Recruitment and Retention for 2023

[RedV01]

I went on a yacht trip from Southport to Sydney once. Wasn't "a cruise". Everyone had to work. That included climbing the mast, cleaning the toilet, helping prepare food and etc. Was in summer. Was nice sitting on the bow, watching the dolphins and the shore leave was a lot of fun. i.e. non-stop drinking. I was actually also fortunate enough to meet a young girl on the yacht who lived in Main Beach.

I once took a cruise from Stockholm to St Petersburg in winter. It was on a icebreaker and I was with my GF. On the return journey I came down with a nasty stomach bug which at the time was spreading around Stockholm. Lucky I was with my GF or I would have been in a world of hurt. It laid me out for 2 days when I returned to Stockholm.

 

[Eric]

• Jack Bird hasn't re-signed despite the speculation of a coupe of weeks ago.
• Dragons chasing Jack Hetherington.
• No word on Lodge though he has been linked to Manly.
• No word on Dragons chasing Angus Crighton though like Jack Hetherington, Tigers are interested.

If possible Dragons need to sign Lodge and Crighton. Not so much Hetherington.

 

[RedV01]

• Jack Bird hasn't re-signed despite the speculation of a coupe of weeks ago.
• Dragons chasing Jack Hetherington.
• No word on Lodge though he has been linked to Manly.
• No word on Dragons chasing Angus Crighton though like Jack Hetherington, Tigers are interested.

If possible Dragons need to sign Lodge and Crighton. Not so much Hetherington.

Dragons pretending to want him in order to push his price up to sign elsewhere.

 

[Ryan]

• Jack Bird hasn't re-signed despite the speculation of a coupe of weeks ago.
• Dragons chasing Jack Hetherington.
• No word on Lodge though he has been linked to Manly.
• No word on Dragons chasing Angus Crighton though like Jack Hetherington, Tigers are interested.

If possible Dragons need to sign Lodge and Crighton. Not so much Hetherington.

This is very much like the Cam McInnes situation. Expect news to be released Bird has signed elsewhere any day.

 

[Chris M]

• Jack Bird hasn't re-signed despite the speculation of a coupe of weeks ago.
• Dragons chasing Jack Hetherington.
• No word on Lodge though he has been linked to Manly.
• No word on Dragons chasing Angus Crighton though like Jack Hetherington, Tigers are interested.

If possible Dragons need to sign Lodge and Crighton. Not so much Hetherington.

I'm wondering how close Bird is to being dropped.

 

[Eric]

This is very much like the Cam McInnes situation. Expect news to be released Bird has signed elsewhere any day.

Never thought of that but as you mention it, seems true. The only difference is that the McInnes situation was sorted out in the off season. To that end

I'm wondering how close Bird is to being dropped.

Being a local junior who made good (even if not at the Dragons) is always a good thing but over the last few weeks, he has been so bad that only care that he isn't re-signed.

He isn't a NRL standard backrower. He might go well as a 5/8 or centre at another club or as an interchange utility but interchange utilities aren't on the kind of money he wants.

 

[jodragon40]

Who would want him the way he is performing? He misses far too many tackles. This is the current ranking of players who have missed the most tackles this season. 1. Hunt, 5. Bird, 13. Lawrie, 14. Amone, you cannot be a competitive top 8 team with stats like this. You can clearly see that the opposition are targeting our halves combination in attack. So you need to change up your defensive line and have your best tackling forwards next to each of our halves. It's adapting to what the opposition game plan is targeting. We have been busted within an area not exceeding 20m either side of the middle of the park far far too many times. But we are improving we missed 20% less tackles last week against the Warriors than we did the previous week against the Titans so the defensive coach is working on it. The target is 30 missed tackles a week that's are defensive aim. But back to Bird he is playing like he knows he's not wanted and nobody else is interested and should be dropped based on his performances but I'm betting he won't be

 

[GCRV]

Who would want him the way he is performing? He misses far too many tackles. This is the current ranking of players who have missed the most tackles this season. 1. Hunt, 5. Bird, 13. Lawrie, 14. Amone, you cannot be a competitive top 8 team with stats like this. You can clearly see that the opposition are targeting our halves combination in attack. So you need to change up your defensive line and have your best tackling forwards next to each of our halves. It's adapting to what the opposition game plan is targeting. We have been busted within an area not exceeding 20m either side of the middle of the park far far too many times. But we are improving we missed 20% less tackles last week against the Warriors than we did the previous week against the Titans so the defensive coach is working on it. The target is 30 missed tackles a week that's are defensive aim. But back to Bird he is playing like he knows he's not wanted and nobody else is interested and should be dropped based on his performances but I'm betting he won't be

Is that out of the entire competition? Halves get a lot of traffic sent their way and Amone missed a lot of tackles in the first few rounds. I think he's getting better but no excuse at all for Bird and Lawrie.

But back to Bird he is playing like he knows he's not wanted and nobody else is interested and should be dropped based on his performances but I'm betting he won't be

At best he should be starting on the bench. If Mybe is starting at hooker and is meant to be hooker for most of the game, it stands to reason Bird could be an interchange utility.

