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Rumoured Targets 3

R

ryan.a87

Juniors
Messages
937
Can admin please move the last 3-4 pages of this thread to the troll dump thread

I have literally no idea what these guys are talking about
 
PhilGould

PhilGould

Bench
Messages
3,498
Newcastle is trying to poach one of the hottest young players in the NRL from St George Illawarra – former Australian schoolboys forward Finau Latu.

Latu was given a full tour of Newcastle’s Centre of Excellence on Tuesday by head coach Adam O’Brien and club recruitment guru Peter O’Sullivan.

While St George Illawarra was aware Latu was in Newcastle, head coach Shane Flanagan is desperate to keep his ball-playing middle forward, who was a member of last year’s Dragons’ side which broke a 32-year drought by winning the SG Ball grand final.

Latu has now played Jersey Flegg, NSW Cup with Flanagan predicting he would contest NRL sometime this season.

The 19-year-old has a contract clause stating he could talk with rival clubs after round six but Saints officials allowed him to open discussions a week early.

He is off contract after this season.

A Minchinbury Jets junior, Latu is now part of the Dragons’ top 30 squad.

With Latu back in Wollongong, Saints officials can start working on him to sign a new contract extension.

“He is off contract and we want to keep him, yes,” Flanagan said. “Finau has a contract which goes until round six and he can then see what’s out there. His manager wants to see what the going price was.

“We gave them permission to get it done a week early so we can hopefully get it down earlier.

“He is one of several players who are our future who also played in that SG Ball grand final. He’s a really good, young kid.

“A lot of those SG Ball players will come up and play first grade. We’ve seen a couple come through already – Hamish (Stewart) and Dylan Egan and I reckon Finau is probably the next one.

“I would think he’d make his NRL debut at some point this year.”

Latu played Australian Schoolboys in 2023 before moving from SG Ball into Jersey Flegg before graduating into NSW Cup late last year.

“It (winning the SG Ball) was unreal,” Latu said. “It was three years in the making. All the boys pushed really hard and just wanted to get that win and we finally got it after 32-years.”

 
Woody90

Woody90

Bench
Messages
2,970
PhilGould said:
Newcastle is trying to poach one of the hottest young players in the NRL from St George Illawarra – former Australian schoolboys forward Finau Latu.

Latu was given a full tour of Newcastle’s Centre of Excellence on Tuesday by head coach Adam O’Brien and club recruitment guru Peter O’Sullivan.

While St George Illawarra was aware Latu was in Newcastle, head coach Shane Flanagan is desperate to keep his ball-playing middle forward, who was a member of last year’s Dragons’ side which broke a 32-year drought by winning the SG Ball grand final.

Latu has now played Jersey Flegg, NSW Cup with Flanagan predicting he would contest NRL sometime this season.

The 19-year-old has a contract clause stating he could talk with rival clubs after round six but Saints officials allowed him to open discussions a week early.

He is off contract after this season.

A Minchinbury Jets junior, Latu is now part of the Dragons’ top 30 squad.

With Latu back in Wollongong, Saints officials can start working on him to sign a new contract extension.

“He is off contract and we want to keep him, yes,” Flanagan said. “Finau has a contract which goes until round six and he can then see what’s out there. His manager wants to see what the going price was.

“We gave them permission to get it done a week early so we can hopefully get it down earlier.

“He is one of several players who are our future who also played in that SG Ball grand final. He’s a really good, young kid.

“A lot of those SG Ball players will come up and play first grade. We’ve seen a couple come through already – Hamish (Stewart) and Dylan Egan and I reckon Finau is probably the next one.

“I would think he’d make his NRL debut at some point this year.”

Latu played Australian Schoolboys in 2023 before moving from SG Ball into Jersey Flegg before graduating into NSW Cup late last year.

“It (winning the SG Ball) was unreal,” Latu said. “It was three years in the making. All the boys pushed really hard and just wanted to get that win and we finally got it after 32-years.”

Click to expand...

Has anyone with a keen interest in other clubs juniors seen him play? Any good?
 
H

HarVeeGee

Juniors
Messages
294
Yeah he’s supposed to be a stud, arguably the best middle his age coming through. Here he is playing Flegg as a 17 year old: https://www.instagram.com/share/BAKsIDTKuI

We’d probably have to make a pretty good offer to get him, not the only club interested, but we need someone with the potential to be a legit alpha dog, and he has that.

He’s a teenager playing Cup this year and putting up 150m+ games as a starting lock. That’s a trajectory where you imagine him regularly being picked for first grade over the next 12 months and maybe a first choice starter at the right club within the next 24.

