Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

Mighty_Tiger said:
Not a fan of French but he has something we lack and thats raw pace. He looks very good in ESL but so do other players like him Tomkins etc. We need a spark type player who’s pace creates concern just don’t know what position he would play if we signed him.

Re being manhandled Gildart, Tomkins and others weren’t being manhandled in the ESL but the second they come here they struggle to standout in reggies.
Click to expand...
Sam Tomkins was the most overhyped international I’ve ever seen. The ESL’s Billy Slater - yeah in ESL.

He was shithouse here. Kind of like the Luke Brooks of fullbacks.
 
GNR4LIFE said:
Staines has offered a ton more than Junior ever has. Still living off one good game against Parra.
Click to expand...
He did last year. He was almost invisible in our 2 trial games. Hopefully that's not the standard we get for the whole season
 

The startling reason behind Flanno’s decision to demote $800k Dragons star​

Fox League from Fox Sports
March 7th, 2024 9:27 am

The startling numbers behind new Dragons coach Shane Flanagan’s decision to demote $800,000 centre Zac Lomax to the wing has been revealed.

In one of his first moves after joining the club, Flanagan sat Lomax down and showed him that statistically he is only the “22nd or 23rd” best centre in the NRL.

Lomax, who was once touted as a future NSW star, was and remains steaming with Flanagan’s decision to shift him to the wing.

The NRL 360 panel believes the situation could become a real “issue” for the club and Paul Kent warned Lomax against trying to throw his weight around.

“But one of the things Shane Flanagan did when he first got to St George Illawarra was sit down with Zac Lomax, go through all his stats and said there’s 17 teams and of the 34 centres in the competition you ranked about 22nd or 23rd.

“So that’s in real figures, that’s not about what I think of you, that’s not about Origin coaches saying you’re going to be a star. In real numbers, performance on the field, his numbers sat him about 22nd or 23rd of all the centres in the competition.

“So I’d be careful if I was Lomax trying to throw your weight around a little bit on $800,000 a year saying ‘I’m not happy playing on the wing’. Because he wasn’t earning his $800,000 playing in the centres.

“What Shane Flanagan has got to do is find a performance in the centre jersey. Now Zac Lomax has had trials there and hasn’t quite come up there.

“Now this might be the kick up the bum Zac Lomax needs because we all know the player he can be and the talent he’s got, this might be what he needs because there’s nothing wrong with some hard coaching sometimes guys, everyone wants a cuddle these days.

Braith Anasta pointed out that Lomax “hasn’t responded to a kick in the bum the last few times” before Michael Carayannis tipped the situation to escalate.

“He’s unsettled, there is now doubt he’s unhappy about being shifted to the wing, Shane Flanagan has told him it’s in the best interest of the team and Zac may feel like it’s not in the best interest of Zac and I think that’s going to be an issue,” Carayannis said.

“There’s no doubt that Zac Lomax is unsettled and it’s been a bit of a theme the last couple of years for Zac. Anthony Griffin shifted him sides, he wasn’t happy with that and ended up in reserve grade and when he got dropped he didn’t handle that very well.

“Now we see Shane Flanagan trying to spark him again.”
 
Vicious said:
French with his pace and eye to put team mates into gaps is something we are currently lacking.
The problem is he’s only going to be valuable as a 5/8 or fullback and we seemingly have both positions covered.
I suppose it’s a wait and see how we perform from a 5/8 and fullback point of view this season before determining if French would be of value to us or not.
Click to expand...

Agree that’s the challenge.
We are banking on kids and need time to see what they can do - time isn’t on French’s side now.
 
Vicious said:
French with his pace and eye to put team mates into gaps is something we are currently lacking.
The problem is he’s only going to be valuable as a 5/8 or fullback and we seemingly have both positions covered.
I suppose it’s a wait and see how we perform from a 5/8 and fullback point of view this season before determining if French would be of value to us or not.
Click to expand...
Depth is an issue for us this year, particularly at wing and fullback.

French's value is in his versatility. He's more than competent to cover halves, fullback, centre and wing.

On a low value contract, it doesn't matter if he plays reserves all year if squad depth is the purpose of the signing.

It might allow us to move other players on that aren't performing to their contract value.
 
weststigers said:
Depth is an issue for us this year, particularly at wing and fullback.

French's value is in his versatility. He's more than competent to cover halves, fullback, centre and wing.

On a low value contract, it doesn't matter if he plays reserves all year if squad depth is the purpose of the signing.

It might allow us to move other players on that aren't performing to their contract value.
Click to expand...
I don't think he will sign with anyone on a low value contract. Probably will want similar to what Hastings got on his return + cpi.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Members online

Total: 428 (members: 48, guests: 380)
Forever online: Tigergran, Geo
Back
Top