Urgent Dragons questions after legend's spray

2 years ago 87

The past fewer weeks person been tumultuous for the St George Illawarra Dragons, with the affirmative caller of Ben Hunt's retention offset by some civilization and roster issues - with 1 nine fable slamming the existent authorities of affairs.

On Monday, the nine confirmed that they'd released prop George Burgess, and announced the signing of Wests Tigers guardant Zane Musgrove.

The merchandise of Burgess wasn't shocking fixed his deficiency of archetypal people playing time, but it highlighted the main occupation they've suffered since Ben Hunt arrived astatine the nine - outer recruitment.

The different occupation is that questions implicit the club's enactment and determination making person lingered - with the nine taking the unusual measurement of sacking Anthony Griffin's assistants, but keeping the main man.

And it's surely ne'er a bully motion erstwhile erstwhile greats commencement publically calling retired the club.

Matt Cooper, who won a contention with the Dragons successful 2010 and is 1 of the associated venture's best-ever players, said connected Twitter connected Monday that the nine had mislaid each loyalty and honour successful the post-Wayne Bennett era.

The latest snafu came a fortnight agone erstwhile it was revealed that lone 3 players had attended the club's awards night- and Cooper said helium couldn't blasted immoderate players for staying away.

It came aft a frustrating extremity to the play - the squad looked to beryllium heading towards the finals aft they dismantled Souths and won a arguable crippled against the Raiders successful aboriginal July, but mislaid 5 of their adjacent six to tumble wholly retired of contention earlier winning their past 3 games and finishing 10th.

The Dragons should beryllium better. Enough pieces are there.

Hunt is coming disconnected arguably the champion play of his career, Jack Bird has rediscovered the subordinate helium was for the Sharks erstwhile they won the premiership successful 2016.

Cody Ramsey proved to beryllium a revelation astatine fullback, Mikaele Ravalawa and Zac Lomax would locomotion into astir NRL backlines, and Talatau Amone continues to improve. The second 2 are section juniors portion the 2 erstwhile each made their archetypal people debuts astatine the club.

Hunt and Bird are among plentifulness of players to re-sign successful the past mates of months, on with Blake Lawrie, Jayden Sullivan (although the re-signing of Hunt near Sullivan seeking a release Tyrell Sloan, Jaiyden Hunt, Michael Molo and Max and Mat Feagai.

Developing endowment hasn't been a problem. It's nailing outer recruits that they've been incapable to do.

Since Hunt and James Graham arrived successful the aforesaid off-season, Saints recruitment strategy has been questionable astatine best.

Aside from Corey Norman, whose tenure ended precise inauspiciously, the remainder of their large sanction signings were implicit 30 and mostly failed to marque an impact.

Burgess aside, Issac Luke played conscionable 3 games successful 2020 earlier moving to the Broncos. Trent Merrin's instrumentality to the nine was obscurity adjacent arsenic fruitful arsenic his archetypal stint.

Andrew McCullough and Aaron Woods stay connected the books for 2022, but different seasoned successful Josh McGuire is already disconnected to the Super League.

Zane Musgrove and Jacob Liddle are their lone archetypal people signings to day for 2023 - suggesting they're banking connected their existing harvest of youngsters taking different measurement forward.

Hunt's retention is simply a wide indicator that the squad judge they tin triumph now, but not bringing successful immoderate large names to assistance bolster the squad sends a antithetic message.

The Dragons are a arrogant nine with a passionate fanbase, who person been pining for a instrumentality to the glory days since Wayne Bennett near the nine much than a decennary ago.

In the 11 years post-Bennett, they've played successful conscionable 3 finals games, losing two.

Hunt is simply a peculiar talent, but he's present 32, and clip is moving retired connected the nine making a heavy September tally with their talismanic No.7 inactive astatine the helm.

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