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Cronulla game round 3

getsmarty

Immortal
Messages
33,485
Dragons withstand second-half onslaught to claim derby
http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/...-stun-sharks-in-local-derby-boilover/?cs=3713
Mitch Jennings@@Mitch_Jenno

19 Mar 2017, 9 p.m.
r0_0_3082_2055_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg


DOUBLE: Dragons players swamp centre Euan Aitken after scoring his second try against Cronulla on Sunday. Picture: Getty Images

WILL the real St George Illawarra Dragons please stand up?

World beaters in round one, also-rans in round two, Dragons fans can only wonder what their side will produce next week after shocking defending premiers Cronulla 16-10 at Southern Cross Group Stadium on Sunday night.

Sharks fans will be asking the same question after watching a side that, in the first 40 minutes, looked a shadow of the one that hammered Canberra on the road last week and ultimately slumped to 1-2 start to their premiership defence.

The visitors led 14-0 at the break on the back of two tries to centre Euan Aitken and withstood a second-half onslaught from the hosts who were left with just two four-pointers to show for it on the scoreboard in the face of desperate Dragons defence.

After spending the bulk of the preseason focusing on his side’s attack, coach Paul McGregor said the performance was a return to their defensive roots.

“Certainly the toughness displayed and defending out try-line was pleasing,” McGregor said.

“In the second half they had 35-plus play-the-balls in our 20 and we only had six. That’s a really tough effort whereas last week our goal-line d wasn’t at it’s best so it’s a big improvement week to week. Our goal-line hadn’t really been challenged up until last week [against Parramatta] so last week was a good lesson.

“We always pride ourselves on our d, I’m sure every side does on that resilience on your try-line and certainly turning teams away gets them frustrated and gives you opportunities to attack at the other end.

“We we went set after set today. They’re kicking game put it in behind us and put us under a bit of pressure and that’s where we can improve a little bit, I think we kicked it dead six times so we’ve got to get that right.”

Luke Lewis and Edrick Lee each had tries in the space of four minutes midway through the second stanza and Kurt Capewell looked to have scored the equaliser in the 61st minute only to be held up.

It was as close as the hosts got with Widdop slotting his third penalty goal to take a six-point buffer into the final 15 minutes with his side good enough to defend it to the final bell.

After failing miserably to back up their round one thumping of Penrith in round two, the Dragons now face the challenge of stringing performances together when they face the Warriors at Kogarah this Sunday.

“It was a tough courageous effort at different times out there and that’s a really good way to build on your performance for next week,” McGregor said.

“[The Sharks] are a quality side, they’re the premiers and they certainly love playing at home so to come away with a win here is very pleasing and something where we can take a real good attitude into next week.

“We needed to learn from our loss last week which we did and now we need to double-up that toughness and that effort against a side that’s coming hard next week in the Warriors.”

http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/...-stun-sharks-in-local-derby-boilover/?cs=3713
 

getsmarty

Immortal
Messages
33,485
Dragons retain the Monty Porter Cup
Sun 19th March, 08:30PM
A A



The St George Illawarra Dragons have retained the Monty Porter Cup with a solid 16-10 win over the Cronulla Sharks at Southern Cross Group Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The first half was all the Dragons, kicking ahead 2-0 thanks to a penalty goal from skipper Gareth Widdop.

Four minutes later, the Dragons crossed for the game's first try when centre Euan Aitken won the race to a Cameron McInnes grubber.

Another penalty goal in the 32nd minute from Widdop pushed the Dragons ahead 8-0.

They weren't done there in the first 40 as Aitken produced a runaway 60-metre try following an error from opposite centre Ricky Leutele.

The start of the second half saw the Sharks fight their way back into proceedings when veteran back-rower Luke Lewis and winger Edrick Lee scored in the 50th and 57th minute respectively.

Terrific defence from Dragons back-rower Joel Thompson denied Sharks centre Kurt Capewell from scoring midway through the second stanza, while another Widdop penalty goal helped extend the Red V's lead to a converted try.

It proved a lead they'd hold on to by game's end.

St George Illawarra Dragons 16 (Euan Aitken 2 tries; Gareth Widdop 4 goals) defeated Cronulla Sharks 10 (Luke Lewis, Edrick Lee tries; James Maloney goal) at Southern Cross Group Stadium, Woolooware. Half-time: Dragons 14-0. Crowd: 14,247.

http://www.dragons.com.au/news/2017/03/19/dragons_retain_the_m.af_news.html
 

Dragonslayer

First Grade
Messages
7,679
Mostly agree with your comments. I didn't think McDonald played well. I wish I could say he did. He didn't help Aitken last week in defence and it was poor again tonight also although Aitken was better. Not perfect but much better.

Thought Widdop was OK. Not as good as last 2 weeks but OK.

McDonald is playing on the right, he's a left wing. It's like you usually write right handed and suddenly you have to write with your left. He can do it for sure, he just needs time to adjust. LIke to see him swap with Nighty though.
 

