The Rumours Thread

[Parko1310]

"more than likely". I disagree

Mate seriously? Wighton is not staying in canberra. More than happy to revisit this when he signs with someone else, because he will

 

[BLM01]

Mate seriously? Wighton is not staying in canberra. More than happy to revisit this when he signs with someone else, because he will

Mate Seriously? Settle petal
I was also referring to Souths which was what BR indicated originally

 

[shiloh dc]

A coach can only do so much with a team more suitable to playing reserves when you analyse them all. We cannot be anywhere near top 4 if we have low grade players no matter who we get as the coach to replace Hook. In fact, to me if Hook was the coach of the Bunnies, he would be winning many more games with their squad of players - it is plainly obvious.

Oust our players and get better ones please and keep the coach I say hahahaha!

Totally agree - we just dont have the cattle and the club is under-resourced to attain such cattle. So unless a new coach has incredible aura and connections they will not move the needle and we will be in the same position in 2-3 years.

 

[justadragon]

Totally agree - we just dont have the cattle and the club is under-resourced to attain such cattle. So unless a new coach has incredible aura and connections they will not move the needle and we will be in the same position in 2-3 years.

Thats probably why you have to give credit to someone like Webster at the Warriors, much in the same position we were, they only bought a couple of players, they are getting Tuavsa-Sheck back, but that coach has turned them right around, I believe it does seriously start with the coach and getting the best out of his players, both mentally and physically. I really believe we have a more talented squad than the warriors, we dont have a coach that can take them to another level, thats my belief anyway.

 

[since77]

A coach can only do so much with a team more suitable to playing reserves when you analyse them all. We cannot be anywhere near top 4 if we have low grade players no matter who we get as the coach to replace Hook. In fact, to me if Hook was the coach of the Bunnies, he would be winning many more games with their squad of players - it is plainly obvious.

Oust our players and get better ones please and keep the coach I say hahahaha!

I hope this is a joke. Would South’s be ANYWHERE near where they are now under Griffin? Assuredly not. In fact swap Griffin for Demetriou and we get closer to them while they go backwards. Yes we need a few better players. But everything that stinks about the way we play and perform starts and ends with Griffin’s woefully out of date coaching methods and utterly terrible team selections.

 

[shiloh dc]

Demetriou was the diamond in the rough - our BOD couldn't spot it.

 

[Dragon David]

I hope this is a joke. Would South’s be ANYWHERE near where they are now under Griffin? Assuredly not. In fact swap Griffin for Demetriou and we get closer to them while they go backwards. Yes we need a few better players. But everything that stinks about the way we play and perform starts and ends with Griffin’s woefully out of date coaching methods and utterly terrible team selections.

It is in a way a joke since77 however, what I am saying is that while Griffin isn't near the standard of coach Demetriou is, Griffin would have won more with the Bunnies squad of players than he has with ours in my opinion. Demetriou as a better coach would have been able to get us to win those tighter matches we have lost.

It boils down to having a better coach for the betterment of the players but when several of our players are lacking quality, they need to be replaced for a decent coach to win games.

 

[Dragon David]

Demetriou was the diamond in the rough - our BOD couldn't spot it.

The one that got away. I wonder how things would have been if he was the Head Coach rather than Mary. Possibly in the top 4 a couple of times during the years we had Widdop, Dufty, JDB and T Sims playing the way they did.

 

[shiloh dc]

The one that got away. I wonder how things would have been if he was the Head Coach rather than Mary. Possibly in the top 4 a couple of times during the years we had Widdop, Dufty, JDB and T Sims playing the way they did.

If the Dragons swapped Mary for Demetriou in 2017 - I reckon odds-on we win GF in 2018 with the squad we had.

 

[CronullaSaint]

If the Dragons swapped Mary for Demetriou in 2017 - I reckon odds-on we win GF in 2018 with the squad we had.

WE would off come closer for sure.

 

[Adolf_Spritzer]

If the Dragons swapped Mary for Demetriou in 2017 - I reckon odds-on we win GF in 2018 with the squad we had.

The coach can't help Widdops shoulder falling out of its socket, but maybe he would have been able to help Hunt and teach him the art of closing out a game

 

[Slippery Morris]

I think if JDB did not go through the courts Mary would still be coaching or would have possibly got another season or 2. That had a huge impact to Mary as whilst JDB was there they were top 8. The year he did not play they struggled and Mary got booted. I also don't think Saints would have brought in these old has-beens who brought in bad discipline to the club. McGuiness and Sims were leading the team well and once Hook came, McGuinness jumped ship and Sims kept getting suspended for high shots. It all went sour quickly under Hooks watch as he let his Qld buddies run the show in Macca, Hunt and Maguire. He also tried to keep Corey. Woods, Billy Burns and Burgess came in as well, later joined by Mbye and Moga. Mary had Lomax on his toes and he was not a guarantee so he played better footy with Mary. It then went out the door with Hook as he let him get away with dumb plays.

