The Rumours Thread

[BLM01]

OK, but then why did he sign a contract extension if things were so bad? He could have just left there and then. Instead he pushed for the best possible contract out of the club, then tried to tie the clubs hands with the coach, and then decided he wanted to play somewhere else anyway. I don't like it, I don't care for whatever it is he wants, and I don't need him to tell me the club is poorly run. The club can certainly do without that level of self-centredness.

Yep true and agree, but unfortunately this "business' word that gets thrown around so often. We know who to blame for that.
Has Ben actually said "how poorly run the club is"?
But if your are an employee and got offered to do the same job at a better run place would you not give it a go for similar conditions. because YES for a majority of players today and PM's it is just a business and workplace for them.
If Penrith were going like busted the bro's would not all be together today. But they are a well run organisation for now.

I hate it to and the way things are played out in the media infuriates me including the Ben saga but that is our professional NRL that the heads of the game and media pushed for, PM's get dragged in and here we are...whilst they all enjoy the gravy train ride in return.
The fans and supporters we are told we matter..but we dont really
as long as we keep forking out the money to watch it, which we do and they know that.

 

[baggygreen man]

I agree take the captaincy of him.

We have to, to regain some credibility and lost reputation.

 

[The Word]

Their is nothing new in this article...just comments that were previously made....

PURE CLICKBAIT.........

Flanno knows what he is doing...

A lot going on behind the scenes...........

Agree with this. Reading the article I don't think there's any real news in it we didn't already know.

He's been asked some questions and he's answered them honestly. Yes, his preference is still to go back to Queensland, but he respects Flanagan and has agreed to play next season.

That situation could change quickly if an alternative half becomes available that Flanagan thinks can replace him.

But at the moment Flanagan feels he needs his experience in there while he starts to re-shape the squad.

I'd probably select a different captain for next season, take him out of the firing line, let him concentrate on his footy. No doubt that will create another media circus if / when it happens followed by the predictable fan "backlash".

 

[baggygreen man]

keaon-koloamatangi

For all his hype our own Blake Lawrie has superior post contact metres, tackle breaks and average running metres than Koloamatangi this season. If he is an enforcer what then is Blocka.

 

[Gourley's Socks]

While the entire organisation is atrocious and has no doubt failed to live up to many expectations, Hunt's salary puts him in the top 1% of people plying such a trade. Yet his performances - save for a brief period last year - have failed to even nearly meet such a mark.

So I consider broken promises to be on both sides.

And I'd be willing to let the blame be mutual and claim them both as bad as each other but for one thing:

None of these supposed failures of the board were so intolerable until Hunt's mate was (rightly) fired. It's the timing of his sudden sanctimony that makes me question his integrity.

 

[dungay dragon]

Guys
Hearing some agitation with big Luciano at the Cowboys
Raiders made a request but was denied
Rumblings have been there for a while
Would be an ideal Pupil for Flanno . Untapped potential .
Would consider a dual swap for say Luch and Townsend for our Homesick puppy , Benny .

 

[Illusion]

Guys
Hearing some agitation with big Luciano at the Cowboys
Raiders made a request but was denied
Rumblings have been there for a while
Would be an ideal Pupil for Flanno . Untapped potential .
Would consider a dual swap for say Luch and Townsend for our Homesick puppy , Benny .

Its a yes for me , Townsend would be a better fit for the team than the straight faced sook we have now .......

 

[baggygreen man]

Luciano

Yeh bring the Saints junior home. Be more mature now and his stats stack up nicely since he was wrongly booted by Mary.

 

[Parko1310]

As a player, maybe. As a person, it's questionable. Wasn't he accused of DV at the start of the year? Is this the sort of character we should be bringing into the club?

 

[baggygreen man]

Would consider a dual swap for say Luch and Townsend for our Homesick puppy , Benny .

Our disloyal egotist fits him better.
Aren't we swapping one has been for another with Townsend. Take Luccie in a blink as could be a damaging middle or edgie for us in our rebuild. Notice too his tackle efficiency has improved as he was a bit of a suss defender when he was with us.

 

[BLM01]

Our disloyal egotist fits him better.
Aren't we swapping one has been for another with Townsend. Take Luccie is a blink. Be a damaging middle or edgie for us in our rebuild.

No way to both. Townsend is just about done as a 1st grader and Luch is too hit and miss including efforts in defence for the money he would demand

 

[Slippery Morris]

So Ben Hunt is upset the clubs is a shambles which they are since they brought in his mate as coach and his team mates from Qld and made it a shambles. Before his mates came in Saints, made a finals series and had some hard workers in McInness, Widdop, Host etc with a crop of promising juniors coming through. Saints had quite a few Origin players then and were on the up and all they needed was a decent coach to taken them up that next level only for them to settle for Hook. I am sure Hunt would have been endorsing this disastrous move to get his mate in.

The club is now a huge mess and finished it's lowest it ever has. This is largely due to his mate Hook especially on field performances and poor roster, and Hunt demanded Hook be retained before he extended. He held the club to ransom because he wanted a clause for them to keep Hook. The club did not budge which we should all be grateful for and he eventually signed on after the Saints told him they will not be guaranteeing him Hook will stay. He could have easily avoided all this garbage if he simply did not sign and taken another huge chunk off the Saints cap for 25. 24 would have been his last season guaranteed but now he has another tagged on and because of him signing we now have to endure the threats of him wanting out all of next season to again destabilise the club.

