2026-27 Off Season

[GCRV]

I wonder what the off season has in store this year. Hopefully:

• Couchman's, Stewart, Egan, LPT get through the last 2 rounds injury free then get a well deserved rest.
• Daniel Anderson is unfortunately unable to get away much so hopefully he enjoys doing what he's doing and keeps doing it.
• Dean Young's tenure so far isn't a pass mark. Got a few wins, beat the high flying Sharks but also presided over a several bludger games. He needs to put in a lot of work, talk to the right people, heed their advice.
• Kyle, Suli, Gutho, Atko can hopefully seek life elsewhere.
• A few of the young backs can have a big off season and be fast tracked into first grade. Because they are needed.
• I don't think the club can really afford more big signings, especially with cashed up new clubs.
• TBH, wouldn't be the worst thing if Val was let go conditional on another club picking up close to 100% of his salary. Since Atko was dropped, Val has been much better but still not at the level of a 1mil a year player.

I guess that's it.

 

[RedV01]

I wonder what the off season has in store this year. Hopefully:

• Couchman's, Stewart, Egan, LPT get through the last 2 rounds injury free then get a well deserved rest.
• Daniel Anderson is unfortunately unable to get away much so hopefully he enjoys doing what he's doing and keeps doing it.
• Dean Young's tenure so far isn't a pass mark. Got a few wins, beat the high flying Sharks but also presided over a several bludger games. He needs to put in a lot of work, talk to the right people, heed their advice.
• Kyle, Suli, Gutho, Atko can hopefully seek life elsewhere.
• A few of the young backs can have a big off season and be fast tracked into first grade. Because they are needed.
• I don't think the club can really afford more big signings, especially with cashed up new clubs.
• TBH, wouldn't be the worst thing if Val was let go conditional on another club picking up close to 100% of his salary. Since Atko was dropped, Val has been much better but still not at the level of a 1mil a year player.

I guess that's it.

There is zero, zilch, nada chance of any other club picking up the contracts of Gutho and KF. Gutho is worth keeping around for his utility value and leadership. Just gotta pay KF's contract out.

 

[Dragon David]

I cannot wait for this bad season to end.

* The season starting poorly with what was considered a bad ref call in our game against the dreaded Bullydogs in Las Vegas.
* Losing all of those games from late last year until we beat the Broncos in round 13 (31/5/26) - lucky in the end that we were able to hold back the fast finishing Broncos that day.
* Deano becoming our head coach after weeks of conjecture as to whom that position would go to (many of course were not keen on Deano and many are still not).
*Too many 50/50 calls going against us and Holmes missing some crucial goal kicks when we lost by a few points.
* Many other reasons as well for this bad season - the one big one is us inevitably being awarded the wooden spoon.

The good things this year though are the signings of KK in January followed by Drinkwater (April), Sami (April), Metcalf (May), Watson (June), Nikorima (July) and several promising pathways players. I am leaving out the NRLW signings of which there were a few.

So, come the end of our playing season and mad Monday, most players will be taking holiday/recovery leave, several leaving us for good and then the preseason will start I think on 1 November with most returning to do some fitness programs and getting some cobwebs out of their system and eventually dribs and drabs of others joining the squad after their end of year commitments and possibly having any niggles fixed and doing some rehab to start the long off season/preseason grind.

It will be good to see the new guys in our colours and reports on how they have slotted in and how the others are. I'm guessing that the players who we see as surplus to our needs will still be with us and there will not be any further new signings before the start of our 2027 campaign. I think those 3 players who have signed with the Castleford Tigers (Sloan, Cook and Feagai) will honor their contracts.

The 2026/2027 Off Season cannot come quick enough for me. Say good riddance 2026.

 

[Edward]

I cannot wait for this bad season to end.

* The season starting poorly with what was considered a bad ref call in our game against the dreaded Bullydogs in Las Vegas.
* Losing all of those games from late last year until we beat the Broncos in round 13 (31/5/26) - lucky in the end that we were able to hold back the fast finishing Broncos that day.
* Deano becoming our head coach after weeks of conjecture as to whom that position would go to (many of course were not keen on Deano and many are still not).
*Too many 50/50 calls going against us and Holmes missing some crucial goal kicks when we lost by a few points.
* Many other reasons as well for this bad season - the one big one is us inevitably being awarded the wooden spoon.