Saints have players with flair in the lower grades, then come to the top grade and are forced to dull it down and play a really boring predictable style. No more eyes up footy hence coaching the footy out of the players. The quicker he goes the better.

Do the fans really care if they get a new coach and not make the 8 this season? Depending on who it is they surely won't and would be much happier and optimistic for the future. If they keep Hook they will get same results, players will be asking for a release and the fans left more frustrated. Look at what Potter did in his short time at the Dogs. The fans were much happier having him that short period than persisting with Baz as they were off him big time like we all are of Hook. There is no positive keeping Hook any longer surely.

 

[Lethal25]

Mate seriously? Wighton is not staying in canberra. More than happy to revisit this when he signs with someone else, because he will

Going to Souths, wants to play with Mitchell & Walker

 

[justadragon]

I think if JDB did not go through the courts Mary would still be coaching or would have possibly got another season or 2. That had a huge impact to Mary as whilst JDB was there they were top 8. The year he did not play they struggled and Mary got booted. I also don't think Saints would have brought in these old has-beens who brought in bad discipline to the club. McGuiness and Sims were leading the team well and once Hook came, McGuinness jumped ship and Sims kept getting suspended for high shots. It all went sour quickly under Hooks watch as he let his Qld buddies run the show in Macca, Hunt and Maguire. He also tried to keep Corey. Woods, Billy Burns and Burgess came in as well, later joined by Mbye and Moga. Mary had Lomax on his toes and he was not a guarantee so he played better footy with Mary. It then went out the door with Hook as he let him get away with dumb plays.

Saints have players with flair in the lower grades, then come to the top grade and are forced to dull it down and play a really boring predictable style. No more eyes up footy hence coaching the footy out of the players. The quicker he goes the better.

Do the fans really care if they get a new coach and not make the 8 this season? Depending on who it is they surely won't and would be much happier and optimistic for the future. If they keep Hook they will get same results, players will be asking for a release and the fans left more frustrated. Look at what Potter did in his short time at the Dogs. The fans were much happier having him that short period than persisting with Baz as they were off him big time like we all are of Hook. There is no positive keeping Hook any longer surely.

I tend to agree with you Slippery, but there is one thing I will say, yes we have players in lower grades with a lot of flair, but their defence is virtually non existent. Once these players make it to top grade they get found out very quickly and some really struggle to stay in grade. I really think they are not being coached right as can be seen on the highlights of KOE cup, its actually horrific to watch some of the tries being scored. Yes we need a coach who not only can utilise the flair but can have a very good defensive plan as well. That is certainly not Hook.

 

[TheRev]

Yar I haven't seen many kids with flair hit nsw cup age, so few that it bewilders me.. treigh Stewart was one of the best, but his defence is a real problem.. Sullivan and amone the others but they r still a work in progress.

There was guys like Schiller and bostock, but we lost them..

I'd kill to see some good juniors coming thru and pressuring 1st grade.. It'll be easier to keep them too if we have a 1st grade coach and side that is respected... We need kids with some patience.

 

[Dragonssupporter]

Just to add a few drops of petrol to the fire about our juniors. Has anyone looked at the junior rugby league comp just starting now. There are almost no teams from the St George area from about 16 yrs and up
U17 Silver - 1 from St G, 5 from Cron,
U17 Gold - 1 from St G, 5 from Cron,,
U18 Silver - 2 from StG, 4 from Cron,
U18 Gold - 2 from StG, 3 from Cron,
Open Mens Silver - 3 from StG, 9 from Cron,
Open Mens Gold- 1 from StG, 6 from Cron.
League in our region is just dead. Thank God we have Wollongong for juniors because thats our total future.
But is St George as a club doing anything whatsoever to try and fix this, because each year its just getting worse. All ages from 13 up are combined comps with Cronulla because there are so few teams left in our area. Penshurst RSL has no senior teams above U16.Same with Arncliffe Scots. Kingsgrove Colts appear to be the only survivors this year
Yet i never hear this mentioned in any correspondence for the Dragons. Do they just assume were safe having Wollongong so we dont need St George Juniors anymore.
I dearly love watching junior rugby league (in a lot of cases its like NRL was 30 yrs ago) and i prefer to watch it over NRL these days. Its a tough game with no bludgers, played in a great spirit by kids who really want to be there. I suggest everyone on this forum get out and watch a few local games this year. I'm sure you'll enjoy it
You can find all the draws on playrugbyleague.com
Support our few remaining junior clubs

