SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – MAY 21: Max Feagai of the Dragons celebrates with team mates after scoring a try during the round 11 NRL match between the Cronulla Sharks and the St George Illawarra Dragons at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium on May 21, 2021, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
St George Illawarra Dragons CEO Ryan Webb has revealed the club are focusing on retention rather than outside recruitment at the present time, with another signing to be made in the coming days.
The club, who have employed Shane Flanagan in a recruitment consultancy role currently, have already re-signed Jack Bird, Jaiyden Hunt, Blake Lawrie and Jayden Sullivan on new deals this year, as well as both Feagai brothers in Mathew and Max.
Concerningly for fans though, the club is yet to sign a player from outside the Red V system, although have lost Daniel Alvaro to Toulouse, and Tariq Sims to the Melbourne Storm, with the Origin second-rower to depart at the end of the season after being told late last year that his services wouldn’t be required beyond the end of the 2022 season.
Speaking on The Red V Podcast, Webb said the club is focusing on retention rather than recruitment at this stage.
“Shane [Flanagan] is doing a lot of work for us in that space,” Webb told the Red V Podcast.
“What we are focusing on is a lot of retention, and there will be another announcement in the coming days on another good result there.”
Dragons CEO Ryan Webb gives an update on player recruitment for the Red V in 2023, plus talks an upcoming re-signing. Hear the full chat on our podcast tomorrow night. #redv pic.twitter.com/byCmsW73wn
— Red V Podcast (@RedVPodcast1) June 20, 2022
The club’s current off-contract list at the end of this year includes Billy Burns, Poasa Faamausili, Jackson Ford, Jack Gosiewski, Josh McGuire, Tautau Moga, Michael Molo, Shalom O’Ofou and Jonathon Reuben, however, it’s Talatau Amone – off-contract at the end of 2023 – who the club will be desperate to lock up on a long deal.
The young five-eighth has grown into his role alongside Ben Hunt in the halves this year and has reportedly already been circled by Wayne Bennett and the Dolphins, who are building a squad in Redcliffe for their inaugural 2023 season.
While fans will rightly point out that the club hasn’t made a big-name signing for 2023, something that is of concern given their current status around the edge of the top eight, the Dragons have been burned before on signings.
Webb confirmed that the club was having “a lot of conversations” indicating that signings could be in the works, but that “big names” weren’t on the radar right now.
“There isn’t a lot of big-name players around at the moment if I’m really frank,” Webb said.
“The other issue that is causing a little bit of concern is that we still don’t have a set salary cap because you don’t want to over-commit in a lot of ways.
“We are having a lot of conversations – probably not any big names right now.”
The Dragons snuck into the top eight thanks to Thursday night’s shock 32-12 win over the South Sydney Rabbitohs, and will take on the Canberra Raiders next Sunday.
Source:: ZeroTackle
