The Rumours Thread

[justadragon]

yep and accounts are that Scott Fulton was courted to replace the very ill Millard but got rejected by the board.. now tbh maybe it was wise.. but id like to see an alternative found ASAP, because we have pretty much burnt 12 months with Leilua the only vague signing... take away Lomax and we are sitting net negative currently in our "rebuild" year.

Did we ever find out why Fulton was unacceptable ?

 

[Illusion]

Here I was thinking Panthers have been the best team for the last 5 years.

Yep your right , but others are getting there by bending the rules , third party deals extra , we can't do either right so if we need to follow the the Panthers then do it , if we need to follow the Rooster way then do it ...... Mate at the moment you and I have suffered a lot seeing no improvement same old mistakes ....... So as I stated before they are way behind with what ever way they do it , so let's hope this once mighty club can get back to the top .......

 

[Dragon the chain]

Yep your right , but others are getting there by bending the rules , third party deals extra , we can't do either right so if we need to follow the the Panthers then do it , if we need to follow the Rooster way then do it ...... Mate at the moment you and I have suffered a lot seeing no improvement same old mistakes ....... So as I stated before they are way behind with what ever way they do it , so let's hope this once mighty club can get back to the top .......

I don't think you can be better than Easts at the cheating game. But you can be better than Penrith and Melbourne at the development game.

 

[RedVee]

Did we ever find out why Fulton was unacceptable ?

No I don’t expect we ever will.
Maybe a financial thing as far as we know???

Don’t forget, his father was from Wollongong - that should have ticked one box.

 

[TheRev]

No doubt that Fulton is a gamble... I just felt if Flanno was willing to roll the dice on him.. and given we have already missed the window for big 2025 signings.. what did we have to lose?

 

[KogarahWarrior]

Did we ever find out why Fulton was unacceptable ?

Wanted Schuster to tigers. Nuff said.

 

[TheRev]

In terms of replicating the penrith system, we can only do that if we have a bunch of kids being patient and staying put in nsw cup.. i.e. saying no to the calling of Wayne and Robbo and co.... that only happens if those kids desperately want to be at our club and see the longterm payoff with 1st grade success. And thats not whats been happening with Bostock, Schiller, Saab etc... or Robson.. a classic example.. oh I cant walk into 1st grade? Ok cya.

In other words I dont think we can 'pull a penrith' unless we fill the 1st grade (and reserve grade) holes that have developed.. which is what Gould has done with canterbury.. bought a successful 1st grade side at the same time as focussing on the lower grades.

 

[Dragon David]

Here I was thinking Panthers have been the best team for the last 5 years.

...and they haven't been rorters and they are prepared to let go great players but know that they have many others they can coach to be just as good. It is the right system that they have put in place and being very selective and have a very good eye for detail to see how each individual coming through the lower grades are developing, progressing and getting the right training to ensure they can withstand the rigours of first grade and the other main things are to have the right attitude, the love of the club and wanting to be there, the right spirit to play the game, to be able to back his team mates on the pitch, to want to win the premiership. When they get a bit older and wiser and won a couple of premierships then they know that they can get that extra coin elsewhere knowing that they have done their job for the Panthers. They do buy external players of course but not a great number in each year.

So there is no need to rort like maybe the Roosters might be doing, just have a strong nursery of young ones to continue on the success of those before them and get a couple outsiders to cover while the younger ones mature for first grade.

 

[Dragon David]

I'm hoping that we are slowly but surely adopting the Penrith model of having strong junior grades and KOE, our next marquee will be from there and the sooner we realise the better we will be.

Fully agree justa.

 

[Slippery Morris]

When Brad Arthur gets the boot (should be sooner rather than later) they can get him as recruitment manager. Seems to be pretty good at it especially targeting players under contract. Plus his missus must cook a mean pot roast.

Seems like Saints in no rush to hire a recruitment guy seeing there was rumours of Scott Fulton a few weeks ago and nothing since.

 

[TheRev]

It is sounding like Nathan Brown moved to the Gold Coast for the titans role.. He was the one I would have liked for pathways if nothing else.. I dunno who else is out there.. Seems like there is a lot of politics involved in managing the player managers..

