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Eels game.

BLM01

First Grade
Messages
8,944
You mean a coach that would instruct Widdop and Hunt to tell Lafai and Aitken to stand back further and run onto the ball at speed allowing Aitkens strength and Lafais footwork to be utilised to break the line. Something like that?

Or a COACH that can organise plays for his halves to have people like Dufty, Sims and Frizzell to be put into holes running slightly angled or straight lines and have support runners all the time, not to sit back and wait for tackle 4,5 & 6 set plays after 3 one out hit ups.
For me Dufty's pace, step and passing game would get a gig in any 1st grade side, he just needs proper COACHING to take on the line direct from the backfield, dont shy from the collision and bomb taking with a kung fu kick. I think he is real star in the making. Just needs someone to take him there. Defence can improve year by year with good COACHING.
 

Belta

Juniors
Messages
1,124
Penquin said;

"....Im calling on our skipper and Hunt to grabthese games by the scruff of the neck and start dictating the terms.....your both on big dollars start producing the goods"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------

Just a little poem I wrote. The decline of the spine, has taken some time and until it is fixed we won't be fine.

We will struggle until the spine improve their execution and decision making. I lost count of how many dumb options they took, that is Mcinnes, Hunt and Widdop..whats even more alarming is Hunt efforts in defence is shameful. You watch closely how many times he runs up and grabs at players only to fall off the tackle. Dumb and dumber...does anyone know an under 7s coach that can ring Mary and tell him to get the backline to stand behind the halves?
 

BLM01

First Grade
Messages
8,944
Penquin said;

"....Im calling on our skipper and Hunt to grabthese games by the scruff of the neck and start dictating the terms.....your both on big dollars start producing the goods"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------

Just a little poem I wrote. The decline of the spine, has taken some time and until it is fixed we won't be fine.

We will struggle until the spine improve their execution and decision making. I lost count of how many dumb options they took, that is Mcinnes, Hunt and Widdop..whats even more alarming is Hunt efforts in defence is shameful. You watch closely how many times he runs up and grabs at players only to fall off the tackle. Dumb and dumber...does anyone know an under 7s coach that can ring Mary and tell him to get the backline to stand behind the halves?
Agree re Hunt. It has been very noticeable since the Canberra game but when he puts his mind to it he knows how to score a try. Given up hoping Mary can coach the backline to back in form now. Hope I am wrong.
 

Blood Shot Eyes

First Grade
Messages
5,969
Watching the Cowboys effort last night they won on the back of their forwards go forward....sure Thurston weaved his magic at times but it was mainly due to the engine room and quick play the balls.....if we are to win our remaining games we have to keep tight in the ruck area and keep rolling downfierld.....if you look at the teams that get a gallop on they have dummy halves like Cook, Granville Smith etc that keep pinching cheap metres up the middle and continuously turn the oppositions forwards around...McInnes really needs to improve in this area of his game....he does it at times but nowhere near enough..hes quick enough but burns a lot of energy tackling the big forwards head on....ive said it time and again he is often the first one in on a tackle, imo he needs to hang back just a little and let the bigger boys do the brunt of the hits first up...look at Smith from the Storm hes usually 3rd in and thats just to tangle himself up to slow the play the ball.....then its up to Widdop and Hunt to take over and produce a good kicking game
 

TruSaint

Referee
Messages
20,095
Watching the Cowboys effort last night they won on the back of their forwards go forward....sure Thurston weaved his magic at times but it was mainly due to the engine room and quick play the balls.....if we are to win our remaining games we have to keep tight in the ruck area and keep rolling downfierld.....if you look at the teams that get a gallop on they have dummy halves like Cook, Granville Smith etc that keep pinching cheap metres up the middle and continuously turn the oppositions forwards around...McInnes really needs to improve in this area of his game....he does it at times but nowhere near enough..hes quick enough but burns a lot of energy tackling the big forwards head on....ive said it time and again he is often the first one in on a tackle, imo he needs to hang back just a little and let the bigger boys do the brunt of the hits first up...look at Smith from the Storm hes usually 3rd in and thats just to tangle himself up to slow the play the ball.....then its up to Widdop and Hunt to take over and produce a good kicking game

