Recruitment and Retention for 2026

[RedV01]

So that's a preseason with 1st grade (injuries willing!) for Jesse?

Good stuff.. T&T I assume and maybe we see where we go.. not a lot of dev spots free for 2026, but lets see where things go next year... lot of water to come under the bridge yet.

He's going to be really excited and see himself on the cusp of a top 30 contract. He's going to put in the work on and off the field and get that top 30 contract or at least development contract. By mid season he's going to an automatic first grade selection.

 

[Mailroomsgi]

He’s got a long way to go before he gets a top 30 contract just yet

Talented but needs to refine a few things in his game

Hopefully injury free for a long time and a big preseason has him in the frame for first grade at some point in the near future

 

[TheRev]

He’s got a long way to go before he gets a top 30 contract just yet

Talented but needs to refine a few things in his game

Hopefully injury free for a long time and a big preseason has him in the frame for first grade at some point in the near future

Yep he keeps getting injured or concussed, he missed I think the entire pre-season, its rly set him back, bit like Kirk, both wing prospects.. If Williams can finish the year healthy and get 1 full pre-season I reckon he will come on well, hopefully a good attitude, still much to learn...

We need a real clean-out of wingers ahead of 2026 though, maybe 3 or 4 of Feagai/CT/Allan/SFinau/Rava/Sloan/Lawson I think need to go... I mean Allan and SFinau off contract anyway.. but atleast 1 more... Ideally 2..

Rumours of Cobbo coming before June 30 are heating up also, not sure if we are competing with anyone else.. but broncos offering him peanuts. I assume this means Schiller is not happening...

 

[TheRev]

The summation of the Cobbo Rumours currently are:

• Back for a 2nd meeting with us
• Broncos offering ~250k, we are in the 600-650k ballpark, but still not a done deal yet..
• Deal could be done before June 30 (not sure if any other clubs are in talks with him)
• Assume its for Ctr/Wing and not Fullback (I dont think he is fit enough for that)
• He likes to return to his home town of Cherbourg (3hrs NW of Brisbane), so if he was to come to the gong, Im not sure what his setup would be like (good article)

 

[Mailroomsgi]

Man the Cobbo rumours are disappointing, it’s just not a move I’d be making

The roster building decisions like signing Luciano and Cobbo on big coin are the total opposite of where we should be heading IMO to go along with extending Sloan on decent coin then proceeding to sign gutherson which looks scattergun

 

[Mailroomsgi]

The summation of the Cobbo Rumours currently are:

• Back for a 2nd meeting with us
• Broncos offering ~250k, we are in the 600-650k ballpark, but still not a done deal yet..
• Deal could be done before June 30 (not sure if any other clubs are in talks with him)
• Assume its for Ctr/Wing and not Fullback (I dont think he is fit enough for that)
• He likes to return to his home town of Cherbourg (3hrs NW of Brisbane), so if he was to come to the gong, Im not sure what his setup would be like (good article)

600-650k is a catastrophic overpay for him

 

[TheRev]

Man the Cobbo rumours are disappointing, it’s just not a move I’d be making

The roster building decisions like signing Luciano and Cobbo on big coin are the total opposite of where we should be heading IMO to go along with extending Sloan on decent coin then proceeding to sign gutherson which looks scattergun

Although from a rational point of view I'm 100% in agreeance with you, i.e. hes not my cup of tea... my understanding is we just keep missing target after target after target.. so at this point were gonna have to take some more risks if we want to sign anyone... not even sure we will be able to use our cap.

To be fair he is a decent upgrade over all of our wingers and Suli @ctr, but definitely could be a complete failure too.. but if our options are Cobbo or nothing.. I guess we see how Cobbo goes..

The other thing is that those narrow losses and ACL injuries.. we are a shot of winning the spoon yet.. Flanno is now at the point he needs some signing to save his job potentially.. this is as much the clubs fault for not getting a Recruitment Manager in a long time ago.

 

[RedV01]

600-650k is a catastrophic overpay for him

600-650k for a 22 year-old who has played Origin and a GF isn't bad. It's quite good. Just need a coach who can get the best out of him but unfortunately I think that isn't Flanno.

 

[Mailroomsgi]

Flanno is now at the point he needs some signing to save his job potentially.. this is as much the clubs fault for not getting a Recruitment Manager in a long time ago.

Correct, listened to that Podcast with Steve Gillis and David Riolo

Just an eye opener for how the good clubs operate and how the bad clubs operate

They mentioned that some clubs dedicate so many resources to their pathways etc. like some clubs have 7-8 scouts in a region and others have 1 maybe 2

Bear in mind that with that Player agent Poll we ranked 2nd worst club to deal with behind the mighty tigers

They said the people/staff at the club are the most important part of what makes a good club

Shane Millard is the recruitment manager iirc, not a good reflection on him overall with the signings he’s made in the last 18 months

He’s been a net negative

 

[Ryan]

600-650k for a 22 year-old who has played Origin and a GF isn't bad. It's quite good. Just need a coach who can get the best out of him but unfortunately I think that isn't Flanno.