The good things this year though are the signings of KK in January followed by Drinkwater (April), Sami (April), Metcalf (May), Watson (June), Nikorima (July) and several promising pathways players. I am leaving out the NRLW signings of which there were a few.

So, come the end of our playing season and mad Monday, most players will be taking holiday/recovery leave, several leaving us for good and then the preseason will start I think on 1 November with most returning to do some fitness programs and getting some cobwebs out of their system and eventually dribs and drabs of others joining the squad after their end of year commitments and possibly having any niggles fixed and doing some rehab to start the long off season/preseason grind.

It will be good to see the new guys in our colours and reports on how they have slotted in and how the others are. I'm guessing that the players who we see as surplus to our needs will still be with us and there will not be any further new signings before the start of our 2027 campaign. I think those 3 players who have signed with the Castleford Tigers (Sloan, Cook and Feagai) will honor their contracts.

The 2026/2027 Off Season cannot come quick enough for me. Say good riddance 2026.

Even from before kickoff in round 1, Flanno left LPT off the plane to Vegas. I'll never understand that and even if he was going to address it, it'd just be more lies.

 

[Dave03]

They've been massive for the younger guys. I wouldn't be surprised if we keep Gutho around for this reason.

 

[Dragon David]

They've been massive for the younger guys. I wouldn't be surprised if we keep Gutho around for this reason.

Gutho, once he gets over his recent cartilage and meniscus surgery of his knee, which has sidelined him for the rest of this year, will be rearing to go for next year and Deano will give him runs during the off season in several positions I would imagine. It would be good to see him stay around and do stuff for us when he hangs up his boots, but I think he will end up back in his Northern Beaches property.

 

[Dave03]

Imagine Hamish Stewart after a full off-season at 2rf, also all the younger boys will have another off-season of physical development. One area we need to work on is controlling the ruck. I don't notice the difference in ruck speed on tv but watching live it's clearly evident. We need to push the ref a bit, even if it means giving up a couple of 6 agains.

 

[Mozzie60]

I wonder what the off season has in store this year. Hopefully:

• Couchman's, Stewart, Egan, LPT get through the last 2 rounds injury free then get a well deserved rest.
• Daniel Anderson is unfortunately unable to get away much so hopefully he enjoys doing what he's doing and keeps doing it.
• Dean Young's tenure so far isn't a pass mark. Got a few wins, beat the high flying Sharks but also presided over a several bludger games. He needs to put in a lot of work, talk to the right people, heed their advice.
• Kyle, Suli, Gutho, Atko can hopefully seek life elsewhere.
• A few of the young backs can have a big off season and be fast tracked into first grade. Because they are needed.
• I don't think the club can really afford more big signings, especially with cashed up new clubs.
• TBH, wouldn't be the worst thing if Val was let go conditional on another club picking up close to 100% of his salary. Since Atko was dropped, Val has been much better but still not at the level of a 1mil a year player.

I guess that's it.

Don't know how you get the val atko thing they were on opposite sides of the feild.

 

[GCRV]

Don't know how you get the val atko thing they were on opposite sides of the feild.

So Val changed sides? Because he's on the same side of LKT now.

 

[GCRV]

Imagine Hamish Stewart after a full off-season at 2rf, also all the younger boys will have another off-season of physical development. One area we need to work on is controlling the ruck. I don't notice the difference in ruck speed on tv but watching live it's clearly evident. We need to push the ref a bit, even if it means giving up a couple of 6 agains.

More wrestling. I wish it wasn't so.

 

[RandomDragon]

Hopefully Hamish gets picked for Aus. I would say most of our forward pack would get picked for the PMs 13 which would be good experience for them

 

[Ryan]

Hopefully Hamish gets picked for Aus. I would say most of our forward pack would get picked for the PMs 13 which would be good experience for them

I hope none get picked for the PMs 13. Team is a bit of a joke. Kyle Flanagan got selected in it last year. Was the coach Ricky Stuart? He was having a bit of a laugh at our (Dragons fans) expense.

Stewart and one of the Couchman's are a chance of getting selected for Aus. Can't pick both Couchman's yet. Two players is the absolute max they can selected from the spooners. If any of those 3 aren't selected for Aus, I'd say they are certain for PMs 13. LPT is a good chance as well.