Morgan
SGI NSW Cup
In my view there is no reason at all Amone should be a bad defender. Kyle Flanagan is limited due to his physique but still tackles better than Amone.
Promising Juniors Thread.
- Thread starter RedVHeartbeat
- Start date
RedV01
SGI NSW Cup
NQ and Penrith both debuted 18 year-olds and both were just fine. Not out of their depth.
RedVHeartbeat
SGI NSW Cup
We snare Mason Phillips from the Grubs. Why FFS when we have a hooker as talented as Tyrus Salanoa. Watch him at #9 in this '23 Matts Cup match against the Rabbits. Carves em to pieces just after oranges. Finau Latu also has a blinder and has the passionate Bunnies TV comms gushing over his power.
Last edited:
Just a Mug Fan
SGI Jersey Flegg
He's not even at the Dragons, he didn't make the 2024 squad,. He ended up at Dogs and didn't play one game of SGB
TheRev
SGI Jersey Flegg
AyiosYiorgos is on another forum with me, he made an excellent spreadsheet (which I am copy/pasting below.. he also did this for HM/JF if interested)What I believe is our approach is:
o Steelers: Stand on their own.. they have the big junior base.. and they fight it out internally.. the odd exception (such as LKT) perhaps personal reasons.
o Dragons: Smaller pool.. so the recruiters will cherry-pick and really try to super charge our talent pool as early as possible.. like most big clubs would do, and this is how we have guys like Tonga, Latu, Halangahu, TPH, Williams etc... there is the odd dragons kid like a Hammoud or Nick T, we do need to nurture them, but fast forward and this is a production line for us mashed into the big illawarra base.
Below is the junior club breakdown for this years SG Ball Squads (thankyou Ayios!):
| DRAGONS SG BALL CUP SQUAD 2024 | Previous Club / Comments | Position |
| Corey Ackers | Dragons JNR +Arncliffe Scotts + Fairfield Patrician Brothers | Lock, Prop |
| David Afu | Panthers 2021-23 | centre |
| Peter Assaf | Bulldogs | Wing |
| Ratu Cayuqueo | Parramatta | |
| Angus Clark | Wagga Wagga, Riverina Bulls | Hooker |
| Lyric Craft-Te Moananui | West Tigers in 2021 | centre |
| Uchenna Egbu | Newtown jnr? | wing |
| Isaiah Fagalilo | Burleigh Bear QLD | Hooker |
| Ben Geary | Newcastle + Nth Coast Bulldogs | Wing |
| Jacob Halangahu | Penrith | 2nd row |
| Shadi Hammoud | Dragons JNR | Five-Eighth |
| Hudson Harmer | Nth Coast Bulldogs | Hooker |
| Viliami Hikila | Sharks +Endeavour Sports High & Westfield Sports High | PROP, 2nd ROW |
| Ryan Hutchinson | Keebra Park High School QLD | PROP |
| Lennox Jensen | Nth Coast Bulldogs?? | |
| Mitchell Langley | Dragons JNR + Renown | Lock |
| Finau Latu | Penrith JNR + Patrician Brothers Fairfield | Lock |
| Campbell Lyons | Narrandera + Illawarra Steelers | centre |
| Zac Nachar | Dragons JNR | Wing/Fullback/6 |
| Xavier Ndaira | Dragons JNR | Hooker |
| Loko Pasifiki Tonga | Bankstown Bulls + Ipswich High QLD | Prop |
| Tyler Peckham-Harris | Ipswich High QLD | Fullback |
| Risiate Smythe | Dragons JNR | Prop |
| Cyrus Stanley-Traill | Bulldogs +Endeavour Sports High | 2nd row |
| Brandon Tikanau | Titans | 1/2back |
| Rydell Tyrrell | Central Queensland Capras | Prop |
| Jesse Williams | Cabramatta + Patrician Brothers Fairfield | Wing/Fullback |
| Harley Yates | Minchinbury Jets | 1/2back |
| Coach: Willie Talau | ||
| STEELERS SG BALL CUP SQUAD 2024 | ||
| Tyrone Amone | Illawarra JNR + Illawarra Sports High | 2nd Row /Prop |
| Viliami Amone | Illawarra JNR + Illawarra Sports High | PROP |
| Hudson Bailey | Illawarra JNR | Lock |
| Clay Baldock | Illawarra JNR | 1/2back / Five Eight |
| Bohden Barrett | Illawarra JNR | centre |
| Lucas Borg | Illawarra JNR | Fullback / Wing |
| Hayden Buchanan | Illawarra JNR | centre |
| Aaymon Fitzgibbon | Illawarra JNR | Five-Eighth |
| Charlie Heidke | Illawarra JNR | centre |
| Eden Hodges | Illawarra JNR | 1/2back |
| Lyhkan King-Togia | QLD | Five-Eighth |
| Tom Kirk | Illawarra JNR | Fullback / Wing |
| Tom Knox | Illawarra JNR | 2nd row |
| Drew Langdon | Illawarra JNR | 2nd row |
