Where are they now?

[counterpuncher]

Down the pub. Where else?

Denan Kemp actually is running a bar on the Gold Coast. He has a decent League interview style podcast as well that is worth a listen, lots of Dragons have been interviewed... Widdop, Sims, Aitken and Jimmy Graham have all had a run from memory.

 

[True_Believer]

Correct and I for one would rather them try some Juniors or ISP locals first instead and including ones that become flops...because for that 5 year period recruiting for 2012-16, we ignored a lot of our development players and lower grades and went on a shopping spree from anywhere in the globe looking for bargain bottom of the barrel players believing we were building for the future instead of targeting a couple of established marquees from outside who you could build a team around.
Blame Bennett if you like but it was not his job to view and plan for the future past 2011 when he resigned.
Widdop (not enough) and I suppose Dugan who fell in our lap in that period were the only decent import signings and I dont think Benji was right for our club as a saviour at the time.
Some of own 1st grade players at that time (just because they were in our system) that were overrated choosing to upgrade or keep from our existing squad and pay overs was a part of the problem.
Doust, Young & partly Price stuffed our recruitment / retention up so badly in that period we are only now getting to a point of recovering from those dark few years.
Every club has bought duds and had problems but we took the cake in spades through the 1st half of this decade.
Did Mulholland start to turn things round..maybe but was only with us a short time and I question some of his purchases. For me Millward has made more right decisions than wrong in the past few years, I just hope he keeps that up cause some things out there in regards to rumours etc, are starting to worry me again.

You can find a heap of yearly departures and purchases on the web. Nearly every year we've purchased a number of players who have turned out to be duds or at the very least average backups. This has been going on pre-Millward. It's part of the process. I think it's financially impossible to stock your ISP with NRL ready players. you might get a couple, but to fill the team with them is unrealistic. Besides, most quality players aren't going to sign contracts where they aren't guaranteed first grade positions.

As others have said, I think you'd find most teams would be in the same position.

 

[BLM01]

You can find a heap of yearly departures and purchases on the web. Nearly every year we've purchased a number of players who have turned out to be duds or at the very least average backups. This has been going on pre-Millward. It's part of the process. I think it's financially impossible to stock your ISP with NRL ready players. you might get a couple, but to fill the team with them is unrealistic. Besides, most quality players aren't going to sign contracts where they aren't guaranteed first grade positions.

As others have said, I think you'd find most teams would be in the same position.

What you say is true. But you missed my point.
What I am saying is going back to earlier this decade we could of offered more lower grades people some sort of contract if promoted into at least the train on or development squad for 1st grade and given more chance to bolster our stocks and work their way into the squad before the club looked for similar quality fringe players elsewhere, investing money & time in them instead of just investing into a couple of marquees, then filling your side around those marquees, becuase it chews up your cap and ours was a mess without many stars.

Most other clubs salary cap mess has been trying to over stock with marquee players and being caught cheating. Now Cronulla are the next in the firing line.
We did not even do that, we paid overs for fringe players outside the club. It would of cost us less doing that from within.

I would rather a club look within primarily 1st without believing the grass is always greener elsewhere or overseas.
I think now we are doing this to some degree (since Millward's into) adding depth within ISP and focus more on paying for marquee's from outside if we dont have them and promoting potential stars and fringies within.and let them shine if they can.
It potentially saves you some money under your cap as if you get within players early enough they play for less initially, until they prove themselves, then you can cull the best from the rest and manage your cap a bit easier

 

[mobels]

Shannon Wakeham
Jacob Hind

Both players that I was told were definitely NRL first grade quality, and that Mary was an idiot for not playing them.

 

[True_Believer]

What you say is true. But you missed my point.
What I am saying is going back to earlier this decade we could of offered more lower grades people some sort of contract if promoted into at least the train on or development squad for 1st grade and given more chance to bolster our stocks and work their way into the squad before the club looked for similar quality fringe players elsewhere, investing money & time in them instead of just investing into a couple of marquees, then filling your side around those marquees, becuase it chews up your cap and ours was a mess without many stars.

Most other clubs salary cap mess has been trying to over stock with marquee players and being caught cheating. Now Cronulla are the next in the firing line.
We did not even do that, we paid overs for fringe players outside the club. It would of cost us less doing that from within.