 

[justadragon]

It is sounding like Nathan Brown moved to the Gold Coast for the titans role.. He was the one I would have liked for pathways if nothing else.. I dunno who else is out there.. Seems like there is a lot of politics involved in managing the player managers..

I had asked that question before Rev, and people told me that he was retiring up there, yep he would have been perfect for us.

 

[Mojo]

In terms of replicating the penrith system, we can only do that if we have a bunch of kids being patient and staying put in nsw cup.. i.e. saying no to the calling of Wayne and Robbo and co.... that only happens if those kids desperately want to be at our club and see the longterm payoff with 1st grade success. And thats not whats been happening with Bostock, Schiller, Saab etc... or Robson.. a classic example.. oh I cant walk into 1st grade? Ok cya.

In other words I dont think we can 'pull a penrith' unless we fill the 1st grade (and reserve grade) holes that have developed.. which is what Gould has done with canterbury.. bought a successful 1st grade side at the same time as focussing on the lower grades.

Whenever I hear reference to ‘the Penrith system’ I recall what St George used to be (I’m talking 40+ years ago) and reflect sadly that Penrith is just doing what the Dragons had done for decades. It’s not rocket science. Develop and cultivate really deep roots in the community and train and develop talented young guys (and girls) with genuine respect.

 

[twinkletoes]

Whenever I hear reference to ‘the Penrith system’ I recall what St George used to be (I’m talking 40+ years ago) and reflect sadly that Penrith is just doing what the Dragons had done for decades. It’s not rocket science. Develop and cultivate really deep roots in the community and train and develop talented young guys (and girls) with genuine respect.

That is the sustainable end game l...but we all know our supporters are perennial whingers who want some form of instant results and if not forthcoming its sack the coach, sack the players, sack the management etc...not that we haven't been patient over the last 14 years. Developing the deep roots and junior players is a medium to long term strategy...in the meantime the current playing roster needs to be reinforced so that we are not wooden spooners year in year out.

In terms of implementing this "system" I may be wrong but I have not seen a strategic plan from the Dragons outlining these pathways, systems and strategies. I compare that to West Tigers where Shane Richardson who has been in his job for 6 months released a 5 year strategic plan for the Tigers last week noting that by the end of 2025 they will have 10,000 juniors across their region....

Feel free to correct me on any of the above..

 

[Dragon David]

That is the sustainable end game l...but we all know our supporters are perennial whingers who want some form of instant results and if not forthcoming its sack the coach, sack the players, sack the management etc...not that we haven't been patient over the last 14 years. Developing the deep roots and junior players is a medium to long term strategy...in the meantime the current playing roster needs to be reinforced so that we are not wooden spooners year in year out.

In terms of implementing this "system" I may be wrong but I have not seen a strategic plan from the Dragons outlining these pathways, systems and strategies. I compare that to West Tigers where Shane Richardson who has been in his job for 6 months released a 5 year strategic plan for the Tigers last week noting that by the end of 2025 they will have 10,000 juniors across their region....

Feel free to correct me on any of the above..

Whooa baby! That's a lot of juniors and if Richo has drawn up a 5 year strategic plan for the Tigers, they will end up similar to the Panthers one day and become a strong merged club. I think Richo could have been involved in implementing a similar plan when he was at the Panthers a few years back.

I was hoping that a guy like him could have come to us when we were seeking a new head coach and I think it was maybe Ryles who might have wanted him, maybe? In any case I think like in so many cases, the Board didn't agree or someone might not have and that was that.

Do we have anyone in our Administration who has the capacity to draw up a 5 year plan and I mean involving our league players throughout the regions of the south coast and St George and not who should be the next chairperson.

 

[Mojo]

That is the sustainable end game l...but we all know our supporters are perennial whingers who want some form of instant results and if not forthcoming its sack the coach, sack the players, sack the management etc...not that we haven't been patient over the last 14 years. Developing the deep roots and junior players is a medium to long term strategy...in the meantime the current playing roster needs to be reinforced so that we are not wooden spooners year in year out.

