Recruitment and Retention for 2026

D

Dragon David

SGI Jersey Flegg
Justadragon said:
It’s all on KK now Ed. He has the final say.
Click to expand...
KK does have the final say. If he decides to re-sign with Souths he knows that Bennett will be there at least to the end of 2028, he has built great friendship with the players, he played all his junior footy with the Bunnies, he knows Souths systems. He has one guy that could help him make the decision besides Bennett and that is Russell Crowe.

I'm not saying that we have no chance of him coming to us, its that during this bloody cooling off period so many people can influence him to stay and no fault of the Dragons if that happens.
 
Dragons Chris

Dragons Chris

SGI NSW Cup
Dragon David said:
KK does have the final say. If he decides to re-sign with Souths he knows that Bennett will be there at least to the end of 2028, he has built great friendship with the players, he played all his junior footy with the Bunnies, he knows Souths systems. He has one guy that could help him make the decision besides Bennett and that is Russell Crowe.

I'm not saying that we have no chance of him coming to us, its that during this bloody cooling off period so many people can influence him to stay and no fault of the Dragons if that happens.
Click to expand...
Just gotta relax. If he was going to accept Souths offer he wouldn't have signed with us.
 
R

redv4life

SGI Jersey Flegg
Dragon David said:
KK does have the final say. If he decides to re-sign with Souths he knows that Bennett will be there at least to the end of 2028, he has built great friendship with the players, he played all his junior footy with the Bunnies, he knows Souths systems. He has one guy that could help him make the decision besides Bennett and that is Russell Crowe.

I'm not saying that we have no chance of him coming to us, its that during this bloody cooling off period so many people can influence him to stay and no fault of the Dragons if that happens.
Click to expand...
he felt like he wasn’t prioritised by the club.
solly has been on the nose with players and people there for a while now. not denying he doesn’t love the club as he’s been there since a kid but so did reynolds & look what he went on to do. the running of souths has been pretty poor the last few years they’re just lucky they have wayne to keep them afloat.
 
J

Justadragon

SGI NSW Cup
Dragon David said:
KK does have the final say. If he decides to re-sign with Souths he knows that Bennett will be there at least to the end of 2028, he has built great friendship with the players, he played all his junior footy with the Bunnies, he knows Souths systems. He has one guy that could help him make the decision besides Bennett and that is Russell Crowe.

I'm not saying that we have no chance of him coming to us, its that during this bloody cooling off period so many people can influence him to stay and no fault of the Dragons if that happens.
Click to expand...
I’m relying on his manager to virtually cut out the noise and think about what is the best offer both in time and money.
 
George Sancti

George Sancti

SGI Jersey Flegg
Justadragon said:
I’m relying on his manager to virtually cut out the noise and think about what is the best offer both in time and money.
Click to expand...
That’s a really good point, Justadragon. If Souths aren’t willing to extend the length of their offer, the best financial outcome for his manager may well be for KK to join the Dragons, where he’d have a guaranteed extra year.
 
Last edited:
George Sancti

George Sancti

SGI Jersey Flegg
redv4life said:
he felt like he wasn’t prioritised by the club.
solly has been on the nose with players and people there for a while now. not denying he doesn’t love the club as he’s been there since a kid but so did reynolds & look what he went on to do. the running of souths has been pretty poor the last few years they’re just lucky they have wayne to keep them afloat.
Click to expand...
KK and his manager would know there is a real chance Bennett will not be coaching in the later years of his deal along with the ongoing uncertainty around Russell Crowe potentially selling his share in the club.
 
Last edited:
Edward

Edward

SGI NSW Cup
dragonheart said:
I believe this is the first day of the 10 business day cooling off, so we have to cross fingers until the 13th to get the official nod.
Click to expand...
There's a chance he will backflip but seems very unlikely. Souths will have to put up more money but if they could afford that, why wouldn't they have offered him more to start with? If he was still able to attract offers from other clubs I'd be much more nervous.
 
J

Justadragon

SGI NSW Cup
Other clubs had their chance in the beginning ED. They all knew what we were offering. I was surprised that the Riosters didn’t trump us with how they operate. At the end of the day we have to give a lot of credit to DA he obviously knew what the hell was going on. I dare say there was a lot of work put into this behind closed doors and stuff that we will never know about. All I know is I’m more than happy with the performance the club has achieved in getting this to this stage. It’s a vast improvement to what has been happening over the last 10 years in recruiting. We get him or don’t well done to the club couldn’t have asked for anything more.
 
Edward

Edward

SGI NSW Cup
Justadragon said:
Other clubs had their chance in the beginning ED. They all knew what we were offering. I was surprised that the Riosters didn’t trump us with how they operate. At the end of the day we have to give a lot of credit to DA he obviously knew what the hell was going on. I dare say there was a lot of work put into this behind closed doors and stuff that we will never know about. All I know is I’m more than happy with the performance the club has achieved in getting this to this stage. It’s a vast improvement to what has been happening over the last 10 years in recruiting. We get him or don’t well done to the club couldn’t have asked for anything more.
Click to expand...
I think DA is going to turn out to be the most important recruit in a long time.
 
