Recruitment & Retention 2027

[Dave03]

Thats the key.. we cannot afford to keep losing.. we get a reset this week, and if it doesnt go well, we will get 1 more reset when the 2027 head coach is announced.. but thats it.. we have to show that the style of footy we are playing is on the improve.. even if its another wooden spoon next year too.. we have to show things have turned, that we can win games.. perhaps Reed is a longtermer.. perhaps we lock in our young forwards.. give reasons for players to extend or sign with us... that positivity.

I can see a few guys leaving or wanting to leave if we have another horrible season. One other factor that Mick C & Piggy have mentioned this week is Willie Talau. He's close to a few of our younger players, especially the SG ball GF winning team, so we should extend him too as a tool to keep our younger players.
Soo many different parts to recruitment & retention but the most important looks to be team success.

 

[TheRev]

I can see a few guys leaving or wanting to leave if we have another horrible season. One other factor that Mick C & Piggy have mentioned this week is Willie Talau. He's close to a few of our younger players, especially the SG ball GF winning team, so we should extend him too as a tool to keep our younger players.
Soo many different parts to recruitment & retention but the most important looks to be team success.

yep agree, but also we are only 7 rounds into 2026 yet, there are another 20 rounds to go yet (minus the byes), i.e. we're not even a third thru the season... this is why we need to show that we can compete 'and' win.. and that we can score points..we cant be still here in a month or 2 months time.

 

[Mailroomsgi]

I’d like us to actually get a high quality pair of assistants with whoever ends up being head coach in 2027. Think it’s forgotten by some how crucial the assistants to the HC are

If it remains young, getting a great offensive mind to do the attack would be a real priority.

I think there’s tools to work with if it ends up

1.Drinkwater
6. Atkinson
7. Reed
9. Liddle

Backup with LKT + Whoever we sign as a hooker if it’s not cook

 

[Frank Facer]

Sua should absolutely be tried in the front row.

It would allow us to get more game time into our young back row stocks and some better quality in the middle rotation.

I think Leilua is the one who should be tried in the front row, with the option of playing him there next year too. Su'a is already going to Parra next year, so there wouldn't be any long term gain for us by playing him prop this year, but Leilua could prove to be a very good prop for us and then we could re-sign him to play prop for us next year. I keep saying I believe a front row rotation of Koloamatangi, T Couchman, Leilua and Pasifiki Tonga would be excellent. It could even prove to be one of the best in the comp and the best one we have had for a long time. I would start with Koloamatangi and Leilua and then bring Toby on after 20 minutes and Loko after 30 minutes. Toby and Koloamatangi can both play big minutes, while Leilua and Loko both have size, can break the defensive line and be used for impact. Something that we have lacked for a very long time

 

[George Sancti]

Mixed feelings. Sign yet another veteran but him and Reed in the spine will pile on the points. So it's good but I just wonder how it will affect us with the cap.

I guess Cook won't be re-signed, Gutho the utility/hooker next year then Drinkwater becomes the backline utility in his 3rd year with Burton taking over as fullback.

I can see Gutho shifting to centre next year, with either Val going to the wing or Suli dropping back to NSW Cup

 

[Xuiz]

Averillo has declined our offer, re-signing with the dolphins

https://www.zerotackle.com/another-star-outside-back-rejects-dragons-contract-offer-232969/

 

[Illusion]

Averillo has declined our offer, re-signing with the dolphins

https://www.zerotackle.com/another-star-outside-back-rejects-dragons-contract-offer-232969/

Another one bites the dust .........

 

[Frank Facer]

Recently, I said if I was an aspiring coach, I wouldn't take the job to coach us. After thinking about a potential pack of

8 Leilua
9 Liddle
10 Koloamtangi
11 R Couchman
12 Egan
13 Stewart

14 Harrison Graham (if we could sign him)
15 T Couchman
16 Pasifiki Tonga
17 Halangahu

I think that pack looks very promising and appealing to coach. With Reed at halfback, Drinkwater fullback and add the youngsters in Ah Kee, Shadi Hammoud, Rocco Walker and Burton

I would take the job, but I would want at least 3 years to be able to get us going well. Gould and Andrew Johns both say it will take at least 5 years to fix us. I think I could do in less than 5 years. Myself and others on this site have been saying that we should be more competitive by next year. In 3 years time we could have any of Burton, Ah Kee, Hammoud and or Walker all playing first grade to compliment our good pack and Reed halfback. There may be a light at the end of the tunnel after all. Add a couple of good backline signings and who knows.