 

[RedV01]

Is that out of the entire competition? Halves get a lot of traffic sent their way and Amone missed a lot of tackles in the first few rounds. I think he's getting better but no excuse at all for Bird and Lawrie.

At best he should be starting on the bench. If Mybe is starting at hooker and is meant to be hooker for most of the game, it stands to reason Bird could be an interchange utility.

He either has some very good friends in the media or some people in the media who really want Saints to sign a player for way more than he's worth.

 

[Morgan]

He either has some very good friends in the media or some people in the media who really want Saints to sign a player for way more than he's worth.

I read a while ago, McGregor seemed to take recruitment and retention advice from rivals. Crazy stuff but that is where we stood.

Agree or not about getting rid of McInnes, I was glad the coach ignored media pressure. Doing the same with Bird will be a positive but club needs to start some recruiting. As mentioned above, Lodge and Crighton would really suit the Dragons needs.

 

[jodragon40]

Is that out of the entire competition? Halves get a lot of traffic sent their way and Amone missed a lot of tackles in the first few rounds. I think he's getting better but no excuse at all for Bird and Lawrie.

At best he should be starting on the bench. If Mybe is starting at hooker and is meant to be hooker for most of the game, it stands to reason Bird could be an interchange utility.

Yes the entire comp its not a great achievement

 

[jodragon40]

Unless he did in fact sign on Monday and is now in the 2 week cooling off period. No word of any other club chasing him.

Officially re signed

 

[jodragon40]

Unless he did in fact sign on Monday and is now in the 2 week cooling off period. No word of any other club chasing him.

He re signed

 

[Morgan]

He re signed

Well Griffin better demand he play much better or his head will be the one on the chopping block! Is there a single game anyone can point to in which Bird has played well this season? Against Melbourne and Cronulla he was absolutely atrocious. Last weekend he played. Didn't see anyone run straight past him but that was a problem in and of itself. I hardly noticed he was playing.

 

[jodragon40]

Well Griffin better demand he play much better or his head will be the one on the chopping block! Is there a single game anyone can point to in which Bird has played well this season? Against Melbourne and Cronulla he was absolutely atrocious. Last weekend he played. Didn't see anyone run straight past him but that was a problem in and of itself. I hardly noticed he was playing.

On his performances so far this season mainly in defence the best I've have him in my team is off the bench. His attacking stats are he has run for an average of 60m a game he has made 4 line breaks in 10 games he has assisted in 3 line breaks he offloads 1 a game he has scored 4 tries no try assists. In defence he has made 229 tackles so 23 a game and has missed 44. On those stats why would you re sign him?

 

[RedV01]

On his performances so far this season mainly in defence the best I've have him in my team is off the bench

It's not all bad. Griffin specifically nominated how he can play any position. Specifically didn't say he'd play in the forwards. Surely that begins this weekend. Sims and you know who to start in the second row. Surely the rest of the pack can no longer carry Bird. And a good utility coming off the bench probably makes about 500k a year. It's not a terrible signing unless Griffin keeps picking him to start in the forwards.

 

[jodragon40]

It's not all bad. Griffin specifically nominated how he can play any position. Specifically didn't say he'd play in the forwards. Surely that begins this weekend. Sims and you know who to start in the second row. Surely the rest of the pack can no longer carry Bird. And a good utility coming off the bench probably makes about 500k a year. It's not a terrible signing unless Griffin keeps picking him to start in the forwards.

The problem is no matter where he is chosen to play his contribution is poor. I just updated my last post with his current stats

 

[RedV01]

On his performances so far this season mainly in defence the best I've have him in my team is off the bench. His attacking stats are he has run for an average of 60m a game he has made 4 line breaks in 10 games he has assisted in 3 line breaks he offloads 1 a game he has scored 4 tries no try assists. In defence he has made 229 tackles so 23 a game and has missed 44. On those stats why would you re sign him?

To start at the end first, I wouldn't re-sign him but the coach did.

The average run metres is also a little skewered. How many of those run metres are from him backing up a break or offload from someone else? I know it's good that he is a good support player but it doesn't come close to making up for his lack of input in attack and outright poor defence!

 

[jodragon40]

To start at the end first, I wouldn't re-sign him but the coach did.

The average run metres is also a little skewered. How many of those run metres are from him backing up a break or offload from someone else? I know it's good that he is a good support player but it doesn't come close to making up for his lack of input in attack and outright poor defence!

Watch his runs this week he skips from left to right across the face of the ruck. Never taking on the line on the edges

 

[Chris M]

Watch his runs this week he skips from left to right across the face of the ruck. Never taking on the line on the edges

So why TF was he re-signed? Surely the coach doesn't expect him to run on anywhere in the forwards. Even with Su'a out, there are better options in the second row. I think Bird went "ok" when he was 5/8. No way would I have him there instead of Amone but he was ok. In the forwards he has been really poor.