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2017 R19 Fri - Raiders 18-14* Dragons @ GIO

Round 19: Raiders v Dragons


  • Total voters
    13
  • Poll closed .

This Year?

Immortal
Messages
31,285
McCrone made a really nice play by kicking into the in goal. Sometimes in GP it is wise not to take the shot and use defensive pressure to win you the game.

But no one saw a 40/20 coming, certainly not of that quality.

McCrone and Sezer should hold their heads high. Quality game management from both, but someone has to lose.

So you call a grubber into the in goal on tackle 4 in golden point 10 metres out from the opposition try line quality game management?
 

This Year?

Immortal
Messages
31,285
It's about time the Raiders were on the right side of one of these games. While they had a lot go their way this evening, there's been times in the past where they've been the better side and had nothing to show for it.

Love Josh Papalii, but he was lucky to stay on the field tonight. It will be interesting to see what he will be charged with. At first glance it looked like a Grade 3, but the way the officials treated it, I'd be surprised if it was more than a Grade 2.

Why did the Dragons go away from what was working for them in the first half? They had a lot of success attacking the Raiders right-hand side. It seemed like they weren't interested in targeting the edges and kept trying to play short to Thompson whenever they went that way. While it's not a poor option, I'm not sure why they didn't play off the back of it and lull the Raiders defence into mistakes. The Dragons don't have a lot of strike, if they're not making in-roads through the middle, then usually it's the left-hand side that provides them with inspiration.

A couple of half breaks in the middle had them interested and why not run Thompson at Austin and make him tackle more? The Dragons problems stem much further than that and tonight was a display of "dragons footy" mixed with exhaustion. Add the injuries and the shuffling that had to be made with a very poor coach and a playmaker that can't control his team and a team that can't handle pressure and you see what you saw tonight.

The sad thing is the Dragons showed their potential early in the season and just continue to sabotage their fans and their employers.

The Raiders were't much better and just managed to handle it slightly better.
 

Walt Flanigan

Referee
Messages
20,727
19989216_10155584857158923_518573214363388107_n.jpg
 

JamesRustle

First Grade
Messages
6,477
Well aside from the result, it was a good night at gio. Good crowd, no line up for booze, not as cold as buggery.

Saw a bloke who I assume was skeepe, frothing at the mouth, giving the refs a spray at the half.

Saw the same bloke at full-time lying in the trough in the mens toilets of the meninga stand asking blokes to piss on him. Many obliged.
 

Big Pete

Referee
Messages
28,939
A couple of half breaks in the middle had them interested and why not run Thompson at Austin and make him tackle more? The Dragons problems stem much further than that and tonight was a display of "dragons footy" mixed with exhaustion. Add the injuries and the shuffling that had to be made with a very poor coach and a playmaker that can't control his team and a team that can't handle pressure and you see what you saw tonight.

The sad thing is the Dragons showed their potential early in the season and just continue to sabotage their fans and their employers.

The Raiders were't much better and just managed to handle it slightly better.

The issue is that it's predictible. Everytime the Dragons went left in the second half, they had no shape and gave themselves very little room, so the Raiders defence knew to come in on Thompson. It may take the juice out of Austin, but it isn't going to result in a lot of points.

What I was getting at This Year is that the Dragons don't have a lot of strike. Typically it's three rucks through the middle with Packer, Vaughan and MacDonald coming in off his wing. When he gives you a quick play the ball, where does the ball typically go on tackle 4? To de Belin who will lumber up hoping he can attract an outside defender so he can give it on. By the time your side looks to play football, the set is basically over.

Now that system was great at the start of the year, but as the season has progressed and the Dragons have had players in and out of their team it's become far less effective.

Just look at the play that swung the match. Widdop charges towards the line, holds the ball up, holds it...holds it...and Sezer is able to get a good piece of it and race 90m. Now, I have no idea what Sezer was doing there since Austin typically defends alongside Leilua and Rapana but that predictability crueled the Dragons tonight.

The Dragons have a lot to be proud of. Their pack is one of the best in the game and they defend with a lot of intensity but the strike and lack there of is going to haunt the club this season.
 

Hutty1986

Immortal
Messages
34,034
lol fair point

but at least the warriors dont come from the top 4 to fall out of the 8 every year.
We did it in 2015 (well, might as well have missed the 8) and likely this year. Mostly, our wonderful consistency since 2011 has meant we've started shit, were shit during the middle stages, and ended the season, drumroll....shit.
 
Last edited:

Life's Good

Coach
Messages
13,971
Well aside from the result, it was a good night at gio. Good crowd, no line up for booze, not as cold as buggery.

Saw a bloke who I assume was skeepe, frothing at the mouth, giving the refs a spray at the half.

Saw the same bloke at full-time lying in the trough in the mens toilets of the meninga stand asking blokes to piss on him. Many obliged.
This bloke??
IMG_0773.JPG
 

no name

Coach
Messages
19,110
I still can't understand why the Raiders didn't go for the field goal straight off the tap from the 40/20?
Worked out for them in the end, but I thought that was an opportunity missed.
 

Desert Qlder

First Grade
Messages
9,081
So you call a grubber into the in goal on tackle 4 in golden point 10 metres out from the opposition try line quality game management?

Had Sezer not made that outrageously good 40/20 the Dragons would have been in good field position following their strong defensive set. McCrone had placed a lot of pressure on Canberra with his kick.

I have seen many golden point games won off the back of such a play.
 

AlwaysGreen

Immortal
Messages
47,826
I still can't understand why the Raiders didn't go for the field goal straight off the tap from the 40/20?
Worked out for them in the end, but I thought that was an opportunity missed.
We don't operate like normal people.

Besides between them Austin and Sezer are about 0 from 1987 for field goals
 

Walt Flanigan

Referee
Messages
20,727
I still can't understand why the Raiders didn't go for the field goal straight off the tap from the 40/20?
Worked out for them in the end, but I thought that was an opportunity missed.
Have you seen us try to kick field goals the last few years?
 

thommo4pm

Coach
Messages
14,697
Well done Canberra.
I thought we were the better team overall but couldn't get it done.

I don't dislike the Raiders and I hope you can get a run going so I have a team to semi cheer for in the finals, given we won't make it.
 
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