The Dragons have already misplaced two gamers forward of the 2023 season and now face an enormous prime 30 headache with the common season kicking off in solely 31 days.
According to The Daily Telegraph’s Phil Rothfield, the St George Illawarra membership solely have 27 gamers of their prime 30 squad.
Fullback Cody Ramsey has additionally been dominated out for the season whereas he recovers from ulcerative colitis sickness, whereas five-eighth Junior Amone has been stood down after he was hit with a raft of costs referring to an alleged hammer assault.
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Both Ramsey and Amone are part of the 27 gamers signed, leaving Anthony Griffin with solely 25 gamers out there to take the sector.
As per NRL guidelines, each membership should have 30 gamers signed to their first grade squad, however because it stands the Dragons must make a handful of signings earlier than March 2.
The Red V even have “plenty of cash” to spend based on Rothfield and have additionally requested wage cap aid as Amone fights his assault costs.
“Their roster is a really interesting story, all listeners know you need a 30 man roster, and most clubs have signed 28 or 29 by now, I know the Melbourne Storm have closed their books,” Rothfield stated on the Big Sports Breakfast.
“But the Dragons have signed 27, but included in those positions are Cody Ramsey, who has been ruled out for the season, and Junior Amone who is facing very serious assault charges and his availability will be determined by the courts over the next couple of months.
“As it stands now, the Dragons need five new players to fill that 30 man squad, with Amone gone Jayden Sullivan will play five-eighth and Tyrell Sloan fullback for Cody Ramsey.
“But without those five players there are serious questions about their depth, you look around and there’s not at this stage (players out there), I think there’s 31 sleeps to go until the competition starts.
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“There will be movement during the trials, there’ll be fallouts and roster tightening, you can see all the action at Canterbury at the moment with players being moved and signed.
“Look they have plenty of cash, it is a good position to be in, but you know the Dolphins are competing with them, they have four spots open.
“Anthony Griffin certainly has to get that roster sorted ASAP.”
Head coach Anthony Griffin’s place additionally got here beneath the microscope final season after the Dragons didn’t make the finals.
Superstar playmaker Ben Hunt admitted after the 2022 season, if his aspect didn’t begin robust, Griffin can be going through the axe.
The Dragons’ membership tradition additionally was closely criticised after solely three gamers attended the annual presentation night time, whereas each Tyrell Sloan and Jayden Sullivan reportedly put in requests for an early launch earlier than withdrawing them.
However, based on Rothfield Griffin is backing himself to final the season and return his crew to finals soccer.
Griffin additionally believes there are not any points concerning the membership’s tradition.
“I put it to him, I said ‘mate, you’ve got eight games’ and he said ‘no I don’t, I have 24 games’,” Rothfield stated.
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“He’s really confident, and look if the board was confident in ‘Hook’ they would have extended him, but he’s starting the season well and truly under the pump.
“Same as Adam O’Brien in Newcastle, Justin Holbrook, Kevin Walters, you look at the coaches and we lose three or four every year.
“The interesting part of the story I found, he was really confident there was nothing wrong with the culture.
“Last year… only three players turned up to their presentation night, Ben Hunt, Zac Lomax and Michael Molo, the interesting thing ‘Hook’ said, he organised a Christmas party in December at a south coast surf club, he told all the players.
“150 turned up, every single player, every wife, partner, child, all the board, all the senior management.
“He walked out of that function convinced what happened at the presentation night was just, you know all these players were unavailable five weeks after the season and that he does have a rock solid group there that let their hair down that night.”
Source web site: www.foxsports.com.au
