2027 TOP 19

[RufusRex]

Tu is a funny one ... seems to have an ability to drift ball in hand then step straighen hard - many times he pushes into a gap between defenders this way and sets himself up for offloads. Defensively some questions on his decision making. I think there is a reasonable (albeit not top tier) centre in there.

Was interesting seeing him play left centre in cup a week or so back ...

One issue, similar to sloan, seems to be motivated to run harder/faster when carrying the ball .. slows right up chasing defensively.

 

[Eric]

if Sloan stays it means Val has to stay @left-ctr.. im on the fence about it, I feel like Sami and Val r our 2 best wingers.. but I dunno where we would source 2 centres from..

From Sloans perspective I thought the UK would have been a real life-changing experience for him.. would have matured him and he would be a rockstar of sorts.. but he is definitely improving too in the NRL.. so yeah.. leave it to Ando..

He's been better. Improving but look at his stats compared to the best wingers. He has far fewer run metres, more mistakes, more missed tackles. I hope we can aim higher. But I trust Dan Anderson knows what he is doing. Not so much Deano at this stage. He hasn't earned the trust yet, IMO.

 

[Eric]

Was Tony Rumble signed to a top 30 or development contract for next year? If he's top 30 I hope it'll be:

1. Drinky
2. Sami
3. Holmes
4. Tu
5. Rumble

Good balance of speed and size there though on form from this year, #4 and 5 might have a lot of mistakes in them.

Remember it was only a year ago Jesse Williams was ahead of Rumble. I might be wrong but I think he was well ahead. I haven't given up on Buchanan yet and all 3 of he, Williams and Heidke, after disappointing, injury interrupted seasons this year, might come out of a full pre-season and be ready to go in the NRL. Specially Heidke and Buchanan who will be training with the NRL squad. Not sure what Williams has planned in the off season.

 

[TheRev]

This very well might age terribly, but I'm optimistic with Val in 2027. If he has in fact been carrying a shoulder injury it explains some of his missed tackle efforts where he shoots out of the line to try break up the play rather than stop a hard runner targeting his inside shoulder.

I also think next year we surely have substantially more of the ball and we see more of his strength (ball running) anyway, as he was at the Cows.

Anyway I'm (stupidly) hopeful it'll work out, and would like to think if Sloan finds a way to stay (who's more first grade ready than promoting Heidke/Rumble based on recent Flegg games) and Tago (for Suli) is our right centre we may be able to hold our own on the edges.

I like ur take! There is definitely a player in Val I agree and we probably dont give him the ball he needs to really use his strengths.. which you would think will happen outside Nikorima + the threat of Drinkwater.. we do need to sort ourselves out defensively but thats what the pre-season is for.

Still a few rumours about Suli out + Tago in for 2027.. though if we do extend Sloan I do wonder if that opportunity closes.

 

[Dragon David]

I have no issues with us having Sami on one wing as he has the attributes of a good winger - is a strong runner with the ball, can leap high to catch a high kick and competes well in taking those high kicks, can take the ball up and at times is hard to bring down and he finishes a try scoring move very well. Tu is only OK on most things. Val is good but is now lacking speed and is getting a bit too old. Sloan is young, is growing stronger each year, is now more confident, is fast and is now taking the ball up with more vigour, is ok taking the high ball and he is a field goal kicker which we have found out. All 3 have some trouble in defending.

If Sloan was retained somehow, I'd like to see him on the other side of Sami as a winger so there is some speed which has become really necessary in this game now.

If any of the young guys have better qualities, then use them.

That is my opinion.

 

[RufusRex]

DD .. if Sami and Sloan are in the squad then they are your wingers ...
Your centres right now come out of Suli/Holmes/Gutherson/Atkinson all of whom are under the microscope with respect to whether or not they should actually be here.

 

[TheRev]

you would think if some of those experienced players dont make the 17 or 19.. maybe they look to move on early.. but by mid next year its a bit late for us to replace them.

