The Rumours Thread

[possm]

I’ve been critical of Hunt and his game management for a while now but I can understand why we still have him at our club for the time being. I’m sure if there were a number of decent halves to choose from then Flanno may have gone in a different direction but this simply is not the case.

Does he take a punt on a second tier half and spend money on some decent middles? Again, not much to choose from. The player market more than anything is dictating our position in terms of new signings and we just have to be patient until the right players become available.

I’m hoping some of our younger players can step up this weekend against the Panthers and give Flanno something to think about in the coming weeks. GO THE DRAGONS !

The real problem is that the Dragons do not have a professional recruiter who can pitch an attractive narrative to players we want to recruit. Plenty have come onto the market over the past few years but we just can't seal the deal.

I say we should have let Hunt go when he desperately wanted to go.

 

[Chook99]

But I think we are more likely to end up with Illias and / or Bud Sullivan.

No to Sullivan, he has had his chance and didn't show enough. Hasn't proven himself with the Magpies

 

[JubileeJeffro]

I know you didn’t direct this at me but I have had a go at those calling for Sloan to be dropped for not offering an alternate.

Recruitment is hard enough especially for Dragons and, despite a healthy war chest we have multiple recruitment needs. Centre, Half, 14 come 9 & Book ends.

It is critical we secure the services of Peter O'Sullivan first and foremost, then we have some true recruitment skin in the game

For my mind, when it comes to a Hunt succession plan, we are looking about it the wrong way. We should focus on a big-bodied, running 5/8 to work outside of KF at 7, in the mould of a young Jack Wighton.

My preferred choice is Blaize Talagi assuming the lure of playing halves is as strong as the lure of fullback.

Then we don’t extend Hunt, Blaze plays centre or fullback 2025 (I prefer centre as I’m a Sloan fan) then come 2026 KF at 7, Blaize 6 and one of our promising juniors at centre.

Why focus on another half (7) ? KF is wasted at 6 - he is a solid game managing 7

Then we may still have the $$ for a book end or two and a 14 for 2025 and our juniors should be able to fill the wing spots.

So, if we can't get Blaize?
The truth is – who the f$%k am I when it comes to NRL recruitment?

So I return to my earlier statement – “It is critical we secure the services of Peter O'Sullivan”

Big bodied running 6 you say.. if we can’t get Talagi it’s worth a punt on Schuster imo..
Use the hunt money for another prop or hooker backup

 

[JubileeJeffro]

No to Sullivan, he has had his chance and didn't show enough. Hasn't proven himself with the Magpies

Sullivan is not NRL std.

 

[<StGeorgeDragons>]

The real problem is that the Dragons do not have a professional recruiter who can pitch an attractive narrative to players we want to recruit. Plenty have come onto the market over the past few years but we just can't seal the deal.

I say we should have let Hunt go when he desperately wanted to go.

How has it gotten to this?

We had some bloke (Shane Millard?) and he got ill, I come to understand? Not a lot on this from the club so more just general confusion.

The bigger picture is we've been crying out for multiple decent quality signings, marquee, rep player what-have-you for a number of years now to bring some success to the club. Years of biding our time, waiting for the sweep. And now we find ourselves with no manager able to even begin the process?

I mean the fans have been bloody patient, lenient, and understanding, but there's surely got to be a point where it is simply not good enough for a club to be run like this.

I can't even watch NRL now knowing my team is no chance of shaking up the comp now or in th near future. It's so bleak, and our first spoon cannot be far away.

 

[JubileeJeffro]

How has it gotten to this?

We had some bloke (Shane Millard?) and he got ill, I come to understand? Not a lot on this from the club so more just general confusion.

The bigger picture is we've been crying out for multiple decent quality signings, marquee, rep player what-have-you for a number of years now to bring some success to the club. Years of biding our time, waiting for the sweep. And now we find ourselves with no manager able to even begin the process?

I mean the fans have been bloody patient, lenient, and understanding, but there's surely got to be a point where it is simply not good enough for a club to be run like this.

I can't even watch NRL now knowing my team is no chance of shaking up the comp now or in th near future. It's so bleak, and our first spoon cannot be far away.