Even though the Dragons are bad, the one thing they’re not short on is very talented young middles, not that Flanno will pick any of them. Contrast with us, where a clear opening at starting prop opening up next year if he’s good enough, and no one obviously earmarked to fill it… we may seem like the better opportunity.
 
Dr Dr Gimedanews

Dr Dr Gimedanews

Juniors
Messages
1,391
HarVeeGee said:
Yeah he’s supposed to be a stud, arguably the best middle his age coming through. Here he is playing Flegg as a 17 year old: https://www.instagram.com/share/BAKsIDTKuI

We’d probably have to make a pretty good offer to get him, not the only club interested, but we need someone with the potential to be a legit alpha dog, and he has that.

He’s a teenager playing Cup this year and putting up 150m+ games as a starting lock. That’s a trajectory where you imagine him regularly being picked for first grade over the next 12 months and maybe a first choice starter at the right club within the next 24.

Even though the Dragons are bad, the one thing they’re not short on is very talented young middles, not that Flanno will pick any of them. Contrast with us, where a clear opening at starting prop opening up next year if he’s good enough, and no one obviously earmarked to fill it… we may seem like the better opportunity.
Click to expand...
Jeez, 17 ? wow . Looks like a fully grown man.
 
Woody90

Woody90

Bench
Messages
2,970
Sounds like we we wouldn’t be able to afford him if a lot of clubs interested, but good to know we’re at least targeting quality talent.

Even if we could afford to make him a big offer, I don’t think we would as POS doesn’t seem to like spending a lot of $$$ on middle forwards. Our only chance is probably highlighting to him how well we’ve developed young forwards like Leo, Lucas etc. starting in FG (which tbf we have). We also don’t seem to be afraid to give youth a go which might be appealing to him given Flanno’s preference for experience.
 
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Knight Tales

Knight Tales

Bench
Messages
3,204
Dr Dr Gimedanews said:
https://wwos.nine.com.au/videos/nrl...ckles-with-gus-ep-8/cm99ov0yo000f0hpot3yvod8a

If the NRL take over of the SL were to take place let's hope the Knights can get in on the ground level. They already should be closely affiliated with a SL club IMO. ( equally with the Pacific islands )

The potential for developing, improving, and expending the talent pool for pathways and recruitment is immense.
Click to expand...
Sister club pathways will be on the agenda. Vlandys has hinted as much. The shit fight will be over who gets Wigan and St Helens. The greater Manchester region is where the top tier English players generally emerge from. Yorkshire as well.
Bateman
Whitehead
Burgess’ lads
All from Bradford.
Younger players not quite ready for NRL getting a year in a strong Superleague would be a great option. And as you pointed out a big pathways opportunity.
 
Dr Dr Gimedanews

Dr Dr Gimedanews

Juniors
Messages
1,391
Woody90 said:
Sounds like we we wouldn’t be able to afford him if a lot of clubs interested, but good to know we’re at least targeting quality talent.

Even if we could afford to make him a big offer, I don’t think we would as POS doesn’t seem to like spending a lot of $$$ on middle forwards. Our only chance is probably highlighting to him how well we’ve developed young forwards like Leo, Lucas etc. starting in FG (which tbf we have). We also don’t seem to be afraid to give youth a go which might be appealing to him given Flanno’s preference for experience.
Click to expand...
With the emergence of Cant and McEwen on cheaper deals, along with some off contract players out the door I think we'd have the money. I'd imagine it doesn't bode well for keeping KPP though.

There's about 1.7 - 1.8 million in 3 pack players finishing up this year - Heatherington - Elliot - KPP

*I think Croker is also only on a 1 year deal, but a pie and coke I'd imagine. Then there is Leo.
 
O

Old dog

Bench
Messages
2,727
You would think that $1.7-8m would be around $2.2 with Leo gone so shopping for a top line strong middle forward is the not so simple matter of finding one.
We seem to have most other positions covered for 2026
 
Yosh

Yosh

Coach
Messages
12,204
I still think we need an older leader type that has been there done that on the middle. Some great youngsters coming through is great but a Jeremy Smith or Beau Scott signing would be fantastic.
 
Yosh

Yosh

Coach
Messages
12,204
Woody90 said:
As long as we keep them. I’m a bit concerned Votano’s still off contract.

I really like the look of Hunt too. McCarthy is a bit meh but I reckon he could one day maybe be a Tuala type squad member. Solid fill in for injuries.
Click to expand...

McCarthy looks the type to turn into a backrower? Looks a big bloke.
 
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