There is also Buchanan.. but I still wonder if there wont be 1 or 2 like him who might move on a year early if they do sign elsewhere... for us... we have not been shy about chasing a strike centre for 2028.. but tbf there is still room for a 2nd once Val and Suli are gone.. unless the Tago rumour is true... so Buchanan might stay and compete for the 2nd ctr position.. I just have a feeling though he wont be here.

Buchanan to me is ctr only though due to his size.. but the rest of the young Centres (who are well behind Haydens experience) are more versatile, Burton, Heidke & Lyric (if he is even still here he missed all of 2026) could play wing very easily.. Burton obviously covers fullback also... and lets hope Toby Rumble starts to put pressure on the 1st graders too.. but he might be more a 2028 option as well.. but if he has a good preseason he might well get a few games late next year, probably just needs size and experience now.

 

[RufusRex]

He's been better. Improving but look at his stats compared to the best wingers. He has far fewer run metres, more mistakes, more missed tackles. I hope we can aim higher. But I trust Dan Anderson knows what he is doing. Not so much Deano at this stage. He hasn't earned the trust yet, IMO.

I think the last 7 weeks we have seen a change in sloan ... His running metres average jumped up to 130m per game .. prior to that it was 88 per game.
He seems to want to be more involved as well popping up in places not just left wing.

Missed tackles, 5 in the last 7 rounds there are worse records than that.

13 line breaks in the last 7 weeks out of a season total of 15

something definitely changed with him and i believe a lot of that is actually Deano.

 

[Dragon David]

DD .. if Sami and Sloan are in the squad then they are your wingers ...
Your centres right now come out of Suli/Holmes/Gutherson/Atkinson all of whom are under the microscope with respect to whether or not they should actually be here.

Yes you are right there RufusRex with regard to the wingers. It would be interesting to see how Gutho goes if Deano decides to trial him as a centre. He would need to be a good defender and be able to set up his winger - he is a maybe and Holmes the other until they see out their respective contracts at the end of 2027. Suli could end up at the Sharks although things are quiet on that front and Atkinson stiil has until the end of 2028 to complete his time at the Dragons as a back up bench player to cover several positions including full back.

 

[RufusRex]

Atkinson at the sharks last year pretty much seals his dragons future after our recruitment for next season .. one of jumpers 17/18/19
Gutho i think has the ability to set up his winger in attack ... problem will be the inevitable forward passes as the wingers will struggle to slow down .. they have to set up deep because at the time the pass is thrown it will be flat at best.

Problem i see is Gutho/Holmes would both be more left centre than right centre material

 

[Dragon David]

Atkinson at the sharks last year pretty much seals his dragons future after our recruitment for next season .. one of jumpers 17/18/19
Gutho i think has the ability to set up his winger in attack ... problem will be the inevitable forward passes as the wingers will struggle to slow down .. they have to set up deep because at the time the pass is thrown it will be flat at best.

Problem i see is Gutho/Holmes would both be more left centre than right centre material

I agree, so if it is either, they would feed Sami who is best on the left wing. When I say feed, they have just got to do it. Val tends to hold onto the ball far too long and while I know that he likes to try and break through so that he can then run and be able to pass to his winger, he very often dies with the ball. The more Sami can get the ball the better as far as I am concerned.

 

[Eric]

you would think if some of those experienced players dont make the 17 or 19.. maybe they look to move on early.. but by mid next year its a bit late for us to replace them.

There is also Buchanan.. but I still wonder if there wont be 1 or 2 like him who might move on a year early if they do sign elsewhere... for us... we have not been shy about chasing a strike centre for 2028.. but tbf there is still room for a 2nd once Val and Suli are gone.. unless the Tago rumour is true... so Buchanan might stay and compete for the 2nd ctr position.. I just have a feeling though he wont be here.

Buchanan to me is ctr only though due to his size.. but the rest of the young Centres (who are well behind Haydens experience) are more versatile, Burton, Heidke & Lyric (if he is even still here he missed all of 2026) could play wing very easily.. Burton obviously covers fullback also... and lets hope Toby Rumble starts to put pressure on the 1st graders too.. but he might be more a 2028 option as well.. but if he has a good preseason he might well get a few games late next year, probably just needs size and experience now.

