born in Wollongong, and followed St George all my life. I just can't see the benefit of the 'joint venture' where any club can target an Illawarra junior club or player well outside their district and with relatively little cost.. Furthermore, I am very sure there would not be the division at Board level nor the backroom deals done that are plainly against the interests of the Club.

I say the Club should be challenging the NRL to fairly compensate development Clubs and write rules to protect their interests. Make it clear that the current system is not viable and present the St Georg Club case as an example; a top-line club brought to its knees through a joint venture program that did not deliver the promises and projected claims of a Super Club as the end result.

Instead, we sit quietly and watch the push from the Illawarra Gordons and WiIN Corp together with the NRL, slowly but progressively facilitating the relocation of our club to Wollongong.

Good call Possum.
We should rid ourselves of those Gordon's ASAP. They have done little to help, If anything the Gordon's look as if they are (by their lack of support) trying to sit on the fence like a vulture waiting to pick up the scraps once the Stgeorge side of the venture gets the death rattles.

 

[Saints Forever]

Good call Possum.
We should rid ourselves of those Gordon's ASAP. They have done little to help, If anything the Gordon's look as if they are (by their lack of support) trying to sit on the fence like a vulture waiting to pick up the scraps once the Stgeorge side of the venture gets the death rattles.

Yeah, nah

The Gordon’s see the JV as a toy they play with periodically.

They bought out the Illawarra side to keep Illawarra in the NRL. I cannot see them spending any money to buy the St George side.

They have no ambition to win premierships.

Short arms, long pockets.

 

[Qdf]

Yeah, nah

The Gordon’s see the JV as a toy they play with periodically.

They bought out the Illawarra side to keep Illawarra in the NRL. I cannot see them spending any money to buy the St George side.

They have no ambition to win premierships.

Short arms, long pockets.

Yeah, thanks again DOUST.
You've saddled up in worst possible scenario.
Now we're stuck with these Gordon's. Just so you could weasel your way back (after retiring from CEO) to a new roll on the Board.

 

[justadragon]

Good call Possum.
We should rid ourselves of those Gordon's ASAP. They have done little to help, If anything the Gordon's look as if they are (by their lack of support) trying to sit on the fence like a vulture waiting to pick up the scraps once the Stgeorge side of the venture gets the death rattles.

You will never get rid of the Gordon's QDF unless they decide to sell, and even then who would buy the club, even that millionaire recently said that buying the Dragons now would be a huge task with all its issues. They also will never get rid of the StGeorge side, it makes a lot of money for them in brand merchandise, here and globally.The best we can hope for is that the COE provides us some stability in pathways and maybe some attraction to quality players. A new coach would possibly help, maybe Hasler if he is still available.