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2018 Squad - Top 4?

giboz71

First Grade
Messages
8,895
Excellent pack
Great juniors coming through
Strong halves
Decent hooker
Promising fullback
Ok three quarters
Weak wingers
Awful coach
= 6th

Sums it up perfectly really.

And your last 3 points is what's really holding us back. Fix those 3 areas and we're premiership contenders.
 

ALSGI

Bench
Messages
3,101
If Nighty's in the team we're not serious.
I'm over the love comments for him on here, he's 12m past retirement in any grade. The games changed it's not 2010.

If McDonald's in 2017 form and not dropped early we're not serious. Hunt and Widdop need to give him some decent kicks and if he can't produce, and toughen the f**k up he should be gone.

Luciano needs to be given a run early becuase he will never improve with more time in Reggies - it's not in his D&A. Use him or loose him.

Our long kicking game has to be seriously addressed, it's crap and remains the same predictable shit (straight to the back 3) regardless of which team we're playing.

McInnes needs to take his game to the next level and start running and kicking.

Mary, Young and Hornby should be ashamed of themselves for 2017 and all three have f**ked any legacy they had as players in my view.
 

Crush

Coach
Messages
10,412
2018 Dragons will start strong given their low risk style of football where other teams take time to click.
Then the other teams will click and start to make it work.
The dragons will continue to play the low risk style of football and finish 7-9th where they belong with their 5 hit ups give it to Widdop kick down the throat if the fullback style of footy.
HONESTLY, I watched broncs vs roosters last night and we are nowhere near them. They are top 4 teams.
 

Pro Dragons

Juniors
Messages
395
Hunt and Graham will give the team what they lack, being self belief. They may even be able to teach McGregor how to coach.

If Field bulked upped and maintained his speed could he turn into one of the wingers we desperately need?
 

Drag Queen

Bench
Messages
2,981
2018 Dragons will start strong given their low risk style of football where other teams take time to click.
Then the other teams will click and start to make it work.
The dragons will continue to play the low risk style of football and finish 7-9th where they belong with their 5 hit ups give it to Widdop kick down the throat if the fullback style of footy.
HONESTLY, I watched broncs vs roosters last night and we are nowhere near them. They are top 4 teams.
Total agreement from me. Great footy last night.
 

TRANSLATION

Juniors
Messages
1,910
The pain of last Sunday is beginning to fade away and the signing of Graham made a lot things better. Although, I've been thinking about our squad next year and it's a cracker. I honestly believe we are a top 4 team next year! Well definitely top 8. The bench kinda tricks me but this is how we could go:

  1. Matt Dufty
  2. Nene McDonald
  3. Euan Aitken
  4. Tim Lafai
  5. Jason Nightingale
  6. Gareth Widdop
  7. Ben Hunt
  8. Graham
  9. Cameron McInnes
  10. Paul Vaughn
  11. Tyson Frizell
  12. Joel Thompson
  13. De Belin
  14. Ah Mau
  15. Sims
  16. Sele/Lawrie/Host
  17. Mann/Field
A lot of people believe Mann should be in our starting squad, but I don't know where. I don't think he would go wing because of McDonald & Nightingale. The club re-signed Nightingale, so he must be playing his last year as a winger. McDonald will stay at wing too.

Centre?

Lafai has a great offload and has some serious potential.
Atken has brutal strength and has serious potential.
Number 16: I don't mind who plays out of those 3 listed.
Number 17: Where do you put Mann? Take out an outside back for Mann? Why would we re-sign/sign Lafai, Nightingale and McDonald, if the team was wishing to play Mann in the starting squad. Jai Field would make an amazing super-sub. Did you see what he did on the weekend?

100% content with 1-15

Also, our forwards are amazing and Hunt & Widdop are exceptional.

What do you think?
 

TRANSLATION

Juniors
Messages
1,910
Jai Field
Nene
Mann
Lafai
Florence

Widdop
Hunt

Vaughan
Mcguiness
Graham
Leilua
Frizell
JDB
---------
Thomo
SIMS
Ah Mau
Host / Sele/ ETC
 

j0nesy

Bench
Messages
3,747
We need to drop both wingers, I love Nighty but he's just too slow now and Nene is not a first grader. I'd give the wing positions to the fastest two out of Garrick, Johns, Herbert, Lomax, Thompson and Marsters. Ideally we'd recruit one gun winger and leave the others to fight over the remaining spot.

I prefer a fit Aitken over Mann at centre. In fact I don't like Mann at centre at all and would prefer one of the young guys from above to cover for injuries. I prefer Mann as a bench utility but he has a battle on his hand to keep out Robson, Field and Leilua. In fact I'd probably rotate a bench spot between those 3.

When it comes to Host, Sele and Lawrie, I think Host is the best and should be permanently selected. The other two to provide coverage for injuries.