D

Dragon David

SGI Jersey Flegg
Edward said:
I think DA is going to turn out to be the most important recruit in a long time.
Click to expand...
Hi Ed

This is what I have found on the internet about Daniel Anderson and what his roles as the Head of Recruitment and Pathways for the Dragons are. It is interesting reading that reveals the enormous task he is involved with.

"Daniel Anderson was appointed the Dragons' Head of Recruitment and Pathways in July 2025, with a mandate to implement "long-lasting systems to develop, identify and recruit talent". He planned to sort out recruitment by focusing on building the roster from within the club's junior base, while also targeting specific experienced players to fill immediate gaps.

Core Strategy
Anderson's approach, largely informed by his successful tenure at the Sydney Roosters, centers on the following principles:
  • Building from Within: A primary focus on nurturing the club's extensive junior league base, stretching from Kogarah through the South Coast, and establishing a robust player pipeline from the SG Ball (U19s) level to the NRL squad. This "foundations first" approach aims to ensure a consistent flow of local talent.
  • Systemic Approach: Implementing a comprehensive, long-term system for talent identification and development, rather than a short-term, ad-hoc recruitment strategy.
  • Targeted Recruitment: Utilizing his extensive experience and network to identify and recruit specific, high-quality talent in key positions to complement the upcoming junior talent. This included targeting top-line players in specific positions like a halfback, a quality hooker, and an intimidating front-rower.
  • Cultural Fit: Focusing on signing players who not only have the skill set but also the right "cultural fit" to help build a high-performance environment under head coach Shane Flanagan.
  • Collaboration: Working closely with the head coach and the wider football department to ensure a cohesive roster management plan that provides stability and clarity for the future.

Implementation
Since his arrival, Anderson has been working to:
  • Evaluate the current roster: Reports indicate he is assessing which existing players might be moved on to free up salary cap space and positions for new recruits.
  • Secure key personnel: He has been involved in discussions to lock in existing talent and identify external targets, such as a high-profile halfback, to provide the necessary on-field leadership.
  • Open dialogue: He has spoken publicly about his plans to "return the Red V to its former glory," which involves an honest assessment of the club's needs and a clear direction for the future.
Ultimately, Anderson's strategy is to create a sustainable, long-term culture of success by ensuring the club can consistently develop its own stars while making smart, strategic acquisitions to compete at the highest level."

Thank goodness we finally hired a "proper" recruitment Guru.
 
J

Justadragon

SGI NSW Cup
Dragon David said:
Hi Ed

This is what I have found on the internet about Daniel Anderson and what his roles as the Head of Recruitment and Pathways for the Dragons are. It is interesting reading that reveals the enormous task he is involved with.

"Daniel Anderson was appointed the Dragons' Head of Recruitment and Pathways in July 2025, with a mandate to implement "long-lasting systems to develop, identify and recruit talent". He planned to sort out recruitment by focusing on building the roster from within the club's junior base, while also targeting specific experienced players to fill immediate gaps.

Core Strategy
Anderson's approach, largely informed by his successful tenure at the Sydney Roosters, centers on the following principles:
  • Building from Within: A primary focus on nurturing the club's extensive junior league base, stretching from Kogarah through the South Coast, and establishing a robust player pipeline from the SG Ball (U19s) level to the NRL squad. This "foundations first" approach aims to ensure a consistent flow of local talent.
  • Systemic Approach: Implementing a comprehensive, long-term system for talent identification and development, rather than a short-term, ad-hoc recruitment strategy.
  • Targeted Recruitment: Utilizing his extensive experience and network to identify and recruit specific, high-quality talent in key positions to complement the upcoming junior talent. This included targeting top-line players in specific positions like a halfback, a quality hooker, and an intimidating front-rower.
  • Cultural Fit: Focusing on signing players who not only have the skill set but also the right "cultural fit" to help build a high-performance environment under head coach Shane Flanagan.
  • Collaboration: Working closely with the head coach and the wider football department to ensure a cohesive roster management plan that provides stability and clarity for the future.

Implementation
Since his arrival, Anderson has been working to:
  • Evaluate the current roster: Reports indicate he is assessing which existing players might be moved on to free up salary cap space and positions for new recruits.
  • Secure key personnel: He has been involved in discussions to lock in existing talent and identify external targets, such as a high-profile halfback, to provide the necessary on-field leadership.
  • Open dialogue: He has spoken publicly about his plans to "return the Red V to its former glory," which involves an honest assessment of the club's needs and a clear direction for the future.
Ultimately, Anderson's strategy is to create a sustainable, long-term culture of success by ensuring the club can consistently develop its own stars while making smart, strategic acquisitions to compete at the highest level."

Thank goodness we finally hired a "proper" recruitment Guru.
Click to expand...
The good thing was he operated in some pretty hi powered clubs in the same role so he well and truly knew the ropes. You could tell by listening to the poscast he knew his stuff. He specializes in halfbacks and props.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top