That one PMO
Sandon, Trey Mooney, Harrison Graham astute signings in terms of their roster and salary cap crunch
Sack Flanno….
- Thread starter Red T
- Start date
Sandon, Trey Mooney, Harrison Graham astute signings in terms of their roster and salary cap crunch
Morgan
SGI NSW Cup
The team Flanno built is the worst yet.
Mailroomsgi
SGI NSW Cup
Hook signed Suli/Sua/Liddle didn’t he?
That’s better than every signing under Flanno considering age and where they were at that stage in their careers, on the fringe of the teams they were in and became established players in the NRL with us
That’s better than every signing under Flanno considering age and where they were at that stage in their careers, on the fringe of the teams they were in and became established players in the NRL with us
dragonheart
SGI Jersey Flegg
We cant get away from the fact, we have not bought a gun player of origin talent in his mid 20s for many many years.
Frank Facer
SGI Jersey Flegg
So after saying all of that, you are also affirming why so many young aspiring coaches knocked us back in this decade. What makes you think any would want to come and coach us now?Pie in the sky stuff you write aboutFrank Facer . Fact is this club, our club has been a no go zone area for player managers for at least the last 8 yrs. This is the genral concensus inside the RL community.
There was a distinct lack of interaction between those in recruitment and the players managers, no connection at all. Add to this our atrocious discipline and cultural issues at that time, no player managers worth their salt ever suggested that their clients join our club.
Include in that, they wouldn't be coming into a club that could put out a competitive top 8 team. The proof of that is in our recruitment and retention since 2018 and our miserable on field results.
We have addressed those internal discipline and cultural issues and put into place a very decent pathways, now a new COE. We have done everything possible internally to make our club more attractive to the general RL community, players, player managers and administrative staff.
Unfortunately for us some players and player managers have long memories and just do not wish to join a club whose head coach is tainted by a drug related past that left a very sour taste in a number of players and their managers.
It will, and has taken time to grow our squad internally through our pathways and I am looking forward to seeing the makeup of our team in 2027 after our signing of a genuine class player to lead our young pack in KK. To my eye we will have a genuinely competitive engine room next season.
But we still need to repair the years of neglect that hinders our ability to recruit and retain more class like players, hopefully we are turning the corner with the signing of KK. Only time will tell.
GCRV
SGI NSW Cup
What young, aspiring coaches knocked us back? Ryles made demands which were refused. But let's be liberal about it and say that means, "knocked us back", you said "coaches". Which others?
Are you just here to annoy people with your constant BS?
CT.
Eric
Staff
Improved? He's still not NRL standard, IMO.
AyiosYiorgos
SGI Jersey Flegg
How would the forum take a 10year deal for Dylan Brown, POS has chased him for years and tried to getting at a few clubs, he would have been in our halves..
jodragon40
Staff
Correct, I didn't mention an alternative to Flanagan although I would prefer not an old boy
jodragon40
Staff
Im reliably told he won't be playing with the Panthers when his contract finishes. Time will tell if that information is true
jodragon40
Staff
And there lies the problem no full autonomy
jodragon40
Staff
Not that I can see, and back in my day when I was actually mentored by a 1st grade coach one of the things instilled into me was one of your responsibilities was to improve an individual player.
Frank Facer
SGI Jersey Flegg
Fitzgibbon, Ciraldo and Slater all come to mind.
Frank Facer
SGI Jersey Flegg
I rate Brown as a really good 5/8, but as for 1.3 mil a year for 10 years, which will make him 34 the final year of his contract. I say no.
Justadragon
SGI NSW Cup
Good article and very true, there is nothing attractive about watching the Dragons play and you have a coach who is living in the past it makes things even worse.“Our focus is 2025. We’ve made some changes in 2024 and we’re still looking for some players, but our real focus will be for 2025 and 2026.”
That was Shane Flanagan in early 2024, before he’d even taken a competitive game as coach of the St George Illawarra Dragons.
See here:
Frank Facer
SGI Jersey Flegg
He took over a team/roster either fav or second fav for the spoon. A team that has struggled to sign quality in demand players since 2012. A club that was knocked by numerous prospective coaches since Bennett left, including Bellamy, Bennett, Ciraldo, Slater and Ryles. A club that the only 2 "aplicants" for the head coaching role were Dean Young and Ben Hornby. A club that managers didn't want their players to sign with, long before Flanno arrived. A club that has been surviving on other club's off cuts since 2012. If he got the players he wanted, then you could blame Flanno, but he didn't get the players he wanted. In 2019 Phil Gould said our problems were not our coach, who was then McGreggor. The rot started in 2012. Not when Flanno took over. The ship was sinking long before he got here and he wasn't able to turn it around in a 2 years and 5 games. Blaming Flanno for 14 years of failure is very short sighted. lol Remember when Souths couldn't sign anyone up until Crowe and Holmes A Court bought them and they then signed Asotasi. I predicted that we could end up like that in 2012. I wish I wasn't right about that one, but the writing was on the wall then. Before the merger "joint venture" did Illawarra ever sign a big name in demand player who wasn't at the end of his career? If so, name them.
I do think he should have been playing Reed since game one this season, instead of Kyle. That alone could have saved his coaching career. I think he should have been playing Leilua at prop all season and not had Lawrie in first grade.
Frank Facer
SGI Jersey Flegg
If that is true, then he must have his next destination already lined up. Were you told who that club will be?
Justadragon
SGI NSW Cup
Funny thing is they dont even need him with the way they are going.