Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[supercoach]

Also apparently Brian Kelly was a very good goal kicker in U20s and kicked for U20s 2016 NSW team which there is a video of him kicking 6/6.

He is a cousin of James Roberts.

So is James Kelly part Aboriginal then?

Born in Lismore, New South Wales, **Kelly is of Indigenous Australian descent**[2] and played his junior rugby league for the Ballina Seagulls and Lennox Head Dolphins. He was then signed by the Gold Coast Titans.

Kelly is a cousin of Hull F.C. player Albert Kelly and Brisbane Broncos player James Roberts.[3]

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Kelly_(rugby_league)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Kelly_%28rugby_league%29)

Someone else we are interested in is from the Ballina Seagulls also

Meaney is from Balina

 

[supercoach]

Kelly has improved this year, last year had real defensive issues, but seems to be a lot better this year. Like the idea of targeting some young guys on the up

 

[steve-o]

I would be devastated if we signed French or Holmes. Both are great wingers but neither have the necessary ball skills or vision to be elite fullbacks in the modern game. The problem is that to pry either away from their respective clubs you'd be paying elite fullback money. Big no.

Brian Kelly on the other hand is an absolute gun. Runs good lines on outballs and has some very handy footwork. I rate him quite highly.

I feel the same about Holmes and French. They would be awful signings as a “marquee” fullback

 

[tigerap]

Kelly wouldn't be a bad signing. As for fullback, a big no to Bevan French - he's rubbish. Can't see Holmes leaving Cronulla and Mbye…maybe.

Agree to the above….Mbye only if Dogs pay for at least 50% of his salary...wouldn't that be a nice change...

 

[Spud_Murphy]

I just don't get the love for Rona , maybe he needs a fan club too ??

You can’t remember the 2015 NRL season ?

I cant remember last week let alone anything that happened in a rugby league season theee years ago! :laughing:

 

[851]

I just don't get the love for Rona , maybe he needs a fan club too ??

x2 We need a top centre and back row forward before looking at him.Its all about priorities

Rona is around 6ft 4, 102kg, turning 26 this year, in 2016 played centre for dogs, scored 11 tries and averaged 94m a game.
They are not bad stats for a centre, he would be a point of difference in our backline

 

[happy_tiger]

I just don't get the love for Rona , maybe he needs a fan club too ??

x2 We need a top centre and back row forward before looking at him.Its all about priorities

Rona is around 6ft 4, 102kg, turning 26 this year, in 2016 played centre for dogs, scored 11 tries and averaged 94m a game.
They are not bad stats for a centre, he would be a point of difference in our backline

My big concern is I haven't seen any player who has gone to Union and then come back as good as they were when they left

Gasnier was close , but the rest went backwards imo

 

[Newtown]

I just don't get the love for Rona , maybe he needs a fan club too ??

x2 We need a top centre and back row forward before looking at him.Its all about priorities

Rona plays centre for the Waratahs

 

[gallagher]

I just don't get the love for Rona , maybe he needs a fan club too ??

x2 We need a top centre and back row forward before looking at him.Its all about priorities

Rona is around 6ft 4, 102kg, turning 26 this year, in 2016 played centre for dogs, scored 11 tries and averaged 94m a game.
They are not bad stats for a centre, he would be a point of difference in our backline

My big concern is I haven't seen any player who has gone to Union and then come back as good as they were when they left

Gasnier was close , but the rest went backwards imo

I thought Rogers was much better when he returned. I think the rest have come back at the end of their careers aswell. Rona is still young.

 

[happy_tiger]

x2 We need a top centre and back row forward before looking at him.Its all about priorities

Rona is around 6ft 4, 102kg, turning 26 this year, in 2016 played centre for dogs, scored 11 tries and averaged 94m a game.
They are not bad stats for a centre, he would be a point of difference in our backline

My big concern is I haven't seen any player who has gone to Union and then come back as good as they were when they left

Gasnier was close , but the rest went backwards imo

I thought Rogers was much better when he returned. I think the rest have come back at the end of their careers aswell. Rona is still young.

I had considered Rogers but ….

Matt Rogers was a SOO player when he left for Union

Don't think he played SOO again when he came back

Maybe he was a more rounded player , but was he better , more injury prone that's for sure ??

 

[Tweed_Tiger]

It was funny when the bulldogs board came out and said they wont pay any players to play at other clubs, it would take the Roosters and Storm accountant to work together to achieve this.

 

[gallagher]

Rona is around 6ft 4, 102kg, turning 26 this year, in 2016 played centre for dogs, scored 11 tries and averaged 94m a game.
They are not bad stats for a centre, he would be a point of difference in our backline

My big concern is I haven't seen any player who has gone to Union and then come back as good as they were when they left

Gasnier was close , but the rest went backwards imo

I thought Rogers was much better when he returned. I think the rest have come back at the end of their careers aswell. Rona is still young.

I had considered Rogers but ….

Matt Rogers was a SOO player when he left for Union

Don't think he played SOO again when he came back

Maybe he was a more rounded player , but was he better , more injury prone that's for sure ??

I think he mainly played wing at Cronulla before he left and played origin on the wing. I thought he went great at 5/8 on his return but had a couple of great players in front of him in origin.
I think he was better.
I'm a big fan of Rona, he'd be our best fullback, winger or centre.

