Recruitment and Retention for 2025

Morgan

SGI NSW Cup
Storm might be looking to move on Ryan Papenhuyzen due to salary cap issues.
This has been the problem with recruitment since Bennett. Going for almost every player who becomes available rather than holding fire until someone in a position we need becomes available.
 
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Edward

SGI Jersey Flegg
This has been the problem with recruitment since Bennett. Going for almost every player who becomes available rather than holding fire until someone in a position we need becomes available.
Have you seen Sloan play in the second half of this season?
 

Chris M

SGI NSW Cup
Things have gone quiet re Saifiti. I wonder what's going on with that. Have Tigers swooped in at the 11th hour to get him?
 

TheRev

SGI Jersey Flegg
Things have gone quiet re Saifiti. I wonder what's going on with that. Have Tigers swooped in at the 11th hour to get him?
its a rly good point.. seemed like it was basically done.. but we were stuck on that final figure.. always a gamble ofcourse once other *clubs come into the market. Someone said Horsborough has been allowed to look around also now.
 
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Chris M

SGI NSW Cup
its a rly good point.. seemed like it was basically done.. but we were stuck on that final figure.. always a gamble ofcourse once other players come on the market. Someone said Horsborough has been allowed to look around also now.
Not a big deal. Signing Holmes is far more important.

Hordborough has been in NSW Cup for most of the year.
 

TheRev

SGI Jersey Flegg
Not sure how high we would be willing to go on NAS, but seems as good a target as any...

You would think Tigers, Dogs, Raiders & Us would be prime candidates if Nelson is staying in the NRL, Parra I dont know if they are ready to compete, they would need to offload RCG first id imagine...
 

GCRV

SGI NSW Cup
Not sure how high we would be willing to go on NAS, but seems as good a target as any...

You would think Tigers, Dogs, Raiders & Us would be prime candidates if Nelson is staying in the NRL, Parra I dont know if they are ready to compete, they would need to offload RCG first id imagine...
I rate NAS but no! We can't keep allowing clubs to sign the best young players in a certain position and picking up their veterans in that position. Unless they are paying a good % and the player is only signed short-term. 2 years at most.

Otherwise have to trust / demand scouts deliver us the next NAS or Utoikamanu before anyone has heard of him.
 

TheRev

SGI Jersey Flegg
Not sure we are in a position to get the next best thing...not that we havent tried.. were gonna have to do it the hard way.. one upgrade at a time.. until this roster is bigger harder faster fitter.. and then maybe we get to the stage that we are more respected and can sign higher up the food chain.

In the background we keep picking up these 16-19yr olds with promise and try to get a few stars that way over time.. but for example Tonga is 5yrs behind Stefano who himself is still not in his prime yet.. 5yrs is such a long time.. Many will come and go in that time, potentially including coaches.
 

GCRV

SGI NSW Cup
Not sure we are in a position to get the next best thing...not that we havent tried.. were gonna have to do it the hard way.. one upgrade at a time.. until this roster is bigger harder faster fitter.. and then maybe we get to the stage that we are more respected and can sign higher up the food chain.

In the background we keep picking up these 16-19yr olds with promise and try to get a few stars that way over time.. but for example Tonga is 5yrs behind Stefano who himself is still not in his prime yet.. 5yrs is such a long time.. Many will come and go in that time, potentially including coaches.
Makes sense but so many of these journeymen already on the books. So Dogs can afford Kikau or NQ afford Nanai...... who else? Kyle Flanno and Eisenhuth were off contract.

It gets frustrating.
 

GCRV

SGI NSW Cup
....defensive only. His kick returns, taking pressure bombs have massively improved.
He's a long way off right now but as far as talent goes, Sloan is as good as Papenhuyzen. Just needs to fix his attitude.
He also needs to go looking for the ball much more to be as good as Papenhuyzen and not surrender so meekly in tackles. But I agree he has the tools to be as good or better. But as we all know, that only takes you so far.
 

GCRV

SGI NSW Cup

17 players who are contracted for 2025 but would be free to play elsewhere if they could find a new home​

  1. Isaiah Iongi (Who?)
  2. Mikaele Ravalawa
  3. Valentine Holmes (good buy if possible)
  4. Brent Naden
  5. Maiko Sivo
  6. Jack Bird
  7. Jayden Sullivan
  8. Daniel Saifiti (if Newcastle put in a decent part of his money)
  9. Jayden Brailey
  10. Nelson Asofa-Solomona (Maybe but been around a long time and if he was still good, why are Melbourne looking to move him on?)
  11. Shaun Lane (I rate him but Dragons don't need backrowers)
  12. John Bateman (same as above)
  13. Ryan Matterson
  14. Danny Levi
  15. Blake Lawrie
  16. Corey Horsburgh
  17. Bunty Afoa (From what I've seen, he goes ok)
 

RedVictory

SGI Jersey Flegg

17 players who are contracted for 2025 but would be free to play elsewhere if they could find a new home​

  1. Isaiah Iongi (Who?)
  2. Mikaele Ravalawa
  3. Valentine Holmes (good buy if possible)
  4. Brent Naden
  5. Maiko Sivo
  6. Jack Bird
  7. Jayden Sullivan
  8. Daniel Saifiti (if Newcastle put in a decent part of his money)
  9. Jayden Brailey
  10. Nelson Asofa-Solomona (Maybe but been around a long time and if he was still good, why are Melbourne looking to move him on?)
  11. Shaun Lane (I rate him but Dragons don't need backrowers)
  12. John Bateman (same as above)
  13. Ryan Matterson
  14. Danny Levi
  15. Blake Lawrie
  16. Corey Horsburgh
  17. Bunty Afoa (From what I've seen, he goes ok)
Interested to see how Iongi goes tomorrow, can’t see him sticking around Penrith with all the depth they have at fullback but would be a handy pickup for us.
 
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