The Rumours Thread

[dragon thomo]

I hope its Valentine that wants to return to Sydney.

 

[saintmar]

Another positive thread SM . Does your wife beat you and this is the only avenue to feel dominant!!

DP we can not hide from the truth

 

[Gardenia]

Even when the Dragons pathways system was working well, we lost good players to other clubs and recruited some dumb players. Our problem this time round was we had dumb coaches, dumb people running pathways, and players believing they were entitled to be in the NRL team even though they did not have the basic skills to play well at the top level.

Sullivan, Amone, and Sloan are good prospects but not ready for the NRL. not because of their young age or inexperience but because they lack the basic skillset required at NRL level.

What we need right now is a forward pack capable of matching it with the best. That with a solid fast backline who are willing to do the tough work in defense, would keep the Dragon's supporters happy.

One of our problems is that we did not replace SIMS with a like for like player

 

[denis preston]

DP we can not hide from the truth

I agree that there is a lot of shit in this club the last decade but finally we have someone that may improve things And looking from the outside given the power to do so. It seems strange to me that before this guy can get into it some are putting a bagful of negativity on him , why ? It is almost troll like behaviour.

 

[steerlerbab]

I agree that there is a lot of shit in this club the last decade but finally we have someone that may improve things And looking from the outside given the power to do so. It seems strange to me that before this guy can get into it some are putting a bagful of negativity on him , why ? It is almost troll like behaviour.

I agree. Flannos performance should be evaluated next year this time. If we make the finals in 2024, he has improved the team. If we sit bottom 8, then we the fans have earned the right to bag him.

Couple of astute buys and 10% improvement in defense (EG: Sloan, Fegai) and better fitness and conditioning (EG: Liddle, BMM) should see us at top 8. This year we lost a lot of games by a few points. From memory there were couple of games that we even scored more tries than the opposition but conversions let us down.

 

[possm]

One of our problems is that we did not replace SIMS with a like for like player

Yes, and over the years, so many others the same thing. E.g. B Morris, Cooper, Gasnier, Nightingale, Dugan, and Norman (850k). But top-line props were the main problem. Smith, Wayman, Costigan, and even Vaughan.

I'd love to see a fully fit top 17 of:
1. Lomax
2. Lobb / Finau
3. Suli - right-center
4. Holmes - from Cowboys
5. Ravalawa / Sloan
6. Amone
7. Flannagan
8. New prop
9. Hunt
10. New Prop
11. Couchman
12. Su'A
13. De Belin

14. Bird
15. Lawrie
16. F Molo
17. Sele

So, everyone fully fit
Lomax at fullback
Holmes at left-center
2 new props

And some Flanno magic

 

[thebigredv]

One of our problems is that we did not replace SIMS with a like for like player

Or McInnes
Or Frizell
Or Dugan
Or Widdop

Our recruitment has sucked for a long time. Plain and simple. We have so much free cap right now and there is no excuse for not using it to bring in talent.

While we struggle through each season we all turn to each other and say “we just don’t have the cattle”.

Already hearing murmurs of people talking up the signings of Sele and Kyle. I’m sorry, if that is a sign of the quality of of signings to come then Shane is screwing himself over. The same people were dissing me for criticising the signings of Woods, Mbye, Faamasuli and Turner etc. Positive energy with no execution has gotten us nowhere.

Tigers have a better roster than us currently. We immediately need talent so as not to be battling out at the basement again.

 

[Gardenia]

Yes, and over the years, so many others the same thing. E.g. B Morris, Cooper, Gasnier, Nightingale, Dugan, and Norman (850k). But top-line props were the main problem. Smith, Wayman, Costigan, and even Vaughan.

I'd love to see a fully fit top 17 of:
1. Lomax
2. Lobb / Finau
3. Suli - right-center
4. Holmes - from Cowboys
5. Ravalawa / Sloan
6. Amone
7. Flannagan
8. New prop
9. Hunt
10. New Prop
11. Couchman
12. Su'A
13. De Belin

14. Bird
15. Lawrie
16. F Molo
14. M Molo

So, everyone fully fit
Lomax at fullback
Holmes at left-center
2 new props

And some Flanno magic

I like your thinking. I agree Holmes at 4 would be good. I hope its his name that is rumoured to want to come back to Sydney. Vaughan and Frizz are also examples where we didnt replace with a like for like. We used to have a forward pack with at least 2 origin players - actually 4. I do not remember the older names but once we had Frizz, Vaughan and Sims all origin players as forwards. Plus JDB who now has a cloud hanging over him and IMO is past his best.

 

[Gardenia]

I agree. Flannos performance should be evaluated next year this time. If we make the finals in 2024, he has improved the team. If we sit bottom 8, then we the fans have earned the right to bag him.

Couple of astute buys and 10% improvement in defense (EG: Sloan, Fegai) and better fitness and conditioning (EG: Liddle, BMM) should see us at top 8. This year we lost a lot of games by a few points. From memory there were couple of games that we even scored more tries than the opposition but conversions let us down.

I tend to agree with most of this but I think give him till 2025 to have us in finals.

 

[OneEyedDragon]

Yes, and over the years, so many others the same thing. E.g. B Morris, Cooper, Gasnier, Nightingale, Dugan, and Norman (850k). But top-line props were the main problem. Smith, Wayman, Costigan, and even Vaughan.

