New recruits for 2023

[Auntie.Gerald]

Oates has very dodgy knees
Struggles to train normally
Restricted program

 

[mightydragon]

Maybe so NOTB, but the Dragons didn't even get a chance to get into the conversation, and the June 30th deadline is rapidly approaching for the last spot or 2.

The deadline to sign players is August 3 this year.

 

[OneEyedDragon]

The deadline to sign players is August 3 this year.

OK. Thanks for that.

 

[Old Timer]

As we look toward a new coach and new roster and think about who we keep it is also interesting to think about the players we lost especially homegrown and the impact that has had.

If we are brutally honest we defend so many players and theorise how badly we need to keep them and the impending doom if we lose them so I wonder which one's we really stuffed up on by letting them go

All of the various Sims
Hastings
Bird
Garrick
Sele
Host
Saab
Field
Dufty
Robson
Blacker
Clune
Sailor
Can't remember who made up the Thirroul Butcher's Trio
There were of young Kiwi centres as well

NB: No doubt Benny V will throw in the beach sprinter who played in the backs and never played hooker regularly until much later in his career.

I respectfully suggest Garrick who was panned unmercifully in this place would be the one that would have been the best keeper for us.

On the other hand we do the same with inbound players and profess them to be potential game changers
Kerr
Burns
Bird
Vaughan (did so for 5 minutes)
Various Sims (lol the bruise brothers)
Nene Mc Donald (boy he was gonna set the world on fire and light up the turf)
No doubt others I've missed

So let's be honest and admit that we aren't that good at picking talent either outgoing or incoming but we always use the old cliche "had it coached out of him" to justify our position.

Gotta hope that the new coach has the best recruitment / retrenchment staff and that they are ruthless and they don't take any notice of our opinions.

 

[JubileeJeffro]

Out of that list the keepers (walk up starters to todays mess) would have been;
Garrick
Host
Robson
Saab (if no car sickness)

 

[St Tangles]

Of those players Robson and Garrick would be good to have

The rest are serviceable but don't improve our team.

Saab is a big no from me.

 

[KogarahWarrior]

I would have liked to have Sele, but in his current form. The thing is though, had he stayed we would not want him here because he would have caught the mediocrity disease that is rampant at our club.

 

[Dorothy the Winowhore]

NB: No doubt Benny V will throw in the beach sprinter who played in the backs and never played hooker regularly until much later in his career

Not true mate. Cookie was a halfback turned hooker in his junior Butchers days. I watched him from under 16's carve up all opposition teams as a hooker. I even got into an argument and ultimately a bet with a mate from Group 7 that Cookie will be the next star number 9 at Dragons in a couple of years. My mates option in that bet was a Kiama Knight kid called Mitchell Rein. Thus, he won the bet, but I reckon I still made the right choice....just the stupid Dragons staff stuffing up again.

 

[Inisai Toga]

Robson and Sele for me. Who we’ve let go is not as bad imo as who we have failed to recruit.

 

[possm]

Yes and so is their club this year. He aint alone

Our pathways system, in the past, has developed some good outside backs. Lobb is one of them and should be presented with his NRL jumper in 2023. Matt feagai to left center and Suli to left edge forward.

 

[possm]

Of those players Robson and Garrick would be good to have

The rest are serviceable but don't improve our team.

Saab is a big no from me.

Landing the best available coach should be our main concern at the moment.

 

[SAP58]

Our pathways system, in the past, has developed some good outside backs. Lobb is one of them and should be presented with his NRL jumper in 2023. Matt feagai to left center and Suli to left edge forward.

Agree with Lobb he has come on well in the last couple of years and the plus is he is a consistant goal kicker but Matt Feagai's defence is a real worry on the wing, he lets in at least a try a week so not sure of a move to centre. The three Souths tries at the end were down his side last week and he was lost tackling no-one for two of them. Hopefuly the new coach can correct these indescretions as long as it is not Young !