 

[redv13]

Just to add a few drops of petrol to the fire about our juniors. Has anyone looked at the junior rugby league comp just starting now. There are almost no teams from the St George area from about 16 yrs and up
U17 Silver - 1 from St G, 5 from Cron,
U17 Gold - 1 from St G, 5 from Cron,,
U18 Silver - 2 from StG, 4 from Cron,
U18 Gold - 2 from StG, 3 from Cron,
Open Mens Silver - 3 from StG, 9 from Cron,
Open Mens Gold- 1 from StG, 6 from Cron.
League in our region is just dead. Thank God we have Wollongong for juniors because thats our total future.
But is St George as a club doing anything whatsoever to try and fix this, because each year its just getting worse. All ages from 13 up are combined comps with Cronulla because there are so few teams left in our area. Penshurst RSL has no senior teams above U16.Same with Arncliffe Scots. Kingsgrove Colts appear to be the only survivors this year
Yet i never hear this mentioned in any correspondence for the Dragons. Do they just assume were safe having Wollongong so we dont need St George Juniors anymore.
I dearly love watching junior rugby league (in a lot of cases its like NRL was 30 yrs ago) and i prefer to watch it over NRL these days. Its a tough game with no bludgers, played in a great spirit by kids who really want to be there. I suggest everyone on this forum get out and watch a few local games this year. I'm sure you'll enjoy it
You can find all the draws on playrugbyleague.com
Support our few remaining junior clubs

I played my juniors at Hurstville United and the StGeorge comp was slowly starting to die in the early 2000’s. Very sad indeed

 

[Inisai Toga]

I tend to agree with you Slippery, but there is one thing I will say, yes we have players in lower grades with a lot of flair, but their defence is virtually non existent. Once these players make it to top grade they get found out very quickly and some really struggle to stay in grade. I really think they are not being coached right as can be seen on the highlights of KOE cup, its actually horrific to watch some of the tries being scored. Yes we need a coach who not only can utilise the flair but can have a very good defensive plan as well. That is certainly not Hook.

Im not sure i agree! We were sliding under McGregors watch big time. Imo that Semi where we beat Broncos became a mask that covered a deeper problem. We’d always start the year well and then flounder badly . We were cooked that year and never going to win; that game glossed up deeper problems that we failed to address in our recruitment for years. Happening before Griffin arrived.. Agree about the defence though its horrific; its as though they have no idea and not just Saints. Some of the Nrl defence is woeful these days.

 

[justadragon]

Im not sure i agree! We were sliding under McGregors watch big time. Imo that Semi where we beat Broncos became a mask that covered a deeper problem. We’d always start the year well and then flounder badly . We were cooked that year and never going to win; that game glossed up deeper problems that we failed to address in our recruitment for years. Happening before Griffin arrived.. Agree about the defence though its horrific; its as though they have no idea and not just Saints. Some of the Nrl defence is woeful these days.

You are correct, the game in total these days has focused on total entertainment of scoring tries. Thats what brings the dollars in to the NRL. I would still like to see a game with great defence thats winnable like 6 - 4 but unfortunately its not a very good spectacle on the media these days. Seems like defence is an after thought to many teams in the NRL and especially in lower grades, and to me its being coached that way.

 

[possm]

Yar I haven't seen many kids with flair hit nsw cup age, so few that it bewilders me.. treigh Stewart was one of the best, but his defence is a real problem.. Sullivan and amone the others but they r still a work in progress.

There was guys like Schiller and bostock, but we lost them..

I'd kill to see some good juniors coming thru and pressuring 1st grade.. It'll be easier to keep them too if we have a 1st grade coach and side that is respected... We need kids with some patience.

There is a long line of former Saints junior prospects who just could not tackle e.g.:
Cummins
Quinlan
Dufty
Stewart
Sloan

Add to that list, players such as Sullivan and Amone and we can confidently say that there is something wrong with the way these juniors are being trained/developed.

Surely those in charge have recognized this problem but sadly nothing seems to be done to correct the situation. Back in my day, if you had a problem with courage or technique, the coach would pull you aside and arrange individual coaching until the problem was solved. and while ever the problem was still there, you just did not get selected to play.