Numerous people on this forum have already mentioned Cheika before the media recently said he was a contender. I am warming to him as well. He is completely from out of our system. He would bring new ideas. He is spoken of highly and it sounds like he thinks out of the box so to speak. He could be a breath of fresh air for us. He has had a lot of coaching experience coaching actual teams in Union and League. He has also been part of Easts coaching staff and I like the attacking style of football they play. I would like us to play a similar brand of attack to them. I would also like us to sign Wallace and for him to incorporate Penrith's style of defence into us. Add Willie Talau and that could/would make a good coaching staff. A decision of the next coach is important, so we can then go to the market and sign players for next year.

I still think we should be doing our best to sign Jenkins.

 

[Mailroomsgi]

If we could get Jenkins for a good price I’m on board but I don’t think we can, he’s probably rather stay at Penrith especially after his experience in Newcastle

I also think any talk of Leilua isn’t thinking realistically at all, he struggles fitness wise on an edge. Now imagine him making 45 tackles a game. It’s just not his go and frankly I don’t want to keep him beyond this year

Anybody putting timeframes on the rebuild has NFI, it could be longer than 5 or it could be 18 months and we are a competitive top 8 side

Literally nobody can predict it, it’s just based off what we’ve done the last 7 years that these ‘experts’ say it’ll take that long

 

[RufusRex]

If we could get Jenkins for a good price I’m on board but I don’t think we can, he’s probably rather stay at Penrith especially after his experience in Newcastle

I also think any talk of Leilua isn’t thinking realistically at all, he struggles fitness wise on an edge. Now imagine him making 45 tackles a game. It’s just not his go and frankly I don’t want to keep him beyond this year

Anybody putting timeframes on the rebuild has NFI, it could be longer than 5 or it could be 18 months and we are a competitive top 8 side

Literally nobody can predict it, it’s just based off what we’ve done the last 7 years that these ‘experts’ say it’ll take that long

Huh? last 4 weeks he has played 80 ran for an average of 180m and averaged about 35 tackles ... and he is struggling with fitness?

 

[AyiosYiorgos]

Recently, I said if I was an aspiring coach, I wouldn't take the job to coach us. After thinking about a potential pack of

8 Leilua
9 Liddle
10 Koloamtangi
11 R Couchman
12 Egan
13 Stewart

14 Harrison Graham (if we could sign him)
15 T Couchman
16 Pasifiki Tonga
17 Halangahu

I think that pack looks very promising and appealing to coach. With Reed at halfback, Drinkwater fullback and add the youngsters in Ah Kee, Shadi Hammoud, Rocco Walker and Burton

I would take the job, but I would want at least 3 years to be able to get us going well. Gould and Andrew Johns both say it will take at least 5 years to fix us. I think I could do in less than 5 years. Myself and others on this site have been saying that we should be more competitive by next year. In 3 years time we could have any of Burton, Ah Kee, Hammoud and or Walker all playing first grade to compliment our good pack and Reed halfback. There may be a light at the end of the tunnel after all. Add a couple of good backline signings and who knows.

Numerous people on this forum have already mentioned Cheika before the media recently said he was a contender. I am warming to him as well. He is completely from out of our system. He would bring new ideas. He is spoken of highly and it sounds like he thinks out of the box so to speak. He could be a breath of fresh air for us. He has had a lot of coaching experience coaching actual teams in Union and League. A decision of the next coach is important, so we can then go to the market and sign players for next year.

I still think we should be doing our best to sign Jenkins.

Put your resume in...

 

[Mailroomsgi]

Huh? last 4 weeks he has played 80 ran for an average of 180m and averaged about 35 tackles ... and he is struggling with fitness?

A stats warrior, watch the games lad. He can’t cover ground in defence laterally. Literally turns like the titanic. Can’t have backrowers that are slow moving especially defensively it completely ruins defensive structures

He’s an absolute red flag and keeping him would be a mistake

30 next year too

 

[Frank Facer]

If we could get Jenkins for a good price I’m on board but I don’t think we can, he’s probably rather stay at Penrith especially after his experience in Newcastle

I also think any talk of Leilua isn’t thinking realistically at all, he struggles fitness wise on an edge. Now imagine him making 45 tackles a game. It’s just not his go and frankly I don’t want to keep him beyond this year

Anybody putting timeframes on the rebuild has NFI, it could be longer than 5 or it could be 18 months and we are a competitive top 8 side

Literally nobody can predict it, it’s just based off what we’ve done the last 7 years that these ‘experts’ say it’ll take that long

This year, Leilua has been playing big minutes. The last 4 games he has played 80 minutes. I am sure he could handle two 20 minute stints at prop. I also think he could be very effective there. He could get us rolling forward and has some skills that would make him an attacking kind of prop.

