Players we should sign

TheRev

SGI NSW Cup
I guess we already had our Haas moment with KK, but I am hoping that the 2027 fullback one will also come out of nowhere and 'soon'.. I mean.. technically there is no rush whatsoever... but you would think anyone on market for 2027 (koula, bula, purdue etc) would surely prefer to wrap things up before the season begins... get out of the media cycle and let them focus on footy.

Different for say a Leilua or a Guler or a Lawrie who may not have any offer or a lowball offer.. so would be hoping to increase their value or even better get competing offers happening if they can play well early season.. like Frankie Molo did in early 2024.. he was haWt property.

I should also note that we may need to buy 2 fullbacks if Gutho is being shifted to another position.. Sloan is going also and im not sure who the cup fullback would be.
 

Frank Facer

SGI Jersey Flegg
What are you talking about? I'll take any of the young guns we can get to sign on the line.. I will be surprised if the cows let him go though, they seem to be keeping the 1 & 6 jerseys free to make sure he has the pathway.
It wouldn't be a case of Nth Qld letting him go. I know they want to keep him and I know Payten rates him extremely highly. Melbourne have already shown interest in Purdue and I wouldn't be surprised if numerous other clubs are showing interest, including Souths, Easts, Canterbury, Parra, Manly, Redcliff and whoever else. It would be a case of offering Purdue big money and the chance to play 5/8 or fullback and making our offer better than Nth Qld's and what other clubs are prepared to offer him. It would also take some good recruitment skills on Daniel Anderson and Shane Flannagan's part to gain his signature, just like it was when we signed Kolomatangi. I say aim for the stars and Purdue fits the bill.

We were trying to sign Tom Dearden. It was said he re signed with Nth Qld for 700K a season and he was receiving offers for up to 1 mil a season. I wonder if we were the club offering him a mil a year? I would have been very happy if we signed Dearden, for 1 mil a year, but I would take Purdue over Dearden for the same price.
 

Dave03

SGI NSW Cup
It wouldn't be a case of Nth Qld letting him go. I know they want to keep him and I know Payten rates him extremely highly. Melbourne have already shown interest in Purdue and I wouldn't be surprised if numerous other clubs are showing interest, including Souths, Easts, Canterbury, Parra, Manly, Redcliff and whoever else. It would be a case of offering Purdue big money and the chance to play 5/8 or fullback and making our offer better than Nth Qld's and what other clubs are prepared to offer him. It would also take some good recruitment skills on Daniel Anderson and Shane Flannagan's part to gain his signature, just like it was when we signed Kolomatangi. I say aim for the stars and Purdue fits the bill.

We were trying to sign Tom Dearden. It was said he re signed with Nth Qld for 700K a season and he was receiving offers for up to 1 mil a season. I wonder if we were the club offering him a mil a year? I would have been very happy if we signed Dearden, for 1 mil a year, but I would take Purdue over Dearden for the same price.
😂😂😂 you have to be purdue or related to him.
 

Frank Facer

SGI Jersey Flegg
Players we should sign

Ponga or walsh
Coates
Farnworth
Joey Manu
Nawangnetawase
Dearden
Hughes
Haas
Grant
Leniu
I think we are ok for edge forwards move on
see above
Yeo

What do i win?
Walsh would be massive. So would Ponga
I wouldn't want to go to big money on Coates, but would love him on one wing for us
I would sign Fanworth to play fullback
Flanno already tried to sign Manu to play fullback for us for a mil a year and offered him the captaincy. I agree he would be a massive signing, but is getting on in age. I would rather sign players who have their best years ahead of them
I would have loved for us to sign Hughes, but he recently resigned with Melbourne and is 31 years old now
Nawaqanitiwase would be a massive signing. I would go a mil a season for him to play fullback for us, even though I have never seen him play fullback. He is said to be going back to union next year and then may go back to Easts after the world Cup.
Hass would have been massive. We miss out on him, but got Koloamatangi. So it was a win for us
Grant would be a massive signing. Best hooker in the comp.
Leniu. I would pass on him. I wouldn't pick him for NSW either. I would pick Toby Couchman ahead of him.
Yeo, Great player. Is nearing the end of his career and we look to be well stocked on backrower.

It isn't about you or myself winning. It is about St George Illawarra winning. Signing the best players will help us win.
 

TheRev

SGI NSW Cup
well we do have a 19yr old Dearden Jr in reserve grade (turns 20 next month), so fullback is the position we will be chasing the hardest.. we have been linked with every fullback/half on the market in the last 6 months, and I've no doubt Purdue is one of them.. will be hard if h'es happy up north though, they will use drinkwaters cash... this is without considering we would have to beat out the storm who also need a fullback.

Note: Purdue may also be someone who might be backing himself to play well early season and increase his value.
 

Frank Facer

SGI Jersey Flegg
you should be Purdue’s manager Frank

There’s also mail from the Daily Telegraph late last year that Storm are heavily interested in Purdue so good luck trying to win that battle for his signature haha
If I was Purdue's manager. I would be encouraging him to sign with St George Illawarra and we would be a good chance of signing him.

I am well aware of Melbourne's interest in him. That indicates they see something in him. They signed Owen Keeley, who I think is a very good prospect and would have liked us to sign. They were very close to signing Cooper Bai from the Gold Coast, who has some very big wraps on him. They are still interested in him. Melbourne's recruitment is first class. We need to or must be a club who wins the "battle" for the best players signature. Koloamatangi was a very good start.
 

Frank Facer

SGI Jersey Flegg
Anyone you fancy for 2027 that Souths are letting go? Peter Mamouzelous? We need hooker depth.