I would rather a club look within primarily 1st without believing the grass is always greener elsewhere or overseas.
I think now we are doing this to some degree (since Millward's into) adding depth within ISP and focus more on paying for marquee's from outside if we dont have them and promoting potential stars and fringies within.and let them shine if they can.
It potentially saves you some money under your cap as if you get within players early enough they play for less initially, until they prove themselves, then you can cull the best from the rest and manage your cap a bit easier

Sorry BLM - I didn't miss your point. I was just agreeing with part of what you are saying. I agree with the rest of it as well.

It is a balancing act though isn't it? You really should be promoting those with potential from within plus filling the gap with those from the outside. It doesn't always turn out that way though - there's always an element of risk in promoting juniors (and identifying the correct ones) and there's always an element of risk in bringing in outsiders. I think we still have work to do, but as you say, we seem to be on the right track.

 

[st penguin]

Oldie but a goodie
Damien Chapman

I could get lost in those baby blues...

http://shift60.com.au/

 

[BLM01]

Sorry BLM - I didn't miss your point. I was just agreeing with part of what you are saying. I agree with the rest of it as well.

It is a balancing act though isn't it? You really should be promoting those with potential from within plus filling the gap with those from the outside. It doesn't always turn out that way though - there's always an element of risk in promoting juniors (and identifying the correct ones) and there's always an element of risk in bringing in outsiders. I think we still have work to do, but as you say, we seem to be on the right track.

We are..but as I said it baffles and scares me when we look at or consider (Hayne for the right money was ok in my mind before the latest drama) to some of these players that are on the fringe or possibly outer by their own struggling clubs..because SKD if true...would of been a step backwards for chasing premiership glory.....then again... a step forward in possible coach change when we dont cut it again.

 

[Eastview]

Matt Dufty

 

[Saint_JimmyG]

If you look at the percentage of players who make it from lower grades to the nrl you would understand that every club has similar size lists of ‘the next big things’ like us who have not made it. There was so much anger on this forum that Evander was not getting a first grade start.....but he disappeared. I think all fans, Saints and every other club, look for a future super star in their junior ranks. Desire and hope can cloud the reality of a player’s ability.

Jeff Wittenberg (son of John)

 

[St from the Gong]

Matt Mundine

signed with the dogs

SFTG

 

[Old Timer]

Eto Nabuli
Played a rugby test FMD we should have kept him lol

 

[Gareth67]

Jeff Wittenberg (son of John)

The poor fella didn’t quite hit the same heights as Big John did he .

 

[Gareth67]

Georgie (slim ) Rose , apparently doing commercials for Jenny Craig nowadays , only a shadow of his former self .

 

[AyiosYiorgos]

Luke Branighan i literally missed he's 1st grade career with us, as i went overseas for 3.5months, i remember there was big hopes for him when we got him from souths, left us for the sharks, cant really remember him playing much for them, think he had knee injuries...

 

[Saint_JimmyG]

Eto Nabuli
Played a rugby test FMD we should have kept him lol

Nabuli turning around and chasing kicks was slower than the Titanic.

 

[Saint_JimmyG]

Dean Byrne, anyone?

The poor bugger’s career was curtailed by a horrendous leg injury where he collided with the goalpost at ANZ Stadium.

I think it’s still shaking.

 

[Saint_JimmyG]

Some other names off the top of my noggin’:

Kurt Landers (son of Bob)
Mark Blackburn
Jason Hoogerwerf
Shane Kelly
Cameron Wade.

 

[AyiosYiorgos]

Dean Byrne, anyone?

The poor bugger’s career was curtailed by a horrendous leg injury where he collided with the goalpost at ANZ Stadium.

I think it’s still shaking.

we have brought in so many 1/2 backs that just never worked out...

 

[Old Timer]

Nabuli turning around and chasing kicks was slower than the Titanic.

Classic

 

[denis preston]

Dean Byrne, anyone?

The poor bugger’s career was curtailed by a horrendous leg injury where he collided with the goalpost at ANZ Stadium.

I think it’s still shaking.

Really sad family story for Dean. His brother tragically killed in a mororbike accident coming back from rooty training ( with East Hills )