Funny thing is mate, Cam was paying so well early in the year. I even said last year " let him run from d/h a bit more ".. he did and was doing so well keeping the defence on edge. He was still making 40-50 tackles, but also had the running game. That stopped circa Origin. I can only put it down to coaching.
 

hazzbeen

Bench
Messages
4,617
Funny thing is mate, Cam was paying so well early in the year. I even said last year " let him run from d/h a bit more ".. he did and was doing so well keeping the defence on edge. He was still making 40-50 tackles, but also had the running game. That stopped circa Origin. I can only put it down to coaching.
Mate the team is now really starting to look like previous Mary coached teams . We lasted a bit longer this year due to better squad . Hope he proves me wrong ....
 

BLM01

First Grade
Messages
8,944
Funny thing is mate, Cam was paying so well early in the year. I even said last year " let him run from d/h a bit more ".. he did and was doing so well keeping the defence on edge. He was still making 40-50 tackles, but also had the running game. That stopped circa Origin. I can only put it down to coaching.
Agree, but I think it works and looks better if when he does take off others push up with him just like Souths do off Cook, (someone call a play to let him know) and he looks for an offload knowing someone is up his clacker (Dufty, Hunt or Widdop)
 

The Damo

Juniors
Messages
1,991
Listen, I played rugby league up until I was 17, a year later I found out I could legally buy alcohol and found extreme hangovers and games didn’t mix, so gave it away.
I still consider myself more qualified than McMuppet.
Could you fit in the coaching in those precious hours between the hangover wearing off, and the drinking beginning again?
 

Belta

Juniors
Messages
1,124
Blood shot eyes said;

"..
Cowboys ... won on the back of their forwards go forward...."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I agree 100%.

Can't fault Frizell but the other forwards need to run straighter and harder, no side ways sh$& but straight down the middle. We have the forwards who can do it, and I am confident of a win if we do. If we get the win we start building momentum, on the other hand a loss may go close to derailing us, so let's hope for a win to prevent a likely train wreck
 
Messages
2,866
Penquin said;

"....Im calling on our skipper and Hunt to grabthese games by the scruff of the neck and start dictating the terms.....your both on big dollars start producing the goods"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------

Just a little poem I wrote. The decline of the spine, has taken some time and until it is fixed we won't be fine.

We will struggle until the spine improve their execution and decision making. I lost count of how many dumb options they took, that is Mcinnes, Hunt and Widdop..whats even more alarming is Hunt efforts in defence is shameful. You watch closely how many times he runs up and grabs at players only to fall off the tackle. Dumb and dumber...does anyone know an under 7s coach that can ring Mary and tell him to get the backline to stand behind the halves?
Captain? We don't have one...
 

Gareth67

First Grade
Messages
8,406
Watching the Cowboys effort last night they won on the back of their forwards go forward....sure Thurston weaved his magic at times but it was mainly due to the engine room and quick play the balls.....if we are to win our remaining games we have to keep tight in the ruck area and keep rolling downfierld.....if you look at the teams that get a gallop on they have dummy halves like Cook, Granville Smith etc that keep pinching cheap metres up the middle and continuously turn the oppositions forwards around...McInnes really needs to improve in this area of his game....he does it at times but nowhere near enough..hes quick enough but burns a lot of energy tackling the big forwards head on....ive said it time and again he is often the first one in on a tackle, imo he needs to hang back just a little and let the bigger boys do the brunt of the hits first up...look at Smith from the Storm hes usually 3rd in and thats just to tangle himself up to slow the play the ball.....then its up to Widdop and Hunt to take over and produce a good kicking game

Ever so right Blood Shot Eyes , the forward pack was doing just that in the earlier and mid part of the season , but unfortunately have fallen into a hole since . They know just how to do it - but the head mechanic has fooked- up the fine tuning of the engine. As to McInnes running from dummy half , yet again he also was doing just that , but for reasons unknown (?) he has stopped.