That's about what Lomax is on the Eels as far as the reports I've read go. They got a better deal for now but I think Cobbo has more potential. He's bigger and faster, value assets for a centre/winger/fullback.

 

[Dave03]

Keen for cobbo, saw somewhere it's an 18month deal, finishes same time as flannos contract.

 

[Eric]

Although from a rational point of view I'm 100% in agreeance with you, i.e. hes not my cup of tea... my understanding is we just keep missing target after target after target.. so at this point were gonna have to take some more risks if we want to sign anyone... not even sure we will be able to use our cap.

To be fair he is a decent upgrade over all of our wingers and Suli @ctr, but definitely could be a complete failure too.. but if our options are Cobbo or nothing.. I guess we see how Cobbo goes..

The other thing is that those narrow losses and ACL injuries.. we are a shot of winning the spoon yet.. Flanno is now at the point he needs some signing to save his job potentially.. this is as much the clubs fault for not getting a Recruitment Manager in a long time ago.

I thought he'd be a good replacement for Moses Suli who I've thought was overrated for a while. Not so much overrated but just never seems to have any pressure on him like other players. But now I check Zero Tackle and he's contracted until the end of 2027! Was that also Flanno's doing? if so, barring the young players and with the exception of Latu, I'm getting really sick of his recruitment and retention.

 

[Dave03]

Imo it'll be tricky offloading sloan, can't see a team needing him. I think we'd need to contribute a fair bit of $$.

 

[Dragon David]

As I see things, Flanno would be starting to feel a bit of pressure and will be desperate for success in as many remaining games as possible for this year. He doesn't appear to be a patient man, which is what us fans have been told to be for years, and I don't think that he will be tolerating any players not meeting his expectations. I suspect that unless Cobbo plays well from the get go, he might regret signing him if the club does in fact secure his services.
Cobbo to me lacks that camaraderie and I sense that he will not fit in with the other players. I don't think that his heart will be with the club.

Flanno gave Sloan a good go as the fullback last year and on the wing this year and now is destined to be in the Cup squad for the rest of the year and until either he goes elsewhere or finishes up at the Dragons when his contract ends. Just like Hook did, Flanno is ignoring Sloan (been told this) so signing Cobbo, as far as Flanno is concerned, may be the best way to go. Will it pay dividends?

They are my thoughts.

 

[RedV01]

As I see things, Flanno would be starting to feel a bit of pressure and will be desperate for success in as many remaining games as possible for this year. He doesn't appear to be a patient man, which is what us fans have been told to be for years, and I don't think that he will be tolerating any players not meeting his expectations. I suspect that unless Cobbo plays well from the get go, he might regret signing him if the club does in fact secure his services.
Cobbo to me lacks that camaraderie and I sense that he will not fit in with the other players. I don't think that his heart will be with the club.

Flanno gave Sloan a good go as the fullback last year and on the wing this year and now is destined to be in the Cup squad for the rest of the year and until either he goes elsewhere or finishes up at the Dragons when his contract ends. Just like Hook did, Flanno is ignoring Sloan (been told this) so signing Cobbo, as far as Flanno is concerned, may be the best way to go. Will it pay dividends?

They are my thoughts.

Cobbo is being recruited to play fullback. Exactly as I said in the off season, Gutho is a good player but too slow to be a good fullback in the game as it is now. Copped a lot of hate for it.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

 

[GCRV]

Cobbo is being recruited to play fullback. Exactly as I said in the off season, Gutho is a good player but too slow to be a good fullback in the game as it is now. Copped a lot of hate for it.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Gutho is literally the least of our problems. Maybe only hooker is less of a problem. But he's not a marquee fullback. We don't have any marquee players.

 

[Mug Fan]

As I see things, Flanno would be starting to feel a bit of pressure and will be desperate for success in as many remaining games as possible for this year. He doesn't appear to be a patient man, which is what us fans have been told to be for years, and I don't think that he will be tolerating any players not meeting his expectations. I suspect that unless Cobbo plays well from the get go, he might regret signing him if the club does in fact secure his services.
Cobbo to me lacks that camaraderie and I sense that he will not fit in with the other players. I don't think that his heart will be with the club.

Flanno gave Sloan a good go as the fullback last year and on the wing this year and now is destined to be in the Cup squad for the rest of the year and until either he goes elsewhere or finishes up at the Dragons when his contract ends. Just like Hook did, Flanno is ignoring Sloan (been told this) so signing Cobbo, as far as Flanno is concerned, may be the best way to go. Will it pay dividends?

They are my thoughts.

Not Flannos decision, he's not in charge.

 

[RedVictory]

Appears Cowboys have nabbed cobbo.

 

[Dave03]

Appears Cowboys have nabbed cobbo.

I never wanted him anyway

 

[Mug Fan]

St George Illawarra tryscorer Tyrell Sloan is free to explore his future at a rival club despite being contracted with the Red V until the end of 2026.

Sloan’s manager George Mimis is believed to have met with new Dragons CEO Tim Watsford on Tuesday where it was determined by the club that the 23-year-old would be granted permission to speak with rival clubs.

It’s understood the decision is unrelated to any interest that the club may have in Broncos Selwyn Cobbo