Latest news with #Dragons
Sydney Morning Herald
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Can the Roosters be stopped? NRLW Weekly
This week on NRLW Weekly, we're diving deep into whether anyone can truly stop the dominant Sydney Roosters as they continue to strengthen their squad. Plus, we chat with Dragons star Ella Koster about their recent form and her rise to the top. We'll also be giving away Magic Round tickets, sharing what caught our sideline eye (including Marlee's mechanical bull adventure!), and answering your listener questions before wrapping up with our Round 4 tips It's all thanks to Lite N Easy and Harvey Norman.
The Age
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
Can the Roosters be stopped? NRLW Weekly
This week on NRLW Weekly, we're diving deep into whether anyone can truly stop the dominant Sydney Roosters as they continue to strengthen their squad. Plus, we chat with Dragons star Ella Koster about their recent form and her rise to the top. We'll also be giving away Magic Round tickets, sharing what caught our sideline eye (including Marlee's mechanical bull adventure!), and answering your listener questions before wrapping up with our Round 4 tips It's all thanks to Lite N Easy and Harvey Norman.
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Joel Tomkins pledges to end Catalans' ‘retirement home' tag after becoming coach
JOEL Tomkins has vowed to end Catalans' retirement home reputation as he looks to get them back to the top. And the dual-code England international will take bits from coaches he has worked with in union and league. Advertisement 2 Joel Tomkins has promised to look younger for NRL talent after landing the Catalans coaching job Credit: The 38-year-old has been handed the job of replacing Steve McNamara as boss until the end of 2027. Top of his list is turning around the Perpignan-based Dragons, who have spent big and delivered little. A big part of that is switching the way it will target stars from the NRL. Tomkins said: 'The recruitment model moving forward is changing quite a lot, we're looking at the younger generation. Advertisement 'It's quite obvious to see there are a lot of guys who've come from the NRL and are at the end of their careers, looking to play the last couple of years in France then retiring on the back of it. 'We're looking at guys who are still on the upwards slope, who are still climbing, who are coming over with a different mentality. MOST READ IN RUGBY LEAGUE Exclusive Exclusive Exclusive 'They'd want to develop a reputation and either go back to the NRL as an NRL player or stay here long-term. 'The big one is we're avoiding those players who are coming to the end of their careers. We're looking at the other end. Advertisement Most read in Rugby League 'The average age of our top 20 players this year is over 31-years-old – we're looking at bringing that down to 26 or 27. 'You'll see that change over the coming weeks and months.' Tomkins will not have little brother Sam on his staff as he is going into the media after he re-retires at the end of the season. 2 Tomkins ended his own playing career with a stint at the Dragons Credit: Advertisement And after working with big name bosses in his playing days, he will use one trait that unites them all into his coaching career. He added: "I've spent a lot of time thinking about that over the last couple of years. 'I was really lucky to work under some of the top coaches in the world – Michael Maguire and Shaun Wane in league, Mark McCall and Stuart Lancaster in union. 'I also worked under Steve McNamara as a player and a coach and the thing the best coaches had was honesty and integrity. Advertisement 'I'll be honest and upfront with the players. I'll tell them when they're doing well but I won't be afraid of having those awkward conversations when they're not. 'The integrity side means it doesn't matter what someone's being paid or what they've done in their career. You pick your team on who's playing the best rugby – not names or pay packets.'