| Isaac Laughton | Illawarra JNR | 2nd row |
| Bailey Marks | Illawarra JNR | Prop / Lock |
| Daniel Meafou | Illawarra JNR | Lock |
| Lincoln Miners | Illawarra JNR | Hooker |
| Ramses Munro | Illawarra JNR | PROP |
| Seth Pearman | Illawarra JNR | Hooker |
| Braith Plecas | Illawarra JNR | Lock |
| Kade Reed | Illawarra JNR | 1/2back |
| Jackson Rieck | Illawarra JNR | Fullback |
| Toby Rumble | Illawarra JNR | Wing / Centre |
| Jackson Smith | Illawarra JNR | 2nd row |
| Jarrah Treweek | Illawarra JNR | 2nd row |
| Lachlan Weir | QLD | PROP |
| Harry Wililo | Illawarra JNR | Wing / Centre |
| Coach: Shaun Timmins |
Note: I cant speak to Phillips vs Salanoa, but I think Kyle Stanley and the junior retention has been bluddy excellent with the talent they are bringing in... that SG title was the most excited ive been as a Dragons fan since JD won the Reserve Grade title!
Last edited:
RedV01
SGI NSW Cup
Exactly
What I believe is our approach is:
o Steelers - Stand on their own juniors.. they have the jr base.. and they fight it out internally.. the odd exception (such as LKT) for whatever reason.
o Dragons - Dont have enough local talent so the recruiters will cherry-pick and really try to get the best talent in early.. like most big clubs would do.
DRAGONS SG BALL CUP SQUAD 2024 Previous Club / Comments Position Corey Ackers Dragons JNR +Arncliffe Scotts + Fairfield Patrician Brothers Lock, Prop David Afu Panthers 2021-23 centre Peter Assaf Bulldogs Wing Ratu Cayuqueo Parramatta Angus Clark Wagga Wagga, Riverina Bulls Hooker Lyric Craft-Te Moananui West Tigers in 2021 centre Uchenna Egbu Newtown jnr? wing Isaiah Fagalilo Burleigh Bear QLD Hooker Ben Geary Newcastle + Nth Coast Bulldogs Wing Jacob Halangahu Penrith 2nd row Shadi Hammoud Dragons JNR Five-Eighth Hudson Harmer Nth Coast Bulldogs Hooker Viliami Hikila Sharks +Endeavour Sports High & Westfield Sports High PROP, 2nd ROW Ryan Hutchinson Keebra Park High School QLD PROP Lennox Jensen Nth Coast Bulldogs?? Mitchell Langley Dragons JNR + Renown Lock Finau Latu Penrith JNR + Patrician Brothers Fairfield Lock Campbell Lyons Narrandera + Illawarra Steelers centre Zac Nachar Dragons JNR Wing/Fullback/6 Xavier Ndaira Dragons JNR Hooker Loko Pasifiki Tonga Bankstown Bulls + Ipswich High QLD Prop Tyler Peckham-Harris Ipswich High QLD Fullback Risiate Smythe Dragons JNR Prop Cyrus Stanley-Traill Bulldogs +Endeavour Sports High 2nd row Brandon Tikanau Titans 1/2back Rydell Tyrrell Central Queensland Capras Prop Jesse Williams Cabramatta + Patrician Brothers Fairfield Wing/Fullback Harley Yates Minchinbury Jets 1/2back Coach: Willie Talau STEELERS SG BALL CUP SQUAD 2024 Tyrone Amone Illawarra JNR + Illawarra Sports High 2nd Row /Prop Viliami Amone Illawarra JNR + Illawarra Sports High PROP Hudson Bailey Illawarra JNR Lock Clay Baldock Illawarra JNR 1/2back / Five Eight Bohden Barrett Illawarra JNR centre Lucas Borg Illawarra JNR Fullback / Wing Hayden Buchanan Illawarra JNR centre Aaymon Fitzgibbon Illawarra JNR Five-Eighth Charlie Heidke Illawarra JNR centre Eden Hodges Illawarra JNR 1/2back Lyhkan King-Togia QLD Five-Eighth Tom Kirk Illawarra JNR Fullback / Wing Tom Knox Illawarra JNR 2nd row Drew Langdon Illawarra JNR 2nd row Isaac Laughton Illawarra JNR 2nd row Bailey Marks Illawarra JNR Prop / Lock Daniel Meafou Illawarra JNR Lock Lincoln Miners Illawarra JNR Hooker Ramses Munro Illawarra JNR PROP Seth Pearman Illawarra JNR Hooker Braith Plecas Illawarra JNR Lock Kade Reed Illawarra JNR 1/2back Jackson Rieck Illawarra JNR Fullback Toby Rumble Illawarra JNR Wing / Centre Jackson Smith Illawarra JNR 2nd row Jarrah Treweek Illawarra JNR 2nd row Lachlan Weir QLD PROP Harry Wililo Illawarra JNR Wing / Centre Coach: Shaun Timmins
RedVHeartbeat
SGI NSW Cup
Sorry to give you a bum steer guys. Salanoa was a Qlder and only played that '23 season with us. Probably booted because he was in a side that lost all but two games. Jake and Finau also played in that side. Just as well we hung onto them.
