Dragons v Dogs Round 1

[jodragon40]

Could it be some personal animosity between Flanno and LPT? We know there is some between Flanno and Latu and as far as I'm aware, Latu and LPT were/are good friends.

Don't know, look these days these young kids are very impressionable. It could be an unknown slight injury, it could be advice being given to him by his manager or some of his peers. He may want to play with his bros. He is a kiwi. Im sure we will eventually find out.

I remember he went to school up here at Keebra Park a big nursery up here and couldn't crack the top 13. He moved out west to Ipswich High and made that team they won the school boys title in 2022.

He then went to Endeavour high in Sydney where his career took off. Im sure he played his early years in the Bankstown area.

 

[TheRev]

Maybe its completely justified based on something happening at training..... but it does just feel like its just a very deliberate rocket from flanno.. i.e. intended to put a rod up him and get him to fire up.. and if Bennett or Bellamy had done it.. you would probably think 'great call, just what the kid needs!'.

But with a young player especially... its perhaps just as likely to go the other way and just harden him against us.. its just a shame cause we signed him first of the big 3.. and lost latu as a result.. and hes already looking elsewhere, its a big failure from us cause its not like we have 1st grade 'middles' falling off trees.. lawrie will be gone hopefully, guler unlikely to stay, jdb gone, klem gone, sele probably gone, Liu gone, luciano a possible middle also gone, im glad we have Halangahu and Stewart though but need a few more than that.. this is our next gen... and tbf we need experienced middles to replace those guys.. but weve had not a lot of luck signing them.. and we are talking 2028 here.. these are when the kids are starting to be legit first graders.

I think we have a legacy coach.. one of the old-schoolers.. obviously that can work but its a very fine line ur treading.. I dont envy the decisions he has to make... but I wonder if an old school coach is that going to be able to adapt quickly enough in terms of strategy and recruitment choices... or be able to managing young players which is not easy... I dunno.. lot to play out in the next few months.

 

[The Word]

Maybe its completely justified based on something happening at training..... but it does just feel like its just a very deliberate rocket from flanno.. i.e. intended to put a rod up him and get him to fire up.. and if Bennett or Bellamy had done it.. you would probably think 'great call, just what the kid needs!'.

But with a young player especially... its perhaps just as likely to go the other way and just harden him against us.. its just a shame cause we signed him first of the big 3.. and lost latu as a result.. and hes already looking elsewhere, its a big failure from us cause its not like we have 1st grade 'middles' falling off trees.. lawrie will be gone hopefully, guler unlikely to stay, jdb gone, klem gone, sele probably gone, Liu gone, luciano a possible middle also gone, im glad we have Halangahu and Stewart though but need a few more than that.. this is our next gen... and tbf we need experienced middles to replace those guys.. but weve had not a lot of luck signing them.. and we are talking 2028 here.. these are when the kids are starting to be legit first graders.

I think we have a legacy coach.. one of the old-schoolers.. obviously that can work but its a very fine line ur treading.. I dont envy the decisions he has to make... but I wonder if an old school coach is that going to be able to adapt quickly enough in terms of strategy and recruitment choices... or be able to managing young players which is not easy... I dunno.. lot to play out in the next few months.

You’ve explained the conundrum very well.

I still think there’s a place for a hard nosed coach to set examples in the modern age, but the expectations need to be explained in a way that today’s youngsters can understand.

I think Flanagan is trying to set the bar high so that we have a squad that understands the expectations. Hopefully we don’t lose too may along the way but I support the idea.

In saying that I guess we’re all speculating as to what might have happened. But I must say the squad photo they posted on the website the other day, LPT was scowling.

 

[Ryan]

Maybe its completely justified based on something happening at training..... but it does just feel like its just a very deliberate rocket from flanno.. i.e. intended to put a rod up him and get him to fire up.. and if Bennett or Bellamy had done it.. you would probably think 'great call, just what the kid needs!'.

But with a young player especially... its perhaps just as likely to go the other way and just harden him against us.. its just a shame cause we signed him first of the big 3.. and lost latu as a result.. and hes already looking elsewhere, its a big failure from us cause its not like we have 1st grade 'middles' falling off trees.. lawrie will be gone hopefully, guler unlikely to stay, jdb gone, klem gone, sele probably gone, Liu gone, luciano a possible middle also gone, im glad we have Halangahu and Stewart though but need a few more than that.. this is our next gen... and tbf we need experienced middles to replace those guys.. but weve had not a lot of luck signing them.. and we are talking 2028 here.. these are when the kids are starting to be legit first graders.

I think we have a legacy coach.. one of the old-schoolers.. obviously that can work but its a very fine line ur treading.. I dont envy the decisions he has to make... but I wonder if an old school coach is that going to be able to adapt quickly enough in terms of strategy and recruitment choices... or be able to managing young players which is not easy... I dunno.. lot to play out in the next few months.

A rocket for a young guy like him to me sounds like getting a razz from the coach, forced to do an extra lap after training or both. This seems like pure malice carried out at the expense of the teams chances of winning the game. Cmon, there is no way Flanno or anyone else thinks Blocka is a better prop right now than LPT.