Many fans think like this, hence why the crowds are so low.. the BOD are living off the fumes of the Bennett era. A slow and gradual decline since then unfortunately.

sadly my kids can’t understand why I support the dragons… my son remains due to loyalty but my daughter has now supported the panthers for the last 3-4 years..

 

[<StGeorgeDragons>]

Many fans think like this, hence why the crowds are so low.. the BOD are living off the fumes of the Bennett era. A slow and gradual decline since then unfortunately.

sadly my kids can’t understand why I support the dragons… my son remains due to loyalty but my daughter has now supported the panthers for the last 3-4 years..

I've been as bitter as anyone for a decade now but just lately - and I am not having a go at Flano and his plans- I have felt defeated as fan, like my club just don't care. Keep hoping something is around the corner but it never comes while we see the rise and rise of other clubs.

As a kid who followed in the 90s, we were never the dream team on paper and we lost as many as we won but it was such a thrill to be a supporter because their was pride there, not excuses. You knew your club was in there battling to be better than others and it saw us reach all those gfs. I'd trade the premiership if my club could go back to doing that again.

 

[saintmar]

The real problem is that the Dragons do not have a professional recruiter who can pitch an attractive narrative to players we want to recruit. Plenty have come onto the market over the past few years but we just can't seal the deal.

I say we should have let Hunt go when he desperately wanted to go.

So who didn’t let him go?
And who was bought here to attract signings?
WHO?

 

[Chook99]

Big bodied running 6 you say.. if we can’t get Talagi it’s worth a punt on Schuster imo..

Yes Schuster is a big body, and skilfull.

However, no way we should go there - defence is awful, and imho he is lazy

 

[Dragon David]

It has been the same old story every year.

This is the Dragons' Rumours thread and they have dried up. No new players being proposed, no new R&R guy being signed. No exciting news.

Boring now. The club needs a big kick up the backside for letting things get this bad. Flanno is still an uncertainty.

Gould has done the right thing and for this year the signs look good for the Dogs which is driving me up the wall because I don't like them. But I have to admit that what that club has done seems to have improved them.

We need to take drastic measures as patience is wearing very thin now.

 

[<StGeorgeDragons>]

The only way we get one good player to the club is to get a package deal. That is, to sign one player we are going to need to accumulate two or three real decent players all at once as a promise we mean business. Looks like the ship has sailed on that again for next year. A little like the way Luai's signing would have enticed Turuva over. That is how we got Luciano back (Sele).

If you are are a star/ rep player looking for a new home no way are you looking at the Dragons and thinking it is a) a happy environment and b) it is. smart career move.

The alternative is we develop those 3 or 4 star players but we are still waiting for our young stars from 5 years to flourish.

 

[Crush]

Hate is a little strong, but no one is pretending Hunt is not what most fans want. Its real, regardless of whether he is our best player. For the money we are paying, you would expect that he is the best player, let alone half, at the club.

He has ensured half is his spot and his alone. He even struggles to allow halves partner any substantial involvement. He’s showed no interest in taking a successor under his wing.

So long as he remains, we are HUNT-strung.

I’m certainly not forgetting the loss mentioned to Broncos team a couple seasons ago but the emphasis there ‘is a couple seasons ago’ under a coaching ethos of ‘give it to Ben”, of course we’ll fall apart when one player, the entire game plan, isn’t on the field.

Kyle Flanagan is as underestimated as you overestimate Hunt but, like any recent 5/8, is hampered by Hunt. I also don’t think anyone promoting ‘we ditch Hunt’ is seriously proposing that a ‘Kyle and Marchske’ pairing are the future.

Hunt has had opportunity in the halves, playing more of a 6 role, but he can’t relinquish any control to Kyle, and he NOT moving to Hooker. Every game he proves he can’t make any concessions with current roster let alone should we recruit ‘a good out and out halfback who can control a game’.

Hunt is the half who can’t game manage, won’t change position for the good of the team, can’t kick well, and as Captain, can’t lead. But what a running half – dumb, isn’t it?

You are right about a shortage of good halves. You are right about another halves pairing not going to happen right away, but no substantial improvement will ever have a chance till Hunt is gone.

Hanging onto Hunt because he’s our best individual half is accepting team mediocrity and waiving a white flag till the end of his contract.

Solid post, bang on the money.
Shame he’s about to re-sign again.
Better get that white flag out.