Last edited:
RedVHeartbeat
SGI NSW Cup
What I believe is our approach is:
o Steelers: Stand on their own.. they have the big junior base.. and they fight it out internally.. the odd exception (such as LKT) perhaps personal reasons.
o Dragons: Smaller pool.. so the recruiters will cherry-pick and really try to super charge our talent pool as early as possible.. like most big clubs would do, and this is how we have guys like Tonga, Latu, Halangahu, TPH, Williams etc... there is the odd dragons kid like a Hammoud or Nick T, we do need to nurture them, but fast forward and this is a production line for us mashed into the big illawarra base.
Below is the junior club breakdown for this years SG Ball Squads (thankyou Ayios!):
DRAGONS SG BALL CUP SQUAD 2024 Previous Club / Comments Position Corey Ackers Dragons JNR +Arncliffe Scotts + Fairfield Patrician Brothers Lock, Prop David Afu Panthers 2021-23 centre Peter Assaf Bulldogs Wing Ratu Cayuqueo Parramatta Angus Clark Wagga Wagga, Riverina Bulls Hooker Lyric Craft-Te Moananui West Tigers in 2021 centre Uchenna Egbu Newtown jnr? wing Isaiah Fagalilo Burleigh Bear QLD Hooker Ben Geary Newcastle + Nth Coast Bulldogs Wing Jacob Halangahu Penrith 2nd row Shadi Hammoud Dragons JNR Five-Eighth Hudson Harmer Nth Coast Bulldogs Hooker Viliami Hikila Sharks +Endeavour Sports High & Westfield Sports High PROP, 2nd ROW Ryan Hutchinson Keebra Park High School QLD PROP Lennox Jensen Nth Coast Bulldogs?? Mitchell Langley Dragons JNR + Renown Lock Finau Latu Penrith JNR + Patrician Brothers Fairfield Lock Campbell Lyons Narrandera + Illawarra Steelers centre Zac Nachar Dragons JNR Wing/Fullback/6 Xavier Ndaira Dragons JNR Hooker Loko Pasifiki Tonga Bankstown Bulls + Ipswich High QLD Prop Tyler Peckham-Harris Ipswich High QLD Fullback Risiate Smythe Dragons JNR Prop Cyrus Stanley-Traill Bulldogs +Endeavour Sports High 2nd row Brandon Tikanau Titans 1/2back Rydell Tyrrell Central Queensland Capras Prop Jesse Williams Cabramatta + Patrician Brothers Fairfield Wing/Fullback Harley Yates Minchinbury Jets 1/2back Coach: Willie Talau STEELERS SG BALL CUP SQUAD 2024 Tyrone Amone Illawarra JNR + Illawarra Sports High 2nd Row /Prop Viliami Amone Illawarra JNR + Illawarra Sports High PROP Hudson Bailey Illawarra JNR Lock Clay Baldock Illawarra JNR 1/2back / Five Eight Bohden Barrett Illawarra JNR centre Lucas Borg Illawarra JNR Fullback / Wing Hayden Buchanan Illawarra JNR centre Aaymon Fitzgibbon Illawarra JNR Five-Eighth Charlie Heidke Illawarra JNR centre Eden Hodges Illawarra JNR 1/2back Lyhkan King-Togia QLD Five-Eighth Tom Kirk Illawarra JNR Fullback / Wing Tom Knox Illawarra JNR 2nd row Drew Langdon Illawarra JNR 2nd row Isaac Laughton Illawarra JNR 2nd row Bailey Marks Illawarra JNR Prop / Lock Daniel Meafou Illawarra JNR Lock Lincoln Miners Illawarra JNR Hooker Ramses Munro Illawarra JNR PROP Seth Pearman Illawarra JNR Hooker Braith Plecas Illawarra JNR Lock Kade Reed Illawarra JNR 1/2back Jackson Rieck Illawarra JNR Fullback Toby Rumble Illawarra JNR Wing / Centre Jackson Smith Illawarra JNR 2nd row Jarrah Treweek Illawarra JNR 2nd row Lachlan Weir QLD PROP Harry Wililo Illawarra JNR Wing / Centre Coach: Shaun Timmins
Note: I cant speak to Phillips vs Salanoa, but I think Kyle Stanley and the junior retention has been bluddy excellent with the talent they are bringing in... that SG title was the most excited ive been as a Dragons fan since JD won the Reserve Grade title!
