jodragon40
Staff
Cheers
Recruitment and Retention for 2025
- Thread starter Eric
- Start date
Eric
Staff
I know LPT and Halangahu have the big wraps on them but I have a suspicion Latu will be a regular first grader before both.
TheRev
SGI Jersey Flegg
Would be great! Latu has been rly good in Flegg, Tonga however has the size in his favour, I think its 121kg, surely could do bench minutes once he establishes himself in NSW Cup.. but each player is about 6 months of development in front of the next: i.e. Tonga > Latu > Halangahu
(Tonga has half a season of NSW Cup, Latu has most of the season in JF (1 in Cup) and Halangahu did mostly schoolboy stuff after SG Ball with a little flegg in between)
All 3 so far seem comfortable stepping up.. I'm comfortable with the first 2.. and I do want to see what 2025 Halangahu looks like.. he did play some flegg, usually off the bench.. I wanna see how he goes when he starts playing regularly in the 21s comp... both the other boys are playing several years above their age bracket.
GCRV
SGI NSW Cup
The only thing certain is that if all 3 come good and join Egan and Couchman's, the club is going to have an embarrassment of riches in the forwards. Just really need a 5/8 or preferably and 1/2 to come good.
Eric
Staff
True but from what I've seen, Latu has leg speed in his favour.
We also shouldn't forget about Nick T. I expect him to pressure in Luch next year. I don't know what's going to happen with Egan. Turn into a lock?
Chris M
SGI NSW Cup
Egan really is a tackling machine. Not the hit or miss tackling machine Eisenhuth was supposed to be. Every team can do with such a player.
RedVHeartbeat
SGI NSW Cup
I reckon both he and LTJr will debut about the same time, possibly even later this year and will establish themselves quickly as these kids just love playing footy for the Red V.
RedVHeartbeat
SGI NSW Cup
That gave him a majority of his try assists. Topped the RA last season, betting of the 30 or so, 26 were from short kicks. He was also given several freebies as the recipient had a mountain of work to score. There was the incorrect awarding to Hunt when Sloan tapped back his bomb into the arms of Luch from memory to dive over.
RedVHeartbeat
SGI NSW Cup
Terrell May should now be our #1 prop target after the Chooks let him go. Why is the question, me thinks because he was disgruntled with the upgrade he was given, 550K per season. We are paying Frank Molo more than that. May could be the engine room enforcer we are crying out for.
Chris M
SGI NSW Cup
Try assists is a misleading stat. Typically if Hunt passed to Suli who ran over one defender and stepped past the fullback to score, it would have given Hunt a try assist. If JDB passed to Suli, it wouldn't have been put down as a try assist to JDB.
Chris M
SGI NSW Cup
Frank Molo's signing is 100% on Flanno who extended him. Another huge mistake. His recruitment and retention has been really bad so far.
Just a Mug Fan
SGI NSW Cup
Has anyone information about our young prop with the bung knee Loko Jnr Pasifiki Tonga? Did he undergo any surgery? Is he a chance of coming off the bench as 1st rotation for our bookends? Have high hopes for this kid. And yes I know he is probably too young but we just haven't signed any bookend of note yet although I have seen Lodge name mentioned in other posts.
His knee is ok, no surgery just rest.
He has been putting in during the offseason extras in the gym and pilates.
I think he is primed for a big seasons
The boys start filtering back today.
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Chris M
SGI NSW Cup
Is that with Sele and Nick T? if so, everyone knows how big LPT is but Nick T looks comfortably bigger than Sele.
TheRev
SGI Jersey Flegg
You really have to remember where our recruitment journey was at when we made previous recruitment decisions.. this is a long long journey to fix this roster, we tried to get the big name players (dearden, manu, afb and many many more) and we couldnt get em here.. we signed TomE, Allan, Brown.. because its the best we could do at the time.
FMolo is similar.. we had JDB, Sua & Frank all off-contract.. absolutely no guarantee any of them were staying... FMolo started the year really strong and clubs were trying to pinch him.... the only 1st grade middles we had locked in were Lawrie & Sele.. we needed more locked in.. even if they werent superstars..
In any case I dont think May would come here anyway.. even if indeed we did want him.
FMolo is similar.. we had JDB, Sua & Frank all off-contract.. absolutely no guarantee any of them were staying... FMolo started the year really strong and clubs were trying to pinch him.... the only 1st grade middles we had locked in were Lawrie & Sele.. we needed more locked in.. even if they werent superstars..
In any case I dont think May would come here anyway.. even if indeed we did want him.
TheRev
SGI Jersey Flegg
Look how small Sele is compared to Tonga.. hard to believe they play the same position.
Just a Mug Fan
SGI NSW Cup
DRAGONS GRANTED SALARY CAP RELIEF FOR CODY RAMSEY
Michael Carayannis Telegraph
St George Illawarra have again been granted salary cap exemption for injured fullback Cody Ramsey, who is yet to rule out hope of a rugby league comeback.
Ramsey was due to return to the Dragons’ top-30 squad for 2025, having missed the past two seasons.
The NRL has recently agreed that while Ramsay will still be paid in full by the club next season, that figure will not count towards the salary cap nor will Ramsey be formally part of St George Illawarra’s top-30 squad.
The Dragons – and the NRL – are continuing to do the right thing by Ramsey, who is slowly getting back to full health after suffering ulcerative colitis – a career threatening condition.
The Dragons split the final year of his contract over two seasons, which keeps him on the books until the end of next year. The NRL has allowed the figure to not count towards the Dragons’ salary cap to ensure that there is no pressure on Ramsey to try to rush back.
The NRL granted a similar dispensation last year and this year in what was considered a game first. The 24-year-old took tentative steps this year when he returned to light training duties in May.
The decision means he will be unable to play first grade next year unless the club make a position and cap space available in their top 30 to accommodate him.
TheRev
SGI Jersey Flegg
Rly glad the NRL came around on Ramsey.. I could see no reason why there had to be a specific date that Cody had to be make a decision to play NRL or retire.. that time could be next wednesday or in 2yrs time..
Originally I think they were worried about us gaming the system, or setting a precadent.. but there is no precadent for this one.
Originally I think they were worried about us gaming the system, or setting a precadent.. but there is no precadent for this one.
Just a Mug Fan
SGI NSW Cup
There never was a specific date, it was just taken a year at a time. It was just a matter of applying for the exception again.
Spreading the contract over two years gave him longer recovery time and kept him under the NRL umbrella.
If they left it as it was his contract would of ended this season.
RedVHeartbeat
SGI NSW Cup
Why is that. Is there off field history like his brother? We should want him, take a squiss at his stats. Other than Jack, they make our other forwards look like novices.
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RedVHeartbeat
SGI NSW Cup
Jonah Pezet is now a free agent after he knocked back a Storm extension. Flanno said once the Hunt sacking hit the news stands he had six or seven player managers contact him. Perhaps one was repping for Pezet. But is he the best we can buy. Stats dont say so, specially his try assists. Wonder who were they repping? Like always we fans have to be patient in finding out.
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