The Rumours Thread

[JohnnoMcJohnno]

Trouble is johhno I don’t think our fullback is a star although he does have upside.
I don’t think, actually I know that our five eighth is definitely not a star
I think that young flanno will complement whinger at 5/8
Let’s wait and see what coach comes up with cause I don’t think he’s all talk no action …. Yet anyway
I have more faith in him than any previous since uncle Wayne
It’s early days yet

I have faith in Flanno's ability to get more out of the players than Hook could. I just don't see we have the players (so far) to make much of a move up the ladder. Kyle Flanagan at 5/8 is an interesting one. As far as I can tell he's played most of his footy at halfback. Canterbury tried him at half, 5/8 and hooker before putting him on the bench. So I don't think he's the answer at 5/8, he certainly won't complement Ben Hunt, and Ben Hunt will hog the ball as halfback in any case. To complement Ben Hunt you need a dominant 5/8 who can over-ride Hunt, and I don't think young Flanno is the man to do that.

 

[Mojo]

We should be looking in the the UK for potential signings. We should employ Widdop/Graham as scouts. I’m sure there are a few decent players looking to prove themselves in the NRL. We should sign
2-3 and really look after them, i.e. organise their accomodation, study needs etc.

It’s a real challenge to find a pommy RL player who wants to study.

 

[Dragon David]

I agree. Which basically means the new coach is a liar or delusional.

If ever a club needed to bring in some fresh blood, even for the sake of starting with a fresh slate it was the Dragons. Instead all you hear is about other clubs righting their roster like the Dogs. Look at the Roosters, they are organising a replacement centre in Jennings in case Sualli or Manu go down to go with their amazing coup of Young on the wing. As far as I know we are stuck with Feagai who is not a first grader.

I've sat back - with patience - but one of two things will happen next. I'll go ballistic or will withdraw from this mess completely. If we couldn't make the moves Shane promised this off season I am not hanging around for the false promises of 2025. My anger is placed solely at the board who doubled-down on both Mary and Hook with no sense of professionalism or pride. We are a club on the outer and don't the players of the NRL know it!

An earlier post by me -

"Certainly it looks like similar trends to previous years. Our club just isn't attractive and that is part of the continuing lack of better signings. We could have either Bennett, Bellamy, Cleary or Robbo and still not get those players we need to make us a force. The image of the club from all of the bad years and Hunt's wanting out has made us look a poor destination maybe?

Money isn't always the thing to dangle to get players even if we will have a significant amount in 2025. The image of the Dragons to players needs a massive uplift imo."

As far as I am concerned positive actions are much stronger than words. I too will lose my rag and close the door on the following of this club thebigredv if we end up like in previous years with statements of better times ahead and promises of good signings falling flat by the likes of Mary and Hook. Flanno's chances of becoming a successful first grade coach after being outed for some time depends on following through with getting the right players for next year and so on. If he cannot do this he will be seen to be as delusional as the previous coaches. The Board thinks that they have done their job by ridding Hook and signing Flanno, albeit after Ryles rejected us, being a beggar can't be choosers situation in the end. Why wasn't Flanno first choice?

I tell you, this has a feeling of ending up being a fiasco. For way too long we have been told to be patient - way too long. Next thing I will be a patient - and that will be at the local hospital or mental health institution.

 

[baggygreen man]

we need to retrain our juniors or junior coach’s who clearly can’t coach the fundamentals of tackle or read the play.

How true is that.

 

[baggygreen man]

Too many teams in this competition.

Build it to 20, add a Pacifica and a West Aussie team, then split into two tiers of 10, using a promotion/relegation format. Just an idea.

 

[Victoire]

Has Taukeiaho been confirmed anywhere yet? Was supposedly locked in with the Dogs but there's been no confirmation, and they've since signed Josh Curran. He's past his best perhaps but with Kerr and Musgrove both gone we seem short of experience in the middle

 

[dungay dragon]

There was a ten day coolng off period put in place by the NRL from this year
That Expires tomorrow
Hopefully we may get some signing news then
So the Dogs have signed a heap... quantity not Quality , so not desperation stakes yet ..
The AFB yarn may not be completely dead in the water...
Flanno went to great lens to entice , and he is still very tight with a number of our group..in particular BMM ...
Once back home , reality will again set in , esp on the family issue....
stay tuned

 

[offiah]

I think it would actually be the 12th at the earliest. If they get and accept the offer on the 1st. 2nd is day 1 and 11th is day 10.

 

[offiah]

Not that I’m sitting here just waiting or anything…

 

[Parko1310]

According to the Herald, we will play Gold Coast away in round 1 next year.

• Rabbitohs v Sea Eagles (March 2 in Las Vegas)
• Broncos v Roosters (March 2 in Las Vegas)
• Knights v Raiders (Thursday, March 7)
• Warriors v Sharks (Friday, March 8)
• Storm v Panthers (Friday, March 8)
• Eels v Bulldogs (Saturday, March 9)
• Titans v Dragons (Saturday, March 9)
• Dolphins v Cowboys (Sunday, March 10)
• Bye: Wests Tigers

Those are said to be all the round 1 fixtures. Our other pre-season matchup could be announced as early as Friday. Tigers with the bye in round 1, so I bet I can guess who's got the bye in Magic Round this year... despite giving us the bye in round 1 last year, I doubt that stops the NRL from giving us another "unlucky" bye in that regard next year.

