The Rumours Thread

[TheRev]

We have lots and lots of backrowers but not enough props.IMO

I thought a big phat prop was our #1 priority, but possibly they just arent on the market like Gus is finding. Hooker was my next request..

but anyway.. we have nearly as many young props as we do 2nd rowers.. but they are all just kids still.. its why the slightly older crew, guys like Fifita, Tui, MMolo and Couchmans.. I think the success of our season may hinge on them.. if 1 or 2 have break out years it really changes things for us.

 

[BlackDuckSaint]

Does anyone else find it slightly funny/ironic that the 2014-2016 Dragons NYC team is getting back together.

Hame Sele, Luciano Leilua, Blake Lawrie and Jack Bird all played on that team.

AFB was around that time and Jackson Hastings, also rumoured to be after, played in 2013.

Absolutely wild.

 

[Crush]

Leilua in line to make shock return to Dragons

With a tumultuous Townsville stint seemingly coming to an end, St George Illawarra coach Shane Flanagan is eyeing the powerful forward to add value to his squad.

www.smh.com.au

Love the dramatic headline.
Is it really a "shock return" ?
I mean, he's on the outer at Cows, dragons need players, we have money, hes from the area.
Why is it a "shock" ?

 

[JubileeJeffro]

Guess that means Luki and Finifuiki are staying put…
Leilua is the fish john west rejects..

 

[Divine]

Why is it a "shock" ?

Maybe because he’s the first player in ages to “want” to come here.

 

[Dragon David]

Love the dramatic headline.
Is it really a "shock return" ?
I mean, he's on the outer at Cows, dragons need players, we have money, hes from the area.
Why is it a "shock" ?

Exactly. They over dramatise the Dragons stories to make us look desperate.

 

[Centralcoastdragon2]

I don't think he is a done deal just yet.

 

[Sage63]

I don't think he is a done deal just yet.

It'll be very interesting to see what flanno can do with him.

 

[Captn]

Thinking a tactical change may be in the air. Flanno has been around a few clubs and commenting on others. Maybe he can see a change in how we can get mobile ball playing 2nd rowers setting a good platform for our solid centres and hopefully finished off with the limited? speed we have. Was tried at the dogs but Flanno might be able to make it work..

 

[Divine]

It'll be very interesting to see what flanno can do with him.

* We don’t know what Flanno’s done just yet. It looks promising solely based on some drastically changed body shapes and some balanced rhetoric from the man himself. It can also go from “Finals bound” to circling the drain very quickly. Ask Hook.

 

[justadragon]

* We don’t know what Flanno’s done just yet. It looks promising solely based on some drastically changed body shapes and some balanced rhetoric from the man himself. It can also go from “Finals bound” to circling the drain very quickly. Ask Hook.

Can agree with some of your points mate, but Flanno and Hook are vastly humans

 

[Divine]

Can agree with some of your points mate, but Flanno and Hook are vastly humans

*vastly

 

[The Word]

I’ve always thought this guy has literally all the skills needed to be one of the best forwards in the game. I’m not really sure what’s held him back, lack of confidence or laziness maybe? Either way he’s exactly the type of player Flanagan can improve drastically. This is a good signing and probably at a reasonable fee?

 

[Inisai Toga]

There’s often a bit of Rocks and Dimonds in his game for sure, but i thought at times he went quite well at both Tigers and Cowboys. His defensive game with us certainly needed improving but If he does come to us fit and motivated he ‘s a player that attracts attention from the opposition and we need that imo in our pack; particularly in attack!

 

[TheRev]

His cost is irrelevant, we will be paying full freight + paying out some other member of our 30... but we have plenty of 2024 cap to burn anyway.

I mean we are going into this season now with a squad of 1st graders.. I didnt see that even 2 months ago.. none of them are marquees or rep players.. and Flanno hasnt had any time to work with all the recent ones (so its not ideal).. but atleast he has some tools in his shed now.. it means he has some sort of plan b or plan c if he's not getting what he wants out of a certain individual...

 

[Auntie.Gerald]

No Paul Turner in any of the teams on the wknd

Hmmm

 

[JubileeJeffro]

A chunk of his salary for this year will have already been paid by the cowboys I would assume

 

[Auntie.Gerald]

If $700k pa

And he left 1st March ie two weeks from this weekend cowboys may have tipped in $60k pm approx ie $240k

So he would be a $460k contract for 2024

But u would suspect we would pay a lot more of the 2025 contract now in 2024 given our cap space

So we may flip it and go for a $700k ourselves for 2024 and $460k next year max

That puts us in a solid position with a very handy player at $460k next year when it matters more re being a real top8 team

 

[denis preston]

Good article. Does anyone know more about this?
Millard is newly installed into his role as recruitment and pathways manager, but already has his eye set on building a Dragons academy in New Zealand, which will be run by club legend Jason Nightingale.
“We have started preliminary talks to get that up and running in the next 12 months. We need to make sure we have the resources, things like having eyes and ears on the ground, they have somewhere to train and there are coaches that can go over there,” Millard said.

Love the passon but this is pie in the sky stuff. bit like the South Pacific dream about 8 years ago.

 

[Dragon David]

Can agree with some of your points mate, but Flanno and Hook are vastly humans

Vastly different?