Host

[Dragonslayer]

After watching the replay, I thought Host had a solid game overall.

He was very keen to impress in the first 10 mins, probably too much, so hence the penalties etc. The dropped ball, well how many times do we see a regular first grader drop one similar to that. After the initiation he settled into the game pretty well, made some good tackles and wasn't shy to take it up.

I think after Sims came on the focus went off Host and he was able to relax more.

You need to compare the 2 young forwards out there yesterday.....Host and Asofa-Solomona......to get a feel of Host's future.

 

[SET2JT]

Anybody that is harshly critical of Host's performance has absolutely no idea.

He didn't get sat on his backside and he was more than capable of wrestling the bigger Storm forwards in the tackles.

The 2nd of the penalties he gave would have been most likely given by a more senior player in an attempt to slow the ruck down close to the line, so he effectively may hop stopped 6 points.

He has some energy and willing to run hard and the only mistake that was made was Mary's use of the bench as I think the young fellow should have had a bit more time in the 2nd half.

Considering we don't have any real forward leader setting an extremely high standard and we do all the 1 out stuff how will any forward we have really stand out.

Good luck to the kid and if he gets dropped after the Newcastle game when the full compliment is available to play that would be a huge mistake.

Maybe i am a bit harsh on him. From what ive read on this forum i expected to see a superstar, so maybe i had my expectations a bit to high.
I still believe he needs a full season in the cutters against grown men before we call him again in first grade.
I think our fowards this year has to be:
Packer Rein Ah Mau
Thommo Sims
De Belin
Res
Cooper Fizz Mathews Havilli

 

[hermidale1]

Considering he still qualifies for 20's, has played most of the season in the Cutters strongly, only playing his second NRL game starting against the best defensive team in the comp and one of the form forward packs minus Smith , he played strong.

 

[Wittenberg]

My Dad always argued that Price and MacGregor hurt juniors by not playing them. Host was average but how many of our forwards played equally average. Cooper had shockers in his first two games. Host may not be another star like Cooper but we need to show the juniors that one or two of them will get a go now and again. The theory of play them in the Cutters might be fine for some probably many. That theory worked with Bird (?) Sorry. Our young guys need to feel that they don't have to languish in the Cutters for one or two seasons or until someone retires. Confidence is a part of a kid's career path too and parking kids makes no sense. By the way MacGregor must go, sorry Dad, but he does.

 

[Forster Dragon]

Well said Wittenberg

 

[Dragonslayer]

My Dad always argued that Price and MacGregor hurt juniors by not playing them. Host was average but how many of our forwards played equally average. Cooper had shockers in his first two games. Host may not be another star like Cooper but we need to show the juniors that one or two of them will get a go now and again. The theory of play them in the Cutters might be fine for some probably many. That theory worked with Bird (?) Sorry. Our young guys need to feel that they don't have to languish in the Cutters for one or two seasons or until someone retires. Confidence is a part of a kid's career path too and parking kids makes no sense. By the way MacGregor must go, sorry Dad, but he does.

Hey young Witt, some good points there, particularly the pathways, our juniors need to see that there is light at the end of the tunnel. If not they will look to find it somewhere else.

 

[St Georgio]

Maybe i am a bit harsh on him. From what ive read on this forum i expected to see a superstar, so maybe i had my expectations a bit to high.
I still believe he needs a full season in the cutters against grown men before we call him again in first grade.
I think our fowards this year has to be:
Packer Rein Ah Mau
Thommo Sims
De Belin
Res
Cooper Fizz Mathews Havilli

Fizz has to be starting, De Belin or Sims would be benched!

 

[coast_dragons]

Funny if Bird had been given a go and had a shocker I bet the same would have been said about him.

 

[coast_dragons]

Friz off the bench seriously that is stupid.

Mathews at the moment is awful and is lucky Mose and Creagh are injured as he wouldn't see any first grade.

 

[TheRev]

There is no expectation that Host would walk int first grade and star. To think he would be as good as the other forwards is silly. However the key with rising talent is that you need to blood them and give them a taste of first grade otherwise how are they supposed to continue to develop. Seriously they should be looking at giving Host another 4 to 5 games before the end of the year coming off the bench.

Yep this is it.. dragons fans need to lower their expectations & stop assuming a young kid can just jump into first grade and play like they do at NSW Cup or 20s level.. many wont make it, some will.. but they need time, x100 if its a playmaking role. The coaching staff have made some development errors ill grant you (im pi$$ed off too), but they arent complete idiots.

o Host matched it physically last night with one of the best packs in the game, he just needs experience between the ears now, that happens on the field, he will get a few more games this year whether from the bench or otherwise, and hopefully step up again in 2017.

o Quite a different situation to Dufty though, he has to show he can handle NSW Cup sized bodies first.. he doesnt have the luxury of being a behometh who just has to grit his teeth & bash the ball up, hes a midget who will have responsibility for many facets of our Attack & Defence.

o Milne is the other one thrown up each week, I think we saw on Anzac day the flashes of skill, but plenty overwhelmed by the occasion too.. hes another kid that probably needs 6 weeks or so at the top grade, not necesarily in a row to see if he can step up to the pace of 1st grade.. problem is hes a right centre, and Aitken is a far better prospect.. and on the left, Mann/Dodd are standouts at cutters level in that position, Mann obviously now on the wing also temporarily but handling it well, but Duges is back soon... so to play Milne on his opposite side above Lafai, Mann or Dodd.. I mean thats a big call.. its not as easy as some fans would make out.

