The Rumours Thread

[St Tangles]

To get Hazlelton from the Sharks you'd have to pay overs.

I'm not to fussed if he stays at the Sharks.

$450 is a good offer for what he offers.

 

[Drewbrees]

To get Hazlelton from the Sharks you'd have to pay overs.

I'm not to fussed if he stays at the Sharks.

$450 is a good offer for what he offers.

Agree.

 

[possm]

Flanno wanted AFB to lead our pack. Let's get back to organizing our list so we can be in the market for a similar-quality prop.

 

[blacksafake]

Seems to be better coming off the bench than starting from what I’ve seen.
If so then 450 is enough.

 

[baggygreen man]

I'm not to fussed if he stays at the Sharks.

Well expect him to accept unders and stay at the club "that gave me a chance''.

 

[baggygreen man]

We need to try and offload the players we do not want to keep ASAP just in case some good players become available for 2025>

Agree. The dead wood, has beens, guys that will never make Firsts.

 

[Crush]

Toby could be a go

No thanks

 

[baggygreen man]

Telegraph suggesting Hazelton will re-sign with Sharks.

Flanno dudded yet again chasing a prop, this time by Hazletons loyalty to the club that gave him a chance to play top grade footy. Is Klemmer best we can hope for? Gotta say he has never set my ticker pumping overtime.

 

[RedV11]

ST.GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS APPOINT V8 SUPER CARS CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER TIM WATSFORD AS NEW CEO

St George Illawarra’s prolonged search for a chief executive is over, with the club appointing the V8 Super Cars chief operating officer to the role.

Michael Carayannis
less than 2 min read
February 26, 2025 - 9:51AM

St George Illawarra’s prolonged search for a chief executive is over with V8 Super Cars chief operating officer Tim Watsford landing the gig.
The Dragons have taken their time to decide on their new boss after telling current chief executive Ryan Webb his time at the club would come to an end in March.

Watsford had been linked to the Dragons position previously. He has spent the past two years at Supercars and previously worked as the NRL as a general manager – major events and engagement.

He will become just the fourth chief executive since St George Illawarra formed in 1999. Webb, Peter Doust and Brian Johnston are the only others.

 

[Victoire]

Well this seems... surprisingly good

 

[saints4ever]

Do we know anything about him? We were hard for Rush and is this good or is this settling?

 

[Carrera28]

Key figure departs Supercars management

SUPERCARS has announced that chief operating officer Tim Watsford has resigned from the organisation. Watsford has been with the company since late 2022,

www.v8sleuth.com.au

He has experience within the NRL, experience outside of sport with the Northern Territory Major Events Company and his role with V8 Supercars would give him significant experience in managing internal politics and external politics with Motorsports Australia.

That is a solid base of applicable experience in dealing with management, politics, state government bodies, sponsors and prima donna sportsmen.

Seems like a decent candidate who is not joining the Dragons out of desperation or because he cannot get a job anywhere else. He is potentially giving up the chance to be the next CEO of the V8 Supercars to join the Dragons so that would appear at face value to be someone committed to what the Club offers to his career.

 

[saints4ever]

Key figure departs Supercars management

SUPERCARS has announced that chief operating officer Tim Watsford has resigned from the organisation. Watsford has been with the company since late 2022,

www.v8sleuth.com.au

He has experience within the NRL, experience outside of sport with the Northern Territory Major Events Company and his role with V8 Supercars would give him significant experience in managing internal politics and external politics with Motorsports Australia.

That is a solid base of applicable experience in dealing with management, politics, state government bodies, sponsors and prima donna sportsmen.

Seems like a decent candidate who is not joining the Dragons out of desperation or because he cannot get a job anywhere else. He is potentially giving up the chance to be the next CEO of the V8 Supercars to join the Dragons so that would appear at face value to be someone committed to what the Club offers to his career.

True

and great summary. Cheers

 

[The Word]

He does seem like a strong candidate from a brand-building and commercial perspective, which is absolutely what our club needs to drive is forward and compete with the likes of the Roosters commercially.

However we also need to appoint a top line football operations chief, someone with serious footballing knowledge to oversee our pathways, training facilities, player recruitment and retention policies. We need to allow Flanagan to concentrate on winning nrl games and improving his squad but I get the impression he needs to have a hand in everything football-related at the moment because the quality of the support is not there.

So this is a good first step but we need to do more.

 

[Slippery Morris]

He previously worked at the NRL. That can only be a good thing and it appears he quickly established himself to be COO of V8 Supercars. Very impressive resume. Saints took a while to make it happen and make the announcement, but this may have been because Tim was still heavily involved in his current organisation and had to seek a release of some sort as he was in a pretty high position.