I'd stick with Dufty at fullback for at least 6 games. I think he has done enough to earn it, and shown enough potential to demonstrate he might be something special. Mann and Field are breathing down his neck though. Both could do well there.
 
Messages
17,055
We need to drop both wingers, I love Nighty but he's just too slow now and Nene is not a first grader. I'd give the wing positions to the fastest two out of Garrick, Johns, Herbert, Lomax, Thompson and Marsters. Ideally we'd recruit one gun winger and leave the others to fight over the remaining spot.

I prefer a fit Aitken over Mann at centre. In fact I don't like Mann at centre at all and would prefer one of the young guys from above to cover for injuries. I prefer Mann as a bench utility but he has a battle on his hand to keep out Robson, Field and Leilua. In fact I'd probably rotate a bench spot between those 3.

When it comes to Host, Sele and Lawrie, I think Host is the best and should be permanently selected. The other two to provide coverage for injuries.

I'd stick with Dufty at fullback for at least 6 games. I think he has done enough to earn it, and shown enough potential to demonstrate he might be something special. Mann and Field are breathing down his neck though. Both could do well there.
You maybe a little disappointed in terms of the young guys you mentioned having any speed.

Garrick and Lomax possess some speed but not that super quick.

Johns, Herbert and Marsters are nearly all brute strength.

Thompson I will be surprised if he is at the club next year he may stay and sign with Illawarra but i have my doubts.
 

Belta

Juniors
Messages
1,124
I think the Dragons can have a balance of speed and size/strength, eg Brisbane do well with some quick little guys, a strong powerful winger and centre and a speedy centre, it's seems a balancing act for most teams, For the dragons if they had Dufty, Field and Mann in and Johns, Herbert and Marsters were brute strength than that could be a good thing...although that scenario would not happen I know, but it still means there is a niche for those kind of players
 

Dragon Revival

Juniors
Messages
1,603
I have little confidence in the NRL side
making the Final Eight next year. This year was a chance to front up but pathetic wing defence, sloppy attack and poor application was tolerated by the coaches and the players leadership
group. Sele amd Lawrie are not the answer in the forwards and Host was
stuffed around. The three quarter line was atrocious and we need the speed and incisive running of Aitken, Dufty, Field and similar gamebreakers not hasbeens like Lafai, Mac Donald and Nightingale. When we made Grand finals we had the best of representative centres and wingers. The powers that be refuse to develop and recruit such quality players so we currently have no matchwinners. We judge wingers by metres gained not tries scored. We must recruit now a class centre and a competent winger as the cupboard is bare plus another class prop as our popgun attack needs an infusion of top class talent. Oh for a three quarter who can score a length of the field try!
 

getsmarty

Immortal
Messages
33,485
Hunt and Graham will give the team what they lack, being self belief. They may even be able to teach McGregor how to coach.

If Field bulked upped and maintained his speed could he turn into one of the wingers we desperately need?

Nearly fell off my chair laughing... "They may even be able to teach McGregor how to coach".
 

giboz71

First Grade
Messages
8,895
I think the Dragons can have a balance of speed and size/strength, eg Brisbane do well with some quick little guys, a strong powerful winger and centre and a speedy centre, it's seems a balancing act for most teams, For the dragons if they had Dufty, Field and Mann in and Johns, Herbert and Marsters were brute strength than that could be a good thing...although that scenario would not happen I know, but it still means there is a niche for those kind of players

It's just too difficult over the course of a season when every week we have no speed advantage over an opposition. Puts too much pressure on our forwards to win it through the middle week after week.

It's why our forwards were ineffective at the end of the year. They were too gassed from having to win games for the team every week.
 

FlameThrower

Bench
Messages
3,557
If Nighty's in the team we're not serious.
I'm over the love comments for him on here, he's 12m past retirement in any grade. The games changed it's not 2010.

Mary, Young and Hornby should be ashamed of themselves for 2017 and all three have f**ked any legacy they had as players in my view.
I agree and this obsession with the thinking that an ex Clubman and great player will make it in coaching is just crazy. Nighty is one of our weak links and our Centres and Wingers let us down this year.
 

j0nesy

Bench
Messages
3,747
You maybe a little disappointed in terms of the young guys you mentioned having any speed.

Garrick and Lomax possess some speed but not that super quick.

Johns, Herbert and Marsters are nearly all brute strength.

Thompson I will be surprised if he is at the club next year he may stay and sign with Illawarra but i have my doubts.

Then I'd go with Garrick or Lomax on one wing and one of the oher boys on the other to help out with kick returns. Strength is ok as long as they're not as slow as Nightingale
 
Messages
17,055
Garrick would be next in line then say Johns as both have played games in the ISP this year.

Pereira is quite strong deceptively strong and runs the ball well from dummy half.

Pace wise I am unsure but have heard he isn't a slouch so he may also come into calculations or is he just another one of those signings like Dodd.
 

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