Player comments - need a rebuild

[NRLMad]

• Ravalava amazes me to be in first grade
• Pereira is ok but is a toiler and will never sear to great heights
• Graham is past it - was great in the first year
• McInnes - great defender but I really think he should offer more in attack and run more from dummy half
• Aitken - worst player ever who needed to develop a passing game, was really
• Good like 2 years ago
• Lafai - was great, can do brilliant stuff and dumb stuff, best when looking for contracts
• Can all of our forwards even make a state of origin team? I doubt it - Frizell, Vaughan are just terrible.
  
• Hunt - just needs to think more, he’s got the talent just not execution / always caught on 5th passing rather than planning what to do
  
• Dufty - how can you want to be a fullback and just drop so many balls? He’s got all the speed in the world but can’t catch consistently?
• Tyrell was good why is he Not playing?

 

[grouch]

My only gripe with the players is that they haven't launched a coup to sack the coach

James Graham seems angry a lot when he's on the field, but off it he's as meek as a hit up from James Graham.

 

[grouch]

Mika Ravalawa... dude.. didn't you grow up in Fiji? You should be a coup d'etat expert ffs. Give a speech or two at training.. rile up the troops.

 

[Dragon David]

We need mongrels and nigglers in the team. Not enough of this in our playing group. All too meek and mild as far as I am concerned. We miss JDB for his mongrel attitude in attack and more so in defence.

 

[NRLMad]

All just nice guys and soft blokes. Other than Tariq

 

[hazzbeen]

All just nice guys and soft blokes. Other than Tariq

like their coach can't coach but a nice guy .....

 

[St Georgio]

• Ravalava amazes me to be in first grade
• Pereira is ok but is a toiler and will never sear to great heights
• Graham is past it - was great in the first year
• McInnes - great defender but I really think he should offer more in attack and run more from dummy half
• Aitken - worst player ever who needed to develop a passing game, was really
• Good like 2 years ago
• Lafai - was great, can do brilliant stuff and dumb stuff, best when looking for contracts
• Can all of our forwards even make a state of origin team? I doubt it - Frizell, Vaughan are just terrible.
  
• Hunt - just needs to think more, he’s got the talent just not execution / always caught on 5th passing rather than planning what to do
  
• Dufty - how can you want to be a fullback and just drop so many balls? He’s got all the speed in the world but can’t catch consistently?
• Tyrell was good why is he Not playing?

It's like taking your HSV to a Grease monkey and expecting him to build you a monster V8, but uses a weak bottom end and expecting to rev out to 7000rpm, our Forwards is the bottom end and the top end is our backs.
There needs to be a 5.5 year plan put into place and they should follow the Newcastle Knights formula.
I think the man to rebuild the Dragons is Nathan Brown, I think he should be brought in over the next 2.5 years before given someone like Craig Fitzgibbon or a Jason Ryles a go at the head coach position, the Rookie must come from a successful system.
Our Grease Monkey will be sacked this year, appointing someone like a Dean Young would be a complete f**king disaster!

 

[ViceVersa]

NRL transfer news 2020: St George Illawarra set for major roster shake-up

Michael Carayannis, The Daily Telegraph
June 10, 2020 7:25am

The Dragons have up to $2 million to spend but landing a marquee signing is proving more problematic.

Almost half the Dragons squad could be on the move by season’s end.

And beyond that only seven players from their top 30 are contracted past the end of 2021, so any major roster adjustments to the Dragons squad should be a quicker fix than most clubs who sink to the bottom of the ladder.

Tyson Frizell is already out the door while Jack de Belin’s playing future will be decided by the courts.

The Dragons have continued to pay him about $1 million in the past two years without playing a match. Rival clubs including the Tigers and the Warriors have already been linked to the former State of Origin player.

The Dragons have made a strike outside back, an edge and middle player as their signing priorities.

De Belin would take care of the middle forward but the Dragons might not know his fate until the end of this year.

The likes of Kane Evans, James Tamou, Jacob Saifiti and Christian Welch have been touted as potential options to play in the middle.

James Graham should retire at season’s end while Jacob Host is also on an inflated deal despite limited appearances in the top grade.

Canberra’s John Bateman is unlikely to join the Dragons while Luke Thompson rejected them to join Canterbury next year.

Josh Kerr has an option in his favour.

Long-term centres Tim Lafai and Euan Atiken are likely to be shown the door with their combined salary around $800,000.

Centre Moses Suli was a prime target earlier this year but he has since inked a two-year extension with Manly.

Other outside backs discussed include Alex Johnston, Jordan Rapana and Josh Addo-Carr. Young gun Jason Saab was denied a release last week but is expected to ask for another as early as today.

Releasing fullback Matt Dufty from the final year of his deal could also clear out about $300,000.

The Dragons’ biggest problem is the $2 million they have tied-up in the underperforming Ben Hunt and Corey Norman.

Norman’s $800,000 contract expires at the end of next year while Hunt could remain at the club until 2023.

Neither look like they would be easy to shift although the Titans would consider making a play for Hunt to play dummy-half.

Hunt and Zac Lomax (2025) have long-term contracts.

The club is hopeful of building its future around Lomax, Saab, Blake Lawrie, Jackson Ford, Jayden Sullivan and Fegai brothers Max and Mat.

