End the Horror

The Nightmare that was 2023 has come to an end. The panel looks forward to 2024, but some think it might be a sequal with too much to be done by incoming coach Shane Flanagan. Others are slightly more optimistic

Episode Transcript

(00:01):
Here. This is the Mad DragonsPodcast. We'll get a ladies and gentlemen,
and welcome to the Mad Dragons Podcast. What's it for twenty twenty three?

(00:25):
We don't have any answers. Weare just here to let other Dragons
fans know that they are not alonein their utter disappointment at what our club
has produced this season. Happy Father'sDay to all the dragon dad's out there.
Of course, I am Donnie Belland I am the Mad Dragon,
and to night I will be joinedWell, actually I won't be joined by

(00:47):
Hasmen. Hasman said some last minuteissues and can't get on, so he
won't be on, but our bigtea we'll be. Coco is on,
a Jagger, the Mad Shagger andalso been Hunt's best he robs the Gnaw.
Will hear from each of them later. But even though has Men's no
on, we're still going to goin and do his segment because he sent

(01:08):
me through what he wanted to say, So don't blame me. This was
has Men's words, not mine.By yourself, you lost down, I
get down, next down down anybodyy We'll get ay and welcome to Heroes

(01:48):
and Villains. Dragon taking over tonight, but not quite the finish. We
were looking forward to what has beena diabolical season for the Red v especially
in front of the Dragons and Steelersold boys, who I can't see being
impressed with what they saw. Thesame can't be said for the NRLW side,
however, who did an absolute numberon the cow Girls, with Taylor

(02:13):
Mapasua getting a double in a fortyeight sixteen drubbing. The standout for me
in this game was Angelina Tiakalanga Katowa, who was an absolute beast with two
hundred and six running meters, lookingdangerous on both sides of the ball.
When she hits you, you stayhit, as the Cowgirls found out,

(02:35):
and it's hard to go past heras the final hero for twenty twenty three.
Now it's time for the final villainfor the sooner to be relegated to
the bin twenty twenty three season,and the winner is Anthony Griffin. This
entire ship show of a season isall on him picking the same ship players

(02:58):
week in week out, stubbly,not changing attacking and defensive patterns that were
not working, not dropping out,not dropping out gracefully when his position was
no longer tenable. The list goeson. Make no mistake, the results
didn't improve after he left, butby the time he did, the damage

(03:19):
was done and the stench lingers on. With the arrival of Shane Flanagan,
who has a mammoth task ahead ofhim, one can only hope for a
better twenty twenty four. It wouldalso be remiss of me not to mention
now illustrious Captain Donnie myself, whogave us all false hope at the start
of the season by tipping us tofinish fifth and getting us all excited,

(03:43):
and for suggesting during the year thetwenty twenty four could in fact be worth
But there you go. Heroes andVillains for twenty twenty three done and dusted,
as is the Dragon's campaign. Allright, move now in to Mad
Dragons Podcast Player of the voting,and I'll start with you, Coco.

(04:04):
For the first time this season,we've seen a tie for the Mad Dragons
Podcast Player of the Match, andone of the players that shared best on
Ground honors was Zach Lomax. Youhad Zack as our best. What did
he do that none of the otherplayers did well? Well? For a
start, he's actually was playing andhe was in the game he was kicking

(04:28):
the ball, his power playing.I just felt that he showed his confidence.
A few of the tackles that hedid, there was a bit of
aggression in it. So I justthought he actually had to go for the
last game, and he was ineverywhere on the field except when he got
Sen off of Hia. But Ithought he actually played really well and I
thought he's my three. Yeah.I thought it was a very solid performance

(04:51):
from Limax. He was he triedhis ass off. I think it's fair
to say that not everything he didhim off. I know Big Tea is
usually pretty good with the stats,but I think he had four maybe five
eras in this game. So whilehe while he was trying a lot,
he did come up with quite afew mistakes and trying to come up with

(05:13):
miracle balls. But certainly effort wasIt's impossible to fault what Zach put out.
Put it out there. There's somethat you may be questioned whether they
wanted to be there, but ZachBlimax, he wasn't one of them big
team. The other bloke that sharedMan of the Match honors this week,
according to the panel, was BenHunt. Our beloved leader has been somewhat

(05:36):
maligned by the panel in recent weeks. What made him return to the top
of the voting this week? Inyour eyes, actually played he actually played
foot that kicked through to score totry. That was unbelievable. But yeah,
no, fifteen runs yesterday. Othergames he hasn't been running five or

(05:57):
six, you know, so heactually ran the ball fifteen ex Frond seventy
meters. I think you don't enough, and I know I did, so
I'd never given a point again thisseason because kind of what happened, But
I gave you two this week.Yeah. I had been hunt with with
my three as well, which Iknow some people has been question questioned me

(06:19):
on that one personally. So howthe hell did you get three? Three?
You've dged to Ben Hunting, andreally you look at that game and
you look at everything good that happened. It all happened around Ben Hunt,
the chip and Chase a little grubberin behind. There was a number of
times where Ben Hunt just said,well none of these other blokes can seem
to do it, I'm just goingto do it myself. When he took

(06:40):
it upon himself and everything everything goodthat happened in that game I thought happened
around around hunting. Well, Iactually gave much three post to Sully.
He ran hundred and seventy meters,hundred and fifty meters seventy one post contect
meters, five tackle breaks. Yeah, he planned. Literally, I gave
you much. It was this week, Yeah, and gave him the three

(07:01):
and he didn't fit. He didn'tfinish in the top three. I'll go
to you Puff with the last one, because you're going to get all has
me and questions and right, welcomeon Puff. First of all, Yeah,
yeah, I tried to actually geton earlier, but I saw that
I couldn't get a working So thelast minute was wasn't on. Not not
that it wasn't not, but Icouldn't get aworking, so I thought,

(07:24):
I probably it's off. So yeahit thanks Main, good to see you.
Yeah really so third in the votevoting this week was Blake Glory.
Obviously you don't do don't do thethree two ones, But what do you
think of Block of performance? Yeah? Mate, I thought Block had a
real good game. Mate, healways does. He's one of my favorite
Dragon players. Actually think he shouldbe the captain. It wasn't either way,

(07:46):
Max ord Jack. I just thinkhe doesn't really play a bad game,
a little bit of a little bitunfit maybe, but I think funding
a sort of get him up tojust be where he should be. But
what do you mean by unfit,mate, because he goes he played seventy
minutes the other way? What doyou mean it's fat? Well, hey,

(08:07):
I didn't, that's not the wordI used. No, he's not
unfit though, Like he plays seventyminutes, you'll run two hundred and fifty
meters in the game, You'll makefifty five tackles. He's not unfit like
that, he's the right word.Well yeah, okay, okay, what
good point? Good point? Well, my point is if he lost,
maybe you know it's three or fourkillers, he'd be he'd be fitter.

(08:30):
That's that's my point. Yea.I look the guy, the guy goes
all day. I think that healways comes off and completely knacker. So
you know, I would give thepoints to him because I can't. I
can't really ever see him like havinga bad game. Mate. He with
the Dragons badge on, he's heartmade and you know he really should with
the captain for me big takee yes, matelo block could I bring up weeks

(08:54):
and jadge George Killo word Dragons actuallywon a football stats this year. We
did, We won and it wasdecoy runs. We ran twelve hundred and
nine decoy runs the Storm of YourHonors at eleven ninety nine or something else

(09:16):
behind us. Blake Laurie was secondin decoy runs under an eco runs this
year and just Just King was awinner with two n eight. But yeah,
we actually want to stap this year. Guys. I think blocker Blocker
won it last year. He hadHe had way more than anybody else last
season. And you know, thisis one of those off the ball things
that that you don't see. Youdon't know. That's right, and it's

(09:39):
great that there is a stat forit because this is an extra effort that
he makes when he's actually he's notgetting the ball, he's not getting meters
for it. He's not there's noreward for him running and saying he's unfit.
He's not unfit. You can beyou can be fat and you can
be fit at the same time.Yeah, on fat, I'm unfit,

(10:01):
So I'll got that. You're you'rea sportsman, he gave. At the
same time, there is a thing. But Mike, what Michael Mick says,
if he lost four or five kulos, he'd be even fer I'd say,
we'll get with us the problem making, mate, you're devastating. Now.
If he just lost he runs,he would be he would last longer

(10:24):
in the game. As my point, he wouldn't be. Also, he's
one of us, is one ofthe games small four front rowers in the
game. So if you lose itfive qulos, he's going to be even
smaller. Yeah, well that's okay, Well that's a yeah, fair enough,
that's a good point. Anyway,he's a champion player. He's up
there in there. Do you wantdo you want another step? Big team?

(10:48):
On block of this season on zeroerrors, not one error the entire
season, did not make an errorall season for me for that one,
I didn't know that one. Yeah, Jess, you've got got something else.
On blocker he actually got act nota tough football, but he actually

(11:11):
got in the NL Academic Team ofthe Year as well, So congratulations to
it. Well, he kicked outof a club for you know, people
recognizing him for burn smart cappy frontrower and smart surely they did it for
on building surveying certificate in building surveyingsocratulations Blocker and he's yeah, He's made

(11:31):
the INN Academic Team of the Year. Fantasty. Plenty of congratulations for Blocker.
He only got the one vote fromthe panel. It seems like he
got the three everyone. Everyone justwants to to keep the love on on
Blocker. Laurie but player dual Playersof the Match this week out to Zach
Lomax and and Ben Hunt. Allright. Moved now into some moments of

(11:54):
the match. Rob twelve kneel downafter nine minutes he was looking like another
blood bath before in the seventeenth minute, Ben Hunt decided screw it, I'll
do it myself, and instead ofbombing for Lomax as usual, after some
good lead up word by Tyrol Sloana chip for himself, Ree gathers and

(12:16):
scores under the post. Where thehell did this bit of brilliance come from?
And has Hunt been screwing with usall years just so he could pull
this off? He hasn't me screwingus. There was no fullback at home,
and we are so off the pace, we are so such a a

(12:37):
bottom four team, it's not funny. So he played heads up football.
He looked to make something out ofmoney. I mean, the end of
the day, we in lou withfour points. So, you know,
good on him at the end ofthe day for doing what he did.
But when there's so much more improvementbeyond Ben Hunt something individual, it needs

(13:01):
to come from the whole team,the whole structure, the fencing structure,
of taking structure earlier. This thisso much needs to be done. It's
going to be a long process.But good on Ben Hunt for doing what
he did. And you know,obviously I was calling for it. I
wanted to see a lot more ofit, you know, towards for the
last six amount of games. Butlike you said, Donnie, we just