Won't Buchanan, Williams, Rumble, Heidke, Lyric be 21 or 22 next year? It's time they made the step up to NRL if they are serious about being pro RL players. If they don't make it next year, they probably won't make it. Too many good 17-19 year-olds coming through. Burton, Rokko and Cornelius come to mind and I hardly know about the lesser known players at all. Some of whom will probably come good when they are 19-20 and finish growing.

 

[BekB]

if Sloan stays it means Val has to stay @left-ctr.. im on the fence about it, I feel like Sami and Val r our 2 best wingers.. but I dunno where we would source 2 centres from..

From Sloans perspective I thought the UK would have been a real life-changing experience for him.. would have matured him and he would be a rockstar of sorts.. but he is definitely improving too in the NRL.. so yeah.. leave it to Ando..

Agree I think he has improved but his best position is winger that makes Val our centre which is crazy as he hasn’t shown to be a top 30 centre by no means I guess they might want Sloan as a back up Toby isn’t top 30 in

Was Tony Rumble signed to a top 30 or development contract for next year? If he's top 30 I hope it'll be:

1. Drinky
2. Sami
3. Holmes
4. Tu
5. Rumble

Good balance of speed and size there though on form from this year, #4 and 5 might have a lot of mistakes in them.

rumble isn’t top 30 he still part time next year Leeroy development contract 2027 not top 30

 

[RufusRex]

So confusing with Leeroy - official news on the website Jun 30 said Leeroy was Top 30 for this season but nothing elaborated beyond that ...
Does he drop back to Supplementary in 2027? Is the top30 deal we gave him this year a way for us to pay him out of his deal for 2027/2028?

With Webster/Hutch getting Top30/Dev deals, the arrival of KK and the develpment of other forwards Leeroy is going to struggle to get game time unless he has a breakout off season.

 

[Zen]

I know every spoon team is horny for the next season to start asap, but has any spoon team been as keen as this one? It's not like we need a full cultural rebuild - the core of a good team is there and they've already shown they'll fight hard for each other. We just needed better players in key positions, and that's exactly what we've done. Yes it's a very very hard competition, but paradoxically there's also a fine line between success and failure in it. I think we can cross that line, just as the Knights have this year.

Anyway I wonder if Connor Watson starts at 9 and then moves to lock. Saves an interchange if Liddle comes on after 20 and stays. Keaon and Toby and Ryan to start, then Liddle and Loko come on?

 

[Jaz20]

So confusing with Leeroy - official news on the website Jun 30 said Leeroy was Top 30 for this season but nothing elaborated beyond that ...
Does he drop back to Supplementary in 2027? Is the top30 deal we gave him this year a way for us to pay him out of his deal for 2027/2028?

With Webster/Hutch getting Top30/Dev deals, the arrival of KK and the develpment of other forwards Leeroy is going to struggle to get game time unless he has a breakout off season.

He isn't even making the Flegg extended bench, he is that far back (and rightfully so). He's a very poor man's Bailey Carmichael. Surely the club promoted him as a means of paying him out and getting him off the books ASAP.

 

[BekB]

He isn't even making the Flegg extended bench, he is that far back (and rightfully so). He's a very poor man's Bailey Carmichael. Surely the club promoted him as a means of paying him out and getting him off the books ASAP.

I am not but I think he is injured again but your right I think it’s an attitude thing as well dragons just haven’t been able to get that in line and they thought he was gunna be massive and he didn’t grow is my take on it. But very hit and miss with him

 

[Morgan]

Agree I think he has improved but his best position is winger that makes Val our centre which is crazy as he hasn’t shown to be a top 30 centre by no means I guess they might want Sloan as a back up Toby isn’t top 30 in

rumble isn’t top 30 he still part time next year Leeroy development contract 2027 not top 30

So guys on development contracts don't train fulltime? In a perfect world Kyle, Kerr, Gutho and Suli would also walk and a couple of these young outside backs could get fulltime contracts even if they won't play first grade. Because god knows we need them ASAP.