Update: We'll play Tigers in Mudgee week 2 of pre-season. Full NRL draw to be released on Monday.

 

[TheRev]

I think next Monday would be the absolute earliest for any announcement (good or bad), it wouldnt be announced on a weekend... and this assumes we had the contract locked and loaded on the NRLs desk on Day 0.. we may have wanted to pretend for a few days like we hadn't been negotiating before November 1st.

 

[Slippery Morris]

Dessie v Flanno. What a start to the season it will be.
The press will have a field day with this story of 2 coaches out to start with a bang on their return to the NRL.

 

[Saints Forever]

There was a ten day coolng off period put in place by the NRL from this year
That Expires tomorrow
Hopefully we may get some signing news then
So the Dogs have signed a heap... quantity not Quality , so not desperation stakes yet ..
The AFB yarn may not be completely dead in the water...
Flanno went to great lens to entice , and he is still very tight with a number of our group..in particular BMM ...
Once back home , reality will again set in , esp on the family issue....
stay tuned

10 business days

 

[Dragon David]

10 business days

NRL documentation: Last Right of Negotiation clause​

Every player must provide his incumbent Club with a last right of negotiation for a 10-day period from the date of notice that the player has received an offer from a rival Club, and that offer has been submitted to the NRL, that he is prepared to accept. In order to give effect to this clause:

• a) the player must provide notice to his incumbent Club that he has an offer that he will accept in 10 days’ time (subject to negotiations with his incumbent Club);
• b) the Club can then engage in contract negotiations with the player for a period of up to 10 days, or the Club may waive its rights in writing (at which point the player is free to sign with the rival Club);
• c) the offer from the rival NRL Club must be an official offer and submitted to the NRL Salary Cap Auditor (the contents of which will remain confidential, but the NRL Salary Cap Auditor can provide verification to the incumbent Club that an official offer has been received). The offer must remain open for acceptance for a minimum of 14 days, and for at least 48 hours beyond the expiry of the 10-day negotiation period with the incumbent Club. There is no requirement for the player to disclose the terms of the offer to his incumbent Club;
• d) at the expiry of the 10 days, the player may sign (or reject) the offer from the rival Club.

 

[Illusion]

NRL documentation: Last Right of Negotiation clause​

Every player must provide his incumbent Club with a last right of negotiation for a 10-day period from the date of notice that the player has received an offer from a rival Club, and that offer has been submitted to the NRL, that he is prepared to accept. In order to give effect to this clause:

• a) the player must provide notice to his incumbent Club that he has an offer that he will accept in 10 days’ time (subject to negotiations with his incumbent Club);
• b) the Club can then engage in contract negotiations with the player for a period of up to 10 days, or the Club may waive its rights in writing (at which point the player is free to sign with the rival Club);
• c) the offer from the rival NRL Club must be an official offer and submitted to the NRL Salary Cap Auditor (the contents of which will remain confidential, but the NRL Salary Cap Auditor can provide verification to the incumbent Club that an official offer has been received). The offer must remain open for acceptance for a minimum of 14 days, and for at least 48 hours beyond the expiry of the 10-day negotiation period with the incumbent Club. There is no requirement for the player to disclose the terms of the offer to his incumbent Club;
• d) at the expiry of the 10 days, the player may sign (or reject) the offer from the rival Club.

So all the announcements from other clubs means they have signed and there is no cooling off period ? Is this right ..... ?

 

[dungay dragon]

So all the announcements from other clubs means they have signed and there is no cooling off period ? Is this right ..... ?

"they go with former Clubs blessing " no cooling off...

 

[Desperate Dragon]

So all the announcements from other clubs means they have signed and there is no cooling off period ? Is this right ..... ?

A lot of the signing announcements have been players who were free agents (off contract) at the end of season 2023, for example Sele and Flanagan.
So no cooling off period applies to these players.

 

[Illusion]

A lot of the signing announcements have been players who were free agents (off contract) at the end of season 2023, for example Sele and Flanagan.
So no cooling off period applies to these players.

Thanks for that .......

 

[Dragon David]

If a player is without a contract at the incumbent club, surely he can just go to the rival club if that club offers him a contract and if the incumbent club has given the green light for that player to seek other offers. Players like Hutchison, Mann, Turpin and Faamausili were off contract which meant that their signing at the Bulldogs didn't require a 10 day cooling off period?

A player whose contract ends at the end of 2024 would need to give the incumbent club 10 days notice in order for that club to have a chance to renegotiate with that player. For a player like Tom Dearden, this would apply for instance.

Am I correct with these statements?

 

[TheRev]

The Dragons have ramped up their $3 million bid to try and sign Dally M prop of the year Addin Fonua-Blake for 2025.

Apparently we have ramped up our offer to AFB, im not sure what that means.. 1million over 3yrs wont remotely be enough.. thats the minimum he will be allowed to even sign for.. as hes already on 1mil a season... 1.5mil p.a. doesnt seem right..