I'd love to see a fully fit top 17 of:
1. Lomax
2. Lobb / Finau
3. Suli - right-center
4. Holmes - from Cowboys
5. Ravalawa / Sloan
6. Amone
7. Flannagan
8. New prop
9. Hunt
10. New Prop
11. Couchman
12. Su'A
13. De Belin

14. Bird
15. Lawrie
16. F Molo
14. M Molo

So, everyone fully fit
Lomax at fullback
Holmes at left-center
2 new props

And some Flanno magic

It looks like Finau will get the No 2 jersey in your team as Lobb has already signed with the Tigers for next year. Holmes would be a good pick-up, but from memory he wanted out of Sydney so not sure if he is keen for a return. Still, he is worth a shot. I would love to know who the 2 quality props will be.

 

[Gardenia]

I hope its Valentine that wants to return to Sydney.

Me too

 

[Dragonslayer]

I tend to agree with most of this but I think give him till 2025 to have us in finals.

Agree. 2024 won't be judgement year for Flanno. It will be from '25 onwards.

Unless most if the players who have been told to leave do so, we are basically stuck with the same squad next year as this year.

We gave 27 confirmed contracted players, with strong suggestion Dan Russel will be re-signed. That the totals 28, leaving 2 spots only.

However, there is suggestion that players outside the top 30 ie: DS and T&T (it has a new name but can't remember it) can play from round 1. But details of who can be signed and on what salary is yet to he determined especially on how these players effect the salary cap.

So, for now we simply wait until Nov 1 when the market opens to see what crumbs become available.

 

[dungay dragon]

Me too

This one has been bubbling along under the surface for sometime .His close association with Flanno gives us a good hope of securing him at the Dragons . Hoping Deano would entice one or two of the Cows to come with him.Was hoping also for Luki but hearing he may have recommitted
Get the feeling there are other prominent signings to come but said players are still involved in the Semis...
'

 

[Maximus]

I agree that there is a lot of shit in this club the last decade but finally we have someone that may improve things And looking from the outside given the power to do so. It seems strange to me that before this guy can get into it some are putting a bagful of negativity on him , why ? It is almost troll like behaviour.

Right so if we aren't positive about him signing his son, a known loser, it means we are trolls? This demand that you must be positive about everything is ridiculous. If Hook, Mary or Price made this signing, it would be criticised by this entire forum, but somehow it's now ok because Flanagan does.

 

[Trifili13]

I don't agree with comments on here that we have not replaced on a like-for-like basis. Take the coaches, Price was rubbish and we replaced him with Mary who turned out to be rubbish (although there were moments of what could have been) who was then replaced by Hook who was rubbish. In terms of players we have replaced rubbish and plodders with more rubbish and plodders, see like-for-like. Sometimes us supporters can be so ungrateful and whinge for the sake of whinging.

 

[Parko1310]

Agree. 2024 won't be judgement year for Flanno. It will be from '25 onwards.

Unless most if the players who have been told to leave do so, we are basically stuck with the same squad next year as this year.

We gave 27 confirmed contracted players, with strong suggestion Dan Russel will be re-signed. That the totals 28, leaving 2 spots only.

However, there is suggestion that players outside the top 30 ie: DS and T&T (it has a new name but can't remember it) can play from round 1. But details of who can be signed and on what salary is yet to he determined especially on how these players effect the salary cap.

So, for now we simply wait until Nov 1 when the market opens to see what crumbs become available.

Yep it's true regarding the DS. Development players are now called supplementary players and can play from round 1. I'm not sure why the NRL don't just increase NRL squads to 36 if this is the case, but I assume there would be some nuance around it. I would also assume the supp list has its own, smaller salary cap. Train and Trial players are effectively now your old development players, except I'm unsure if there is a limit on them, although I would assume there must be now. They can play NRL from round 10 onwards

 

[Gardenia]

This one has been bubbling along under the surface for sometime .His close association with Flanno gives us a good hope of securing him at the Dragons . Hoping Deano would entice one or two of the Cows to come with him.Was hoping also for Luki but hearing he may have recommitted
Get the feeling there are other prominent signings to come but said players are still involved in the Semis...
'

He would be close to Hunt also im guessing due to QLD association? Wouldnt even hazard a guess regarding other players - are they from the Rorters?

 

[Gardenia]

I don't agree with comments on here that we have not replaced on a like-for-like basis. Take the coaches, Price was rubbish and we replaced him with Mary who turned out to be rubbish (although there were moments of what could have been) who was then replaced by Hook who was rubbish. In terms of players we have replaced rubbish and plodders with more rubbish and plodders, see like-for-like. Sometimes us supporters can be so ungrateful and whinge for the sake of whinging.

This post would be funny if it wasn't about our club and 100% bang on

 

[Gardenia]

Right so if we aren't positive about him signing his son, a known loser, it means we are trolls? This demand that you must be positive about everything is ridiculous. If Hook, Mary or Price made this signing, it would be criticised by this entire forum, but somehow it's now ok because Flanagan does.

I think calling Kyle a known loser is a bit harsh IMO

 

[dungay dragon]

He would be close to Hunt also im guessing due to QLD association? Wouldnt even hazard a guess regarding other players - are they from the Rorters?

heavily interested in 3 roosters and watching the Panthers situation re Luai and or whom they may discard if they can keep him