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Paul Vaughan Signed?

twinkletoes

Juniors
Messages
1,006
From what I can see the only confirmed new signings for next year are Nene McDonald and Josh Kerr, Vaughton seems to be getting less probable all the time....considering all the experts say we had a sub par squad this year, next year is looking bleaker. More or less same squad, same coaching staff, same CEO...ITS GROUND HOG DAY.
 

Dragon Revival

Juniors
Messages
1,603
Guys like Ah Mau, Lui, Marketo, Matthews and to some degree De Belin make little impact due to them being too small and too slow. They are plodders. Frizzell, Host, Leilua, Masoe, Packer, Sims and Thompson are powerful runners and pack some punch which will be added to if Vaughan signs.
In the Cutters Hind, Lewis, Sele, Sironen and Wakeman are powerful and make good metres. Kerr and Lawrie will also bolster the stocks in this area.
 

nrlnrl

First Grade
Messages
6,889
From what I can see the only confirmed new signings for next year are Nene McDonald and Josh Kerr, Vaughton seems to be getting less probable all the time....considering all the experts say we had a sub par squad this year, next year is looking bleaker. More or less same squad, same coaching staff, same CEO...ITS GROUND HOG DAY.
Don't worry, Paul Vaughan to the Dragons will be confirmed next week.
 

borat

Bench
Messages
3,511
From what I can see the only confirmed new signings for next year are Nene McDonald and Josh Kerr, Vaughton seems to be getting less probable all the time....considering all the experts say we had a sub par squad this year, next year is looking bleaker. More or less same squad, same coaching staff, same CEO...ITS GROUND HOG DAY.
Vaughan less probable? Based on what other than talking out your arse?
 
Messages
17,055
Coast what about Hind and Lewis?
Both have full time jobs and i don't see getting a gig with the Dragons anyway.

If anything Hind may move to another club but lewis will probably stick around.

Lewis is another guy in the long list of players who have played under 20's at the club yet never rose to anything more.
 
Messages
17,055
Guys like Ah Mau, Lui, Marketo, Matthews and to some degree De Belin make little impact due to them being too small and too slow. They are plodders. Frizzell, Host, Leilua, Masoe, Packer, Sims and Thompson are powerful runners and pack some punch which will be added to if Vaughan signs.
In the Cutters Hind, Lewis, Sele, Sironen and Wakeman are powerful and make good metres. Kerr and Lawrie will also bolster the stocks in this area.
Its easy for the likes of Hind, Lewis, Wakeman and Sironen to look good in the NSW Cup as its imo rather inferior mind you they made Burleigh look silly so the level is getting better.

Wakeman and Lewis played well at the Dragons in the under 20's and both for different reasons have never risen above the NSW cup not for a want of trying.

Sironen has been in a few systems The storm, Titans and the Knights and at this stage if he wants to get serious he may have to move on from the Cutters.

Hind came down from the Gold Coast and has done well and he's a smart fellow to I think league for him is a bit of a hobby instead of a job.

The Dragons really need to filter players through from the under 20's into the Cutters next year even at the exspense of results.

I would hope to see Herbert, lawrie, I Thompson, Taufa and leatigaga play games in that system with Dufty playing the entire season at fullback.
 

Dragon Revival

Juniors
Messages
1,603
Someone said why did we buy Mac Donald.
I think that we bought him to replace Morris on the wing but the timing was 2 years late.
If Mann is regarded as a utility this year we
had no depth in wingers apart from FaiFai Loa who is no speedster. Glymin and Thompson were hospital cases, Carr was disappointing and Garrick was too young.
The succession planning of the Dragons is woeful and has been since 2010. Hopefully
things will improve.
 

giboz71

First Grade
Messages
9,687
Guys like Ah Mau, Lui, Marketo, Matthews and to some degree De Belin make little impact due to them being too small and too slow. They are plodders. Frizzell, Host, Leilua, Masoe, Packer, Sims and Thompson are powerful runners and pack some punch which will be added to if Vaughan signs.
In the Cutters Hind, Lewis, Sele, Sironen and Wakeman are powerful and make good metres. Kerr and Lawrie will also bolster the stocks in this area.

The guys you mention, not only have little impact, but basically offer the same thing. Just mindlessly hitting up with no variation like footwork or an offload. It's ok to have1 or 2 workers in your forward rotation just to run and tackle, but we seemed to have too many. JDB is the only one I would play regularly, as he can hit like a train.

Sims at least offers power running, Leilua has footwork and ball skills and if Vaughan does sign, that's another prop in the rotation to join Packer and Masoe (if fit)

If we're fair dinkum, Lui, Marketo, Matthews, even Ah Mau shouldn't be getting too many minutes unless we have injuries.

Sims single handedly won the game against the Sharks. The only game I remember where our pack dominated the opposition.

We need more games like that and impact players who can deliver. Hence I think the signing of Vaughan is a good one.
 

