Recruitment and Retention for 2026

Frank Facer

Frank Facer

SGI Jersey Flegg
Dragons4me said:
By all outward appearances, looks like KK and Sua are pretty close. If so, I'm wondering if this had any influence in KK signing. If so, I wouldn't be in a rush to push Sua out the door.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I am thinking the same thing. I will also add that Su'a had been better than I thought he was. You could also say his is tough and is probably the leader of our pack right now. He has been one of if not our best forward and playing in a better St George team will probably look even better. Having Koloamatangi and Su'a as mates leading our young is a good thing for us. I have previously thought Su'a could handle playing in the middle, since then he has looked very good on the edge.

We do have the likes of Egan, Ryan Couchman, Halanghau, Coutts and Tsougranis as good young edge backrowers, but Su'a is better than all of them right now.

Yesterday, I was thinking Flanno may view Egan as his new version of Gallen. A hard, tough backrower, with with high work rate who can play lock or edge backrow and even play 80 minutes in the middle. Stewart also looks like he could play big minutes at lock with a high work rate. His supercoach points per minute is very good. He is someone to keep an eye on Supercoach wise at his 400K price tag. If he gets to play 60 minutes a game, he could be a season keeper in Supercoach. Toby Couchman is another with a high points per minute and can play big minutes.

With the likes of Toby Couchman, Koloamatangi, Egan and Stewart, we have 4 forwards who can play 60 plus minutes in the middle. I would like to see LPT be able to play 45 minutes in the middle and be destructive while out there. We are building a very good forward pack. That will make it easier for our halves to shine and more space for our outside backs.
 
Frank Facer

Frank Facer

SGI Jersey Flegg
Edward said:
I think DA is going to turn out to be the most important recruit in a long time.
Click to expand...
I think Flanno is just as important and Koloamatangi as well. Anderson knows how Easts operate, just like Phil Gould does. Hopefully he can get us using the same methods/tactics recruitment wise that Easts do. Wouldn't it be great to be saying Anderson Always Gets His Man, like I say about Politis.

Maybe Watsford will also prove to be just as important?
 
Last edited:
Dragons Chris

Dragons Chris

SGI NSW Cup
Frank Facer said:
I think Flanno is just as important and Koloamatangi as well. Anderson knows how Easts operate, just like Phil Gould does. Hopefully he can get us using the same methods/tactics recruitment wise that Easts do. Wouldn't it be great to be saying Anderson Always Gets His Man, like I say about Politis.

Maybe Watsford will also prove to be just as important?
Click to expand...
So far Flanno has been VERY underwhelming. Look at the results in his 2 years.
 
Edward

Edward

SGI NSW Cup
Frank Facer said:
I just re read you post and another interpretation of it "on its own", without seeing what you were replying to, could be Daniel Atkinson. Imagine if he turns out to be the most important recruit for a long time.
Click to expand...
Nope. I was referring to Daniel Anderson. Dan Atkinson would have to exceed our wildest dreams. He might do it. Nicho Hynes was a utility for Storm, went to Sharks to play halfback when he was mid 20s and won Dally M Player of the Year.
 
st george tragic

st george tragic

SGI Jersey Flegg
I hope we don't start flanno bashing again. First year he inherited an absolute shambles then he had to coach and recruit then received an absolute mass of injuries. With all of this I still feel we had an improved looking side last year even though our position on the ladder didn't reflect it. We appear to be building A much better off field organisation so let's not bash them too early give them a few years to make us great again. I have not been this excited about our future for a long time. Getting rid of flanno next year if we have a poor year would set things back again give them time to build. It certainly appears to be going the right way to me
 
J

Justadragon

SGI NSW Cup
st george tragic said:
I hope we don't start flanno bashing again. First year he inherited an absolute shambles then he had to coach and recruit then received an absolute mass of injuries. With all of this I still feel we had an improved looking side last year even though our position on the ladder didn't reflect it. We appear to be building A much better off field organisation so let's not bash them too early give them a few years to make us great again. I have not been this excited about our future for a long time. Getting rid of flanno next year if we have a poor year would set things back again give them time to build. It certainly appears to be going the right way to me
Click to expand...
I agree with most of what you say. But it won’t be the Flanno bashing that brings him down it will be something else that is near and dear to his heart if we don’t start to perform early in the season.
 
st george tragic

st george tragic

SGI Jersey Flegg
Justadragon said:
I agree with most of what you say. But it won’t be the Flanno bashing that brings him down it will be something else that is near and dear to his heart if we don’t start to perform early in the season.
Click to expand...
Yes I agree but I am hoping with more senior management around he will be pulled into line if his boy is not performing. Here's hoping because I personally think senior flanno is good for the club and I can't see any other high quality coaches putting their hands up.
 