GCRV
SGI NSW Cup
Are the Amone's any relation of Junior Amone? Or maybe, what relation are they?
What I believe is our approach is:
o Steelers: Stand on their own.. they have the big junior base.. and they fight it out internally.. the odd exception (such as LKT) perhaps personal reasons.
o Dragons: Smaller pool.. so the recruiters will cherry-pick and really try to super charge our talent pool as early as possible.. like most big clubs would do, and this is how we have guys like Tonga, Latu, Halangahu, TPH, Williams etc... there is the odd dragons kid like a Hammoud or Nick T, we do need to nurture them, but fast forward and this is a production line for us mashed into the big illawarra base.
Below is the junior club breakdown for this years SG Ball Squads (thankyou Ayios!):
DRAGONS SG BALL CUP SQUAD 2024 Previous Club / Comments Position Corey Ackers Dragons JNR +Arncliffe Scotts + Fairfield Patrician Brothers Lock, Prop David Afu Panthers 2021-23 centre Peter Assaf Bulldogs Wing Ratu Cayuqueo Parramatta Angus Clark Wagga Wagga, Riverina Bulls Hooker Lyric Craft-Te Moananui West Tigers in 2021 centre Uchenna Egbu Newtown jnr? wing Isaiah Fagalilo Burleigh Bear QLD Hooker Ben Geary Newcastle + Nth Coast Bulldogs Wing Jacob Halangahu Penrith 2nd row Shadi Hammoud Dragons JNR Five-Eighth Hudson Harmer Nth Coast Bulldogs Hooker Viliami Hikila Sharks +Endeavour Sports High & Westfield Sports High PROP, 2nd ROW Ryan Hutchinson Keebra Park High School QLD PROP Lennox Jensen Nth Coast Bulldogs?? Mitchell Langley Dragons JNR + Renown Lock Finau Latu Penrith JNR + Patrician Brothers Fairfield Lock Campbell Lyons Narrandera + Illawarra Steelers centre Zac Nachar Dragons JNR Wing/Fullback/6 Xavier Ndaira Dragons JNR Hooker Loko Pasifiki Tonga Bankstown Bulls + Ipswich High QLD Prop Tyler Peckham-Harris Ipswich High QLD Fullback Risiate Smythe Dragons JNR Prop Cyrus Stanley-Traill Bulldogs +Endeavour Sports High 2nd row Brandon Tikanau Titans 1/2back Rydell Tyrrell Central Queensland Capras Prop Jesse Williams Cabramatta + Patrician Brothers Fairfield Wing/Fullback Harley Yates Minchinbury Jets 1/2back Coach: Willie Talau STEELERS SG BALL CUP SQUAD 2024 Tyrone Amone Illawarra JNR + Illawarra Sports High 2nd Row /Prop Viliami Amone Illawarra JNR + Illawarra Sports High PROP Hudson Bailey Illawarra JNR Lock Clay Baldock Illawarra JNR 1/2back / Five Eight Bohden Barrett Illawarra JNR centre Lucas Borg Illawarra JNR Fullback / Wing Hayden Buchanan Illawarra JNR centre Aaymon Fitzgibbon Illawarra JNR Five-Eighth Charlie Heidke Illawarra JNR centre Eden Hodges Illawarra JNR 1/2back Lyhkan King-Togia QLD Five-Eighth Tom Kirk Illawarra JNR Fullback / Wing Tom Knox Illawarra JNR 2nd row Drew Langdon Illawarra JNR 2nd row Isaac Laughton Illawarra JNR 2nd row Bailey Marks Illawarra JNR Prop / Lock Daniel Meafou Illawarra JNR Lock Lincoln Miners Illawarra JNR Hooker Ramses Munro Illawarra JNR PROP Seth Pearman Illawarra JNR Hooker Braith Plecas Illawarra JNR Lock Kade Reed Illawarra JNR 1/2back Jackson Rieck Illawarra JNR Fullback Toby Rumble Illawarra JNR Wing / Centre Jackson Smith Illawarra JNR 2nd row Jarrah Treweek Illawarra JNR 2nd row Lachlan Weir QLD PROP Harry Wililo Illawarra JNR Wing / Centre Coach: Shaun Timmins
Note: I cant speak to Phillips vs Salanoa, but I think Kyle Stanley and the junior retention has been bluddy excellent with the talent they are bringing in... that SG title was the most excited ive been as a Dragons fan since JD won the Reserve Grade title!