Morotti

Juniors
Messages
335
Someone pointed out to me that matt prior was unwanted at the dragons and this year he is the equal best player at the sharks. Instrumental in their finals glory.
Another unwanted player wss trent Merrin. An 80 minute player who has excelled this year and wins the merv cartwright medal for the club.
And we go after a player who cant make canberras first team.
Vaughan may turn out to be a great buy but surely we would have done better keeping trent or matt?
 

hewi

Bench
Messages
4,209
Someone pointed out to me that matt prior was unwanted at the dragons and this year he is the equal best player at the sharks. Instrumental in their finals glory.
Another unwanted player wss trent Merrin. An 80 minute player who has excelled this year and wins the merv cartwright medal for the club.
And we go after a player who cant make canberras first team.
Vaughan may turn out to be a great buy but surely we would have done better keeping trent or matt?
Agreed however to get the same from Prior and Merrion we would have needed a coach not a water boy! Enough said.
 

GC Dragon

Juniors
Messages
668
Guys like Ah Mau, Lui, Marketo, Matthews and to some degree De Belin make little impact due to them being too small and too slow. They are plodders. Frizzell, Host, Leilua, Masoe, Packer, Sims and Thompson are powerful runners and pack some punch which will be added to if Vaughan signs.
In the Cutters Hind, Lewis, Sele, Sironen and Wakeman are powerful and make good metres. Kerr and Lawrie will also bolster the stocks in this area.
Totally agree with what you have said . I would just add McCarthey to the first list .
 

TomRedVRiver

Bench
Messages
3,682
A pack of Vaughan, Sims, Frizell, Thompson, Packer, Masoe and Leilua is actually really impressive.

De Belin frustrates me because he is one of the biggest workhorses in the competition and he hits harder than most of the forwards in the world, his tackling technique is world class.
But f**k me, he needs to run a little harder at the defensive line and stop thinking he's a halfback. He might actually be representative calibre if he ran like Vaughan, Sims and Packer.
 

thebigredv

First Grade
Messages
5,407
Spending this money on a reserve grader (played for Mounties) when we still don't have a half back...

LOL and they still can't seal the deal. Abysmal.
 

PerthDragon

Juniors
Messages
29
Someone pointed out to me that matt prior was unwanted at the dragons and this year he is the equal best player at the sharks. Instrumental in their finals glory.
Another unwanted player wss trent Merrin. An 80 minute player who has excelled this year and wins the merv cartwright medal for the club.
And we go after a player who cant make canberras first team.
Vaughan may turn out to be a great buy but surely we would have done better keeping trent or matt?

You are 100% right Morotti,
If you look over the last few years who we have let go that have become first graders else where and majority doing quite well you have to wonder what is the thought process at Dragons Central.

A list of players we have let go below and all are the areas we seem to struggle with over the last couple of years?

Fullback = Morris (shame he has been injured)
Wing =
Centre = Beale (GF winner)
5/8 = Bird (GF Hero)
Half = Hastings (has some potential for sure)
Lock = Merrin (Club MVP)
Second Row = Green (done better at Manly then any time here and position identified)
Hooker = (Our Achilles heal it seems) Cook & Garvey (bonehead i know)
Front Row = Prior (right environment, good hard game by Prior) Stood Up this year

I'm sure I have missed some but it shows how shit our system is within the club that most of these players have become better since their departures from the "Dragons Footy" Program and all that the coaching staff brings to the table.

In relation to the younger players, we had these players and only had to identify their potential correctly, give them the "Pathways" (our club loves to sprook) with "proper development" to progress to FG, however we prefer to buy our way with overs for "Neville Nobody's" while good juniors talents are ignored and not seen by our "wonderful coaching staffs" of the last 6 (now bloody 7!!) and if developed and paid correctly, Win Win for all?? (Not even going on about the Cutters players who really stood up under a great coach this year and have the potential now to be given a go instead of buying).

You would have thought though after the Bennett Years that someone would have documented his system in some capacity. Someone within the club are working with a great coach for 3 years and have laid no platform for life after his time with NO VISION for the future. How effing shit is that??? (Broncos are not competing over all these years consistently since inception for no reason)
How a club cannot learn something about success from a coach as he is, shows why we are where we are now.
Since those years we have lost that "winning mattered" attitude and are just happy with average and a club with a "don't care" attitude towards sporting success.

Super Coach is going to cost us a lot more as a club then his salary that's for sure, and the club's board are putting the wrong players off side in this game.....the fans and supporters who buy their stuff, membership and go to the games.

Unfortunately I am seeing a train coming instead of the "light at the end of the tunnel" with this lot.

end of rant fellas

Passionate Dragon
 

Mr Red

First Grade
Messages
6,193
I wonder if the recruitment team made enquiries about Sam Moa before paying overs for Paul Vaughan.
Moa, although smaller in stature ,runs harder and tackles harder than Vaughan and plays with more aggression...exactly what the dragons need.
I'm guessing he would have also been cheaper than Vaughan, if his rumoured 3 year deal is accurate..
 

Jubileeboy

First Grade
Messages
9,259
Paying overs? Who sets the going rate for players?
Why, League Unlimited Forumites, of course. This is after much consultation and cross referencing of The Telegraph, The Lurker and RLW, no less.
It appears that the less knowledge you have on NRL and the further you are distanced from any information also entitles you to a greater opinion on player values.
We truly are an asset to our club :)
 

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