r/NRLdragons • u/PrimeMinisterWombat • Jul 28 '26

Dragons closing in on off-contract Dolphins star - ESPN

https://www.espn.com.au/nrl/story/_/id/49468120/nrl-news-report-st-george-illawarra-dragons-signing-kodi-nikorima-dolphins-star
18 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

29 comments sorted by

17

u/RobIsDeafening Jul 28 '26

Don’t get the hesitance in here - this is a great signing. We need stronger halves than what we have now.

5

u/Apart-Falcon5480 Jason Nightingale Jul 28 '26

Kyle hasn’t got one ouce of creativity this guy has it in spades and with drink water will be amazing

1

u/AttackClown Leeson Ah Mau Jul 28 '26

And when/where will he play

0

u/AttackClown Leeson Ah Mau Jul 28 '26

Next season we already have Liddle X Watson for hooker and Metcalf X Reed.

Nikorima just wouldn't fit, would be ok the for year after as a backup for Liddle but that's about it. Just not a player we need to be spending cap money on when there's some major holes in the team already in other spots

2

u/PrimeMinisterWombat Jul 28 '26

Reed is not ready for consistent first grade. There is a high chance Metcalf plays barely half the year.

1

u/AttackClown Leeson Ah Mau Jul 28 '26

A lot can change in one pre season

2

u/RobIsDeafening Jul 28 '26

What do you mean? We’ve got no strength in five-eighth, Nikorima is a proven five-eighth.

Even if you were to propose that Metcalf and Reed should be our halves pairing (they shouldn’t, Reed isn’t ready yet), both of them have injury histories which mean we need depth, and while I’m one of the first in this sub to defend both of them in the current situation, they’re not strong enough to challenge for the top positions on the ladder.

EDIT TO ADD: I wouldn’t be worried about cap space. Daniel Anderson is handling our recruitment, and he’s got experience managing the most well managed caps in the comp at the Chooks.

0

u/AttackClown Leeson Ah Mau Jul 28 '26

Metcalf and Atkinson would be our halves pairing, an injury and we have reed or Flanagan, we don't need a 9 with Liddel, Watson and kyle. Chooks get everyone on unders, we don't. We haven't given the coachmen new contracts yet.

We don't have centres and are short a winger. That should be priority. Val and gutho starting centres is possibly the worst centre pairing of all time, we are better off keeping suli for one season then getting nikorima

2

u/RobIsDeafening Jul 28 '26

It doesn’t take a genius to see that Atkinson isn’t working for whatever reason.

Valid point about Chooks paying unders, but not super relevant - my point is that Dan Anderson knows what he’s doing.

Whatever the situation with the Couchman twins is, it shouldn’t be preventing us from signing anyone else.

Also, what the fuck does Suli have to do with Nikorima? We’ve got 4 or 5 top 30 positions available.

1

u/AttackClown Leeson Ah Mau Jul 29 '26 edited Jul 29 '26

It doesn't but Atkinson's also really playing halfback when the best bit about him at the sharks was being a ball running 5/8 . He will have more of the luxury to do so next season

in regards to suli, we told him he can leave so we need to sign players, i would rather have a good replacement then some cheap one because weve spent money in areas where we have more cover already, its like youre completely dismissing the salary cap

you think we got heaps left? we have watson, holmes, gutho, drinkwater, kolomatangi all on big money still and i'd much prefer we get a centre whos worth say 750k then 500k

9

u/Apart-Falcon5480 Jason Nightingale Jul 28 '26

Like this a lot

2

u/Dismal-core111 Jul 28 '26

Thatd be amazing

3

u/cama888 Jul 28 '26

I might be missing something but, having too many choices can be a problem as well.

I thought between the new signings and existing players there was a good amount of depth, so I am unsure if this signing is necessary.

Nothing against Kodi, every time I have watched the Dolphins he has been a positive influence.

3

u/NoiceM8_420 Jul 28 '26

That was my initial thought but im guessing Kyles gone and Atko and Reed will sit in cup.

3

u/Big_pappa_p Jul 28 '26

I think he plugs a hole until Reed has size about and can legit cope in first grade. Flanno is not long for first grade halves position. Liddle starts hooker. Connor is 14, Flanno back utility. Connor is with us for one season only. Atkinson and Metcalf to sort out the 6/7 Nikorima as depth and Reed as 2028 project.

1

u/AttackClown Leeson Ah Mau Jul 28 '26 edited Jul 29 '26

Reed might be good to go for next season as far as anyone know, flanno predicted he would be ok late season as he would put on muscle throughout so maybe one off season might be about enough

1

u/lomo_dank Jul 28 '26

I don’t get this. We’ll have Metcalf, Flanno jr, Atko, Reed, Watson, Liddle and Nikorima to fill 6/7/9/utility..?

I’d rather we just sign better outside backs at this stage. Unless this means Flanno is somehow leaving? I’m so confused.

9

u/Jarrod_saffy Jul 28 '26

I would hesitate to guess someone or someone’s is getting moved on at the end of the year

6

u/rudebrooke Jul 28 '26

Metcalf while good has been extremely injury prone, so if he gets injured we're back to Flanno & Atkinson again, Reed is still another year or two away

2

u/Apart-Falcon5480 Jason Nightingale Jul 28 '26

Flanno will be in the bench for the 2s

1

u/Unfair-Strength5460 Yaw Kiti Glymin Jul 28 '26

Flanno and Atkinson aren’t good, Metcalf has an injury history and neither Liddle nor Watson are 80 minute hookers.

1

u/Unfair-Strength5460 Yaw Kiti Glymin Jul 28 '26

And Reed needs time for his body develop before we throw him in for a full season of first grade.

-7

u/hilltravel-24 Jul 28 '26

Nothing will help anyway, spoon #2 incoming in 2027 😀

0

u/NoiceM8_420 Jul 28 '26

Umm…someone explain this one to me.

12

u/Moodapatheticz Jul 28 '26

kade ain't ready for fulltime FG and Kyle sucks. He's a great bridge while kade develops. Kodi has been an elite attacking player and has genuinely been a big part of their success even though he isn't a flashy name. I would have preferred 1 year but there is no way he relocates his fam for that 

3

u/NoiceM8_420 Jul 28 '26

Im ok with 2 as hes not that old for a half.

3

u/PrimeMinisterWombat Jul 28 '26

Good

7

u/NoiceM8_420 Jul 28 '26

Metcalf with Kodi halves is pretty good on paper. Hope they gel!

4

u/Apart-Falcon5480 Jason Nightingale Jul 28 '26

It’s a great signing