 

[happy_tiger]

My big concern is I haven't seen any player who has gone to Union and then come back as good as they were when they left

Gasnier was close , but the rest went backwards imo

I thought Rogers was much better when he returned. I think the rest have come back at the end of their careers aswell. Rona is still young.

I had considered Rogers but ….

Matt Rogers was a SOO player when he left for Union

Don't think he played SOO again when he came back

Maybe he was a more rounded player , but was he better , more injury prone that's for sure ??

I think he mainly played wing at Cronulla before he left and played origin on the wing. I thought he went great at 5/8 on his return but had a couple of great players in front of him in origin.
I think he was better.
I'm a big fan of Rona, he'd be our best fullback, winger or centre.

Maybe your right , not a big Dogs fan , only really watch them when they play us

Would rather watch grass grow or watch glue set than watch Dogs games

 

[supercoach]

I just don't get the love for Rona , maybe he needs a fan club too ??

x2 We need a top centre and back row forward before looking at him.Its all about priorities

Rona is around 6ft 4, 102kg, turning 26 this year, in 2016 played centre for dogs, scored 11 tries and averaged 94m a game.
They are not bad stats for a centre, he would be a point of difference in our backline

My big concern is I haven't seen any player who has gone to Union and then come back as good as they were when they left

Gasnier was close , but the rest went backwards imo

Pretty much the way I see it, two years out of the game playing Rugby, especially when your probably close to the top of your game is a very hard ask to turn around and come back to the NRL/

Don't get me wrong he would waltz into our backline, but its what we would have to pay him is a worry to me

 

[happy_tiger]

x2 We need a top centre and back row forward before looking at him.Its all about priorities

Rona is around 6ft 4, 102kg, turning 26 this year, in 2016 played centre for dogs, scored 11 tries and averaged 94m a game.
They are not bad stats for a centre, he would be a point of difference in our backline

My big concern is I haven't seen any player who has gone to Union and then come back as good as they were when they left

Gasnier was close , but the rest went backwards imo

Pretty much the way I see it, two years out of the game playing Rugby, especially when your probably close to the top of your game is a very hard ask to turn around and come back to the NRL/

Don't get me wrong he would waltz into our backline, but its what we would have to pay him is a worry to me

Just worries me why the Dogs didn't want to keep such a superstar in the 1st place …...

And why he isn't killing it in Super Rugby , bloke grew up in Taranaki , that is Union heartland

 

[Bones]

x2 We need a top centre and back row forward before looking at him.Its all about priorities

Rona is around 6ft 4, 102kg, turning 26 this year, in 2016 played centre for dogs, scored 11 tries and averaged 94m a game.
They are not bad stats for a centre, he would be a point of difference in our backline

My big concern is I haven't seen any player who has gone to Union and then come back as good as they were when they left

Gasnier was close , but the rest went backwards imo

Pretty much the way I see it, two years out of the game playing Rugby, especially when your probably close to the top of your game is a very hard ask to turn around and come back to the NRL/

Don't get me wrong he would waltz into our backline, but its what we would have to pay him is a worry to me

You’d have to say that most if not all of the players that have returned have been well past their prime, so you probably didn’t expect any of them to come back better.

I think Rona would be an upgrade in at least 3 of our starting backs this week. To me there is no question, he improves our team. It’s just where he would play. I’d expect him to come back on the wing first.

 

[gallagher]

Rona is around 6ft 4, 102kg, turning 26 this year, in 2016 played centre for dogs, scored 11 tries and averaged 94m a game.
They are not bad stats for a centre, he would be a point of difference in our backline

My big concern is I haven't seen any player who has gone to Union and then come back as good as they were when they left

Gasnier was close , but the rest went backwards imo

Pretty much the way I see it, two years out of the game playing Rugby, especially when your probably close to the top of your game is a very hard ask to turn around and come back to the NRL/

Don't get me wrong he would waltz into our backline, but its what we would have to pay him is a worry to me

Just worries me why the Dogs didn't want to keep such a superstar in the 1st place …...

And why he isn't killing it in Super Rugby , bloke grew up in Taranaki , that is Union heartland

Why didnt the dogs want to keep Thurston? Rona moved to Perth when he was 8.

 

[Nelson]

I just don't get the love for Rona , maybe he needs a fan club too ??

x2 We need a top centre and back row forward before looking at him.Its all about priorities

Rona is around 6ft 4, 102kg, turning 26 this year, in 2016 played centre for dogs, scored 11 tries and averaged 94m a game.
They are not bad stats for a centre, he would be a point of difference in our backline

My big concern is I haven't seen any player who has gone to Union and then come back as good as they were when they left

Gasnier was close , but the rest went backwards imo

SBW came back and won the Roosters a premiership in 2013, he was definitely a better player than when he left. The sample size is pretty small and the stage of career that players leave or come back has a pretty big influence on whether they'll be better/worse. Lote still had plenty to offer when he first came back.

 

[cktiger]

I'm hoping the 'game changer' rumour eventuates and we swap Kev for Barba.

 

[Tweed_Tiger]

I'm hoping the 'game changer' rumour eventuates and we swap Kev for Barba.

Kev has dropped out of the team again