2026 Recruitment And Retention

Just had a look at the Dogs forum to see the meltdown after yesterday. There’s a poster who claims to pass on inside info; can’t vouch for his strike rate at all but people seem to listen to him. When the Ponga rumour popped up last week he said he didn't buy it unless it was being kept completely quiet, now today he’s come back saying he's been told the Dogs are in fact very keen and he can see it happening.
 
mullenmagic said:
Just had a look at the Dogs forum to see the meltdown after yesterday. There’s a poster who claims to pass on inside info; can’t vouch for his strike rate at all but people seem to listen to him. When the Ponga rumour popped up last week he said he didn't buy it unless it was being kept completely quiet, now today he’s come back saying he's been told the Dogs are in fact very keen and he can see it happening.
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Sure, as long as Crighton is being swapped. Would never happen but he's the type of natural leader we have a desperate need for
 
0 chance its happening, theyre full of copium. Unless its a massive elite deal with us getting at least Pongas worth in elite talent with either 9, 7 or 1 inclusive.
 
cheese said:
Sure, as long as Crighton is being swapped. Would never happen but he's the type of natural leader we have a desperate need for
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Crichton the leader is an ephemeral thing that can’t be quantified, Crichton the player is a $1 million luxury who’s the icing on the cake that’s already good. We don’t need that. We need a stronger, more stable cake.
 
Tino is on the short list of players I'd consider letting Kalyn go for if we could guarantee that's what we'd do with the money. I'm actually not a huuuuge fan of him like a player like a lot of others are - I think he's overpaid - but yeah... we would go from a pack with some question marks against it to one of the better packs in the comp straight away. J Saf has always been built to be your second best middle, not #1.
 
HarVeeGee13 said:
Tino is on the short list of players I'd consider letting Kalyn go for if we could guarantee that's what we'd do with the money. I'm actually not a huuuuge fan of him like a player like a lot of others are - I think he's overpaid - but yeah... we would go from a pack with some question marks against it to one of the better packs in the comp straight away. J Saf has always been built to be your second best middle, not #1.
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I agree would literally change our fortunes
 
Tino plays about 10 games a year. No thanks. And if the Dogs want Ponga they'll need to trade their best forward, alternatively they can go and get ****ed, he's contracted until 2027
 
He had one season ending injury but otherwise has very good availability for a starting middle. Factor in that he’s missing usually 2 games a season to play Origin.

What Bulldogs forwards would we ask for for Kalyn? Max King & Kikau? Curran? We should be able to develop players like King & Curran, without trading guys for them.
 
Les Misérables said:
Tino plays about 10 games a year. No thanks. And if the Dogs want Ponga they'll need to trade their best forward, alternatively they can go and get ****ed, he's contracted until 2027
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He has only played less than 19 games twice in his career and one of those was his debut year and the other was a season ending injury
 
Have not seen enough of Lachie Fitz play lately to know if he could still cope with the NRL but yeah if he can, a smart club would now pick him up on the cheap. Even if he can just start and play for 30 minutes, that would be handy.

Could then get the minute allocation to something like:

8. J Saf (45-ish)
9. Crossland (80 at hooker, or 30-50 at hooker and 30 at lock)
10. Saulo (45-ish)
11. Lucas (80)
12. Fitz (30)
13. Mooney (50)

14. Graham/Arthur (40-50 at hooker) or Gamble (30 at lock)
15. Frizell (45ish)
16. McEwen (50, edge)
17. Whichever other middle or Manulelua as an 'impact' middle - 20-25 mins.

Gives some flexibility in case of injury too. Smarter blokes than me figure out how it's all rotated but definitely we've had middles overburdened by their workload this year AND edges struggling with playing 80.
 
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HarVeeGee13 said:
Have not seen enough of Lachie Fitz play lately to know if he could still cope with the NRL but yeah if he can, a smart club would now pick him up on the cheap. Even if he can just start and play for 30 minutes, that would be handy.

Could then get the minute allocation to something like:

8. J Saf (45-ish)
9. Crossland (80 at hooker, or 30-50 at hooker and 30 at lock)
10. Saulo (45-ish)
11. Lucas (80)
12. Fitz (30)
13. Mooney (50)

14. Graham/Arthur (40-50 at hooker) or Gamble (30 at lock)
15. Frizell (45ish)
16. McEwen (50, edge)
17. Whichever other middle or Manulelua as an 'impact' middle - 20-25 mins.

Gives some flexibility in case of injury too. Smarter blokes than me figure out how it's all rotated but definitely we've had middles overburdened by their workload this year AND edges struggling with playing 80.
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Yeah also not sure how he's going, but googling him a few recent sin-binnings come up, so on that aspect he hasn't changed lol.

He didn't seem on the decline when he left, his final season with us was his best by miles.
 
jamesgould said:
Yeah also not sure how he's going, but googling him a few recent sin-binnings come up, so on that aspect he hasn't changed lol.

He didn't seem on the decline when he left, his final season with us was his best by miles.
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I think he played his best footy in 2016 to 2019

But he is 32 he’d be perfect for cup and as a fill in.
 
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