 

[Gardenia]

The talk of letting Hunt just leave is ludicrous. People can pretend he's not all they want, but he's our best player. He's also the best half at the club. That doesn't make half his best position, but it's the most important position on the field and he is the best at it at the Dragons. Are we all just going to pretend we didn't lose to a Broncos team a couple seasons ago when they had 12 players out, and we had one: Ben Hunt. We lost to a genuine reserve grade team at full strength minus Hunt. The alternatives people are throwing up like Kyle to halfback.. sorry but are we serious? Anyone who genuinely thinks Kyle at halfback would be anything but an absolute disaster is blinded by their hatred of Hunt. Kyle's a reserve grader.. that's just the reality. Would I like to see Hunt at hooker? Yeah i would, his kicking game out of dummy half is way better than in general play and I completely acknowledge he can't organise a team. But the alternatives.. Kyle and Marchske in the halves.. in week to week NRL. My god that would be shambolic, just think about that for one second. No one thinking rationally could possibly actually think we'd be better off with that pairing. We are two good signings in the halves away from even being able to think about Hunt to hooker, or Hunt to leave - whatever gets you going. And with a massive shortage of good halves, it's just not going to happen, especially not right away. Say you sign a good out and out halfback who can control a game. Then, they play the halfback role, but we're still better off having Hunt in the halves (playing more of a 6 role) than we are having Kyle there. Even just signing that one half is going to be hard enough. Only if you did that and then signed another good half (a 6), would it actually be a viable option to move Hunt to hooker or to move him on. Hatred of the bloke just blinds people, the alternative of not having him in the halves/at the club is scary

Everything Parko said!

 

[Wolfgang90]

no jayden brailey, pls god no.

 

[Gardenia]

The real problem is that the Dragons do not have a professional recruiter who can pitch an attractive narrative to players we want to recruit. Plenty have come onto the market over the past few years but we just can't seal the deal.

I say we should have let Hunt go when he desperately wanted to go.

So true Possm. The scary thing is we desperately need O'Sullivan and rumour has it he will follow Mr Wayne Bennett to the Bunnies.

I feel like we are the club that never gets an invite to the birthday party.

When will things change? Why does no one want to come to us?.

Mr Flannagan is trying so hard but we cannot get a good signing.

We might have to build from within. That would start with keeping our juniors and keeping the likes of Mr Ricky Stuart away from our kids.

I have been a member for so many years but I cannot keep going next year. A Glimmer of hope would be good but I feel like the club just doesn't care anymore.

 

[I'm Hornby]

I strongly disagree our roster is the worst.
Just had a listen to Gus Gould POD, he really wraps our roster, went through player by player and was extremely positive. Big, tough wingers, powerful centres, x-factor player in Sloan. Tough forward pack with lots of experience and not injury prone, more x-factor in Leilua. Strong halves pairing.
Not everyone in the media is bagging us Rev, we've only being rubbish because we've been rudderless, unfit and not accountable, that has all changed.

Lol post of the year champ

I just quoted you in another thread bagging Sloan when a few months back he was the x factor player according to you?

What happened there champ?

 

[Auntie.Gerald]

Moses kicks the ball 15m longer than Hunt almost everytime when going for a long kick

That is a massive and it hurts our field position to no end.

Hunt many great characteristics but this is killer for our team to control the game.

 

[Get2dachopper!]

I can understand the argument for Hunt, especially given he is are only marquee. But I just keep thinking of those games against the knights and bulldogs, he was completely inferior in terms of game management against some bog average reserve grader halves.
Right know, we don’t need a superstar halfback, a 2016-2018 version of Blake Green would be good enough, someone just to kick us around the field.

 

[Reddragon]

Moses kicks the ball 15m longer than Hunt almost everytime when going for a long kick

That is a massive and it hurts our field position to no end.

Hunt many great characteristics but this is killer for our team to control the game.

Easy then, sign Moses.

 

[Draginzaaar]

Many fans think like this, hence why the crowds are so low.. the BOD are living off the fumes of the Bennett era. A slow and gradual decline since then unfortunately.

sadly my kids can’t understand why I support the dragons… my son remains due to loyalty but my daughter has now supported the panthers for the last 3-4 years..

That's your fault. No family member should support another team. I don't get it.