WHEN THEY’RE OFF CONTRACT
2020: Euan Aitken, Jack de Belin, Tyson Frizell (joining Newcastle in 2021), James Graham, Jacob Host, Josh Kerr (has option for 2021), Tim Lafai, Joe Lovodua, Issac Luke, Mikaele Ravalawa, Tristan Sailor

2021: Eddie Blacker, Billy Brittain, Matt Dufty, Tyrell Fuimaono, Cameron McInnes, Trent Merrin, Corey Norman, Jordan Pereira, Korbin Sims, Paul Vaughan (has option for 2022), Brayden Wiliame

2022: Adam Clune, Ben Hunt (has option for 2023), Blake Lawrie, Jason Saab, Tariq Sims, Jackson Ford

2025: Zac Lomax

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...p/news-story/89c04fc9aa39472ebc30ece388e85252

 

[John Tanious]

i know Ben Hunt is on too much, but no one wants to come anyway. What is so rotten about our club that makes players like Suli cop a ton less cash to stay away, or Thompson to think Dean Pay is the better of two evils?

So not sure all this Ben Hunt is the major issue is true. That contract is done, we cannot reverse it ... we need to figure out what is wrong .. is it the coach? or is it something else? Cause if we get rid of the coach and the issue is else where then we will continue to be in this rubble for another 5 years.

 

[Forbes Creek Dragons]

Hopefully with sport starting back up in NSW, reserves can kick off sometime soon. I think Hunt needs to a)Be used as a bench hooker against tired players or b) Play reserves for a few weeks to get his mojo back. Bennett drop him a couple of times and it worked a treat.

 

[epDragon62]

Hopefully with sport starting back up in NSW, reserves can kick off sometime soon. I think Hunt needs to a)Be used as a bench hooker against tired players or b) Play reserves for a few weeks to get his mojo back. Bennett drop him a couple of times and it worked a treat.

McGregor direbbe have the balls to do that.

 

[George Dragon]

Hopefully with sport starting back up in NSW, reserves can kick off sometime soon. I think Hunt needs to a)Be used as a bench hooker against tired players or b) Play reserves for a few weeks to get his mojo back. Bennett drop him a couple of times and it worked a treat.

Reserves wont be played this year.
With most players in the bubble they wont be allowed out of it to play reserves and mix with part timers.

 

[boardlumps62]

If any of players want out don't stop them. Don't pander to these sooks. Have a clean out and there will be opportunities for those that stay a chance to wmearn big bucks on performance only. That's what their contact should say:
1) Paid on Performance
2) If you bail before your contact ends you wont be paid contact money withheld.

 

[Forbes Creek Dragons]

Reserves wont be played this year.
With most players in the bubble they wont be allowed out of it to play reserves and mix with part timers.

That sucks I thought eventually they would throw out the bubble idea once the situation cooled off. To the bench with him. I’d much prefer to carry an origin hooker on the bench than Luke surely it strengthens our attack having Hunt come on a wreak havoc when teams are tired. Also it gives potential teams a look at him. Who knows someone might pick him as a 9 but not one club is buying him as a 7 let’s face it.

 

[merahputih]

My only gripe with the players is that they haven't launched a coup to sack the coach

James Graham seems angry a lot when he's on the field, but off it he's as meek as a hit up from James Graham.

Graham seems to have appointed himself chief apologist for McGregor.

 

[BLM01]

Reporters can say what they like. We have four major restrictions
the coach
the board running the club
not many decent players out there out of contract and
can’t attract any decent player at the moment anyway

it’s a catch 22 situation..start of the top two problems the other two will fall into place

 

[RedVDave]

We have the worst 3 quarter backline in both all of the NRL and the history of our club.

I would be tapping every single one of them on the shoulder.

 

[redVinme]

The feagai boys are 98kg on the dragons website. They are 19 for christ sake. Get em in there.

 

[piesplusreturns]

Other than Graham, who is clearly past it, I'd just be happy to see the players we have have a go.

For all this talk about Mary and the time he spends on planning and structure, there is no evidence of it on the field.

Comparing the two teams on Monday, one sucked in terms of execution but at least they were trying a few plays, the other one wasn't even trying to execute.

I don't know what they do at training, but it doesn't look like they do any attacking drills.

Sure, the back line could be improved, but even if you had Cooper, Gaz, and the Morrises there I doubt it'd make any difference at the moment.

 

[Dragonslayer]

Looking at the list of players off-contract end 2020 and dividing them up into backs and forwards:

Backs:
Aitken, Lafai, Ravalawa, Sailor

Forwards:
DeBelin, Frizell (already gone), Graham, Host, Kerr (has player option for 2021), Lovodua, Luke

Unknown :
Dufty (although contracted to 2021)
Saab (although contracted to 2022)
Kerr (will he take up his option, particularly if a larger contract comes up)
Anyone else?

In any case the list for 2020 is not an inspiring one. As for the backs, maybe Sailor is worth trying to re-sign. The others can go. In the forwards, Kerr is about it.

Imo, we need to looking at:
A fullback
A lock
2 props
At a minimum, however, unless the road is clear of who our ciach will be, noone will come here unlrss its for their final 'pension' contract.

Urgency is needed, not uncertainty.