Our recruitment I

[Twenty10]

Don't mean to start yet another negative thread, BUT... People keep saying how great our recruitment is for 2014.. But if you actually stop and look at who we've got it's got nothing to do with Steve price. Price can't coach and can't attract any players. No player wants to come to saints with price at the top. Lets break it down:

We signed Joel Thompson only because we paid him a fortune,
we were dugans second choice and only landed him because he ran out if options,
Farrell isn't even playing first grade so he also could hardly say no...
Mike cooper... Well from what I have heard from English fans he's hopeless. Can't understand that signing.
Widdop is a good signing. But again we paid him an absolute bomb and Melbourne couldn't get close to the figure.

So really, price has done sweet FA. Our recruitment is average, not great as people keep saying. Price has to... Must... Be removed. Next year will dish up much of the same shite.

Just sayin

 

[rabbitohs95]

Don't mean to start yet another negative thread, BUT... People keep saying how great our recruitment is for 2014.. But if you actually stop and look at who we've got it's got nothing to do with Steve price. Price can't coach and can't attract any players. No player wants to come to saints with price at the top. Lets break it down:

We signed Joel Thompson only because we paid him a fortune,
we were dugans second choice and only landed him because he ran out if options,
Farrell isn't even playing first grade so he also could hardly say no...
Mike cooper... Well from what I have heard from English fans he's hopeless. Can't understand that signing.
Widdop is a good signing. But again we paid him an absolute bomb and Melbourne couldn't get close to the figure.

So really, price has done sweet FA. Our recruitment is average, not great as people keep saying. Price has to... Must... Be removed. Next year will dish up much of the same shite.

Just sayin

To be fair to Farrell he only got dropped after signing and he has had a back problem all year, he'll be a quality attack centre who just needs to adjust more to defence and can score tries, you must've seen or heard about his debut.

Plus he's going into his 'prime years' so if he aims up he should be a quality centre for you guys.

 

[FundyDragon]

To be fair to Farrell he only got dropped after signing and he has had a back problem all year, he'll be a quality attack centre who just needs to adjust more to defence and can score tries, you must've seen or heard about his debut.

Plus he's going into his 'prime years' so if he aims up he should be a quality centre for you guys.

Please tell us

 

[RedVDave]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqQaHMsan9k

 

[stg666]

what a downer of a post . a real , glass empty person you are .

 

[Black Forest Dragon]

what a downer of a post . a real , glass empty person you are .

Well, the strong undercurrent of the debate at the Dragons is how accurate (honest) is our assessment of the current problems and over the last 18 months.

I mean, there is no use sugar coating it.

Our coach and indeed our board have been tellling us that things are not so bad - but actually, as time goes on and the slide down the ladder has continued, we are starting to wake up to the fact that ...yes they are that bad!

I've said it before, too much positive spin, and you start to believe it. It's delusional ...a subtle form of lying ...to your self and others.

Our recruitment for 2013/14 is at best is average. The fact that Peter Doust admits it is still a work in progress, is at last and at least honest - and gives hope.

 

[Twenty10]

what a downer of a post . a real , glass empty person you are .

That's the issue... Truth hurts. Until someone stops the Rot and starts turning things around I don't f**king care how full your glass is. You'll be drinking stale wee either way!!

 

[BennyV]

...it's got nothing to do with Steve price...

...Price can't coach and can't attract any players...

...price has done sweet FA...

I defy you to identify where anyone (other than Old Timer!) has said anything different - for mine, our recruitment has been above average, as it's not just about the money we've spent but the value we will get out of each player - all of them, so far, are relatively young players with some first grade experience who are hitting (or are soon to hit) the prime of their careers. Obviously it doesnt amount to much without decent coaching, but we still dont know which direction that situation is going for next year.

