The Dragons’ recruitment drive has suffered another major blow as English half Jack Welsby opted against a move to the NRL to extend his deal at St Helens through to 2027.
Welsby, already the best player in the Super League at the age of 22, was heavily linked with both the Dragons and Dolphins, with new St George Illawarra coach Shane Flanagan making public overtures towards him in recent weeks.
Welsby is the English Test five-eighth and fullback,” Flanagan told News Corp.
“He is only young so could come over here and have a long career.
“We are definitely looking outside the square and have gone as far as going to the UK with Jack Welsby. We’ve expressed some interest there and made contact with his manager.
“He is a super talent with attacking brilliance. We know there will be a lot of interest when he comes off contract but we might have to push now to see if we can get him.
“In the World Cup, he was outstanding. Even Benny Hunt said he was hard to handle when Australia played them.
“The challenge is getting some of those English players out of their country. Once they’re here they love it but getting them here is the challenge.”
Perhaps Welsby read the quotes and wondered how serious Flanagan was: England didn’t face Australia at the World Cup.
His contract was set to expire in 2025, which would have sparked a feeding frenzy among NRL clubs in a rapidly diminishing halves market.
This extension does not close the door permanently, but it would take a gargantuan fee to convince Saints to part with the man they are now planning to build a team around.
The Warriors paid £700,000 – over a million dollars – in 2013, and anyone looking to prise Welsby out of the Super League would almost certainly have to beat that now.
Indeed, many in England think that the extension has been signed to force NRL clubs to pay a transfer fee, with the player himself perhaps not intending to see out his contract if a good enough offer came in.
For the Dragons, it is a third kick in a week and leaves them scrambling further for a new half.
On Tuesday, they were hit by the double blow of Tom Dearden, one of their major targets, extending with the Cowboys and Junior Amone, their current five eighth, being served with a breach notice by the NRL, starting the process of deregistering his contract following his assault conviction.
In between, key front row target Addin Fonua-Blake was revealed to have rejected a move to St George Illawarra in favour of their great rivals, the Cronulla Sharks.
Choppy Zezers
Roar Rookie
:stoked: :stoked: :stoked:
aerial lizard
Roar Rookie
Andrew I'm just hoping for a few wins and an attitude change, sick of the club feeding false hope like a carrot on a stick. What hope have we really when most supporters align themselves to Kogarah or The 'Gong factions? Remember, "no I in team!" Still hoping for a Tigers style broom through the front office actually.
aerial lizard
Roar Rookie
I'm northern NSW so painful getting to games to watch losses, too gut wrenchingly depressing. Just checked the package, one of the "faithful" too.
Phil McKraken
Roar Rookie
Dragons need at least two good Seasons to become a credible place for potential recruits. They need to either secure a few good wins against some of the top sides when those sides are at full strength and obviously squeezing into the finals would be a huge bonus. If they can demonstrate that they are a club on the up with good up and coming young players, they’ll be an attractive club. The biggest long term issue they face which is the same issue facing the West Tigers, is the geographical pull between two distinct geographical locations. Surely, Dragons future belongs in the Illawarra (juniors, emerging fans) but it is almost impossible to see a CEO or the Board having the courage to pull up roots from the Ancestral/Historic roots of the St George District.
andrew
Roar Rookie
I renewed also. I’m an interstate member, Dragons Faithful it’s called. I’m confident they’ll have more wins than last year.
aerial lizard
Roar Rookie
I didn't cancel mine for 2024 in the hope they beat someone.
aerial lizard
Roar Rookie
"A tort" might have been the appropriate response.
Robbo
Roar Rookie
Yay...Volkman :unhappy: Welcome aboard lad - time to make a name for yourself. Let's see what you got
andrew
Roar Rookie
Membership for 2024 is just over 10.500 at the moment.
andrew
Roar Rookie
I couldn't even remember Richie Williams. Reading the link he had as much talent as a player as Richie Cunningham. Can't believe Sharon Woods is going round with Manly again.
Redcap
Roar Guru
But if they're timeless then there's no need to go back in time, then go back to the future, and so on. By definition Dufty, Williams, Et Al are omnipotent and exist simultaneously at every point in time, therefore only really existing as an essence or spirit at any given point, ensuring the Dragons will produce many more players blessed with the 'immortal' qualities of Dufty and the rhetorical brilliance of Williams. In other words, we're doomed. :happy:
aerial lizard
Roar Rookie
More pain for long suffering supporters. I wonder how membership numbers are looking? I know a couple who have stopped membership due to the team being so poor.
Choppy Zezers
Roar Rookie
Time to go back to the future and bring back some timeless Immortals for the club. I'm taking Dufty, Sharon Woods, Josh Dugan and this bloke, Richie Williams. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.theroar.com.au/2016/12/03/nrl-friday-flashbacks-richie-williams/amp/
Tony
Roar Guru
I prefer I want to catch Mr Whitlam with his pants down. which, I presume, preceded the Memphis trouser affair :happy:
BigGordon
Roar Rookie
Yeah, I don't recall Malcolm or his mates struggling with life too much at the time
SSTID
Roar Rookie
A person or organisation who fails to learn from their past errors is destined to repeat them. Richardson is his own man and as the article stated - a man with a big ego. He was brought in to do a job and he completed that job, such that Souths are now considered a "powerhouse" team. You and I don't know the exact reasons why he left, but I would say that he left to pursue newer and bigger goals (as alluded to by Andrew). I heard it said that he loves turning around struggling clubs, but maybe he thought that with such a toxic board, the Red V was just an impossible task.
Tony
Roar Guru
A "taut"? Was that a schoolboy spelling error or a malapropism? :laughing: What a failed club who lets a good manager slip through their fingers. Surely a question for the Rabbitohs rather than the Dragons. :laughing:
SSTID
Roar Rookie
For a person who likes to make multiple comment on two flies crawling up a wall, you have been very quiet on this story on your team. No ideas or brilliant suggestions for how the Red V can get out its hole??? The best you can come up with a schoolboy taut. I thought you didn't care what I thought. I guess you do care - how touching. Must be the Xmas spirit; or the ghosts of Xmas past and future.
andrew
Roar Rookie
The same Shane Richardson who's heading the Firehawks to be the next team in the NRL.
Tony
Roar Guru
Is that the same Shane Richardson who Souths let go?