Official 2024 NRL General Discussion

“Our focus is 2025,” he said. “We’ve made some changes in 2024 and we’re still looking for some players, but our real focus will be for 2025 and 2026. The goal is to compete right to the end and be in the semi-final race right to the end. We’re going to be a side that’s hard to beat and we’re going to try not to beat ourselves.”

Now that’s different: a coach admitting before the season starts not to expect too much. May as well book that trip to the Maldives in September, Dragons fans. Not much doing at home.

Flanagan’s candour, though, is to be admired. This is the first year of the club’s most important rebuild. It doesn’t have too many left to get right before fans start walking away.

Shane Flanagan has written off 2024 for the Dragons already. This is a good thing

This is the father’s chance to turn his son into the player he thinks he can be. It’s also his chance to show rugby league hasn’t passed him by. But neither will happen overnight.

www.smh.com.au

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egg said:

Unfortunately I can see Manly having a VERY strong team this year. IF Turbo stays healthy

Sea Eagles’ elephant in the room as fix to $1m NRL enigma emerges: Manly’s 2024 verdict

Sea Eagles’ elephant in the room as fix to $1m NRL enigma emerges: Manly’s 2024 verdict

www.foxsports.com.au

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Proud Shark said:

Luciano Leilua to face court for drink driving. Booked at 0.052. I know you have to draw a line somewhere, but that's gotta almost be the difference between finishing the dregs at the bottom of the glass or not.

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HaroldBishop said:

Yeah guess there has to be a line. Don't think there'd be much of a penalty for that though.

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Proud Shark said:

I'm sure some fox staff writers will put out the headline "former Tigers star caught driving drunk".

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HaroldBishop said:

Jesus you're cynical mate!

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NRL boss Andrew Abdo has started a major restructure of his executive team to align with the Australian Rugby League Commission’s strategy to grow the game with a focus on the Pacific.

Abdo has been working behind the scenes for the past couple of months on a shake-up designed to complement a strategy that is likely to see the introduction of a new team in the Pacific, with a focus on Papua New Guinea, as well as the growth of the women’s and international game. The NRL also has its sights set on a 20-team competition over the next decade.

Abdo is now in the process of executing a leadership restructure of the organisation as three senior executives depart the building. Staff were informed of the changes on Wednesday morning.

That restructure will include merging two executive general manager roles (fan experience/digital and partnerships).

Abdo has decided to combine the roles previously held by the long-serving executive Jaymes Boland-Rudder and Alexi Baker and will go to market for a new chief revenue officer.

The NRL will also restructure its communication and stakeholder relations portfolios.

Executive general manager of media and communications, Grant Williams, will finish up with the NRL after completing a short-term contract.

Williams had always planned to move on from the NRL this year, allowing for a restructure that will see former Australian Financial Review columnist Misha Zelinsky assume all communication and government relations responsibilities as the executive general manager of corporate affairs.

Zelinsky has been working with the NRL to assist with its push into Papua New Guinea as the government pushes for the license of the 18th team to be held in the rugby league-mad nation.

Andrew Every, who was in charge of participation, community and game development, will also finish up at the NRL and will be replaced in the interim by John Wilson.

Abdo shakes up executive team as NRL pushes towards a 20-team competition

Abdo is now in the final stages of executing a restructure of the organisation.

www.smh.com.au

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Andrew Every, who was in charge of participation, community and game development, will also finish up at the NRL and will be replaced in the interim by John Wilson.

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BurgoShark said:

I actually know the guy who was acting in this role in 2019-20 and was supposed to take it on full time until the **** hit the fan with Covid.

Half of the NRL got put on jobkeeper. He ended up being the bloke taking the Broncos temperature on game days

He's back in a senior development role with QRL now.

Hopefully a good move for the game. There are a lot of great 2018-19 initiatives that have been left on the table because there was no money and no people to carry them through. Kind of feels with juniors that we lost any development progress from 2020-23.

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bort said:

Better than being the manly one atm

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HaroldBishop said:

Quite refreshing from Flanno. Man he has one tough job ahead of him.

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Sparkles said:

You can only love him really

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Seenoevil said:

Brother of Knights star set for NRL debut in Sin City; Seibold’s big Schuster call: Rd 1 Team Tips

Brother of Knights star set for NRL debut; Seibold’s big Schuster call: Rd 1 Team Tips

www.foxsports.com.au

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Bonus points​

Sevshark said:

If the only interesting thing the media has to say about a young player is that they're really, really tall than I usually get a bit sceptical about their actual talent

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Proud Shark said:

Luciano Leilua to face court for drink driving. Booked at 0.052. I know you have to draw a line somewhere, but that's gotta almost be the difference between finishing the dregs at the bottom of the glass or not.

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Capital_Shark said:

Really tall usually folds in half pretty easy.

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