The Rumours Thread

[Parko1310]

It’s a lot of uncertainty heading into a new season. If we can’t land the likes of Tracey then the biggies coming here looks less likely.

Every coach will talk up his current players. Nothing new there.

Facts are we have freed a few squad spots, signed the son of the coach and a Souths reject who was a better player when he left us. Not congruent with what Shane had promised upon signing.

I can only comment on the facts these days because depending on the hope and the false hope has left me broken.

Sele is not a souths reject at all. I'm also frustrated about where our recruitment is headed, but Sele is a very good pickup who souths wanted to keep. We simply outpriced them

 

[Slippery Morris]

IMO Hook was the worst thing that has happened at StG in my approx. 60 years as a supporter. Hunt was central to Hook's disastrous influence.

I thought the same about Price but Hook takes the cake and by far the coach that has made the biggest damage to the club. He is also not to blame but the board for extending. It was clear as daylight Hook would make no improvements in 2023 to 2022. Saints position on the ladder in 2022 was such a false statement that the BOD bought it and actually thought Saints were close to being a finals team when in fact the teams behind them capitulated and made them look better that they were. He has ruined a team that was building for a really good future to one that is an absolute shambles. What made this so evident is how things changed so quickly with the interim coach coming in and making an immediate impact. Saints did not win as many games under Carr but to push sides competing in the 8 with a key player in the side who clearly did not want to be there is quite impressive. Carr showed that there is some promise with what we have and Flanno I hope will capitalise. But we could use a couple of signings to replace what they have lost like Mbye, Amone (he will be gone), Ramsey (poor bloke), Sullivan and Kerr. AFB and Treacey would be ideal and all they need for 2024 to get the re-build started.

Bird, Jack De Bellin, Sua', F.Molo played Origin which people seem to forget and at there peak make a formidable pack and adding Lawrie, Couchmans x 2 and M Molo is not bad at all. Flanno gets these boys playing 100% and I think they are better than most packs in the comp. Alot of these boys are playing for contracts so they will have no choice but play at their best to extend their careers which is a good thing.

 

[Slippery Morris]

Did Sele, Lawrie and AFB play together at all in the juniors?

 

[Draginzaaar]

No rash signings okay but how about a few clever signings that would strengthen our team and then can be reinforced in 2025? Curran, Tracey, Fonua- Blake (assuming he was available right away) just for example, would have been excellent going into 2024 and any one of these could play on in 2025 as a vital squad member. I don't feel as if a couple of these players would have been asking too much with our enormous salary cap freedom.

Correct me if I am wrong but didn't Shane say there would be 4 or 5 signings before Christmas or is that something I am making up?

I am wary of a coach talking up the likes of Sloan and Lomax who, despite having great potential, have let us down time and again. If we are hanging our hopes on the same players expecting them to reincarnate as rep-level players that is one thing, but it's another to make it out as such simply because we can't get anyone else over to the joint. Yep, easy for me to sit on the couch and be critical but don't make out as if the fans were all born yesterday. Give it straight.

Sorry but thrice bitten, ten times shy for me. Very wary of coaches that are only ever talking about the future. Remember Mary with his "I finally have the squad I want" rhetoric. Same deal. Puzzle pieces need to fall now for me to buy in to this. I will back Flanagan over Hook in terms identifying strengths and weaknesses but our go forward can't be solely based on improving the players we already have for the 2024. It will be ugly and render us even less attractive a destination. The current players are not up to it most of them.

Every off season I am bleating on about improving the roster and shot down, only to be a couple months in when everyone realises "we don't have the cattle". Can't have this play out again and keep my sanity.

Over and out.

Neither Tracey or Fonua- Blake available for 2024. So what's your point?

 

[Dragon David]

It’s a lot of uncertainty heading into a new season. If we can’t land the likes of Tracey then the biggies coming here looks less likely.

Every coach will talk up his current players. Nothing new there.

Facts are we have freed a few squad spots, signed the son of the coach and a Souths reject who was a better player when he left us. Not congruent with what Shane had promised upon signing.