 

[Dragonsteve2]

I would say we would have been better to have kept Luciano Leliua on the left edge. I would also argue that Bird would have been a handy keeper during the seasons he played with the Sharks. Agree with Robson and Garrick. Host should have been kept even though I think Mary slowed down his development and that of Sele by picking them and then dropping them with regularity. I believe Burns is a current player who has never been given the chance to feel a genuine part of the team and this has limited his success. Similarly Jackson Ford. You should never underestimate the value that the confidence of being a regular team member plays in an individual's performance. Josh Kerr is an example of a player who is playing much better knowing he is going to be in the 17 every week.

 

[Changa]

Agree with Lobb he has come on well in the last couple of years and the plus is he is a consistant goal kicker but Matt Feagai's defence is a real worry on the wing, he lets in at least a try a week so not sure of a move to centre. The three Souths tries at the end were down his side last week and he was lost tackling no-one for two of them. Hopefuly the new coach can correct these indescretions as long as it is not Young !

Amone and Suli played their part in defence down that left corridor moreso than Feagai.

 

[Saints Forever]

Out of that list the keepers (walk up starters to todays mess) would have been;
Garrick
Host
Robson
Saab (if no car sickness)

Cook
Leilua

 

[maestro1]

Amone and Suli played their part in defence down that left corridor moreso than Feagai.

As soon as Amone came on and "defended" that side, it became the Ilias and Campbell show. Amone's defence and communication is crap.

 

[Kiwi Dragon supporter]

Cook
Leilua

Ford is doing okay at the Warriors.

 

[Walpole]

As we look toward a new coach and new roster and think about who we keep it is also interesting to think about the players we lost especially homegrown and the impact that has had.

If we are brutally honest we defend so many players and theorise how badly we need to keep them and the impending doom if we lose them so I wonder which one's we really stuffed up on by letting them go

All of the various Sims
Hastings
Bird
Garrick
Sele
Host
Saab
Field
Dufty
Robson
Blacker
Clune
Sailor
Can't remember who made up the Thirroul Butcher's Trio
There were of young Kiwi centres as well

NB: No doubt Benny V will throw in the beach sprinter who played in the backs and never played hooker regularly until much later in his career.

I respectfully suggest Garrick who was panned unmercifully in this place would be the one that would have been the best keeper for us.

On the other hand we do the same with inbound players and profess them to be potential game changers
Kerr
Burns
Bird
Vaughan (did so for 5 minutes)
Various Sims (lol the bruise brothers)
Nene Mc Donald (boy he was gonna set the world on fire and light up the turf)
No doubt others I've missed

So let's be honest and admit that we aren't that good at picking talent either outgoing or incoming but we always use the old cliche "had it coached out of him" to justify our position.

Gotta hope that the new coach has the best recruitment / retrenchment staff and that they are ruthless and they don't take any notice of our opinions.

Garrick and Robson would comfortably get a start in our current team. Not so sure about the rest, maybe one or two would get a run in the forwards but they're not really any better than what we have.

 

[Old Timer]

Garrick and Robson would comfortably get a start in our current team. Not so sure about the rest, maybe one or two would get a run in the forwards but they're not really any better than what we have.

Exactly the correct assessment but a hard / bitter pill for some of our posters to swallow.

All the love for Sloan, Sullivan, Feagai's and Couchman's etc is understandable but needs to be fully assessed and their potential correctly evaluated and then the appropriate decisions made.

Many would have you believe all we have and all we lost were keepers if we had Bellamy or Bennett or Robbo at the helm and that is simply incorrect.

 

[KogarahWarrior]

I see plenty of potential in the couchman brothers, as well as Sloan and Sullivan. Sloan had a great game on the weekend and his attacking involvement showed the impact he can have on a game. Treigh Stewart would flourish with a great couch or in ESL. Feagai twins are very skilled players but lack speed, though they are both very strong. Perhaps a future in the 2nd row for Max? Mat seems to be a centre for me.

However, I'm sorry to say I'm not sold on Junior. This makes me sad to say because I backed him for ages. He showed potential with his fancy footwork and strength in the lower grades and in his first season, but since then, has shown little development while having a golden opportunity although he's far less talented than Sullivan. His long range locking is non-existent, his passing game rarely seen and his short balls are not great, he doesn't have a great top speed although his explosive acceleration is good and has horrid defence and communications, not to mention his off-field discretions. However, he does have some size and his step can work occasionally.