He needs to do so once again , perhaps even take a look at some videos of Luke Priddis from back in 2010 to realize just how much free yardage there is available from dummy half . I know one thing and that is if the team does not get their asses into gear on Saturday night , then I will be making a trip down to WIN on training night and I will be kicking some asse myself .
 
Last edited:

dragonssamy61

First Grade
Messages
5,549
Funny thing is mate, Cam was paying so well early in the year. I even said last year " let him run from d/h a bit more ".. he did and was doing so well keeping the defence on edge. He was still making 40-50 tackles, but also had the running game. That stopped circa Origin. I can only put it down to coaching.

Your a smart man true
 

dragonssamy61

First Grade
Messages
5,549
Ever so right Blood Shot Eyes , the forward pack was doing just that in the earlier and mid part of the season , but unfortunately have fallen into a hole since . They know just how to do it - but the mechanic has fooked- up the fine tuning of the engine. As to McInnes running from dummy half , yet again he also was doing just that , but for reasons unknown (?) he has stopped.

He needs to kick on once again , perhaps even take a look at some videos of Luke Priddis from back in 2010 to realize just how much free yardage there is available from dummy half . I know one thing and that is if the team does not get their asses into gear on Saturday night , then I will be making a trip down to WIN myself on training night and kick some asse myself .

Well said Gareth
But let me know when your coming to kick some arse.
I'll get Mr Graham and LAM to meet you. Lol
 

getsmarty

Immortal
Messages
33,485
Dragons need to play smarter not harder
Local Sport
r0_0_3320_2619_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg

SIMPLE FIX: Dragons hooker Cam McInnes says his side's recent wobbles come down to smarts not attitude. Picture: NRL Photos Gregg Porteous

ST GEORGE Illawarra hooker Cameron McInnes admits the Dragons have an issue between the ears, but he insists it has nothing to do with attitude.

The Dragons have gone 1-4 coming out of the representative period, prompting many to question their mindset as they battle to stay in the top four.

One of the Dragons most consistent performers this season, McInnes said he’s never had cause to question his side’s head space, saying their recent wobbles come down to smarts not commitment.

“Attitude is a pretty vague term,” McInnes said.

“I don’t read too much into the media but I know some people have said that our attitude, or bloke’s attitude out of Origin, has been questionable.

“Look at the stats of how many tackles players are making and their runs, they’re not different to the start of the year the result’s just different. Once the results become different, everybody starts to ask what’s wrong with this guy or that guy.

“In terms of desire I think, as a team, it’s as strong as ever. It’s just we’re not playing as clinically as we were at the start of the season.

“Looking at stats, we’ve been making almost a hundred more tackles than the other team and that comes down to completion rates and poor finishes to our sets and things like that.

“For me, that’s not attitude or desire, we’re just not being as smart with the footy and not being as ruthless.”

The 24-year-old had the same take when asked if their was any mental fatigue biting on his side with just four games remaining in the regular season.

“I wouldn’t say we’re mentally fatigued. For me, I’m working hard to turn it around and I’m excited to come in every day and I think all the boys are,” McInnes said.

“The club’s great in knowing when to rest us and when to drive us so there’s no excuses in that regard.

“When losses come everyone’s quick to look for reasons why, but it’s pretty clear on the field the reasons why. It’s not hard to fix.

“Footy’s a momentum game and a momentum sport. Once that stops a little bit, you’ve got to really dig in and work hard to find it again and that’s what we’ve been doing.

“We’ve got talent across the board. You can’t have as much talent as we do, and as good a work ethic, and not find [form] again.”

The Dragons run home, starting with Saturday’s clash with Parramatta, will see them play sides out of finals contention. It’s a scenario that’s tripped them up before, but McInnes said being out of the top eight race doesn’t make any side more less dangerous.

“I don’t think it matters at all,” he said.

“Every game in the NRL’s a hard one so we’re not concerned about that. At the start of the year we were playing all top-eight teams and we were knocking most of them off so we’re not concerned with who we play.

“We know it’s in us and if we just keep working hard and working smarter with the footy we’ll be fine.”

https://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/5578959/dragons-need-to-play-smarter-not-harder/?cs=302
 
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