 

[Carrera28]

He does seem like a strong candidate from a brand-building and commercial perspective, which is absolutely what our club needs to drive is forward and compete with the likes of the Roosters commercially.

However we also need to appoint a top line football operations chief, someone with serious footballing knowledge to oversee our pathways, training facilities, player recruitment and retention policies. We need to allow Flanagan to concentrate on winning nrl games and improving his squad but I get the impression he needs to have a hand in everything football-related at the moment because the quality of the support is not there.

So this is a good first step but we need to do more.

I think in short term we are better to let Flano continue without a football operations manager above him.

Flano is a workaholic and we need him to be happy and motivated. Given how bad our culture was In the short term it is most effective to have the coach establishing the culture in the football team and the football department one figurehead setting leadership will establish a clear culture and clear expectations.

The Dragons should re-engage Matthew Elliot on a contract to provide support to Flano in doing the leg work and someone like Brian Smith on a part time consultancy to be a sounding board/excutive coach.

Flano needs a sounding board outside of the clubs management hierarchy independent of organisational politics who also understands the clubs unique politics. Smith is perfect for that and unlike Gus Gould he is not a media tart so he won't blab to channel 9 about it.

With those two Flano would have two people who understand the club and neither of whom are in a position to take his job so he doesn't have to worry about being undermined. Elliot would get him time back by doing the grunt work and Smith would help as a strategic sounding board.

By the end of 2025 the club will know whether it is keeping Flano or not beyond his current contract.

At that point they should decide what they are going to regarding a football operations manager

If Flano is not being kept a new Football Operations Manager should be recruited first and then that individual should run the recruitment process for a new coach.

If we want to keep Flano we should offer him the Football Operations Manager Job if he wants it, stressing that if he declines the job and remains as head coach he will have a new boss. By end of 2025 we will have a clear view of what our culture is and either Flano takes the job and recruits a new head coach for 2027 or the club recruits a football operations manager that fits the culture that Flano has established.

The Culture of the club is far too important to risk disagreement between two figureheads or making Flano feel he is restricted. Ultimately we need Flano to help us establish a culture that supports us for next ten years at least and Flano seems to be the person best equipped within the current hierarchy to lead this.

There is the saying when you want a task done quickly, give it to a busy person.

Personally Flano is the only person I would trust to do the required foundational work. It is not sustainable forever but for the remainder of 2025 I think it is our best option.

 

[Jubilee]

I think in short term we are better to let Flano continue without a football operations manager above him.

Flano is a workaholic and we need him to be happy and motivated. Given how bad our culture was In the short term it is most effective to have the coach establishing the culture in the football team and the football department one figurehead setting leadership will establish a clear culture and clear expectations.

The Dragons should re-engage Matthew Elliot on a contract to provide support to Flano in doing the leg work and someone like Brian Smith on a part time consultancy to be a sounding board/excutive coach.

Flano needs a sounding board outside of the clubs management hierarchy independent of organisational politics who also understands the clubs unique politics. Smith is perfect for that and unlike Gus Gould he is not a media tart so he won't blab to channel 9 about it.

With those two Flano would have two people who understand the club and neither of whom are in a position to take his job so he doesn't have to worry about being undermined. Elliot would get him time back by doing the grunt work and Smith would help as a strategic sounding board.

By the end of 2025 the club will know whether it is keeping Flano or not beyond his current contract.

At that point they should decide what they are going to regarding a football operations manager

If Flano is not being kept a new Football Operations Manager should be recruited first and then that individual should run the recruitment process for a new coach.

If we want to keep Flano we should offer him the Football Operations Manager Job if he wants it, stressing that if he declines the job and remains as head coach he will have a new boss. By end of 2025 we will have a clear view of what our culture is and either Flano takes the job and recruits a new head coach for 2027 or the club recruits a football operations manager that fits the culture that Flano has established.

The Culture of the club is far too important to risk disagreement between two figureheads or making Flano feel he is restricted. Ultimately we need Flano to help us establish a culture that supports us for next ten years at least and Flano seems to be the person best equipped within the current hierarchy to lead this.

There is the saying when you want a task done quickly, give it to a busy person.

Personally Flano is the only person I would trust to do the required foundational work. It is not sustainable forever but for the remainder of 2025 I think it is our best option.

Let Flanno choose someone for that role. But your suggestions are good.

 

[Murfy]

This is a good interview with Tim about the job

‘Definitely a desire to be great’: First interview with new Dragons CEO

Tim Watsford believes Dragons are a sleeping giant that is just about to be awakened.

www.smh.com.au

 

[Centralcoastdragon2]

Has anyone heard if Klemmer has had a medical with us?

 

[saints4ever]

Speaks well