I can only comment on the facts these days because depending on the hope and the false hope has left me broken.

For the last 11-12 years we have hoped that the new year will be good for us only to be let down and really disheartens us fans. We do have things to look forward to next year with the new coaching regime and trainers/conditioners. I'm pinning a lot of my positiveness on these new people to get us over the hump. The work on the new C of E should start early next year and hopefully completed sometime in 2025. This will help immensely for our future.

If this new regime fails, then I dread to think what the repercussions will be and what effects it will have on the club going forward. Do they change coaches to start all over again? What then, the same cycle over and over? Please don't let this happen for heavens sake and make us perennial losers.

 

[thebigredv]

Sele is not a souths reject at all. I'm also frustrated about where our recruitment is headed, but Sele is a very good pickup who souths wanted to keep. We simply outpriced them

Wasn’t seeing much first grade there.

 

[thebigredv]

Neither Tracey or Fonua- Blake available for 2024. So what's your point?

There was talk of both being possible for 24 at one point if mutually agreeable. We want to keep using excuses why we can’t while other clubs just get it done.

Bulldogs are going to try compensate sharks to get Tracey for 24.

 

[St Tangles]

Any interest in Klemmer? Could become available if WT somehow land Luai..
Still think he goes well and is 29

I honestly hope we are not interested in Klemmer

The Bulldogs and Knights were happy to see the back of him and now the Tigers are looking to move him on.

 

[Slippery Morris]

I can see Klemmer being a Flanno type signing. He will get the best out of him for sure like he did Fafita, Piror, Gallen etc. He will definitely add some depth to the pack. Klemmer on his day was pretty awesome but those days are a long time ago unfortunately and we have Bird who is similar which we are hoping he can get him to his best again.

I think having Klemmer will add some aggression to the pack though. He seems like a guy who can unsettle the opposition and is first in to help his team mates out if they get in a scuffle. I would prefer Nathan Brown though but that won't happen as he has now signed for Manly I think for peanuts.

I like Flanno's comment, those players that are available now are available for a reason, hence why he is not rushing in to sign them up.

 

[Parko1310]

Wasn’t seeing much first grade there.

What? He played every single game he was available this year and last year before that. He also worked his way into their starting pack. He literally could not have seen any more first grade than he did over the last two years. He was a mainstay in their team.

 

[qld redvee]

I honestly hope we are not interested in Klemmer

The Bulldogs and Knights were happy to see the back of him and now the Tigers are looking to move him on.

He still has 3 years on his deal and is on good coin. So its a no from me

 

[Dragons4me]

I can see Klemmer being a Flanno type signing. He will get the best out of him for sure like he did Fafita, Piror, Gallen etc. He will definitely add some depth to the pack. Klemmer on his day was pretty awesome but those days are a long time ago unfortunately and we have Bird who is similar which we are hoping he can get him to his best again.

I think having Klemmer will add some aggression to the pack though. He seems like a guy who can unsettle the opposition and is first in to help his team mates out if they get in a scuffle. I would prefer Nathan Brown though but that won't happen as he has now signed for Manly I think for peanuts.

I like Flanno's comment, those players that are available now are available for a reason, hence why he is not rushing in to sign them up.

Klemmer will be interpreted as a desperate signing which only helps the Tigers improve their roster. Fans aren't stupid and most recognise and perhaps are willing to accept losses if their team at the very least has a real go with the cattle they've got. We've had enough of elder statesman players (thanks to Hook) who offered little. A little unfair perhaps but this is the real world.

 

[kit66]

Wasn’t seeing much first grade there.

Sele played 18 games this year, 13 at starting prop and 5 off the bench. Arguably his best year to date, 27 years old and coming into his prime, a great pick up, very mobile and a high work rate. In his last five games - 102 tackles, 1 miss. Him, AFB, Lawrie, JDB and FMolo would make Flanno's job a lot easier, build the team around those boys and go from there.