You also need to couple it with the emergence of guys like Runciman, Garvey, Quinlan and (hopefully) Seijka, the continuous improvement of guys like Stockwell, deBelin and Friz and hopefully another couple of signings at the end of the season. Overall, I think it's very smart recruiting - Dragons are looking to build a dynasty built on the back of a small senior playing group and a relatively young, enthusiastic and talented roster (and this is based on my own conclusions, rather than what I've heard from Doust/the Dragons)...just need a coach to bring it together (again, assuming the halfback thing sorts out)

 

[Lethal25]

Recruitment average, I agree totally

Need a halfback and a big ball playing front rower IMO to be competitive. Remember we are 15th on the ladder and have the worst attack in the league bar Parra, this has been a constant since mid 2011. More desperately needs to be done and not filling holes with average first graders

 

[grouch]

Oh just STFU

 

[grouch]

Thompson is young, big, fast, strong, tough and a former Junior Kangaroo. An absolute top quality signing. Prototype attacking backrower. At only 24, his best years are ahead.
Dugan, regardless of how it came about, is an incredible footballer who has strolled back into rep teams and is the best signing we've made in generations. Only 23. Best years ahead.
Farrell. Young, quick, talented, also a former junior Kangaroo. Illawarra local, so probably accepted a reasonable contract. 22.
Widdop. The best young half on the market this year, without doubt. Talented, proven, experienced at all levels. And still only 24.

Regardless of Price's involvement or lack of, it is the best group of signings in decades, and the best I've seen of any club for 2014. And it's clearly not over yet

 

[Mr Red]

i think our recruitment to date has been solid. add to that Beale and K Stanley to return next season and our problematic centre/utility problems have been solved.

widdop fixes on of our two troublesome half issues - best five eighth on the market at that point in time and we signed him.. gotta give some credit there..

the only missing piece of the puzzle is a genuine half back- i hope Price/Doust are looking at recruiting here, because if Price has a plan of using K Stanley at half (like he originally had planned prior to his injury) then i see this as a BIG PROBLEM.

 

[jenninga]

I defy you to identify where anyone (other than Old Timer!) has said anything different - for mine, our recruitment has been above average, as it's not just about the money we've spent but the value we will get out of each player - all of them, so far, are relatively young players with some first grade experience who are hitting (or are soon to hit) the prime of their careers. Obviously it doesnt amount to much without decent coaching, but we still dont know which direction that situation is going for next year.

You also need to couple it with the emergence of guys like Runciman, Garvey, Quinlan and (hopefully) Seijka, the continuous improvement of guys like Stockwell, deBelin and Friz and hopefully another couple of signings at the end of the season. Overall, I think it's very smart recruiting - Dragons are looking to build a dynasty built on the back of a small senior playing group and a relatively young, enthusiastic and talented roster (and this is based on my own conclusions, rather than what I've heard from Doust/the Dragons)...just need a coach to bring it together (again, assuming the halfback thing sorts out)

Agree ,and recruitment hasn't finished yet.This time last year i could understand the problem with our recruitment,but so far it has been smart.And this crap about paying overs for a player,so what don't you think other clubs are as well eg Panthers with Soward.
The club has deserved criticism for us being in this poor situation ,but we can see that things are starting to happen.

 

[Back O'Bourke Scorcher]

Recruitment average, I agree totally

Need a halfback and a big ball playing front rower IMO to be competitive. Remember we are 15th on the ladder and have the worst attack in the league bar Parra, this has been a constant since mid 2011. More desperately needs to be done and not filling holes with average first graders

We have a big ball playing front rower........ He's playing lock....

 

[jenninga]

Recruitment average, I agree totally

Need a halfback and a big ball playing front rower IMO to be competitive. Remember we are 15th on the ladder and have the worst attack in the league bar Parra, this has been a constant since mid 2011. More desperately needs to be done and not filling holes with average first graders

Doust has said that we are after a half,and recruitment is not finished.Filling holes with average first graders,Thompson regular 1st grader ,Farrell was a regular before injury and has recovered,Widdop regular premiership 5/8th with more to come.

 

[Dr Fruitbasket Returns]

I think that that recruitment so far is strong and steady. Widdop is a great signing and Thompson and farrell are good strong first grade options where we need them. Cooper, whatever, he's the usual rubbish that we buy (see Matthews, Vea, Ah Mau, Harrison, Manu, Paea).