Did anyone notice a young 21 y.o Sam Walker at the Chooks win them a finals game away from home with a field goal? His second time he has done that. Why would a club want Hunt when he cannot even achieve what Sam has at 21, who would be much cheaper? There were quite a few games this season where the Saints were ahead in the last 10 mins and lost them. Where was Hunt? I think those games showcased his weakness big time and the Broncos with a guy like Reynolds would never contemplate getting Hunt for Reynolds? Hell no, did you see him against the Storm? Townsend has better game management than Hunt at the Cows and Bennett could have gone hard for Hunt but didn't which leaves us with the Titans and a man who made Saab demand releases to move to the GC. Dessie loves his old experienced boys. He may be the one instigating all this. He is a very crafty bloke.

 

[baggygreen man]

Townsend has better game management than Hunt

So does Keiran Foran and is off contract end of '24. Take two years of him over Hunt.

 

[Victoire]

No way to both. Townsend is just about done as a 1st grader and Luch is too hit and miss including efforts in defence for the money he would demand

I agree, that's a terrible deal.

Townsend might be a good game manager but this season especially age really caught up with the rest of his game, in particular his kicking. He was one of their worst players in a poor season. The only good things they did in attack were around Dearden and Drinkwater this year. However, he does (unfortunately) have the link with Flanagan and the Cows were rumoured to be shopping him around earlier this year. If the swap does happen we’d need something significantly better than Luciano, and we surely cannot give Townsend more than a one year deal. He’s only got 1 year left at the Cowboys as it is, so why would he leave?

 

[dungay dragon]

I agree, that's a terrible deal.

Townsend might be a good game manager but this season especially age really caught up with the rest of his game, in particular his kicking. He was one of their worst players in a poor season. The only good things they did in attack were around Dearden and Drinkwater this year. However, he does (unfortunately) have the link with Flanagan and the Cows were rumoured to be shopping him around earlier this year. If the swap does happen we’d need something significantly better than Luciano, and we surely cannot give Townsend more than a one year deal. He’s only got 1 year left at the Cowboys as it is, so why would he leave?

Holmes is the Ace in the pack...
If we can prize him away from the Cows would be a real Get
Would solve the Fullback dilemma and an exc goal kicker
Payton may decide to off load a few to serve notice to all at the Club
Hopefully Deanos all over it

 

[justadragon]

I'm at the stage that I dont care what Hunt does, whatever damage to his reputation and the Dragons reputation has been done. Its up to the players, the BOD and Flanno plus other coaches to restore it. My only major concern is the captaincy, he shouldnt have it , its embarrassing, he doesnt inspire on the field and even if he did why would the rest of the team follow him knowing he wants out. I agree the Dragons didnt deliver on the promises they made him, and he didnt deliver on the performances required. Draw a line in the sand, it starts from here, shut your gob, start performing and earn the respect from the loyal Dragons fans again, because a marquee player on a million bucks a year should deliver on being a marquee player, not throw stones in glass houses.

 

[getsmarty]

smarty,
I think everyone is behind flanno with the way he is talking and his ambition for the red vee.
agreed players always want out moreso now with managers and salary cap . BUT its the way that ben has handled the situation - sure we dont know what he was promised but as big red just mentioned it was only AFTER his mate walk was fired that he vented his spleen from afar ,, Hook was in charge of recruitment when ben signed his extension but kept quiet about the players his mate signed . You cant come out after the fact and have such an outburst , In my opinion he had been approached and obviously thought it was a given that saints would let him go . It was only after someone (nrl ? ) mentioned to him that his manager and himself were dealing in illegal doings AND a pleasant coffee with flanno that we were holding him to his LEGAL contract . His body language at pressers shows he is uncomfortable so make him co captain ( in case theres a contract stipulation ) and he doesnt attend pressers . ANd to come out and say i still want out well I just reckon flanno is waiting for a club to bite and then we get a player swap and some coin BUT ben has to pull his finger out and perform other wise he may just start 2026 running around in an a grade team somewhere in qld living out his dream . He has gone about this the wrong way has really thumbed his nose at club and supporters wanting out half way through a season so he needs to eat humble pie and support the club play above his ability and act like he wants to be here UNTIL flanno works his magic and calls his bluff

I don't disagree with you....but there is more to it...I will leave it at that...

 

[getsmarty]

We've been complaining about the Dragons organisation for years. But when our captain does, he's the bad guy. Look at Matt Cooper. He was promised a job after retirement and was not given it. He blames Doust, but it could have been the BOD. Are we telling him he's wrong and should disappear? Maybe Hunt is right and the place is a shambles.

100%.... Flanno has a massive job on his hands...I hope that he is not hindered in attempting to turn the ship around.

 

[getsmarty]

For all his hype our own Blake Lawrie has superior post contact metres, tackle breaks and average running metres than Koloamatangi this season. If he is an enforcer what then is Blocka.

Compare apples with apples... 2nd rower vs a Prop...

 

[getsmarty]

So does Keiran Foran and is off contract end of '24. Take two years of him over Hunt.

Agree...we need a bench warmer and another injury prone player for the spine.

I would take Townsend...if the cows offered up extra money to compensate the swap.

Again, I trust that flanno has someone in mind for 25...

P.S I will also add we are targeting some serious players.... there is a lot going on in the background...

We are talking to players for 25...Squad will look very different if flanno gets his way...can't say anymore... There are a few hints in J.A