 

[Biglance]

What? He played every single game he was available this year and last year before that. He also worked his way into their starting pack. He literally could not have seen any more first grade than he did over the last two years. He was a mainstay in their team.

mate, some of the people in here just make stuff up, its really tiring reading the histrionics at times. Even comments like we are the only club not signing people. LOL go through other clubs and besides the dogs not many other clubs have made many moves.

Flanagan has also knocked back a number of players who wanted to come

 

[Gardenia]

mate, some of the people in here just make stuff up, its really tiring reading the histrionics at times. Even comments like we are the only club not signing people. LOL go through other clubs and besides the dogs not many other clubs have made many moves.

Flanagan has also knocked back a number of players who wanted to come

I dont think the Sharks have really signed anyone? Or the Titans? Manly even who have they signed of note?

 

[Slippery Morris]

Lets hope we can go off a bit of history when Hook leaves a club. Hook leaves Bronco's in 2014 - In 2015 Bronco's reach GF. Hook leaves Penrith in 2018 and in 2020 Penrith make the GF. Based on this Saints to make the GF in 1 or 2 years maybe 3. Both teams lost those 2 GF's in 2015 and 2020 but at least they made it that far. If Saints can follow that then I will be happy with that. From memory both those teams did not go on big shopping sprees either, they stuck with their cattle and realised it was just the $hite coach that was the problem not the players.

If this somehow does happen (wishful thinking), Tigers and Dogs may be rushing to sign up Hook in a couple of years time if they are still struggling and they can take Hunt with him.

 

[TheRev]

In terms of other clubs recruitments.. most clubs are bursting at the seams, apart from maybe 2 positions at the tigers and 1 dogs forward, the rest of the NRL are cooking.. its only the Dragons that have a squad completely incapable of making the 8.

We have around 8 players out of our 30 that I'd rate as 1st graders we might want to keep.. we are expecting that Flanno will turn some of those average players into '1st grade standard', we are relying on it infact.. but we will be doing it the hard way vs the rest of the comp.. .. but.. 1 or 2 marquees would really turn things around for us.. just hope we can land that first big fish soon...

 

[Mojo]

Lets hope we can go off a bit of history when Hook leaves a club. Hook leaves Bronco's in 2014 - In 2015 Bronco's reach GF. Hook leaves Penrith in 2018 and in 2020 Penrith make the GF. Based on this Saints to make the GF in 1 or 2 years maybe 3. Both teams lost those 2 GF's in 2015 and 2020 but at least they made it that far. If Saints can follow that then I will be happy with that. From memory both those teams did not go on big shopping sprees either, they stuck with their cattle and realised it was just the $hite coach that was the problem not the players.

If this somehow does happen (wishful thinking), Tigers and Dogs may be rushing to sign up Hook in a couple of years time if they are still struggling and they can take Hunt with him.

That’s a new angle. Clubs will sign Hook just so they can sack him.

 

[Mojo]

In terms of other clubs recruitments.. most clubs are bursting at the seams, apart from maybe 2 positions at the tigers and 1 dogs forward, the rest of the NRL are cooking.. its only the Dragons that have a squad completely incapable of making the 8.

We have around 8 players out of our 30 that I'd rate as 1st graders we might want to keep.. we are expecting that Flanno will turn some of those average players into '1st grade standard', we are relying on it infact.. but we will be doing it the hard way vs the rest of the comp.. .. but.. 1 or 2 marquees would really turn things around for us.. just hope we can land that first big fish soon...

Ironically, We have a better chance of landing a big fish without a Hook.

 

[thebigredv]

mate, some of the people in here just make stuff up, its really tiring reading the histrionics at times. Even comments like we are the only club not signing people. LOL go through other clubs and besides the dogs not many other clubs have made many moves.

Flanagan has also knocked back a number of players who wanted to come

Make stuff up?

he hasn’t played even 50 games in four seasons.

Many clubs have opted for retention of talent so locking up their future. Doesn’t leave a lot for the struggling clubs like us to recruit so we need to get inventive a barge some doors down. You sometimes have to take the bull by the horns rather than crying victim.

yeah so much hysteria. We will be walloped next season no matter what. I’m not looking forward to it.