(13:24):
seemed to be the bond for Lomax, seemed to be the yeah, the
number one sort of a taking webin. But yeah, so credits have Ben
Hunt for doing what he did.Well. One of the things you you
kind of raised in the chat wasthat the amount of ball that the Hunt

(13:45):
gets compared to Junior ammone, whichis which is a fair fair point.
Hunt generally gets about twice as muchball as Junior, but in this particular
game, both the harms, soit's the second most that Hunter has touched
the ball in any game this season, and I think about the third most
the junior is touched the ball inany game this season. So the halves,

(14:05):
all of it was coming through thehalves. It was none coming off
the dummy half. We played witha lot of width in this game,
and it didn't send the work.We just seemed to go sideways and then
go go side to side throughout thegame, and the Night handled it pretty
easily. Was this a tactic fromfrom Ryan Carr or was this Hunts and
Journey just decided they wanted more orwhat are your thoughts there on? No,

(14:31):
I think it must come from thecoach to a degree, as you
said, I mean, Hunts alwaysnormally touching the ball the mastead of any
other player. There's a half,But yeah, I mean, for whatever
reason, going from side to sidejust it certainly didn't work socially gets the
better teams. I mean they're waytoo good defensively. Who yeah, if

(14:54):
we're going to go from side toside just to get breaks out, why
if you know what I mean?So yeah, so mate, I'm so
lost with it all, with theanswers for what we need to what needs
to be done, but it simplydidn't work in this game. That's for
sure, this tactic. And Ilook, Ryan Carr's the top guy,

(15:15):
really nice guy, great attitude,great mate of ab and all that.
But he's only he's only young,and he's only very young, and he's
in his coaching career, so he'sobviously been given a very hard job in
obviously looking after the team since Hookleft as head coach. So I think

(15:37):
when Flanne comes in, I'm surethings will change. Variety will change,
a tack will change. Defense willchange as well too, But I don't
know if we've got the cattle tomake a real big improvement. Time will
tell. Yeah, we'll talk alittle bit more about the cattle and what
changes might need to be made alittle bit later on. But sticking with

(16:00):
this game, Jesse, and whenMikaylie Ravalowa went over in the corner as
he does so acrobatically, as ZachLomax nails the conversion, suddenly it's twenty
two points to twelve. We're backin it with thirty eight minutes to go.
Were you seeing a dragons come backor did you get the sense it
was too little, too late?I thought it was too little, too

(16:21):
late. To be honest, Ididn't see enough from the team all night.
We looked flat in every department.I thought, as I said,
it was just the disappointing effort toput out a game like that in front
of your home fans, and inthe final game of the year. And
yeah, very disappointing that I didn'tthink we were We never looked likely at

(16:42):
all in that contest. It wasjust very frustrating game to watch. And
yeah, good on the Nights theywere just far too good for us song
and yeah, we were just wewere just way off the pace and we
never looked likely at all in thatgame. I disagree to an extent.

(17:02):
I thought when we scored that crythat the Dragons, that there was there
was some hope we were We hadn'treally been able to go with the Knights,
but within ten points with plenty oftime left on the clock, that
the Nights down to the twelve men, I thought, we're a big show
of coming home over the top,of finishing over the top of them and

(17:25):
getting a couple of late tries tosteal a win. On Old Boys' Day
at Cobra. I thought there wasa very good chance at that point,
but obviously didn't play out that way. Puff the captain's challenges haven't gone overly
well for the Dragons this year,and this game was no exception. Dan

(17:45):
Russell lost the ball in a twoman tackle, but the challenge was for
high contact. The video referee ruledminimal contact and the challenge was unsuccessful.
What were your thoughts on this decision? I thought of the Grandma, and
I actually heard incidental high contact,like accidental or whatever whatever it was,

(18:08):
but either way, it sounded likeI was saying it was an accidental sort
they hit in the head and he'slost the ball, so it was going
against us because it wasn't on purpose. I thought, what doesn't matter,
got him in the head, Itdoesn't matter whether they go, whether it's
an incidental hit in the head ora deliberate hit in the head. But
it was happening pretty close to whereI was sitting. Russell got hit in
the head, he went and helost the ball, So I personally thought

(18:30):
that that actually should have been ourpenalty. But because it was the wording
of the the referee is saying incidentalhigh contact. So the fact that he
said incidental, that just means it'san accident. But surely an accident doesn't
mean that we don't get the ball. If russels hid in the head,
that the naples a real kind ofworms. The rest then got it to
decide that hitting the heads accidental,the other tank can have the ball,

(18:53):
or that just makes a real messagethat should have been our buddy ball.
I don't keep its accidental or not. Yeah, mate, I'm just scrolling
through the rule book here, justtrying to find the rule around high tackles,
because I'm pretty sure it doesn't sayanything in the rule book about a

(19:15):
high tackle. If if you're allowedto hit a player in the head so
long as the contact is minimal,I don't think it says that. I'm
pretty sure it's very explicit and saysany contact with the head is a penalty.
Now it would have been a softpenalty, it would have been a
ship penalty. It's not a penaltythat I think should be part of rugby

(19:37):
league. But then the rules needto be changed that the referees can't be
making up rules on the spot.They have to referee to the rules that
are in the book, and itsays any contact with the head should be
a penalty like they just made thatup. And that's the point of what
I'm what I'm saying, mate,the fact that I saw that as it
was pretty class to where I was. He definitely got hit in the head
and he went straight down and droppedthe ball. And as I said,

(20:00):
when the reverence said incidental, highcontact or automatically went well, so what
you're actually admitting being comes is actuallyadmitting I've seen the hit in their head.
That's why Russell's dropped the ball.But because it's accidental, it's like
a loose carry. I'm going toforget the hit in the head and get
the ball at the night. Ihave never seen a rule at that.
You said, rightly say, mate, in the rule book you can't hit

(20:21):
in the head. Does anything Well, I haven't read the rule book to
actually said it doesn't say incidental.But as far as what you've just read,
then it says you cannot hit aplayer in the head. And you
just said, it doesn't say anythingabout an accidental or whatever. It can't
touch the player in their head.And that's exactly what happened. So once
again the call goes against us.I just think we've had some shocking,

(20:41):
shocking calls. Really the year probablyone of the worst years for our club.
We lost seven games. I thinkif I hasn't made it was on
he be able to correct me.But I think we've lost about seven games
by no more than six points,and a lot of those games, especially
that one with Jacob Little, I'mstill going to get over that one.
That now the strip of the ball. We all know that it's illegal that

(21:03):
they could strip the ball, buta man was behind at least by made
by hipping up the ball. Hescored the try and the ref goes lose,
carried to the Dragons and he goit's just becoming an unrealimously, can't
can't watch the game anymore if itwas clearly that we think about the stunning

(21:23):
conspiracy, what's better for the NRLthe Dragons winning their last game on Newcastle
winning nine and a let's face itjust crap. That's that's the truth,
mate, that decision there. Youcan't, you sort of can't was fixing
games. Every single game would bedecided in the last second, and heading

(21:45):
into the last round of the regularseason, every team would be on the
same competition points. That's what that'swhat would happen if the NRL was rigging
games. What what the hell?Why would the NRL want the Dragons that
have got one of the best,most passionate supporter bases, that are going
to most of all eyes when theDragons are playing well, why the hell?
If would the n ROLL fixed?If so, the Dragons are down
near the bottom. That's absolute rubbish. I'm not saying I'm fixing it all

(22:07):
the time. I'm just saying crucialdecisions that seemed to get that have been
dumped on us. We got beatby a better team. It had nothing
to do Newcastle one nine and Acasare a better team. Got a couple
of decisions go their way. They'vebeen comings to that game. Gave us
a good run. He definitely gaveus a good run. Mate, He
wasn't trying to run us. Yeah, we got a good good go.

(22:33):
And and then the other things tome about the nights, they had four
major players out. It was outin Brazil, was out Jackson Hastings.
There was another guy, just can'tremember who it is, but it was
a pilly guy. Yea, well, well there you go. Well there's
cross. So if you'd have hadthose guys on the field, we would

(22:53):
have just got rolled. We werelucky we had that have been thirty two
to twelve because because we're on fullside. I think we were only missing
Bird. Is that right? Jackwas the only main player we're missing.
We're missing about ten players. Makewe've got tons of the first Yeah,
yeah, yeah, that's true.Years that he wasn't probably the fitness that

(23:19):
Jack wasn't there Can I just saythat hitting the hitting the head incident,
I hitting the head to hitting thehead, and you cannot give the referee
the lee way to say it wasn'tthat hard, So I was not a
penalty. He hits the head thehead penalty hasn't better house soft it is.
Yeah, but that's the problem,like with captain's challenge because like you

(23:44):
see that and that like its shipthat there's no way that should be a
penalty. That's that's no, no, no, no, noither alive.
I'm one hundred percent agree with you. But like that's the problem with the
captain's challenge is because when you reviewit and you look at him slow mo,
every second tackle is going to bea penalty if you do that.
Yeah, of course agree, becauseevery player he said don in every second

(24:07):
tackle there's someone around near the headin every bridge tackle. It's just the
guy doesn't lose the ball. Solet's play on. Yeah, if you
really wanted to really fifty at agame with the rule book black and white,
you'd have a horrible game of footto watch. Yeah, look like
Lamax. I mean Lamax has tobe the worst player at the cup at
to play the ball. He literallyjust lists his leg and he right,

(24:27):
he doesn't do He just literally throwsit back with his buddy right in.
I go, man, that justlooks so bad. And he does it
all the time. And if Iwas a ref, I at least give
him the benefit of the dead sadzacMax time he looks like because he gets
a quick by the ball, butnot really looking like he's Evan playing.
I probably one that kisses me offwith Lomax. Is it Lomax? They

(24:49):
hold on, he pushes him tothe side. And then every single time
the referee nuts stop let the marketgo back into the spot and you pushed
him to the side. It happensto us a thousand times again. Never
never, once there's the referee seno, you've got to you push the
marker out of the way, sonow and how we've got to stop the

(25:11):
game so he can get square.Every time Lomax does it, he gets
pinned for it, but no oneso it doesn't have sort of back up.
What kind of Rob's kind of alludingto that we don't. It's just
the referees have identified Lomax does itall the time, right, They go
in with a mindset that they're lookingfor it from him, so they don't.

