2026 pre-season

[TheRev]

Very true re: admitting when you get it wrong (never happens on the forums)..

I didnt see much in Hamish @ Cup level, was just finding his feet, the 2 couchmen seemed better prospects and similar size/shape at the time... but even they werent 'sure things' early @19 in their first year.. it was the next year (age 20) that they showed glimpses of their potential.. then 21 (this year) they were 1st grade ready (well Toby was, Ryan has to start again now), by 22 Toby should be a level up again.. and still probably has 2-3 more years till his peak... its a process to blood new players, and to do it without losing too many first grade games in the process.... But again.. the Couchmen are genetic freaks to be doing it this early (and hence Hamish isnt far behind on the freak scale), even DeBelin who should have played a lot more origin... took years into his 20's before he became the player we remember..

Thats the hard bit, not many players are 'sure things' as teenagers... talent identification is hard and every one of em is a gamble.. and almost every kid will fall short of first grade (sad reality of how elite the NRL is)... the beauty of juniors in your own pathway is hopefully you get first choice at which ones you invest in.. but you will lose others in the process, and you wont always get it right... every club has many stories of the 1 that got away.

 

[RedV01]

I was one of those people, hadn’t impressed at all from what I’d seen and he’d been rewarded with a top 30 deal

Very happy to be proven wrong, it’s a crying shame when some people can’t admit their wrong about something or acknowledge something when new information comes to light

Im in that camp now with Heidke/Daniel Meafou who I think are studs and will excel this coming season while Hutchinson/Treweek aren’t athletic enough imo to become great NRL players. Hopefully I’m wrong!

THERE IS A VERY SIMPLE SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM. JUST NEVER BE WRONG. Like me.

 

[AyiosYiorgos]

I was in the Hamish nepotism camp, thought Finau Latu was much better, so far Hamish has proven me wrong, also thought Blocker would be our Alpha Prop especially after the game against the Broncos in Brisbane when Corey Norman kicked the winning field goal, saw something that night that impressed me and was convinced that he would be our star, such is life

 

[Justadragon]

I was in the Hamish nepotism camp, thought Finau Latu was much better, so far Hamish has proven me wrong, also thought Blocker would be our Alpha Prop especially after the game against the Broncos in Brisbane when Corey Norman kicked the winning field goal, saw something that night that impressed me and was convinced that he would be our star, such is life

It's a very difficult thing to say he'll make and he wont etc. For instance that young Ah Kee seems to be all the rage, is anyone willing to say he'll kill it in the NRL let alone make it. As Rev said we just get a bunch and hopefully pick the best we can.

 

[Ryan]

It's a very difficult thing to say he'll make and he wont etc. For instance that young Ah Kee seems to be all the rage, is anyone willing to say he'll kill it in the NRL let alone make it. As Rev said we just get a bunch and hopefully pick the best we can.

When I was in high school and the years right after it was generally not the best school boys who made it. Not always the case but generally.

I still can't believe some who became regular first graders or better while others, bigger, faster, more talented ran around in lower grades for a little while but never more.

 

[RedV01]

WTF is going on here? Who is in charge in the gym? Tell him to tell Val to not do one-arm pull ups like that! Keep both feet on the ground! The way he is doing will lead to little to no gains and make injury more likely!

 

[Edward]

View attachment 819WTF is going on here? Who is in charge in the gym? Tell him to tell Val to not do one-arm pull ups like that! Keep both feet on the ground! The way he is doing will lead to little to no gains and make injury more likely!

You sure it's wrong? He's been in QLD and Aus camp as well as Sharks. Surely someone must know it's the wrong way.

 

[RedV01]

You sure it's wrong? He's been in QLD and Aus camp as well as Sharks. Surely someone must know it's the wrong way.

I'm sure. I knew what you said. Wasn't Shonkies trainer banned for life? I can only guess they don't do much weights in rep camps.

 

[jodragon40]

View attachment 819WTF is going on here? Who is in charge in the gym? Tell him to tell Val to not do one-arm pull ups like that! Keep both feet on the ground! The way he is doing will lead to little to no gains and make injury more likely!

Back in the day this exercise was used to actually improve your grip, believe it or not.

 

[Edward]

I'm sure. I knew what you said. Wasn't Shonkies trainer banned for life? I can only guess they don't do much weights in rep camps.

Interesting. Surprised Val himself wouldn't know he is doing it the wrong way let alone the head trainer.

 

[Edward]

Though I personally think Hamish is more in the mold of Isaac Yeo than Cam Murray. That is to say, better than Cam Murray.

I remember when Hamish was signed early and long term and all the fans cried overrated nepotism signing,.

My two cents worth on Hamish Stewart is that he runs hard and is strong. From the looks of it, he's just really hard to tackle. Early on this season, when only really Dragons fans had heard of him, one of the commentators commented that you really have to go into the tackle hard. If you don't go in hard he will bust right through.

In 6, 7 or 8 years when he might have put on still more kgs and lost a bit of speed, he'll surely seemlessly transition into a very good prop.

 

[Mug Fan]

Nick T is a f*cking tank
Jake starting to look cut and Loko losing his puppy fat
Been a big preseason so far.

 

[jodragon40]

View attachment 821View attachment 822Nick T is a f*cking tank
Jake starting to look cut and Loko losing his puppy fat
Been a big preseason so far.

Can you remember seeing a fitter bunch of players pre Xmas? I can't. To me this shows me the current mindset of this group of players. Im excited to see if their mental toughness has also come along with their physical growth.

If so then perhaps the bookies who have us currently equal favourites to fight out for the wooden spoon with the Knights may be eating humble pie.

 

[Edward]

View attachment 821View attachment 822Nick T is a f*cking tank
Jake starting to look cut and Loko losing his puppy fat
Been a big preseason so far.

Who is to the right of KF on one knee, bottom pic?

Edit: Is it Lawson? Looks bigger than I thought he was.

 

[Mug Fan]

Who is to the right of KF on one knee, bottom pic?

That's Dylan Coutts, goiing to be a big boy when he stops growing.

 

[jodragon40]

Even Luciano appears to have lost a few kgs. Ennis is smiling, Sloan is smiling the group appear to be in good spirits

 

[jodragon40]

That's Dylan Coutts, goiing to be a big boy when he stops growing.

Is that the same young backrower that played for the Bluebags ressies?

 

[TheRev]

Nick is going to be Tariq reincarnated.. its why I wanted him to have more first grade last season.. though I get the convenience of having him as a ctr option instead.

 

[jodragon40]

Nick is going to be Tariq reincarnated.. its why I wanted him to have more first grade last season.. though I get the convenience of having him as a ctr option instead.

As I mentioned last year he is a very rare commodity in the RL world who should be playing backrower but at a pinch can be moved to cover an injury in the centres albeit he doesn’t have the necessary speed he does appear to have a good footballing brain.

 

[Edward]

Nick is going to be Tariq reincarnated.. its why I wanted him to have more first grade last season.. though I get the convenience of having him as a ctr option instead.

I was a big Tariq fan but Nick looks comfortably bigger in this photo.