Eric
Staff
Anthony Griffin used to talk about, "building the team from the ground up". Meaning from juniors to NRL. I hope he was doing that. He did that at Penrith and Broncos. It was Cleary, Yeo, Martin, Crighton developed under his watch. Most of the Broncos players who lost the GF to the Cowboys.
TheRev
SGI Jersey Flegg
I dont know the exact relationship with the Amones, but I believe they are all a part of the same family group.. I think Talatau was just 1 part of the puzzle.
Hopefully a bunch of these guys are still SG eligible next year, would like to see them go around again with Meafou and Kade Reed and see how they look as prospects.. right now were a bit overwhelmed for forward prospects jamming into JFlegg. Stanley-Traill is another who would do SG next year for the Dragons..
Hopefully a bunch of these guys are still SG eligible next year, would like to see them go around again with Meafou and Kade Reed and see how they look as prospects.. right now were a bit overwhelmed for forward prospects jamming into JFlegg. Stanley-Traill is another who would do SG next year for the Dragons..
AyiosYiorgos
SGI Jersey Flegg
One is a brother and the other a relative as far as i know.
AyiosYiorgos
SGI Jersey Flegg
I don't get why you are complaining that we are signing players, if the club has identified that Phillips will be better than what we have, then what's the issue, in a year or two we may grab another hooker who is better, we should be constantly looking to better the whole club, year on year, that's the recruitment guys job, they're working 3-6 years in advance, majority of the SG Ball guys that are coming through are all external juniors grabbed from Penrith, Parra etc, before them Shereb and Coric where the guns but if we decided not to grab any other players from the other clubs we would be stuck with those 2 who at this stage don't look like progressing and in a year or two Latu, Tonga etc may be in the same boat, we can't stand still thinking that we don't need any other players because we have got this "talented crop" of SG Ball players..
Just a Mug Fan
SGI Jersey Flegg
Vili brother Tyrone cousin
Kirk, Buchanan, Borg, Fitzgibbon, Clarke, Langdon, are some that I know of off hand.
Plus Jack Talbott, Zane Timmins, Leeroy Weatherall, Hayden Whatman from HMC should make a very competitive team.
GCRV
SGI NSW Cup
At this stage is Ashton Ward going to be let go, signed on a train and trial deal, signed on a development contract or let go? I was impressed by his game in a losing team last weekend.
5/8 was good as well but would have to put on 20kg and grow 10cm to be ready for NRL.
5/8 was good as well but would have to put on 20kg and grow 10cm to be ready for NRL.
Just a Mug Fan
SGI Jersey Flegg
Ash will be under contract next year.
He has already run in a few opposed sessions with FG.
AyiosYiorgos
SGI Jersey Flegg
Leeroy Weatherall keen to see how he goes next year, liked Kirk from a year or so ago while he was playing fullback but looks like Borg has now overtaken him for that role he had a good season.
TheRev
SGI Jersey Flegg
Flanno has mentioned there are 2 young halves he has his eye on, 1 is going to be King-Togia, but the other is a mystery, Ward seems to be building, Glover has his moments but I doubt hes the one ear-marked.. tbh I dont know..
He could also be talking about Reed who trained with 1st grade over the off-season, but given hes played no Flegg.. hes a long long way off yet.
He could also be talking about Reed who trained with 1st grade over the off-season, but given hes played no Flegg.. hes a long long way off yet.
RedVHeartbeat
SGI NSW Cup
He was far better the match before or was it earlier. Anyway had a blinder, steered round the team like a seasoned pro.