Dragons Chris

Dragons Chris

SGI NSW Cup
st george tragic said:
Yes I agree but I am hoping with more senior management around he will be pulled into line if his boy is not performing. Here's hoping because I personally think senior flanno is good for the club and I can't see any other high quality coaches putting their hands up.
Click to expand...
I think Flanno could be really good for the club if he can somehow overcome that problem. But I don't think he can. I think he's decided he'd rather get sacked.
 
J

Justadragon

SGI NSW Cup
Dragons Chris said:
I think Flanno could be really good for the club if he can somehow overcome that problem. But I don't think he can. I think he's decided he'd rather get sacked.
Click to expand...
There is too much media scrutiny on it now CHris. He will get torched if he doesn’t make the right calls for the club. I feel sorry for KF it’s not his fault I wouldn’t want to be in his shoes if things are not going well. He will have enormous pressure on him from the start and I don’t think that is fair either.
 
Frank Facer

Frank Facer

SGI Jersey Flegg
Dragons Chris said:
So far Flanno has been VERY underwhelming. Look at the results in his 2 years.
Click to expand...
Flanno took over a team that had been struggling for a long time. A club who has struggled to say the least to attract any quality talent. A team with Ben Hunt who was a selfish player, over paid and a toxic influence on the club as a whole. Hunt wanted all of the attack to revolve around him. He so often took the wrong option, but was on paper our number 1 player. Griffen was complicit in our style of play revolving around Hunt. We were playing Hunt-ball and it didn't work. Hunt wanted out before Flanno got here. Flanno talked Hunt into staying as we didn't have anyone of quality to replace him. When Hunt left, I was happy to see him go. Recruiting quality halves is very difficult for most teams. I didn't see any quality halves on the market who moved clubs that we should of signed and or who would have signed with us. We did make a play for Tom Deardon, who I would have been happy for us to sign, but he chose to re sign with Nth Qld.

Our team lacked leadership with Ben Hunt there. Hunt isn't a natural leader or natural playmaker/general. I think he is better at 5/8 or hooker, where he can play what is in front of him. I wasn't to keen to sign Gutho or Cook, but we lacked leadership and in signing Gutho, we signed a leader, on and off the field. Cook and Holmes also helped provide leadership and experience, which we dearly needed. We also needed a better a fullback than Slone a fullback. Gutho's passing game is miles ahead of Slone's. Gutho competes for everything, gives 100% and isn't afraid of contact and organises the defensive line. We bought a captain in Gutho. He has been good for us as a short term solution. Holmes is a great centre and was a very good pick up.

Before Flanno got here, Lomax already has been requesting a release. Flanno moved our second highest paid player to the wing, something which I didn't agree with at the time, but by halfway through the season, it was a masterstroke on Flanno's part. He was one of the best wingers in the comp over the last 2 years, but Lomax, didn't want to play wing and still wanted out. Did we want a winger on our books taking up 875K salary cap? Lomax went to Parra, with the intention of playing centre, but was back on the wing after a couple of games at centre for Parra. I would love to have Lomax on our wing, but not at 875K a a season. So Flanno lost/let go of his 2 highest paid players who both wanted out.

When Flanno took over, we were wooden spoon favourites. We would have been wooden spoon favourites with any other coach. We apparently had AFB agree to sign with us, only for him to sign with Cronulla at the last minute.

During Flanno's first year, I think we over achieved with the roster he had to work with. If I was a coach, I wouldn't have taken the job when Flanno did. Ryles had the job for 800K for 4 years and then changed his mind at the last minute, probably thinking it wasn't a good option for an aspiring career coach. None of our last 3 coaches have got any more first grade positions at other clubs. For us to be successful, it was always going to take 3 or 4 years and that was only a maybe at that. Saints open the coaching job to "applicants". The only other 2 applicants left were Dean Young and Ben Hornby.. After Bellamy, Flanno would have been my next pick of all coaches in the world to coach us.

Then last year, we started the year off as wooden spoon favourites. Again based on our roster. We had so many injuries. We blooded so many youngsters. We were never going to be successful last year with our roster and injuries. Maybe some had high expectations based on us over achieving in 2024. If we had made the top 8 in 24 it would have been a minor miracle. Flanno would have been a standout for coach of the year. It won't be until 2027 that we can really give Flanno a chance to judge him. Hopefully he has a roster good enough to work with and make the top 8

Flanno has been instrumental in developing/improving our "pathways" and other off field things that can't remember right now.