(25:32):
They don't. They don't notice itwhen other players do it. But
it's it's bullshit if you can't bepulling him up and not others. No,
Betty, But as I said,but that play the ball, it's
amazing how that makes for me justgets away with it. That's one time
where we are actually getting the rubof the grim with the way he plays
the ball. Any other any ofyou guys see what I'm talking about with
Zach with the play the ball.Remind that anyone's seeing it. I don't

(25:56):
notice any problem with his with hisplay the ball. I notice that either
my mind you I think to playthe ball in general from most people is
pretty bloody. It's pretty it's prettyordinary comptter. What it gets to many
years ago. A lot of themis just rolling the foot, but that
wrestle is really hard when he getstactle to make it play it fast ball,

(26:18):
so it's like a fish on theline. He's all over the place
trying to get up to make ita quick play the ball. But Donnie's
right, he definitely gets targeted bythe rest, you know, for what
he said one hundred and ten percent. And I think that's the same thing
with JDB with those lower tackles aswell too. But that's just what I
think. Yeah, well he gotdone for another another one of them in
this game, didn't he so straightaway back back from back from suspension,

(26:45):
and I haven't heard anything. Didanything come out of that Jesse to check
the bellan and I haven't heard anything. That was not a hip drop,
guys, It wasn't. It wasn'ta hip drop. Its what do they
call it? Where you you're sortof working and you come in third man
in below the knees can cannonball.That's the one. I was hip drops.

(27:07):
It wasn't a hip drop. Itwas a cannonball that he got.
But there was a hip drop ina game. But probably Donnie will talk
about later talk about that well.I'm sure you'll talk about that later.
You will pretty about it too.I wasn't really fired up. I was
more concerned for Alexis, Like shegot bent awfully and it just looked looked

(27:30):
horrible. It's probably lucky with thethat it's not a worse injury than it
is. But we will come backto that. We'll stick to the NL
for a little while longer. Coco, only three penalties conceded last night by
the Dragons, five for the nights, so we've won the penalty count.
Has our discipline improved recently or ordid it comes just decide he's done and

(27:52):
doesn't care anymore. I think ourI think we have improved, and I
can see it throughout the like thegames, but also the like what you're
saying about. Yeah, I justthink maybe they are aware of what they're
doing and they don't want so manypenalties. So it's very low penalty rate.
So I think that's good that wegot lower than the nights and also

(28:17):
probably been been come to being thelast reting. He probably won't a few
slides a bit of both, butI do see that we are improving as
well. I could see what likeon the field and they know like where
toots target and things like that.Yeah, yeah, no, just in
the chapter Stephen Bates saying no chargesfor us, only Elliott adame Elliot charge

(28:41):
for them, So no no chargefor the Bellum, which which is fair
enough. I mean, he didn'thit below the knees. It was he
hitting him at wighs tight. Therewasn't actually anything wrong with that tackle and
probably shouldn't have been a penalty.So we only conceded three penalties, and
that one probably shouldn't have been oneof them, and the other one was
straight on the back of that andde Bellan ended up in the scene.

(29:03):
Dellanlauri ended up in the scene,so yeah, we're probably owned. Bunny
really had one penalty against his wholegame. A big tea. Billy Burns
topped the tackle count with forty twotackles. He also topped the mis tackle
count with eight, including two whichled directly to tries. Do you think
he gets a contract for next seasonor should the Dragons look elsewhere for depth

(29:27):
in the background, just scratching madeon that one. Billy Burns is a
good player. Like eleven runs Yesterdayseight, I've been looking for been looking
through the players off contract the endof the end of this year. You
got players like Corey Wodell, theBulldogs, Terret Simms, Bay serlm the

(29:52):
young gloy from Newcastle. The playedon the weekend. Jones, I didn't
think he had a bad game.Ross cartwrights out there and Michael she came
from from the Bunny's arm. There'sa few back rows out there, and
I think there's a few back rowsout there. Yeah, I like to
believe it. Oh, his defenseis terrible for roll. I don't think

(30:14):
he's any good. He's going towork on his defense. Yeah, A
couple of those those misses early inthe game just just inexcusable as well well,
led directly to Dries and just hugan arm out of Jersey grabbing it.
It's it's rubbish. It's that's notHe's got to be better than that.
Likes his work rate was good,obviously, finishing with forty two tackles.

(30:37):
He worked pretty hard and I thoughthe was likely a couple of times
in attack. But you can't youcan't be missing eight tackles in a game.
He missed ten a few weeks agoas well, and that was in
the game where he scored a doubleand everyone was talking about how he had
a blinder and I was, Iwas, yeah, I couldn't give him.
I couldn't give him votes because ofbecause of his defense, and I

(30:57):
think I gave him one point thatbecause of his attack. He's what did
you do the field? He workshard on the field, but he's gonna
put his body online. He's gotto get in front of these players coming
around here. I think that he'simproved in his defense, which is which
is a funny thing to say,given how average he's playing. But I

(31:18):
think he was a lot worse lastyear and the year before. But it's
still it's still not good enough.He's still got a lot, a lot
to do, and I think forthat reason he won't he won't get a
contract. Yeah, but look ata look at a second rounds of contract.
There are a few second rounds ofcontract this year. I think there
are better players out there, butthey're gonna cost more. But that's the

(31:40):
problem. You're gonna it's gonna becost the cost and really wouldn't be as
much much at the Dragons, youknow so well. And again you look
at some of the you what.One of the things I always do is
I look at what what is comingdown the line, and you know,
guys like like Dylan a again,guys like you and Nick Nick Saganas.
We've we've got a few sort ofedge forward forwards like Dad, you know,

(32:05):
probably a few years away yet,but but guys like Jarrett for a
week and you fin Ola to JacobAllan gar who these guys that that are
coming through our system or edge forwardsthat that are going to be incredible talents.
So yeah, we we need weneed someone to fill that role from
for maybe a year, maybe two. We're not sort of looking for a

(32:30):
long term superstar. We're just lookingfor somebody to hold down the fort will
make these kids develop well. Earlieron we were talking about block I'm making
zero errors. Chris Holmes is outthere and in view. Here you go,
Chris, he said, nowhere elsefrom block up, but Billy Burns
showing way up for him. Yeah, good, Chris, I like that

(32:52):
one. I just clearly say onBilly, I said BALLI a couple of
weeks ago under the some one thatyou were not one. I believe that
Billy will be one of the bestplayers under Flanning, and I regon Frannigan
is going to hell hell He'll havealready picked out Billy's deficiencies. And I
think I actually said that. Ibelieve that Billy Birds will be the most

(33:14):
of the best player in the Dragonsnext season. From where he's standing at
the moment, I don't know whyhe's going to get a contract first,
he doesn't have a contract for nextseason, but that's what I'm saying.
I think Flannigan will be looking atBilly Gan. Okay, I can see
what's wrong with the guy, buthe can also say what's good with the
guy. Billy he gets great support, support player made out why I did

(33:37):
get a good ball away. Hemakes, he makes breaks, he runs
good angles. I think there's alot of Billy in the attack that's very,
very good for the Dragons. AndI think, well, I hope
anyway that Flanny it will keep himand just work on the areas where he's
weak in in that still forty fourtackles, well, you know he will.
He made forty four of those.He didn't miss those, so okay,

(33:57):
he missed day, but he stillmade forty four. And that's a
pretty doesn't pretty decent work, workright, and you know, Billy can
JUSTI make a few yeards when heactually makes a break. So I hope
we keep him because I just likeBilly. I always did the first time
I saw him. I don't knowwhy, but now we're also big guys
that we whatever is and if Fannycan get that deficiency out of his game,

(34:20):
I believe that he will be themost improved Dragon player next year.
I'll stay I'll say it right rightnow. Well, yeah, I do
hope you're right, mate, butI don't I don't think he gets a
contract. I just think that there'sthere's too many deficiencies in his game and
has Big Teas sort of sort ofpointed out, there's there's a few other
options that there may be a littlebit more already developed than than than Billy

(34:46):
Burns, but double seats see howit goes. I certainly wouldn't be disappointed
to see him get another years asa as a depth option. But yeah,
there's I think there's been some improvementsthis year. There need to be
a lot more for him to stickor stick around beyond that. I think
he was probably lucky to get thiscontract and he'll be even lucky to get

(35:08):
it, luckier to get another one. I think, rob rob there were
a couple of tries to the Nightsinside the last last five six seven minutes.
Did this make the game look worsethan it was or what do you
think the final score it was anaccurate reflection of how the game was played.

(35:29):
I'm just terribly disappointed with our team, to be honest with you,
I just don't think the attitude isright, you know, and the coaching
is right, and I hope thecoaching obviously improved dramatically with Plane, But
in answering the question, I don'tbelieve that that they are really ever in

(35:52):
the game in all Honestly, Donnie, I know you thought that there chance
are coming back. But yeah,the score obviously did make it looked worse
for us, but I just thoughtwe were that Dad. We are a
rank bottom fourteen and that's where we'reat, and there is a huge difference
between us in the top teams thetop four teams. It's funny, funny,

(36:16):
Robots. Obviously, Father's Day Ihad I called my dad for Father's
Day to day, and it's oneof the things that I said to him.
He said exactly the same thing youdid that we're so far from those
top teams. And what I saidto him was, there's teams that are
in the top eight that are sofar from the top teams, but the

(36:37):
best teams of the cop are justso much better than I think. I
think probably the top five maybe cana good teams. The rest of them,
I'm making up the numbers, Ithink. Yeah, no, And
I mean you identified before. Ithink Big Tea and maybe Puff Newcastle had
five maybe six players with their crucialplayer, you know, Frazil, Pomer

(37:02):
Hastings. So I mean, whenthere's a real low, there's a real
load, and mate, it's lowat the moment. So I know you're
going to address a few more thingslater on. But yeah, I mean,
mate, for me part you saidit last show. You talked to
himine and he wasn't really motivated.It was almost like you're talking to him

(37:24):
at the end of the season.They're all looking forward to it finishing.
It's been a ship season. Let'sjust get out of the joint. Let's
get you know, get out andfinish. That's that's what it felt like
to be watching the game. Itcouldn't have it couldn't have finished quick enough
to be honest with you. Yeah, well, it was a bit like
when I was talking to JR andBLO. He didn't really sort of say

(37:45):
anything. I was just particularly askinghim about that try that he scored.
With that little situation, I said, I can't remain even you will be
able to say they did a buddyrob that that was a buddy strip.
Anybody scored it, And he didn'treally want to give anything away, but
he just said, us, mychicks in ste what can I think?
What can I do about it?So I can't do anything about it?
And I said, what you mustfeel like it playing against the rest and

(38:06):
the Bragger And then he just saidagain what can I do about it?
So he didn't say, no,mate, you're wrong. He just kept
from saying what can I do aboutit, which kind of made me think
that he was saying, year,man, we do feel like that.
It feels like we're getting this sortof stuff, and it must be very
hard for taining to be not justplaying the team that they're going to play
if they feel like there's a fewextra things that are going the way of

(38:29):
the other teams. One thing Idid notice about the Knights competed to us.
That was so much quicker, thequicker than the play the balls.
They just send a roll up thefield every day quicker than us. Yeah,
I don't know what that what itis, or whether we're just perceiving
it because we're Dragon fans, sowe're looking at the other teams to take
its faster. The Knights fans mightthink we were quicker the dummy half when

(38:50):
we've got the ball. Maybe itjust depends when tend you go for you
think the other side is quicker.But like as you said, Donnie,
and I think Rob just said ittoo, the top the top three four
sides, they're so far ahead ofthe other fifty six seven eight Penrath still
on Broncos like it. If weplay Penrith, Penrith smashed smashed somebody boys.