As for his age. Many good props have played very well aged around 30. He is in career best form this year. He could even be our alfa prop.

 

[TheRev]

If we have no injuries, im all aboard Egan and Nick as our 2nd rowers.. but if Halangahu is legit converting to the middle.. that was our #1 depth gone... but maybe he can switch back for a few weeks.. think were all gd tbh.. maybe one of CST, Coutts, Treweek stands out as next in.. or maybe Ryan plays there more regularly... Toby in a pinch. Gosh even Stewart..

Injury runs do happen though.. but that goes for every position.. and I would much rather Sua and Leilua's money to be spent in other positions.. losing both of them is a risk no doubt though, but so be it... neither is cheap either.

As for wingers, need to just verify that Val is fine back in left ctr.. I think he will be, but if hes not then our wingers r set for next year.. again assuming Sami is done, that really bothers me how long its taking to announce.

 

[Mailroomsgi]

This year, Leilua has been playing big minutes. The last 4 games he has played 80 minutes. I am sure he could handle two 20 minute stints at prop. I also think he could be very effective there. He could get us rolling forward and has some skills that would make him an attacking kind of prop.

As for his age. Many good props have played very well aged around 30. He is in career best for this year. He could even be our alfa prop.

I can’t stress enough how different prop and edge backrow are at the elite level. Especially the money he would want and the level of risk that brings for the club to play him there on that level of money

It’s a non starter IMO, just stick with the young middles + Keaon and Kerr in the fold next year

 

[Mailroomsgi]

If we have no injuries, im all aboard Egan and Nick as our 2nd rowers.. but if Halangahu is legit converting to the middle.. that was our #1 depth gone... but maybe he can switch back for a few weeks.. think were all gd tbh.. maybe one of CST, Coutts, Treweek stands out as next in.. or maybe Ryan plays there more regularly... Toby in a pinch. Gosh even Stewart..

Injury runs do happen though.. but that goes for every position.. and I would much rather Sua and Leilua's money to be spent in other positions.. losing both of them is a risk no doubt though, but so be it... neither is cheap either.

As for wingers, need to just verify that Val is fine back in left ctr.. I think he will be, but if hes not then our wingers r set for next year.. again assuming Sami is done, that really bothers me how long it’s taking to announce

Wish there were more options on the market but with the money we’ve offered Sami I’d feel crook if we didn’t offer a little more to get Jenkins or Taulagi

 

[RufusRex]

shit .. does that mean we have bought a dud in edge forward Koloamatagi? Bugger.

 

[Mailroomsgi]

shit .. does that mean we have bought a dud in edge forward Koloamatagi? Bugger.

Talk about a false equivalency lol

Been a top 5 forward in the league in his time in the middle and it’s an extremely rare switch where a player becomes better in the new role they’ve switched to. Ala Lomax to wing

We’ve got a sample size of Keaon performing and other clubs were willing to pay big coin for him to play middle

It’s just not something worth pursuing with Leilua

 

[RedV01]

Averillo has declined our offer, re-signing with the dolphins

https://www.zerotackle.com/another-star-outside-back-rejects-dragons-contract-offer-232969/

Dolphins re-signed Cobbo and now Averillo. They have a few young wingers yet to play first grade but throwing hand grenades under the door. Guys called Pouniu and Nonu. While Naufahu has played a few first grade games. Then there is Jack Bostock himself. If Hammer is fullback, Farnworth and Averillo centres and Cobbo one winger, 3 of those 4 mentioned above might be on the lookout for a nee club is they want to play regular first grade.

 

[RufusRex]

Talk about a false equivalency lol

Been a top 5 forward in the league in his time in the middle and it’s an extremely rare switch where a player becomes better in the new role they’ve switched to. Ala Lomax to wing

We’ve got a sample size of Keaon performing and other clubs were willing to pay big coin for him to play middle

It’s just not something worth pursuing with Leilua

Good thing is we have time and with Egan back we have depth ... there is a chance to actually pop Luc in the middle this season and see before making any offers deals - one that could be worth looking at and then we will know ...

I personally think he would make a good middle in that shorter minutes impact and given the minute KK can play there is merit in a short minute impact type. Perfect and cost free chance to suck it and see.

Only way to be sure. Of course the $$ comes into that as well given the role we would use him in.