In terms of implementing this "system" I may be wrong but I have not seen a strategic plan from the Dragons outlining these pathways, systems and strategies. I compare that to West Tigers where Shane Richardson who has been in his job for 6 months released a 5 year strategic plan for the Tigers last week noting that by the end of 2025 they will have 10,000 juniors across their region....

Feel free to correct me on any of the above..

Totally agree. Strategic plans and corporate policies shouldn’t take years and years to develop - months, if not weeks - then get stuck into it! That’s what a Board and corporate managers are for, after all.

 

[Mojo]

Whooa baby! That's a lot of juniors and if Richo has drawn up a 5 year strategic plan for the Tigers, they will end up similar to the Panthers one day and become a strong merged club. I think Richo could have been involved in implementing a similar plan when he was at the Panthers a few years back.

I was hoping that a guy like him could have come to us when we were seeking a new head coach and I think it was maybe Ryles who might have wanted him, maybe? In any case I think like in so many cases, the Board didn't agree or someone might not have and that was that.

Do we have anyone in our Administration who has the capacity to draw up a 5 year plan and I mean involving our league players throughout the regions of the south coast and St George and not who should be the next chairperson.

I’ll do it for free!

here’s an introductory paragraph I just posted on another thread:

the proximity of Jubilee Oval, the leagues club and Beverley Park is an amazing opportunity for development of a stadium and sports complex (in fact they’re all geographically connected).
Revert to one club , ie; St George Dragons, keep Illawarra stadium as a satellite / second home ground and establish a junior rugby league development academy in the Gong.

 

[JohnnoMcJohnno]

That is the sustainable end game l...but we all know our supporters are perennial whingers who want some form of instant results and if not forthcoming its sack the coach, sack the players, sack the management etc...not that we haven't been patient over the last 14 years. Developing the deep roots and junior players is a medium to long term strategy...in the meantime the current playing roster needs to be reinforced so that we are not wooden spooners year in year out.

In terms of implementing this "system" I may be wrong but I have not seen a strategic plan from the Dragons outlining these pathways, systems and strategies. I compare that to West Tigers where Shane Richardson who has been in his job for 6 months released a 5 year strategic plan for the Tigers last week noting that by the end of 2025 they will have 10,000 juniors across their region....

Feel free to correct me on any of the above..

At the members information session last year, Webb made the point that the club had been operating with a $6M per year deficit, but operations have been turned around and last year they made a profit. With the turn-around, the stated intent was to re-invest that money into programs and facilities, all of which takes time. I must admit I was gobsmacked to hear how poorly the club had been going financially.

I haven't seen a strategic plan. That's a good question for the next information session. But if the club has been operating with significant losses, I can understand why the focus would be on turning around the commercial performance before doing anything else, as painful as that might be on the football field. What I would say is a strategic plan is meaningless without the means and wherewithal to implement it.

 

[Mojo]

At the members information session last year, Webb made the point that the club had been operating with a $6M per year deficit, but operations have been turned around and last year they made a profit. With the turn-around, the stated intent was to re-invest that money into programs and facilities, all of which takes time. I must admit I was gobsmacked to hear how poorly the club had been going financially.

I haven't seen a strategic plan. That's a good question for the next information session. But if the club has been operating with significant losses, I can understand why the focus would be on turning around the commercial performance before doing anything else, as painful as that might be on the football field. What I would say is a strategic plan is meaningless without the means and wherewithal to implement it.

That's true - but a commercial turn around is virtually impossible without a strategic plan. With a decent plan, the Board should be hitting-up the State Govt and some of the billionaires who profess to love the club. Serious action needs to be started now. It's gone on too long.

 

[JohnnoMcJohnno]

That's true - but a commercial turn around is virtually impossible without a strategic plan. With a decent plan, the Board should be hitting-up the State Govt and some of the billionaires who profess to love the club. Serious action needs to be started now. It's gone on too long.

According to Webb, they turned a profit last year so the commercial turnaround has at least started. If I was the State Government, I wouldn't be giving any money to a professional sporting club, particularly an unprofitable one. It's just throwing away money they should be spending on schools and hospitals and so on. If I was a billionaire, I might give them something but I'd be telling them they're a business, not a charity and they need to stand on their own two feet.