(39:13):
Yeah, they built built of thelights out of them. And I'm
thinking, well, we played thebut we did we did play. We
did play Penrith, and what wedidn't think that bad? We went a
ride in that game. Every gameis seven Dependrath. Yeah, but that's
a little bit like what Rob wassaying when he said, oh, yeah,
they're sort of so far ahead andwe're so far in the bottom and
someone well, we're not really becausea lot of those games that we had

(39:37):
went in against the top sides,we didn't get flogged. I think we've
got one flogging all year, andthen last night Maddie once again would probably
no, but I think we've gottwo floggies all year, the rest of
them, even the comment times.I mean, I think we had we
had two in a row under underHook, where we got we got flogged,
we got lapped by by the sharks, and we got and then around

(40:01):
the Ben Hunt thing when he wanteda release, we got a couple of
hidings back to back under undercar aswell, so a lot of pretty I
had a twenty point loss again inthis one. I don't know whether you
consider a twenty point loss of flogging. Yeah, it's not a close game,
but I generally, really honestly believed, honestly, deep in my heart,

(40:23):
I thought this is the last gameof the season. We'll be up
for it. I mean, there'swe played better games in the past that
won't be played in this last game. But I just thought we're going to
win this game. I really did. I thought I got from make this
was the only one I got bloodywrong. I had a multi bit.

(40:43):
I had two legs, two horsesfor a thousand dollars and I picked some
George instead of picking Newcastle because Ireally honestly believe that the Dragons when out
of the line and Mate, itwas just say disappointing. So we had
our old boys there. What wouldhave they been thinking watching that would have
been the same thing they've been thinkingall season watching it crept fest of pressing.

(41:08):
We had a lot of chances nearthe line too, and we're just
the defense was really good and ourguys were trying. They were trying hard
to get over the line. Thedefense were just we just couldn't get there.
I think at one point, notthe first tack on I don't know
why the hell he renderwards the sidewhen he should have come in either.
Think the first tackle I don't getit because we got a restart from it

(41:34):
was a touch. Yeah, Idon't think he's a winner. He's not
bloody no. I think he saidit as well too. We're going we're
just going from side to side acrossthe field an attack. There's no fluidy
that. We're not fluid in theattack. We're not we're not digging into
the line though, Like we're playingso far from the line and we're just

(41:57):
playing sideways and they just adjusted andslid a ross And who's I don't know,
I've sort of been saying it fora fair while now that our hearts
go across though, just kept theyjust keep going across. If they've got
to square up their folders a lotmore and actually engage the defense and hold
them hold them up for just afraction of a seconds, are not good

(42:20):
enough the Newcastle five eight he didthat. He engaged the defense, you
know what I mean. So yeah, and again that's that's one of the
funny things about about recruiting and gettingplayers to your club though, Like when
Tyson Gamble went to Newcast Left,I thought, that's the shittest signing in

(42:43):
the entire world. He's an absolutewouldnatic that just doesn't ever play rugby league.
He is no bloody good. He'sgoing like a gun, like he's
all of a sudden. Players agreat footy there at Newcastle. So sometimes
a player that you you might notthink it's gonna be a good fit and
isn't gonna isn't going all that well. They get into a new environment and

(43:05):
they become a different, different player. He's still a bit of a pest,
but he compliments Jackson I think too. Yeah, yeah, great combination.
Well, I mean you're talking aboutgood coaching. The coach at Newcastle
was about one loss from being sackedbefore they started this the last two months.

(43:27):
Yeah, good on him, AdamO'Brien. Yeah, but they got
some don't you know who I am, Adam O'Brien. They're on the train
now. I expect another sell outfor there. I'm semifinal next week.
He sold out already. Surely Ithink the NRL have missed the boat there
or something. Yeah, what theSharks game being at bloody ten thousand seeder

(43:54):
Stadium. Yeah, well, wellI want to say. It's like,
so the Knights they've been scheduled toplay their elimination file against the Raiders next
Sunday at four, but the nrlW have a double head out in Newcastle
on Saturday. They wouldn't you thinkthey'd had the Newcastle Knights play their final

(44:15):
on Saturday after the NLW double headup. That'd be a massive day at
Newcastle. Yeah. A bit ofa shame for anybody who wants to go
and watch the NRLW, but Ican't afford to the tickets to the nrl
game though, so it's probably abit bit of a cheaper day out to
go to the NRLW. Make moremoney that way, having having two days.

(44:37):
But yeah, I agree. Ithink it would be a good experience
for the girls, playing in frontof a bigger crowd. But yeah,
I don't know. I think there'sa lot of a lot of problems with
the schedule and a lot of differentways of looking at it like that.
I know a lot of the fansthink that that putting the nrl W before

(44:57):
big NRL games is the right wayto go about it, but I think
a lot of the NRLW players theywant to stay in on their own two
fake and have people going to thefooty just to watch them. Yeah,
I saw it. Saw it inthe AFLD the first first AFLW season where
their Grand Final was the warm upmatch for around one AFL game. And

(45:22):
it's not that's disrespectful. I couldsurely a grand final is a bigger spectacle
than a round one men's game.I don't know, A few weeks to
deserve their own sort of twice.A few weeks ago at night the ninth
actually had just a nineteen and ahalf just watching the RLW alone, nineteen

(45:45):
and a half father just watching theNLW record. They're coming back to big
teeth point. They're going to sellout that NRLW nrl game, regardless of
whether there's a warm up match ornot. And having that on the Saturday.
They get another nineteen thousand on theSaturday as well, so they checked
a lot more money. All right, well, we might stay with you

(46:09):
you Jess and the Dragons in rl W side absolutely annihilated the Cowboys in
their first ever meeting at as ourresident nrl W expert. Give us your
thoughts on the game and who youthought really stood out and had their friend
Rene target guy. Well, yeah, that's we were come. So actually

(46:31):
that's the equal biggest points in ourNRLW history. We could have easily got
fifty old talk about that a littlebit later. Yeah, but forty eight
sixteen I'm a big win for theDragons. Keep saying in touch with that
on top four the stay in therun to play finals. Yeah, fantastic

(46:51):
first half week. As we've talkedabout for the last few weeks that the
slow starts were the concern and whathe sound thended to address it looks like
he has addressed that. Yeah,they put five tries on in that first
halt on a clinic and pretty muchhad the game one by half time twenty
eight points to six. And yeah, there's a really impressive performance from the

(47:14):
girls. And yeah, I thoughtthe standouts to obviously Antigue and Berry again
had a couple of triassists in thatgame. And yeah, she just keeps
getting better and better with every gameshe's playing at fullback. As you mentioned,
big team ment sorry, big teamhas men, heroes and villains.

(47:34):
Angelina Tiaco get Katar was better knownas Techa. Yeah, she was phenomenal,
phenomenal two hundred meters in just overand she played off the bench as
well. Forty seven minutes, fourto pay, hit ups, eighteen runs,
two hundred and six meters, ninetytwo post contact, one tackle break
and twelve tackles. One of performanceand that's great from just coming off the

(47:58):
bench. I fought another keeper formor as Jane Lendel. I thought she
she stood out well. She wasrewarded with the tri late in the game
as well. Taylor Matisa. Thatwas her first game since round one.
She was awarded with a call upand she got a double. She looked
good on the wing. I thoughtyoung Ala Costa. She she looked good

(48:21):
as well. Got another try andshe made a hundreds on the edge there
and I know Donnie's a big sandof this one. It was good to
say how Maddie Weather all get onthe her first entner of W try and
not Maddie Mulholtz. She looked goodon rl WW yesterday it was Madison Square
Garden. That's the main event.The Madisons were going going crazy. Yeah,

(48:43):
both of them getting acrosp tie,both of them back in after your
Madison mull obviously her in our oldw debou and and Maddie Weather all back
from from an injury, so bothback into the side and on the try
scorers list as well. Yeah,definitely. As we just mentioned in the
chat yesterday, during the game,Bracy McGregor's gone from at the start of

(49:07):
the game wasn't too good, butthen after that, she she nailed them
from everywhere in the park, especiallythat one from the side. I was
she just beautiful, beautiful kick pinpointstraight between the posts roll on the corner.
She missed the first one, whichwas from touch, and you're like,
she's got to practice a girl kickingafter Kia did kicked one from the
sideline and she didn't miss and itdidn't miss toom anymore. After that,

(49:30):
I think she kicked them one afterthat, she finished with six from nine,
so she missed, mister Capplemore,Okay, still not about it,
but no, And yeah, thereare a couple of injuries to come out
of the game too, so I'myou know, I'm only come down with
that. I'm great too for thestorry category two for that Hia. So

(49:52):
she's subject to that eleven sorry,eleven day stand down, so she'll be
unavailable for Fursday night's big local DerbiatShark Park. Well, it's an interesting
one, isn't it. I Mean, we went into this game Madison Mulhall,
who's not not in the main squad, she's a development player. She
had had to come into the sidebecause we've basically got no players left.