But if we stop here we'll go into 2014 as spoon runners up with the potential to get up to 12th or 11th. That's it. Add the best halfback on the market and one big, hard arsed, forwards and Price will have no excuses for not getting top 6. I'm not saying he'll convert, but he'll have no excuses and if he doesn't and he'll deserve the sack.

Our recruitment has been a disgrace, an embarrassment and a joke for most of the thirty seven years I've been following Saints. For some incomprehensible reason, culturally we're not a buying club. It's cost us. "But what about our juniors etc etc?" F***ing rubbish. If we get that half and that forward though it will be our best recruitment since 1982.

 

[Delilah]

The Dragons recruitment and retention programme has been terrible for a number of yeras. Have a look at the players we have lost - Luke Bailey, Brett White, Ben Ross, Brent Kite, Darius Boyd, Chris Houston, Wes Naigama, Jason Ryles, Neville Costigan, Beau Scott, Adam Cuthbertson, Bryan Norrie, Ashton Sims, Josh Morris, Kane Linnett, Michael Ennis, Jeremy Smith, Nathan McGregor and I'm sure a number of others that I can't recall. We have also lost Ben Hornby, Dean Young and Mark Gasnier to retirement in the last couple of years. We have not replaced theser top quality players with players of similar quality and seem to always miss out on marquee players who copme available from time to time e.g. Greg Inglis, Greg Bird, Nate Myles, Jamie Lyon, James Maloney, Michael Jennings, Sonny-Bill Willimas, Scott Prince, Jonathan Thurston, Luke Lewis, Todd Carney, Bryce Gibbs, Andrew Fifita, Adam Blair, Braith Anasta, Brent Tate, Tony Williams, Willie Mason, Luke O'Donnell, Ashley Harrison etc. Then we lose a potential superstar, Jackson Hastings, to the Roosters who already have the State of Origin halves and we are desperately in need of a halfback.
Widdop, Thompson and Farell should be good signings but will not stop the rot.

 

[giboz71]

Recruitment has been solid. The 2014 side (probable):

Dugan
Morris
Beale
Farrell
Nightingale
Widdop
Stanley/Williams/Sjeika??
Merrin
Creagh
Frizzell
Hunt
Rein
Stockwell

King
De Belin
Thompson
Harrison

Thats a potential top 4 side if players are playing to their abilities. There will be no excuses for Price with this side, next year will really define him as a coach.

As others have said, if we finally nail a Half and a add a metre eating Prop, that's a good looking side we have.

 

[Godz Illa]

The Dragons recruitment and retention programme has been terrible for a number of yeras. Have a look at the players we have lost - Luke Bailey, Brett White, Ben Ross, Brent Kite, Darius Boyd, Chris Houston, Wes Naigama, Jason Ryles, Neville Costigan, Beau Scott, Adam Cuthbertson, Bryan Norrie, Ashton Sims, Josh Morris, Kane Linnett, Michael Ennis, Jeremy Smith, Nathan McGregor and I'm sure a number of others that I can't recall. We have also lost Ben Hornby, Dean Young and Mark Gasnier to retirement in the last couple of years. We have not replaced theser top quality players with players of similar quality and seem to always miss out on marquee players who copme available from time to time e.g. Greg Inglis, Greg Bird, Nate Myles, Jamie Lyon, James Maloney, Michael Jennings, Sonny-Bill Willimas, Scott Prince, Jonathan Thurston, Luke Lewis, Todd Carney, Bryce Gibbs, Andrew Fifita, Adam Blair, Braith Anasta, Brent Tate, Tony Williams, Willie Mason, Luke O'Donnell, Ashley Harrison etc. Then we lose a potential superstar, Jackson Hastings, to the Roosters who already have the State of Origin halves and we are desperately in need of a halfback.
Widdop, Thompson and Farell should be good signings but will not stop the rot.

My my my, Delilah. How wide can you cast the net? You've gone back ten-ish years or more. How about a list of players we have retained in that time and their achievements?

 

[Godz Illa]

Williams is another tick. The recruitment for 2014 has been excellent.