As for Kyle, I keep saying who else should we have signed, who would have signed to play in the halves?

I would like to see Liddle be the number 1 hooker at our club next year, with bigger minutes.

The signing of Koloamatangi is massive and will improve us and our young forwards will be better by 2027.

Flanno did very well with Cronulla. They are still reaping the benefits of him being there.
 
J

Justadragon

SGI NSW Cup
Frank Facer said:
Flanno took over a team that had been struggling for a long time. A club who has struggled to say the least to attract any quality talent. A team with Ben Hunt who was a selfish player, over paid and a toxic influence on the club as a whole. Hunt wanted all of the attack to revolve around him. He so often took the wrong option, but was on paper our number 1 player. Griffen was complicit in our style of play revolving around Hunt. We were playing Hunt-ball and it didn't work. Hunt wanted out before Flanno got here. Flanno talked Hunt into staying as we didn't have anyone of quality to replace him. When Hunt left, I was happy to see him go. Recruiting quality halves is very difficult for most teams. I didn't see any quality halves on the market who moved clubs that we should of signed and or who would have signed with us. We did make a play for Tom Deardon, who I would have been happy for us to sign, but he chose to re sign with Nth Qld.

Our team lacked leadership with Ben Hunt there. Hunt isn't a natural leader or natural playmaker/general. I think he is better at 5/8 or hooker, where he can play what is in front of him. I wasn't to keen to sign Gutho or Cook, but we lacked leadership and in signing Gutho, we signed a leader, on and off the field. Cook and Holmes also helped provide leadership and experience, which we dearly needed. We also needed a better a fullback than Slone a fullback. Gutho's passing game is miles ahead of Slone's. Gutho competes for everything, gives 100% and isn't afraid of contact and organises the defensive line. We bought a captain in Gutho. He has been good for us as a short term solution. Holmes is a great centre and was a very good pick up.

Before Flanno got here, Lomax already has been requesting a release. Flanno moved our second highest paid player to the wing, something which I didn't agree with at the time, but by halfway through the season, it was a masterstroke on Flanno's part. He was one of the best wingers in the comp over the last 2 years, but Lomax, didn't want to play wing and still wanted out. Did we want a winger on our books taking up 875K salary cap? Lomax went to Parra, with the intention of playing centre, but was back on the wing after a couple of games at centre for Parra. I would love to have Lomax on our wing, but not at 875K a a season. So Flanno lost/let go of his 2 highest paid players who both wanted out.

When Flanno took over, we were wooden spoon favourites. We would have been wooden spoon favourites with any other coach. We apparently had AFB agree to sign with us, only for him to sign with Cronulla at the last minute.

During Flanno's first year, I think we over achieved with the roster he had to work with. If I was a coach, I wouldn't have taken the job when Flanno did. Ryles had the job for 800K for 4 years and then changed his mind at the last minute, probably thinking it wasn't a good option for an aspiring career coach. None of our last 3 coaches have got any more first grade positions at other clubs. For us to be successful, it was always going to take 3 or 4 years and that was only a maybe at that. Saints open the coaching job to "applicants". The only other 2 applicants left were Dean Young and Ben Hornby.. After Bellamy, Flanno would have been my next pick of all coaches in the world to coach us.

Then last year, we started the year off as wooden spoon favourites. Again based on our roster. We had so many injuries. We blooded so many youngsters. We were never going to be successful last year with our roster and injuries. Maybe some had high expectations based on us over achieving in 2024. If we had made the top 8 in 24 it would have been a minor miracle. Flanno would have been a standout for coach of the year. It won't be until 2027 that we can really give Flanno a chance to judge him. Hopefully he has a roster good enough to work with and make the top 8

Flanno has been instrumental in developing/improving our "pathways" and other off field things that can't remember right now.

As for Kyle, I keep saying who else should we have signed, who would have signed to play in the halves?

I would like to see Liddle be the number 1 hooker at our club next year, with bigger minutes.

The signing of Koloamatangi is massive and will improve us and our young forwards will be better by 2027.

Flanno did very well with Cronulla. They are still reaping the benefits of him being there.
Click to expand...
Good post mate. Absolutely agree with you. But remember we have been a fanbase who have been dealt a lot of crap over the last 15 years. Now we must deal with 2026 being some sort of gap year whilst we wait for everything to happen in 2027. Yeah sure I’ll wait and be the loyal member and supporter but by f%#k don’t come and see me with anymore excuses because I will well and truly have had it by then.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top