(50:15):
And then as you say, welost Amona and also to Any with that
with that hip drop injury as well, so there's another couple that we're not
going to have available for this gamethat we're gonna have to manufacturer squad almost
Jesse. Yeah, I said it'sligament damage, so that I think she

(50:37):
has to get some scams. Butit doesn't look good. I think there's
a MCL at this stage. Butshe'll miss the last couple of games.
So the Mackenzie wheels the player thatmade the tackle, so she's got two
games for that. They're they're calloh, that's the I mean, when
you're when you're talking about a nineround season, the two week suspension is

(50:59):
pretty sgnificant. I think so,yeah, I think that's fair. Even
Jamie Jamie Sue was livid about it. This was what he thought about it.
So I'm not being disrespectful. Thisis not a personal attack, but
I was really disappointed as a coachand we're as a club. We're very
disappointed because that's two weeks in awhere we've had hip drops happened to our

(51:19):
players. For a young girl likeAlexis is just eighteen, it's probably been
our best s fard this year.I was really disappointed in that tackle and
he said that's the worst hip droptackle has ever seen in NRL or NRL.
Alexis was screaming in pain when ithappened. Yeah, she certainly got
got bent, very very awkwardly.I was more honestly, I don't even

(51:44):
recognize hi dropped tackles. It's notunto you sort of look at it later
that that you go on. That'sthat's probably one of these hip drops that
they're talking about. But yeah,but for me, it was just the
angle that she got bent tack waswas obviously horrible and it looked looked incredibly
painful. I don't I don't thinkthat the Cowboys player made any effort to

(52:07):
do a hip drop or to goout to her. Is an unfortunate rugby
league incident. I can't change mytune now that an injury has happened to
a Dragon's player. I think thewhole hip drop thing is overblown. I
don't think players are intentionally doing this. That you end up in awkward positions,
and sometimes this happens in rugby league. But yeah, it's it's definitely

(52:30):
something that they're trying to stamp out. I just don't think they ever will
because players don't do it on purpose. It's all accidental. Yeah, and
then the Taganberry no trial for this, This this was the one I was
talking about. So you could clearlysee in replays that the ball, the

(52:50):
point of the ball, she grantedit before that dead ball line, and
for the referee to send it upto the bunk and saying no trial,
and then the referee and the bunker'ssaying, oh, Temberry grants the ball
on the dead ball, right,you could see that she granted it before
the dead ball line. The commentatorscouldn't believe it. No, no,

(53:13):
no, no, no, therewas there was there definitely looked like there
was a blade of grass between theball and the dead ball line. But
that's all it was. I mean, when it's that bloody close and they
didn't have one directly Why they don'thave a camera directly along the dead ball
line, it blows me away.They've got seventy four cameras there, they

(53:36):
don't have one in that spot,Like, it doesn't make sense to me.
Surely they have a camera where theycan see for sure whether it's in
or out, Like that's one ofthe most important things to be able to
determine, is one ride on thetrial on one ride on the dead ball
line that I don't know. Tome, it seems ridiculous that there wasn't
a camera angle that could clearly clearlyshow up both both the ones that were

(53:59):
showing. Was sort of I thinkit's in in the end. I think
that the bunker had to go withthe on field refs call. I think
she's got it. I think itshould have been a try. But unfortunately
we won forty eight sixteen much.I don't know whether we complained too.
People have been to say, youget another try, and you wanted to
do about Renee targets moments, soplay, she didn't get a lot of

(54:20):
games. She played just over soshe played forty minutes. So in that
time she had two hit ups,two runs twenty meters, eleven post contact,
one tackle, break board end tackles. So she didn't get really a
whole lot of time out there.This Zali Hopkins played a lot of that
time in the in the dummy halfrole. And well she actually came on
when she was hi so and sheeventually she went to dumb melf and well,

(54:47):
because we lost playered foul play,mesic Carlo was activated. She was
at a player. She was activatedinto the game. Yeah, to get
a lot of game time there,but we'll be interesting to see if Renee
get stayed for that local derby onThursday. I'm sure sure she will be
with all the injuries that if youfit, you're playing Coco. NRLW Player

(55:08):
of the Year voting it was alsoa tie, So is it the same
as that the men's was a tiefor for round seven, which surprised me
as I thought there was one playerthat was an absolute standout, but you
had no votes for Angelina taka Qatarwith eighteen runs for two hundred and six
meters and ninety seven post contact.I thought she was was head and shoulders

(55:31):
above everyone else. That tell me, how did you find three players better
than that? Well, I didn'tactually see the game, plus when you
said in the message, I washalf asleep, so I normally picked her
and then as and I just didit really quick on the whim and then
I went back and looked on then W and then I looked at we're

(55:53):
gonna call you ru arm Sims didn'tsee the game and did the three two
ones yeah, because I was like, you know, a little sudden,
oh yeah, this person. Andthen I went back and looked at the
stats are like I should have pickedher like she's always in mote three two
one, but yeah, she's gotthe most meters and yeah, I should
have. And then I'm like,I can't change it now I sell it

(56:14):
to you. So that yeah,I was like, damn, but she
I thought she played very well consideringher. That's good honor. She's normally
my favorite. So yeah, I'mjust I'm too busy watching the men's and
oh, oh my god, it'sher team. Hurry up. I was
like quicking, yeah, on theopposite the men The men's was on in

(56:37):
the league's club behind me. Iwasn't watching the men's at all. I
was just watching the women's cave.I'd rather watch our team play under sixteens
than any other inner row. Yeahsoutside the four, I know. I
hope they go well this week onemore often at all over it. Even

(56:58):
if we're winning both in game,we probably won't make finals. So it's
no way, come on, girls, you can do it. Let's do
it well. We need the ifif the Tigers could beat the Broncos,
that might help this weekend, butokay, let's go. Tigers win against
the Broncos, let's go and theRaiders the other two in front of us,

(57:21):
they're playing the Cowboys. I can'tsee that. Well, they're they're
they're playing the Cowboys, but they'vegot the Titans in the final round and
therefore and against his no good.So some long as we were now last
two, we should finish above theRaiders someone as the Titans, Titans beat
them. Looking forward to this starbplenty of ex dragons in this Shark side.
It's gonna be an interesting game.The other player tied for the top

(57:45):
was was was Teagan Berry, andI suppose I should do the same added
to myself as I've just did toCoco, although I actually watched the game,
so I'll explain why I didn't haveTeaging in my votes at all this
week. I think she another finegame, but she has said a very
high standard and I really felt thatthe performance of our forwards deserved to be

(58:07):
recognized this week, So along withat K, I also felt it was
the best performance we've seen from Roxymurdof, Masilla and Madison Mulhole on debut
also got a vote for me,with Ella Costa and Berry the players that
i'd count as unlucky not to getvotes. So that's the way that I
went and the reason why I leftBerry out of my vote, but probably

(58:30):
the first time anybody has left Berryout of their votes this seasons. She
was in my votes. No,this is what I mean. I'm probably
the first person out of the entirepanel, out of every round for the
entire season, that hasn't had Berryin the three two one. So yeah,
I think just about everyone has byBarry in their votes every week.

(58:53):
All right, puff Ben Hunt confirmedat the press conference yesterday he's had a
couple of positive conversations with incoming coachShane Flanagan and will be a Dragon in
twenty twenty four. Do you thinkFlanno can get the best out of Hunt?
I'll look, I think everyone kindof knows my position on Ben by

(59:15):
now. It's fun having a chatto a few players, a few Dragon
fans behind me, getting stuck ona Benning and then Ben anybody. I
just turned around and saw Benny kickedthe ball and he scored a generos.
So I love Ben hand, Ilove bends that we all know that never
correct eyeboy should get rid of you. Look, yeah, but that's sort
of sent bang and banging the bloodydrum again. I don't really think he

(59:38):
really wants to bloody boo there.I think he's coming out and just saying
what he has to say to you, make the crowd of the gear.
He's going to be a dragon andall good alls. Well, but if
he had a chance the game made, he be gone. He's just nowhere
for him to go. So Flannagan'snot litting in bloody go anyway if you
want to do. I think thatwhole thing is an absolute bloody disaster.

(01:00:00):
It's a disaster. I don't knowhow funny again gets the best out of
a guy that doesn't want to bea hunt for me, Ben, Ben
would have to look me in theeye and say, hey, make you're
wrong, ruddy. I love thered V. I can't wait to get
there and not have to really lookat him go yeah, well all right,
then I might go it's a goodchance. But if you've got a
cap that who doesn't want to withthe jersey, doesn't want to play at
the club, get that. ButBatman coaching, he couldn't get the best

(01:00:22):
out of Ban because he doesn't wantto be there. So unless Anne has
a complete changing in his attitude,I think he's only there because he tried
to go. The Broncos couldn't gothere. Titans then ended up not making
him an offer anyway, so therewas nowhere else from Ben to go anyway.

(01:00:42):
Cowboys couldn't take him, so he'slike, he's really like, we're
the last off for him because he'salready signed, so there's really nowhere else
he could have gone. How dowe get the best out of a guy
in that situation? I'll put thatquestion, do you do you really think
funny again can get the best outI may look like I hope you can't.
Maybe because Ben Hut's got nowhere togo, that might be the best
thing for us to Ben Hunt nowknows he's got nowhere to go, so

(01:01:06):
he has to play his best footballbecause there's nowhere to go, and Flanning
will probably be the man to probablyget that out of Ben. If that's
sort of a long way beud ofanswering the question, I was bays Yep,
Jesse you three an up there?Yeah? From what from what I
got from that press conuse, Ithink this will be twenty twenty four bees

(01:01:27):
last game, last year with theDragons. I don't think you'd be here
in twenty twenty five. I thinkhe'll look to game and try and find
the spot a club up there somewhere. I don't think he'll be out with
us in twenty twenty five. Whatwhat what makes you say that? Because
he said I'm because I'm here forthat feeling. He said I've committed for

(01:01:53):
twenty twenty four. He never saidhe committed for twenty twenty five. He
hasn't said I've committed for my fullcountry. Well, that's that's what I'm
getting out of it. He's gothe's got a contract. I don't think
the Dragons are gonna let him go. I think he's here until the end
of his contract. I don't thinkhe's going anywhere. I think he's here
to the end of his contract andthen your retire. We're moving. Ryan

(01:02:13):
Cars had been Betty Donny a fewmonths ago that Hump was going to be
there for till ended twenty twenty four. Ryan Car actually said that, he
said he's committed to twenty twenty front. I thought that's a design. So
it's a bit like what Jesse said. I agree that if hub was actually
gonna stay till twenty twenty, Bob, he would, So I'm going to

(01:02:37):
you know, fulfill my contract withthe Dragons for the next thing years.
But he didn't say that. Heactually just said he's going to fulfill it
to twenty twenty fours. So hemust know that he's probably maybe there's a
secret agreement with the Dragons that's notfor us to know that. Maybe we're
going to let him go in twentytwenty five. And looked for Bed's sake
as well. Look he's play,he's play up for the Dragons, made
no no questions. But it isgreater players he could be for us that