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Joel Tomkins pledges to end Catalans' ‘retirement home' tag after becoming coach
Dragons' new chief promises new attitude when it comes to recruitment OLD OFF Joel Tomkins pledges to end Catalans' 'retirement home' tag after becoming coach Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) JOEL Tomkins has vowed to end Catalans' retirement home reputation as he looks to get them back to the top. And the dual-code England international will take bits from coaches he has worked with in union and league. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Joel Tomkins has promised to look younger for NRL talent after landing the Catalans coaching job Credit: The 38-year-old has been handed the job of replacing Steve McNamara as boss until the end of 2027. Top of his list is turning around the Perpignan-based Dragons, who have spent big and delivered little. A big part of that is switching the way it will target stars from the NRL. Tomkins said: 'The recruitment model moving forward is changing quite a lot, we're looking at the younger generation. 'It's quite obvious to see there are a lot of guys who've come from the NRL and are at the end of their careers, looking to play the last couple of years in France then retiring on the back of it. 'We're looking at guys who are still on the upwards slope, who are still climbing, who are coming over with a different mentality. 'They'd want to develop a reputation and either go back to the NRL as an NRL player or stay here long-term. 'The big one is we're avoiding those players who are coming to the end of their careers. We're looking at the other end. 'The average age of our top 20 players this year is over 31-years-old – we're looking at bringing that down to 26 or 27. 'You'll see that change over the coming weeks and months.' Tomkins will not have little brother Sam on his staff as he is going into the media after he re-retires at the end of the season. 2 Tomkins ended his own playing career with a stint at the Dragons Credit: And after working with big name bosses in his playing days, he will use one trait that unites them all into his coaching career. He added: "I've spent a lot of time thinking about that over the last couple of years. 'I was really lucky to work under some of the top coaches in the world – Michael Maguire and Shaun Wane in league, Mark McCall and Stuart Lancaster in union. 'I also worked under Steve McNamara as a player and a coach and the thing the best coaches had was honesty and integrity. 'I'll be honest and upfront with the players. I'll tell them when they're doing well but I won't be afraid of having those awkward conversations when they're not. 'The integrity side means it doesn't matter what someone's being paid or what they've done in their career. You pick your team on who's playing the best rugby – not names or pay packets.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
NRL news: Major blow for Panthers as Dragons confirm signing of highly-rated brothers from Penrith
Ivan Cleary has previously called for NRL clubs to be compensated when their junior ranks are raided. The Dragons have confirmed the signings of twin 16-year-olds Alexander and Cornelius Pupualii in a major retention blow for the Penrith Panthers. The Pupualii twins are Panthers juniors, and highly-rated prospects. Cornelius is a 193cm-tall centre weighing in at 100kg, who the Dragons view as a long-term member of their back-line. Alexander is a 119kg second-rower, who has unfortunately missed all junior footy this season due to an ACL injury. Cornelius has been carving up in the Panthers' Harold Matthews Cup team (Under-17s). The twins are set to turn 17 later this year, and the Dragons believe they will be part of their first-grade squad for years to come. Ivan Cleary (L) and the Panthers have lost a talented duo to Shane Flanagan (R) and the Dragons. Image: Getty "The Dragons are pleased to confirm that talented teenagers Alexander and Cornelius Pupualii have agreed to deals with the club," St George Illawarra said in a statement on Tuesday. "The two will be contracted to the club until at least the end of the 2027 season." ADVERTISEMENT The Pupualii brothers grew up in Mount Druitt and played their junior rugby league with the St Marys Saints - in the heartland of Panthers territory. But Penrith had a fight on their hands to retain them, with the Raiders, Rabbitohs, Tigers, Sharks and Cowboys all expressing interest. But the Dragons ultimately won out after the twins and their parents met with coach Shane Flanagan. 'I'm grateful. I just want to give back to my family. I'm ready to work hard and I'm ready to pull on this jersey,' Alexander said via the Dragons website. Cornelius added: 'I have faith in this club's coaching staff and players. There is so much history here. We're both for the fans and can't wait to represent them.' Alexander and Cornelius Pupualii at Dragons headquarters. Hope for Dragons fans amid finals drought The Dragons are set to play the Pupualii twins at SG Ball Cup level (Under-19s) in 2026. Their signing is a massive boost for a struggling club, with the Dragons currently sitting 11th and little chance to play finals footy. ADVERTISEMENT The Red V haven't played finals footy since 2018, with Flanagan likely to miss the playoffs in his second year at the helm. However the Dragons have a good crop of youngsters coming through in the likes of Dylan Egan, Hamish Stewart, Lyhkan King-Togia, Loko Pasifiki Tonga and Jacob Halangahu. The Pupualii brothers will only strengthen their young core and give Red V fans plenty of hope. RELATED: Ivan Cleary wants compensation for Penrith juniors leaving As for the Panthers, it remains to be seen how highly they rated the twins. The Panthers have one of the best junior pathways systems in the NRL, which inevitably results in rival clubs poaching some of their best young talent. ADVERTISEMENT Speaking last year, coach Ivan Cleary called for the NRL to introduce a compensation system for when clubs have their junior ranks raided. "I think we should get dispensation, probably more in a development sense," Cleary said. "We develop a lot of players here that end up elsewhere, so I feel like we should get looked after more by the NRL in that space, apart from the salary cap and how it all works, it's hard to argue with. But I do think we should be compensated in some way for the amount of players we've developed and the status they've become throughout the league."
