They have gotten off first base Chris and I am batting, sorry betting, that there is something happening or will happen this year - I don't know when but we still have 4 months left in 2025 and I think that DA has finished his exhaustive review of all of the players from top grade to lower grades in collaboration with all of the coaches, the positions needing greater improvement and the players that would meet the needs have been identified (we know a marquee half and props and I feel a fast winger).
Agree completely.They have gotten off first base Chris and I am batting, sorry betting, that there is something happening or will happen this year - I don't know when but we still have 4 months left in 2025 and I think that DA has finished his exhaustive review of all of the players from top grade to lower grades in collaboration with all of the coaches, the positions needing greater improvement and the players that would meet the needs have been identified (we know a marquee half and props and I feel a fast winger).
They already have signed Josh Kerr, whoopee! They failed with Adam Doueihi. So who is next? Wait around and you will find out!
I wouldn't rule out Panthers making the GF because other than Melbourne no team stands out. I don't really care but I guess I hope Canberra wins. They don't really compete with St George for juniors or sponsorship money even though I guess their catchment area finishes at our southern border. I just think the way Melbourne have beaten high quality teams without their Dally M halfback recently is very impressive.
Blooded a lot of young players who are going to be that much better next year. Hired Daniel Anderson to get the salary cap and recruitment in order. Those are positives. Along with the recent defeated of near full strength Sharks and Raiders.
yeah agree with you Edward that they may be positives, but if thats the benchmark for another year to beat those 2 teams, then well and good, but this club needs to stop coming up with bullshit excuses and start to get our illustrious owners to spend up big with what is required, a shakeup of our crappy board wouldn't go astray either. I think with a couple of weeks to go after a dismal season wouldn't be the time to ask any Dragons fan how they feel or how bright the future looks. I for one heard it all before with Amone , Sulivan and Sloan on the horizon, the golden children and yet here we are. Yes having the juniors perform for a full year with some progression will be when my belief will start to return, until that happens its just a pipe dream, yes seen and heard it all before.
Analysis = true
Agree with you Justa. We were never going to finish the second half of the comp in great fashion even though we beat the Raiders and Sharks in succession a few weeks back. When we lost Holmes, Suli, Couchman brothers, Egan, Stewart etc we more or less have had to battle on with so many reserves which was good for their experience but just not really up to the rise in the level of competition of first grade teams.
Very well put Dave, we have to accept who we are and what we have become, any resemblance of years gone past or the good old days is just disheartening and leads to disappointment. I really hope that people who are able to can change things around, but yes indeed, long live the Dragons !!
Thanks Justa. Our glory days are fading into oblivion and what we should now focus on is not the past, which will never be bettered, but to look forward always to the future. We do have many young chargers coming through the pathways and development process and the players in the lower grades will blossom as time allows. Our nursery is the one key element in our go to success programme.
Well my 2c worth, and I disagree with your comments about the past. The past creates history, history creates lessons.
Remembering history is fine, trying to match it again is a problem, especially ours. But I get your point.
I love our history too Jo don't get me wrong. We know what those great players that we had during those straight 11 premiership wins did. That will not be forgotten and yes we can learn from history and how those premierships were won without tackle counts and salary cap constraints and when the players were totally loyal to the club and every year from 1956 for 11 years because their aim was to win premierships and not in it for the paltry fee that they were paid.
Cheers, exactly what my shrink said to me when I was in a very very dark place, ended up probably saving my life. All good appreciate your response .
Nobody is going to ever emulate what we did, ever. The game has changed so much, salary caps etc but we should never forget our achievements. Forgetting positive achievements usually direct your energy into our negative achievements and that is never a good thing.
Whilst I’m hopeful Dragons Chris that DA can conjure up a marquee signing (or two) for 2026, I believe his main focus is on 2027 and beyond. The strong clubs seem to have a conveyer belt which delivers talented players required for each season in the positions which need filling. However, the work required to identify and acquire many of these players likely occurred two or three years earlier. Coach Flanno’s focus needs to be on bringing the best out of the players he has at his disposal. DA, and his assistants, need to ensure Coach Flanna has top quality resources at his disposal.
I thought the CEO or Anderson himself said his focus is on recruiting for 2027. I might be wrong.
Agree 100% jodragon40. In the words of Cicero ""History sustains us whilst keeping us aware of our follies and misfortunes."