(01:03:00):
try that that he did score,there was a little bit of bridge on
his part so there was fullback quickly, but it didn't he scored or thought
about that was that was a goodbit of footy. So can't really criticize
how Ben he's played. And forhis own mental mental world booing, you
know, if he can go withthe last year twenty twenty five, we
pick up another contract with another Quinsierclub, I'll be happy for him to

(01:03:22):
go home and play in Cleanser wherehe he's a Clainsler, that that's where
he wants to go. Yeah,I grudge, but Ben hunt to go.
He's been a great plant for usas good as he could be.
You know, if that's the casethat he does actually go in twenty twenty
five, good luck to him,because I don't want to see him actually

(01:03:43):
be forced to stay for his ownbenefit if he doesn't really want to stay,
just to feel like you guys keeppushing the wheelbarrow. Like when all
this first happened, everyone said,oh, you'll never play for the Dragons
again, and then he played inthe very next game and they said he
definitely won't last until the end ofthe season. And now he's lasted until
the end of the season. It'slike he won't playing twenty twenty four,

(01:04:04):
and now he said, I'm definitelyplaying in twenty twenty four, and he's
like he's gonna leave at the endof twenty Like you just keep pushing it
down, like you're so certain thathe's going to leave. Maybe he just
won't. Maybe he is actually quitehappy to stick around now and see how
things going under. Flann Caka,I'm here, sorry, I don't I

(01:04:27):
actually just want this to be done. I just want either him to go
and say see you later, andbecause I'm over this every time. But
he has come out and he saidI am staying at the drag because I'm
thick of the ship everyone but otherpeople don't believe, Like even though he
said it, other people still don'tbelieve him. I just think because all

(01:04:50):
the ship that went on with thisand all what we went had to go
through as And I know he's Origin, he played for Australia. He's a
winner, aren't we Fans want tobe winners too. It's not just about
him as well, he's been He'she's never won anything Origin. Yeah,

(01:05:10):
but I'm just staying and like,you know, he's thirty four years old,
and yeah, he might want toslow down, but like this whole
ship has gone through the mud,and yeah, I'm pretty much over it
and over him at the minute.I don't care if he wants to play
play, but be passionate, geton that field and do what you can.
And if if we can get tothe finals next year, good on
that. But I'm just over it. I'm sick of hearing about it.

(01:05:33):
I'm just sick of him. He'sour captain, for God's sake, Matgine
Ben Craig saying that, or whoelse ben ormby someone like that? Hey,

(01:05:56):
I just want to say the thingthat's got me, got me the
head spin. And he's come outand said he didn't want to be there.
Then he's come out and said hewants to be there, and they're
reported he's come out against they don'twant to be there, and then reported
again it sales supposed to be there. And for the third time, he's
after the Paramountic game. If itwas true or it was about Rothhel rumor

(01:06:19):
he wanted out then too, Sothat's the follow me. And now he
says he has name for twenty twentyfour, what about twenty twenty five.
Yeah, well that's we've just gotto deal with. And Klawie's going to
she's just going to explode because everytwo weeks there will be a story about

(01:06:40):
ben Hunt. It's just going tokeep happening. It's not going to stop.
He might be here until the endof twenty twenty five, the week
before the last round, people,there will be a story come outside.
He wants out, he's retired,like he's story announced he's retirement, and
there'll still be another story that willcome out. They keeping it will not
don't Apparently now you're just making thepoint that we don't I watched talk any

(01:07:03):
more about this whole ben hunting.But one of the stories that I heard
Flanno had spoken of Ben Hunt aboutcertain signings that were coming, and the
word in the prestlege is big signs. Didn't you say signings, I said,
Flanno has spoken. Probably it hadbeen Hunt about a couple of big
signings coming to the Dragons next year, but Flannigan was not allowed to announce

(01:07:24):
who they are. So apparently BenHunt knows, Flannigan knows and the two
big signings, and ben Hunt isapparently not held to stay because of whoever
these two guys are. That Flanniganhas not been allowed to publicly say who
they are yet, so that'll bevery trizzy if that's true. I remember
Ryan Webb telling us the same,the same thing. I'm still waiting for

(01:07:48):
this big signing that Ryan Webb saidthat we were we were getting it happened,
told us last year that there wasa big signing in the in the
it was coming and never never happened. And last last year I also remember
a lot of rumors about our clubsthat are currently in contention for the top

(01:08:11):
eight. There's like an unwritten rulethat if you've signed them for next year,
you don't announce that until they're outof finals. So again last year,
waited for teams to get knocked outand then then the signing to get
announced, and again it just didn'thappen. So I believe it when I
say it, Mick, because yeahsbefore mate, I'm only just reporting warl

(01:08:33):
I'm hearing mate. Yeah, theysigning actual signings mix or yes, according
to according to what I read,which is current where I actually read it.
But apparently Fanning had spoken to BenHunt the private conversation with him,
and told him we've got two bigsignings and he's saying, yeah, they're

(01:08:58):
they're joining, and Fanning going apparentlysaid to Hunt, but I can't publicly
say at the moment who they are, so I'm sort of forbidden to actually
announce it to the pressure they are, but we've got two big signings and
ben Hunt went up right, okay, And that's what ben Hunt apparently now
was happy to say, who werewhoever these two guys are. There's not
one, there's two, two bigsignings now done. Don't you make me

(01:09:20):
wrong. I made it reporting whatYeah, that's right. I'm just the
vestage of dragon bands. I'm justtelling there what I'm hearing that you're on
our bus rough Field, and Idon't say that. I think, yeah,

(01:09:50):
but there you go. Boys say, let's hope that maybe what what
I was getting was right, becauseif that's the coast, then maybe we've
got Probably it's probably afforded a soundwill be my boy, there was a
better manute it's one Fordham and acenter. Well, Daniel Michael says col
Flanning, and that's a big signing. Yeah, well, you know what,

(01:10:12):
I wouldn't even know I was turninganother dragon's matter monitor about that.
That mightn't be a stupid There's beenone son, Jacob bet maybe a Cold
Franning and wouldn't be that bad becauseif he's been trained, boy's dad and
he's dad's not got a cop anysort of half half past thing from his
son being the man that Cold Franninghad been the man that Flanning it is,
so he probably turned Cold into abetter player than he is already.

(01:10:34):
Sorry if he probably wouldn't bluff atthat. On the other way, I
think there's enough nepotism in this clubalready. I think Drew Hudginson's away to
go. I think pick up DrewHudsons would be a great pick up maybe
clean again clans had never gone inthe first place, Jason, sab and

(01:10:56):
Luciano. Let's bring all the allthe players back that we left going there
already weren't coming back exactly right.That's that's the only ones we get before
Jackson Jackson Ford. Where's he?I don't get his hats up? Yeah,
but like Jackson Ford, I meanas soon as he made he's on

(01:11:18):
fire. He's playing more time,he's getting more time on the field,
he's playing the house down. Andyou know Robson about Rice Robson, get
getting back to Let's get them allback at all the Dragon Studios. Yeah.

(01:11:39):
So if you Rebetty made any ofyou boys like any of the bullshit
story of the l I just want, where is that bullshit? Because I
don't know if it's true, Butlet's just say that there is. There
is two players, big signings whowould anybody remotely think that they could be?
Who could they be? Would oneof them? So I would he
be one? Potentially? Yeah,because he's only good because he's he's going

(01:12:02):
to the Union and the roosters aren'tthere piss roll up about that, But
we don't care about that. Apparently, given so early and I'm hearing that
it potentially could be him, butwe said ten, Well, we weren't
going to we're gonna get ten.We weren't getting for feet all right.
But apparently the big toys that wewere a good show. Well that's the
trouble with the no no, nono, So I don't know, I

(01:12:29):
have no no, no clothes.Who could be? Honestly, it sounds
sounds like it's going to be aplayer that's currently contracted, because there's no
big names that are off contracts,so it's going to be somebody who's got
a contract. So you just pluckingnames out of the sky if you possibly
could. We could be overseas acouple of point guys. That wouldn't be
a big signing. There's no there'sno player that you could get from England

(01:12:53):
that would be considered a big signing. I wouldn't need. But like you
said, doing the story's probably gotno no legs at all. It's just
a probably something other paper that's somejournos writing to get the Dragon fans like
us. Yeah, bring it readit and give us a little bit of
false op when there's no truth toit. But then by the same taking,
if that's true, Flannigan must haveread it. Why wouldn't Flannigan come

(01:13:15):
out and say, well, I'veread this is the thing of dragon bands.
Don't worry about it's not true.We're getting nobody. But by the
same taken front of the good andsay that either he's got a finding is
no doubt in conversations with fifty differentplayers right now to try and bring him
to the club like he would bedoing everything he can to try and improve
the squad, because the way itstands right now, if we don't bring

(01:13:39):
new players to the club, we'regetting the wooden spoon next year. Like
we need we need to recruit players. We need to get players to this
club that are that are high quality. And at the moment, well,
I'll go to go to Big tellI know you've got your hand up there,
Jesse, but I'll go to BigTea with the next question. At
the moment, we've we've got twentyseven players already one for twenty twenty four.

(01:14:00):
Now we may release some of thoseguys that are currently on contract if
they can find somewhere else to go, but it's not a guarantee at the
moment. As it stands, wehave twenty seven players sign for twenty twenty
four. There's only two more playersthat will be added to our squad between
now and round one. What positionsdo you think we definitely need to focus

(01:14:21):
on for these two I did writea few things down before. I think
we need. We need some speedout wide. We need some fast,
fast wingers because Rather's not fast.He's big, he's strong, he's not
fast. Phones Look, I canrather think I can run faster than I
think we had someone somewhere around theHookami half we need half. We need

(01:14:45):
sailors. We need wingers, secondrows. Like if we're not gonna keep
Billy Bones's him and Dan Russell areour specialist second rowers. We're not going
to keep Billie Bons. We're ina second rower. The nays sticking I'm
gonna be up front our middle forwarddid nigger? That wouldn't work? We
did? Big Bob was up front. We need to We're in a fullback.

(01:15:11):
Wait, Gray four, we're goingto help. We're in a four
days. What maybe what positions tobe solid in where block up checking on.
I don't think I don't think Conor'sready to come up. Good player,

(01:15:35):
but I don't think he's ready.I don't think the middle of nay
minute player. He plays well,small, small periods. We're neighbor hooker.
Were never do me half that runas the ball. We melf that
gives us good service. We need. No, that's not much. I
don't know who they're gonna sign.I don't know who they're gonna sign.