 

[TheRev]

Mathews at the moment is awful and is lucky Mose and Creagh are injured as he wouldn't see any first grade.

I was loving Matthews a month ago, esp when he filled in for Aitken at centre and killed it.. but last night I was rly dissapointed in him, even Marketo seemed to have more of an impact..

The Matthews we love hits like a road-train in defence.. and is handy carting the ball up..

I only think hes competing with Lui/Marketo though, Mose is probably 4 weeks off, Creagh im starting to worry about, the longer hes not mentioned in the weekly HPU update.. the more im starting to assume hes actually done for the season.

 

[mobels]

Though Host went well besides the 2 penalties he gave at the start which we'd put down to nerves and trying to overly impress, he made good metres every time he got the ball and it took quite a few defenders to put him down.

I'd have him starting on the bench every week at the expense of Marketo/Havilli, he can also play at Prop and Lock which is whats needed for our bench.

 

[Old Timer]

I was loving Matthews a month ago, esp when he filled in for Aitken at centre and killed it.. but last night I was rly dissapointed in him, even Marketo seemed to have more of an impact..

The Matthews we love hits like a road-train in defence.. and is handy carting the ball up..

I only think hes competing with Lui/Marketo though, Mose is probably 4 weeks off, Creagh im starting to worry about, the longer hes not mentioned in the weekly HPU update.. the more im starting to assume hes actually done for the season.

The lack of organisational skills is killing everything we do both forwards and backs.

The reason we don't have organisational skills is that the basic game plan is so simple

For the forwards : take a ticket 1 - 5 for the hit ups.

For the backs : we will crab side ways out of the halves so try and stay in when you get the ball and when we put a shit kick in you have to defend it and when we are in our own 20 give the forwards a breather.

No chance any player will ever shine when we have that as the script and everyone plays their role to the letter.

More complex game plan then maybe just maybe some players can show what they can actually do.

 

[SET2JT]

Fizz has to be starting, De Belin or Sims would be benched!

Reason why i went Frizz on the bench is so we have size on the field at all times. Currently when Packer and Ah Mau come off we get hammered.

 

[saintm]

Yep this is it.. dragons fans need to lower their expectations & stop assuming a young kid can just jump into first grade and play like they do at NSW Cup or 20s level.. many wont make it, some will.. but they need time, x100 if its a playmaking role. The coaching staff have made some development errors ill grant you (im pi$$ed off too), but they arent complete idiots.

o Host matched it physically last night with one of the best packs in the game, he just needs experience between the ears now, that happens on the field, he will get a few more games this year whether from the bench or otherwise, and hopefully step up again in 2017.

o Quite a different situation to Dufty though, he has to show he can handle NSW Cup sized bodies first.. he doesnt have the luxury of being a behometh who just has to grit his teeth & bash the ball up, hes a midget who will have responsibility for many facets of our Attack & Defence.

o Milne is the other one thrown up each week, I think we saw on Anzac day the flashes of skill, but plenty overwhelmed by the occasion too.. hes another kid that probably needs 6 weeks or so at the top grade, not necesarily in a row to see if he can step up to the pace of 1st grade.. problem is hes a right centre, and Aitken is a far better prospect.. and on the left, Mann/Dodd are standouts at cutters level in that position, Mann obviously now on the wing also temporarily but handling it well, but Duges is back soon... so to play Milne on his opposite side above Lafai, Mann or Dodd.. I mean thats a big call.. its not as easy as some fans would make out.

Why do you keep going on about dufty being a midget ,you just never let up about it .You are a f--kw-t hiding behind a keyboard

 

[watatank]

There is no expectation that Host would walk int first grade and star. To think he would be as good as the other forwards is silly. However the key with rising talent is that you need to blood them and give them a taste of first grade otherwise how are they supposed to continue to develop. Seriously they should be looking at giving Host another 4 to 5 games before the end of the year coming off the bench.

I think as far as juniors go we are starting to get back on track with development after the fiasco of losing Bird and Hastings. The best young players are playing or have played NSW Cup, for the most part, even if Dufty hasn't. Aitken and Hutchison played NSW Cup while eligible for U20s last season. Host has played all three grades. I would expect Sele to play at some stage (second tier cap permitting). Blake Lawrie (prop/lock) played NSW Cup earlier in the season before injury. Issac Thompson (wing/centre) has been highly rated for a while and has played NSW Cup while eligible for the U20s. Milne (same age as Aitken) has had an opportunity and hopefully we will see more of him. still think there's room for improvement but its a start.

 

[Jubileeboy]

Why do you keep going on about dufty being a midget ,you just never let up about it .You are a f--kw-t hiding behind a keyboard

Are you a short fella?

 

[saintm]

are you a short fella?

:d

No, but some people piss me off hearing the same shit all the time.

 

[mickeylane]

Host is an average forward.. Hones and average.

We need forwards that wil punch thru the line and also who know how to promote 2nd phase pay..
2017 back rowers will be
JDB
Frizell
Thompson
Williams
Sims
Mathews

PROPS
Masoe
Packer
Ah Mau
??? I'm hearing Perrett

 

[TheRev]

Why do you keep going on about dufty being a midget ,you just never let up about it .You are a f--kw-t hiding behind a keyboard

Because the forum needs a voice of reason champ, this post is a perfect example of the lack of patience dragons fans have, any 20's or NSW Cup player needs time to develop, some more than others (#dufty), tbh I dont think many have even watched them play, they just want them selected for 1st grade on hype.