Dannyboy80

Juniors
Messages
94
I reckon the Shonkies either didn't do their homework or didn't stick to the game plan ala Parra last week. Go wide, target the centres/wingers and you will beat the Dragons. Having said that I'm very happy but you can't keep McCrone their, blind Freddy can see he is NBG.
I think dragons changed their defense to an up and in style more this week, as soon as the. All was shifted toward the flanks, the backs were rushing in and limiting time with the ball. Aggressively too, was great to watch!
 

BennyV

Referee
Messages
22,441
I think dragons changed their defense to an up and in style more this week, as soon as the. All was shifted toward the flanks, the backs were rushing in and limiting time with the ball. Aggressively too, was great to watch!
Got away with it this week, but it's a risky style of defence. Most of the top halves would notice and exploit this and I'm surprised it took Maloney 3/4 of the match to start kicking in behind our right flank.
 

mickeylane

Bench
Messages
4,894
I think dragons changed their defense to an up and in style more this week, as soon as the. All was shifted toward the flanks, the backs were rushing in and limiting time with the ball. Aggressively too, was great to watch!
The up and in defence is great but teams like
Roosters
Parra
Storm
Warriors
Raiders

All can kick behind an up and in defence and all of a sudden your leaking points .. There was at least 3-4 times Edrick Lee was by himself unmarked on the wing when Mcdonald came into take the centre for Sharks.. A simple kick behind the defence by Maloney would have resulted in a four Pointer .. As long as Mcgregor has a plan B next week because Shaun Johnson and Keiran Foran are specialist short kickers..
 
Messages
21,783
Well done to a committed and disciplined dragons outfit.

and yes, edrick was standing on his own numerous times and we didn't put a kick in over the top or in behind.
but due to the aggression showed by the dragons our halves and fullback didn't do the plays they should have.

we kicked in behind once, to your most experience player and he got a penalty.
tactically poor. no discipline. deserved to lose.

and we kept bombing dugan

its like we thought kurt mann was out there.

anyway, I thought your forwards were good. ours looked slow.
 

giboz71

First Grade
Messages
8,895
Our attack is as good as its going to get. Its practically the same backline as last year so we can't expect to see too much different. The quicker we get Hunt and promote guys like Field and Herbert the better.

Our forwards however are much better this year and defensively we were great. Smells a lot like 2015 to be honest, which means we may sneak into the 8 if we're lucky, but that's about it.
 

Crush

Coach
Messages
10,412
If we thought the RHS defence looked like a freeway had gone through it last week, then if the same combination hits the paddock this week it will look like a superhighway complete with turnpike has been built over the top of it.
Mc Crone, Aitken, Mc Donald the sharks can smell the blood in the water already.
Cant wait to see if they play whats in front of them
Nope
 

Old Timer

Coach
Messages
16,914
Crush
Yes we won and that's great but in simple terms the defence especially RHS is still a problem of immense proportions.
The Sharks executed poorly all of their own doing and as bad as they played they still showed up our deficiencies.
Don't turn a blind eye to it as it will not get fixed whilst we ignore it or sweep it under the carpet.
 

Dragonsteve2

Juniors
Messages
542
Crush
Yes we won and that's great but in simple terms the defence especially RHS is still a problem of immense proportions.
The Sharks executed poorly all of their own doing and as bad as they played they still showed up our deficiencies.
Don't turn a blind eye to it as it will not get fixed whilst we ignore it or sweep it under the carpet.

OT,
I must agree with you. I was ecstatic with the win with some great performances from blokes like Vaughan, JDB, Duges and Widdup who took on extra kicking because McCrone's kicking game was so poor. I felt if we had a half back this year we could do well. However I was concerned by some serious deficiencies revealed.

For the first time this season I was watching from behind the posts, slightly to the left on the Family Hill. In the first half I was directly in line with Leutele with the ball trying to beat Aitken. The latter on 2 occasions seem to back off just like he was showing him the sideline. This gave Leutele the space he needed. The 2nd occasion would have been a try had the final pass infield not been forward. Then in the 2nd half we had a replay of Some of Radradra's tries last week with McDonald and Aitken tackling the same player and Lee with acres of ground to himself.

Finally McCrone's kicking game ensured our blokes did a lot more defensive work than they should have and McDonald's chances of scoring from a bomb were almost non-existent.

Great win, but please Supercoach work on the deficiencies before it costs us.
 

Dragonsteve2

Juniors
Messages
542
A comment on Jason Nightingale.

Since joining the Forum 8 months ago I have been concerned at the amount of criticism levelled at some players. One such player is Nighty. He is of course the sole survivor of the 2010 Premiership team even though there are 4 others playing elsewhere. For every great player the time will come for hanging up the boots. For those Forum posters who feel Nighty's time has come let me just say how happy I was that he was the one standing under a number of the Sharks' towering bombs as they tried to claw their way back into the game in the second half. Additionally he and the unfavourable Lafai seem to work much better as a defensive unit than the right centre/wing combo.
 
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