(01:15:56):
We're gonna we're gonna have the same, same, thirty and the same.
We've got twenty seven side, acouple of players to come in, maybe
a couple of juniors up. Heobviously there's there's still that possibility. Like
Ben Murdoch, Mascilla has been toldthat he's he's no longer he's no longer
required. If you can find anotherclub, he's free to go. I've
heard rumors that he might be lookingto head to England. Same with Zane

(01:16:16):
Muskro Yeah, Jade and Hunt I'mhere. There was Stephen Bakes in the
chat said that looks like he's he'sgoing to go out of Brisbane. He
might have a gig up there withthe Broncos. Alex Lob's going Alex Lob
to the Tigers as well. Yeah, heard that last week as well.

(01:16:38):
Alex Alex Lob isn't isn't in thetop thirty set, doesn't free anything,
but he's someone that Max Fini isanother one that's been told told to leave.
So there's there's four that do havea contract for next year that had
been told that there they're not wanted. But I haven't heard anything. I
don't think Max finis leaving. Ithink Max fin I will stay like he's

(01:17:00):
his partner, his brother. Yeah, they're they're both he already. I
don't I don't think he's gonna leave. I think he's going to take that
as a challenge and say we'll allprove he's wrong, and and he'll stick
hip stick here and he'll see anycontracts. I don't think Max is gonna
gonna leave. I think he's gonnahopefully that it'll just be the kick up
the ass that he needs to knuckledown and work really hard this offseason improve

(01:17:24):
proflanning to maybe earn another contract.But hooking hooking it with someone in the
hooking round with and I'm gonna fastbacks fast outside back. So we've rather
into the second row. But that'sthat's where should But he then't gonna he
loves these defense better in the middleof it. I disagree. Would not

(01:17:50):
last, would not last one gamein the second row. Well, we
need, we need quicker outside backs, like when we're playing against clubs with
speedy backs. Look at Little.He scored three against us, against us
too quick. So what about Younglast night? Full seven double, double,

(01:18:16):
summersault, fifteen point twists. He'smade of rubber, made of rubber.
Oh my god, that was agood him. That's right, he
was. He was still a twistin the air. It's still got board

(01:18:38):
here from Maggie, Maggie. Theroosters are going The roosters are gonna making
a champion. He already is achampion. Oh that's right. Yeah,
but he's going to go to higherhigher. Roosters are ruining. No,
No, Russ had good, hadgood wingers, Bow had great wingers in

(01:18:58):
the past. He's going to bedone a great wing from the roosters.
Sod Sloan on the wing and butlamxter fullback because at least Sloane soon as
Slas slams office. He sideps oneguy, mate, he's gone. He's
the fastest blake that we got tome. He's definitely improved in his role.
He didn't he start dropping the ball. He's got up of the bombs.

(01:19:20):
He's really really improved. But Istill think I just don't think he's
got the strength of the footballcocker Duganor it's just not that big a body
type. But he's definitely got thatwill even swerve. And if he get
him on the wing, mate,and Lamax chiming and on whatever side,
bloody Slam would be on. Mate. I reckon we would score a hypotrize

(01:19:44):
because Lamax is so powerful, He'sso strong. Lambax can also buddy sidestep,
get around, playbill, get aball to Slam mate, he's gone.
That's how would go. That's whatI would do. And maybe as
we all have this talk about frontingand putting lamb Ex back to fullback,
apparently they're already spoken about that makesthis happy to get up a fullback.
So I reckond that is the wayto go. Might like it, you

(01:20:05):
might like it, but if youdo, it's best for the team.
Yeah, if I really goes onthe wing, score straight from scoop Foster's
mouth. You can keeping like whatJerry Evans kicks for sad Jerry Evans kicks

(01:20:26):
for sale by that? Yeah,yeah what I mean? And yeah button
kicks your car. Yeah, Imean he looks to me, it looks
like a young cat when when Iwatching you play on the wing, superb
defense, have a good defensive centerand next time as well to pretty next

(01:20:49):
tossuly that sort defender in the game. So I was not a fantastic but
he may ste doesn't he? Yeah, yeah I would. I wouldn't worry
about slain defense. Three tries agame sometimes like that. It's it's an

(01:21:09):
attacking weapon. Look, so itwasn't the best defender every but he wasn't
there to tackle. I wouldn't beworried about sling. That's that's That's why
I think Sloan he's more likely tomove to five eighth than the wind like
as a five eight. He's gotplayers on both sides to help him out.
But you get more, but heget more knacker though up and he

(01:21:30):
gives all the big guys running around. Wouldn't he Wingers do more work.
Wingers do more work than bloodys Anyway, Many how many tackles to the bloody
well, that would be an interestingstake getting Maddy under that one. He's
got a beautiful cutout pass, Sloane, you reason again again, how many
cut out passes are you going todo if he's playing on the wing.

(01:21:51):
Well, you can't obviously, I'msaying, I'm game with what you're saying
at five eight. I mean,and we saw him putting a option,
sorry, put in a beautiful kickin that game last night, and I
think he's got a lot more.He's got too much skill to be standing
out on the wing. For me, I think that, Yeah, I

(01:22:14):
don't know. I see him asa fullback or a five hate. I
don't see him as a winger.I think as a winner. You minimize
so many of his strengths, andhe's still some of his weaknesses still get
still get highlighted. He still getsisolated Defensively. You'll have a little bit
more supporters mix said with a withthe center next to him rather than the

(01:22:36):
isolated solely one on one as afullback, but it's still a difficult place
to defend, and you have tomake those one on one sometimes. In
the dragon set up, you're gotto make those decisions. Win three on
one situation on the weekend made Hewas communicating the whole way through the game
to the backs and the centers andthe wingers where he wanted them to go.

(01:22:58):
The whole when we were defending,he was telling bloke were to go,
shating his head off, and Ithought that I was really impressed.
He didn't just go, you guys, do what you want. Yet his
arm left and right all the waythrough the game to give credit where it's
too too puff when he's in thatsecond receiver or when he's running forward he's
running for I mean, no ye, but it's too much sideways from you.

(01:23:21):
Yeah, that's what I'm seeing,and it's not click. He's so
clunky with our asks. Maybe there'sinteresting with Flanno. There's been said before,
because he got he did so wellwith the Sharks and the bottom and
the Sharks losing about the Bonds weregetting into the premiership and they bloody won
the damn thing. He now concededand knows I was against him going now
I'm going made one percent. Probablyhe's probably the only bloke that could get

(01:23:47):
us from where we are now ofpotentially in the next year out of all
the coaches that are around, evenbetter wouldn't be able to do it.
I don't ever think Bell and Beybe able to do it because they haven't
had the ship side down the bottom. Aganna has. He's the only guy
that knows what it's like to bedown the bottom. But I reckon later,
I think. But it'll all comedown in twenty twenty five with new

(01:24:09):
players that come in. That's that'sthe next question, Rob, Yes,
I mean for me, twenty twentyfour is already it's too big, too
big a job. It's too lateto be coming in now and trying to
recruit because there's there's no one available, there's no one equality available. I

(01:24:31):
think planning again needs to already haveone eye on twenty twenty five. And
the reason for that, Rob isis only eleven players. We only have
eleven players signed for the twenty twentyfive season at this stage, which means
that we are potentially sixteen spots availableto feel how important do you think it
is for Dragons to start planning fortwenty twenty five right away from the first

(01:24:56):
of November one hundred ten cent Mate, We'll start playing the seas now because
you know, sometimes it can takea long period of time secure players,
you know, for that twenty fiveseason and defensively and attack wise as well
too, So Mate, I knowhe's a hard worker, Flannel and like

(01:25:16):
what Puff said and getting cronal fromlast first, but obviously that took a
few years and he kept players hewanted, and he got rid of players
he didn't want, and he broughtnew signings in so made on more for
it. You know, I honestlybelieved on paper coming into this season we
look good on paper, but likewhat you indicated with Hook, you know,

(01:25:40):
some of the signs from Hook andthen you know it just it just
all didn't work. So crucially wehave to look beyond thousand and twenty four.
Unfortunately, I still see it beinga very rough year for us next
year and twenty four. Maybe hewas some will improvement from this season,
but we really need some new bloodingand some real decent signings in these different

(01:26:04):
positions. We're talking him down,so I'm sure Flane hopefully we'll be doing
that, mate, and planting ahead. Yeah, I think next year is
still a year where Flannagan is goingto be largely lumped with the squad that
Anthony Griffin put together that that clearlywasn't good enough, and Dragons fans need

(01:26:28):
to need to be patient and theneed to be aware of it, and
that they need to give give Flanagan. You know this this honeymoon period.
I think whatever happens next year,it's it's not on flann again. He'll
be what we need to see ifthe steps been put in place for us
to improve going forward, and weneed to see that through through getting some

(01:26:49):
signings very very early on. Ifwe don't have half a dozen players signed
up for the twenty twenty five seasonby round one next year, then I
think we're kidding ourselves. There area lot of competitors this year that were
saying in all the games that we'vewe've lost. The Dragons had a real
good goal. We didn't really getbashed throughout the year of Cannoby. We're

(01:27:10):
getting a smash left and run allover the place, and they still finished
above us. But we I thinkI don't think we're as bad as what
we make out we've been, justbecause we're second last. But in all
those games that we're lost, that'sa decision of a weird Lambs could have
got the Boddy goal or won usthe game, or there's just so many
little things that contributed. But there'sa lot a lot of permutations there come

(01:27:32):
in. But I mean, youcan go back through every season and find
teams that lost a lot of closegames and they finished lower on the ladder.
At the end of the day,they still lose. Your other win
all you lose. Like we hadfive games in a row under Hook that
were decided by by six points orless. Like every one of those games,
one bounce to the ball, onerefereeing decision, one moment in the

(01:27:55):
game changes the result. We winall those games. We're sitting something inside
the four at the time when Hookgot sacked instead we weren't. We're sitting
second last, we're sitting inside thetop four. We don't sack, we've
probably still got and we're probably resigning. And that was with land Max and
Solutely on the wrong side. Wewere losing those games by six points with
those two in the wrong spot,which probably if saying all that. But

(01:28:17):
we're having made finals since two eighteen, so there's been times in those different
years you know, we looked good, we're being better or whatever, but
it's just not working, So we'vegot to get results, and I think
this stage, I think Dragons fansare running out of patience. Jesse,
you three your hand up there,man. This is our worst season.