 

[Dragons Chris]

A rocket for a young guy like him to me sounds like getting a razz from the coach, forced to do an extra lap after training or both. This seems like pure malice carried out at the expense of the teams chances of winning the game. Cmon, there is no way Flanno or anyone else thinks Blocka is a better prop right now than LPT.

Maybe he open defied the authority of the coaching staff and this was the final warning.

 

[RedVHeartbeat]

and hes already looking elsewhere

Loko. Fill me in. I read he is only contracted till end of this season, so appears the club is in no hurry to extend him. Wrote on another thread that he has been carrying what is prob a chronic knee injury virtually since he joined us. Could this be a reason he is not being seen as long term. Be a bloody shame as he is a big unit with ball skill, something we lack.

 

[The Word]

Loko. Fill me in. I read he is only contracted till end of this season, so appears Flanagan is in no hurry to extend him. Wrote on another thread that he has been carrying what is prob a chronic knee injury virtually since he joined us. Could this be a reason he is not being seen as long term. Be a bloody shame as he is a big unit, something we lack.

He extended in 2025 to the end of 2027. Shane said at the time:

“We’re really excited to have locked Loko down for two more years,” Dragons Head Coach Shane Flanagan said.
“He’s big and mobile but he also does all the little things well. He’s got a good attitude, he trains hard and he’s a very focused individual.
“We look forward to seeing what his future holds.”

 

[jodragon40]

I actually spoke to his cousin who was working on a building site across the road from my old residence in late 2024 and he told me that he had a niggling knee injury that would probably need to be cleaned out as a result of the high impact contacts. Whether he still has that or it has been fixed im non the wiser.

 

[The Word]

I guess he just needs to knuckle down, work hard, do what his coaches tell him, and prove to the club that he should be a regular starter and worth a pay rise. That’s assuming he hasn’t been tapped up.

 

[Edward]

I guess he just needs to knuckle down, work hard, do what his coaches tell him, and prove to the club that he should be a regular starter and worth a pay rise. That’s assuming he hasn’t been tapped up.

Hope that's all that needs to happen.

 

[Runner]

Im a very seasoned overseas traveller and I can safely say if you are not it takes weeks to get your body clock back to normal upon your return and that's for a bum like me let alone an elite athlete.

If I'm right we are no chance of winning games 2 and 3. Time will tell

I agree it takes time to recover but I assume they are flying business class which does give you a reasonable opportunity to sleep on the flight and that does make a difference.

 

[George Sancti]

You’ve explained the conundrum very well.

I still think there’s a place for a hard nosed coach to set examples in the modern age, but the expectations need to be explained in a way that today’s youngsters can understand.

I think Flanagan is trying to set the bar high so that we have a squad that understands the expectations. Hopefully we don’t lose too may along the way but I support the idea.

In saying that I guess we’re all speculating as to what might have happened. But I must say the squad photo they posted on the website the other day, LPT was scowling.

I agree, TW. Coach Flanno has clearly set higher, and probably more demanding, standards than any of his last three predecessors. I remember when he was first appointed and said in an interview that he wanted to rebuild a culture based on pride in the club, and that he’d only recruit players who genuinely wanted to wear the Red V. Winning is obviously the main goal, but I’ve always felt he deserved credit for making that statement from day one.

 

[GCRV]

I agree, TW. Coach Flanno has clearly set higher, and probably more demanding, standards than any of his last three predecessors. I remember when he was first appointed and said in an interview that he wanted to rebuild a culture based on pride in the club, and that he’d only recruit players who genuinely wanted to wear the Red V. Winning is obviously the main goal, but I’ve always felt he deserved credit for making that statement from day one.

Problem is he comes across as setting far higher standards for some rather than others.

 

[George Sancti]

Agree, but on occasions there have been more Dragon supporters than Roosters, unfortunately now I think it comes down to they are a really good team and we are crap.I can tell you its embarrassing holding a Dragons flag at the game.

You’re right, J Justadragon. I went to last year’s pre‑game luncheon and, being a Roosters home game, I expected to be one of only a handful of Dragons supporters. Instead, almost half the room was Red V, and there wasn’t a single Roosters supporter at my table. Unfortunately, everything turned to mud once the game kicked off.

 

[George Sancti]

Problem is he comes across as setting far higher standards for some rather than others.

I don’t think his standards differ from player to player GCRV. What seems different to me, is how Flanno interprets each player’s contribution. Some meet his expectations more consistently than others.

 

[GCRV]

I don’t think his standards differ from player to player GCRV. What seems different to me, is how Flanno interprets each player’s contribution. Some meet his expectations more consistently than others.

I'm not going to get into LKT and his competition but Lawrie is meeting standards LPT isn't?

 

[redv4life]

Problem is he comes across as setting far higher standards for some rather than others.

Nailed it mate

 

[George Sancti]

I'm not going to get into LKT and his competition but Lawrie is meeting standards LPT isn't?

It may simply be that Flanno is weighing things we don’t see such as attitude, preparation and professionalism, just as much as on‑field output.

 

[GCRV]

It may simply be that Flanno is weighing things we don’t see such as attitude, preparation and professionalism, just as much as on‑field output.

That is possible. Just talking about what I see. Don't what's going on behind the scenes.