We already have Liddle and Cook as our hookers so for 2027. We don't need to sign any established hookers. We should be looking at young hookers who will be ready to play first grade in 2028 or so. We do have one in our juniors who has some big wraps on him and that isn't including the one who played against Newcastle on Saturday night named Falalaligo, who was a 5/8 in his juniors.
 

Frank Facer

SGI Jersey Flegg
I'm not piling in. I genuinely find it funny. I've never been half the fan of any non-Dragons player that Frank Facer Frank Facer is of Purdue. Because after all, *checks notes*, yes just as I suspected. Kyle is a Dragons player.
Some players really grab my eye and I would love them to be playing for us. As soon as I saw Haas debut for Brisbane off the bench, I started a thread saying we should sign Haas and go big money for him. I copped some flack and ridicule for it from other posters. I told them I would get back to them in a few years time and see how the thread aged. The thread aged very well, but I got banned and couldn't re hash it.

As soon as I saw Koloamatangi play prop for Souths I wanted us to sign him to play prop. He was still playing second row on a regular basis and re signed with Souths again. I was wrapped when we signed him to play prop. I was very doubtful of us getting his signature and was truly surprised when we did.

I could even say it is quite rare for top line players to even enter the market. They are usually signed up before they can negotiate with other clubs.

Some clubs such as Easts never seem to lose top line players to other clubs, only recently to Rugby Union. Brisbane hardly ever lose top line players. Them losing Haas was very surprising to me.

I have spoken of my desire for us to sign Sharpe, but he isn't off contract until 2028.
 

Mailroomsgi

SGI NSW Cup
well we do have a 19yr old Dearden Jr in reserve grade (turns 20 next month), so fullback is the position we will be chasing the hardest.. we have been linked with every fullback/half on the market in the last 6 months, and I've no doubt Purdue is one of them.. will be hard if h'es happy up north though, they will use drinkwaters cash... this is without considering we would have to beat out the storm who also need a fullback.

Note: Purdue may also be someone who might be backing himself to play well early season and increase his value.
We’ve also got Jasais Ah Kee who has sort of become the forgotten man because of the injury (which could be a blessing in disguise trying to retain him)

I said it last year and I think it’s still true that he is the most ‘gifted’ player we have. Just a superb footballer who could genuinely be incredible at 6/7 or 9 if he wanted to. Would be an absolutely huge retention for the club.
He’s the sort of young gun that deserves a top 30 deal at a young age if it’s required to keep him.

The best 17 soon to be 18 year old in the country and it’s not really close IMO
 

Kim

SGI Jersey Flegg
We already have Liddle and Cook as our hookers so for 2027. We don't need to sign any established hookers. We should be looking at young hookers who will be ready to play first grade in 2028 or so. We do have one in our juniors who has some big wraps on him and that isn't including the one who played against Newcastle on Saturday night named Falalaligo, who was a 5/8 in his juniors.
Will be ready in 2028? But this is February 2026.

So that would mean going into 2027 with old man Cook and with (the excellent) Liddle and with the same lack of #9 options that are causing us serious problems at this very moment. At this very moment!

If that is the plan, I sure hope that Kyle goes well in the position.

Sometimes I don't get it. Does EVERY year at the dragons have to be a rebuilding year?
 

TheRev

SGI NSW Cup
We’ve also got Jasais Ah Kee who has sort of become the forgotten man because of the injury (which could be a blessing in disguise trying to retain him)

I said it last year and I think it’s still true that he is the most ‘gifted’ player we have. Just a superb footballer who could genuinely be incredible at 6/7 or 9 if he wanted to. Would be an absolutely huge retention for the club.
He’s the sort of young gun that deserves a top 30 deal at a young age if it’s required to keep him.

The best 17 soon to be 18 year old in the country and it’s not really close IMO
I'm with ya man, kind of forget cause we havent seen him since April 5th 2025 (2 tries that day lol), but I dont want to get too excited until I see him extend..
 

Eric

Staff
Will be ready in 2028? But this is February 2026.

So that would mean going into 2027 with old man Cook and with (the excellent) Liddle and with the same lack of #9 options that are causing us serious problems at this very moment. At this very moment!

If that is the plan, I sure hope that Kyle goes well in the position.

Sometimes I don't get it. Does EVERY year at the dragons have to be a rebuilding year?
They way I see, every coach has just concentrated on trying to squeeze into the top 8 every year rather than go backwards in order to go forward. So in that sense, last year was the first year of the rebuild.
 

Frank Facer

SGI Jersey Flegg
well we do have a 19yr old Dearden Jr in reserve grade (turns 20 next month), so fullback is the position we will be chasing the hardest.. we have been linked with every fullback/half on the market in the last 6 months, and I've no doubt Purdue is one of them.. will be hard if h'es happy up north though, they will use drinkwaters cash... this is without considering we would have to beat out the storm who also need a fullback.

Note: Purdue may also be someone who might be backing himself to play well early season and increase his value.
I basically agree with your whole post. Again, it would take some good negotiating and recruitment skills on Anderson's and Flanno's part to get his signature and for Purdue and his management to see us as an attractive destination. We did it with Koloamatangi, so lets do it again. Koloamatangi did say something like he was impressed with where we were heading, had a good young pack and he wanted to come and play for us. That was very encouraging to hear/read. Lets hope his signing can lead to other top like signing, like when Souths recruited Roy Asotasi.

I read somewhere that Koloamatangi's contract also includes an extra 200K TPA. If true that is very encouraging and would have played a major role in getting his signature. If we could do the same with Purdue or other big names, that would help our chances of signing the best players available.

If you are talking about Kane Reed being our 19 year old junior I agree again and would love to see him partnered with Purdue in the halves. I think Reed is a natural halfback and the best young halfback I have seen us have for a long time. Matty Head is the only one who is comparable to him.

I was saying Purdue would make a top fullback before I heard or read anyone saying he would.
 
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