(01:28:38):
I looked it up. This isour worst season since the club started in
ninety nine as as a as ajoint venture. Five wins out of twenty
four that that that, Yeah,that doesn't sit well with me or I'm
saw many Dragons fans as well,you guys would be the same. Five
wins out of twenty four our worstperformance, our worst yeah, at least

(01:29:01):
amount of wins in the season ever, but not good enough at all.
They're very hard to except that nicenice comment from nath Badishall just pointing out
that the great junior players we havecoming through It talks about that the Kaufman
Boys, Josh Corrige fin out andhe said watch them step up under Fledo.

(01:29:24):
He also has a feeling Slone willgo to a new new level under
under Shane Flanagan as well, sohe thinks that he's one we're worth keeping
around. I think I think there'sa lot to like about what's coming down
the line, and for me,it will be a matter of the coaching
staff sitting down and going, okay, so we've we've we've got all these
these young players that look incredible.We were to put a lot of time

(01:29:47):
into them to build them up,but they're still going to be gaps in
that roster and it's those gaps thatwe then need to go and recruit and
fill for. So it's it's abit of a job to do at list
management. It's not an easy,easy task. It's not as easy you're
saying I want that player and youget them, and it's a it's a
process of its more looking at whattypes of players you want, what types

(01:30:12):
of players you want to target,and then going out and speaking to four
or five, six, seven orseven or seven players that sort of fit
into that pipe of player that you'relooking at and hopefully you land one of
them. Well, it wouldn't makeany sense do on it for Flannagan that
already tell five players or so thenI he didn't say you're gone, but
he said to you, guys,I hope you feel further look around.

(01:30:32):
If you get something, good,good luck to you. I don't believe
Flannigan would do that without knowing he'sgot someone already who were going to come
in. I can't say you guys, I need you five can go.
But I've got nothing planned. Ithink Flannigan must have something in his back
procket. There's none of us evenknow yet. I think we'll have to
wait and see on that one,if you honestly, I don't know,

(01:30:56):
because I felt exactly the same wayto Griffin. We must have we must
have some sort of plan in place, and then when you saw it it
was fucking ugly. So I don'tknow. I think we sit back and
wait and see. I'm I've gotreservations still about Shane planning and the fact
that he hasn't coached in five years. I think he has been out of

(01:31:19):
the out of the game for awhile. And I know people will say,
oh, he's but he's still beenan assistant coach. He's still been
around the game, he's still watching, and it's the game has actually changed
quite a bit over that that periodof time, and you look at where
he's been an assistant coach. He'sassistant coach at Manly this year. They
didn't go all that well, sohe was at the Dragons and we were

(01:31:41):
down near the bottom when he wasthe assistant coach at the Dragons in that
that five year period that he hasn'tbeen coaching in his other roles, he
hasn't been at successful clubs, sodoes he still haven't? So I got
something, That's that's all we gotto have, Hope, Donnie, A
couple of odds, Ago puff,you're a something interesting when and I don't

(01:32:05):
want to use mine who as aprime example, but remember we're talking about
man Whu and it's probably all thebs, you know, just to talk
it up that he's leaving and whateverand et cetera, blah blah blah blah.
He's always going to stay where he'sstaying. But you step apart,
remember a high profile, big namelike that, would you really want to
come to the Dragons? Would youreally want to come to the Dragons?

(01:32:28):
You know, if you look atthe way we've been going, don't really
want to go to the Bulldogs?Would that be chorus really money as they
did? Yeah, exactly right,that's what that's what your money. That's
what we use to entice players togo to a club. You gonna have
to overpay, of course, anything. That's that's how you don't have to

(01:32:49):
overpay. You just have to playa player fairly. Like if if Stephen
Crichton's at a club where he's probablyI don't know what, the fifth or
sixth best player, so he's notgetting paid what he's worth. The Bulldogs
just paid him what he's worth.They didn't overpay him. They just paid
him what he's worth because he can'tget that in your current club because he's

(01:33:10):
not want to pay the best playerthere. He's going to be the best
player at the Dogs. And that'sthe same same with Chorus, how he's
down the pecking order, like he'snot Nathan Clearing. So you go to
those top sides that you go to, their their their third best player.
They're going to be your best player. You get them to your club,
you just pay them fairly. Youdon't have to overpay. But it's this

(01:33:31):
the what I worry about. I'mamusing penriths and examples, which is a
benchmark, but it's who are goingto attract? Who are the players?
I mean, we've made mistakes inthe past, Corey Norman, players like
that, He's gonna meant, DrewHutchinson and players like this and all that,
But don't we need better names thanthis, come thousand and twenty five.
Really, honestly two three four players. Yeah, we're talking about Drew

(01:33:55):
Hudgerson for twenty twenty four. Ithink we're not talking about twenty twenty five.
We're looking at you know, Idon't know Luke Kerry. And there
there there is. There is fourhundred players off contract for twenty twenty five.
Like you can basically take your pickalmost everyone's off contract, Like there's
a lot for us. That's alord a very good play. Yeah,

(01:34:16):
and and and that's what that's whyyou pay a coach the big bucks because
he's got to make the right decisionsto target the right players and get them
for the right right amount of money. So they've got to manage the salary
cap. They've got to manage toget the players that they want in the
positions that they need to feel like. It's not an easy job. It's
not. It's not something you justsit down and go, oh, I

(01:34:38):
think that player is playing really welltoday, we should sign him. Like
that's not like there's a lot moreinvolved. There's a lot more to it.
So I think that's when planning abike, I'm good with the Dagons
because players are going to know thatthis play went a premiership with a team
that was right down the bottle.They got to the job within two years
later. It was a couple ofyears though. The premiership to a player

(01:34:58):
that's going to be a massive youknow whatever, yeah, whatever, carrot,
whatever we do want. He is, Oh, I can play with
this god the Dragon team for thebloody gut I to a premiership. You
know, that's a big, big, bloody pass advisor player. You'd have
to think too, like, what'sup, What's what's his style? What
style of football does I don't wantto play like I don't think it.

(01:35:23):
I hope I'm wrong, but hopefullyhe plays different style than what we are
doing now, because I'm sure itwill be. But again that's that's probably
my We'll go go back to whenhe was was last the last the coach.
You know, he's going to bevery very different style of player.
That's going to work now. Theway that he coached the Sharks to the

(01:35:44):
premiership, that style of thought he'snot going to work in the modern game.
I've always said that the Dragon shouldn'tbe astructured, So even for two
years I've said it, Dragons lookgood when we throw the book as a
window and just play the eyes up. He throw the ball all over the
place and just are blown like thenno one knows what the hell is going
on. We shouldn't even know whatwe're doing. And then that's when we
play good footing, when we playthis set thing and it's all strike and

(01:36:08):
give it a benny, he kicksthem somewhere. It's just it's just too
is you to read the other teams? You can just read it like a
bloody book. But but sometimes whenwe go out of the book and we
start to scouting all over places withthe ball, you see, it puts
other teams off. Because realistically,guys and girls, how many players do
we really need to sign come twentyfour, two, twenty five and beyond

(01:36:32):
for us to get back playing finalsagain? I mean realistically from from the
squad we've got from who obviously aregoing to still be there out of the
level talking about Donny, I mean, I'll throw it back to you,
Robert, I'll be our current squad. Which ones would you came? Which

(01:36:53):
is which? Which? How manyplayers in our current squad do you think
you would be looking out as keepinglong term? But you've just not not
so much the kids, but thethe experience players. How many of them
would you keep? I can onlythink of three that I'd keep. Yeah,

(01:37:14):
you tell me, Donny Jaden Sewer, Blake Laurie and Zach Lomax.
Hm. The rest can go prettymuch at the end end of their contracts.
Be Ben Ben Hunters is going tobe too old at the end of
his contract. Jack de Bellan,maybe you're keeping around for one more one
more year after twenty twenty four,but that's that's a big maybe. I

(01:37:38):
definitely wouldn't be keeping Jack burn around. It's too injury free, you know.
I'd definitely be keeping keeping these youngyoung fellows, the Couchman brother Couchman
brothers, I've got a very highopinion of and and guys like sa Valio
Demale who's coming into our top thirtynext year. So there's some young blokes
there that you keep around. Alec, how many how many new recruits then,

(01:38:04):
mate? Just roughly just about justabout all of them? Might again,
well, I think we need twentynew players that aren't currently at the
club by twenty twenty five. MWe'll see how that players out all right,
Well before I sign off. I'lljust go to Jesse because I know

(01:38:27):
you you've You've definitely got one morething to talk about. Usually just throw
your hand up during my exit whatdo you What do you got? I'll
get to you early, I do. I was gonna ask you guys on
potentially having well you went on theother night when we were discussing it.
We're gonna have it. A lotof the guys are on board of having

(01:38:50):
a board for the finals. Whatdo you do? You like it?
That's actually in my outro. Butyou guys want to do it, you
can do it. I think Idon't know. Well, I think we
might need to talk talking about ita little bit more off here, but
I think I'll be taking a bitof a break. You guys can keep

(01:39:11):
doing a final show if you want, but if we're not talking about the
Dragons and yeah, I don't wantto talk about other teams having success,
just depressed me, all right?Once again, like to thank everyone's tuned
in for tonight's show. I knowthat many of the others on the panel
do want to keep it going withthe show through through finals, and I'd

(01:39:32):
like to do something a bit quickerthan the normal normal vault in our old
w but I'm not totally sold onthe idea of a full final show.
At the very least, we willbe back for the Player of the Year
special after the Grand Final, sothat might do us for a little while

(01:39:53):
here on the Mad Dragons vodcast.We'll see you for the Player of the
Year special. At the very least, say thanks. We say thanks to
you too, Donnie, Donnie thinkthanks to you mate as well too.
Mate. So they're doing everything youcan never just get a come on Dragons
far I'm out of the end.Thanks to you mate for everything of you,

(01:40:15):
mate, all the work that's involvedand all that bloody champion Donnie,
thank you bloody legs and stuff.Mate, the hours you're put in and
everything. I know people realize wehave an agenda and how much is involved
when you you know when you're runningit. So mate, thank you for
what you do. Mate. Fourback bigger at better next year. Yeah

(01:40:41):
that's right. Oh, come onDragons fans, or that's gonna be the
weakest when you've ever done. Yeah, let's get it's m oh I side

(01:41:06):
posie time post I see play ms I this was the right PA.

(01:41:42):
Did I take Pat