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getsmarty

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NRL NEWS

Hunt the right fix for Dragons in 2018
Author
Michael Chammas Chief Reporter
Timestamp
Tue 12 Dec 2017, 03:16 PM

NRL Fantasy 2018

Paul McGregor sat down with Ben Hunt at a Wollongong restaurant in January to tell him why he needed him.

To tell him why the St George Illawarra Dragons needed him. It’s the same reason the club regularly checked in on Hunt throughout his final year at the Brisbane Broncos. The reason why the Dragons coach flew to Brisbane at the end of the season for lunch with the man most believe holds the key to the future of the organisation.

“He [McGregor] spoke about his time at the Dragons and said that throughout his time at the club, the only thing he felt like they never had was a true halfback,” Hunt told NRL.com.

“He said he was looking for a halfback that was just a halfback, not a five-eighth. He wanted someone that could steer the boys around the park. He said he wanted someone that would let Gareth [Widdop] play his footy.”

The Dragons have had plenty of quality pivots at the club since the joint venture’s formation in 1999. Trent Barrett, Anthony Mundine, Jamie Soward.

quote_hunt2.jpg

But they’ve never possessed a top-line halfback. Even when they won the premiership in 2010 under the tutelage of Wayne Bennett, they did so with a makeshift No.7 in Ben Hornby.

It’s why they paid big bucks to lure Hunt south on a five-year deal worth in excess of $1 million per season.

It was a deal that changed the NRL landscape. Hunt didn’t know it at the time, but the huge contract would become the barometer for all off contract and disgruntled NRL players in what would be the biggest year of player movement in recent memory.

“I heard a bit of chatter about what I was on and people saying ‘he’s getting this much, so I should get this much’,” Hunt said.

“Hearing that stuff, it did make me feel a bit funny to hear people referencing me about what they should be getting. They should be talking about Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk and those blokes.

“I think the way the game is going the salary cap keeps creeping up and the prices for quality players are going to keep creeping up as well. Whatever a club is willing to pay someone for their position, you get what you can.”

The 27-year-old, who will move to the Sutherland Shire to start the new chapter of his career, is not feeling any greater expectation than what he has already experienced during his career.

“I don’t think there can be any more pressure on a half in the comp than in Brisbane,” Hunt said.

“Pressure doesn’t bother me anymore. I’m pretty good with it.”

There was a time Hunt was nothing more than a bits and pieces player. A stop-gap solution. He played more than 60 games off the bench before he finally was given a genuine opportunity to make the permanent move into Brisbane’s halves.

Hunt credits Anthony Griffin for having a significant impact on his career as he was the coach who first showed the faith in him to become a regular No.7.

“It sunk into my head that this might be it forever,” Hunt said.

“That all I could be was the bloke who filled the utility role off the bench. But at the end of 2013 Anthony Griffin gave me a chance to play in the halves.

“That off-season he told me I would be the No.7. That gave me the confidence that I finally felt comfortable in first grade. That I belonged.”

The criticism for the Dragons under McGregor’s watch has been their inability to attack with the same level of potency as the top sides.

They went some way to changing that in 2017, but they were unable to capitalise on a strong start to the season and missed the finals.

1gp_143001-copy.jpg

Ben Hunt and son Brady after Australia's World Cup match against Lebanon. :copyright:NRL Photos
“I’ve seen it at the Broncos where we go through patches where we struggle to attack as well,” Hunt said.

“You get in and train really hard with a decent squad, you’ll be able to get your attack going. Look at what Gareth did this year – he was winning games by himself down there.

‘’If we can get a good combination going and start working with Cameron McInnes – I think he’s a good little hooker, I think we’ll get the attack firing for sure.

“I want to go down there and bring something to the Dragons that they need. I want to come down and be the halfback they wanted.”

The Dragons have played finals football once since Wayne Bennett left at the end of 2011.

Even then, they scraped into the playoffs in eighth position and were bundled out in week one. Failure won’t be tolerated in 2018, especially after blew a golden opportunity last season with a final-round loss to Canterbury Bulldogs.

But as McGregor mentioned to Hunt back in January, there’s always been one key ingredient missing.

“If I can bring what I know I can bring, and looking at the team we’ve got, I think we can finish in the top four,” Hunt said.

https://www.qrl.com.au
https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2017/12/13/hunt-the-right-fix-for-dragons-in-2018/
 
Messages
2,866
St George Illawarra Dragons big losers in Manly’s NRL cap bust
  • Dragon's Den News
    r0_263_5150_3158_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg

    Down and out: Josh Dugan reacts after Dragons' loss to the Bulldogs.
    St George Illawarra are the biggest losers in the Manly salary cap scandal, missing out on a finals spot and the estimated $500,000 windfall that comes with it after the Sea Eagles were pinged after the season was completed.

    The Dragons finished the regular season in ninth spot, but could have snuck into the top eight had sixth-placed Manly been sanctioned earlier.

    Fairfax Media revealed five months ago that the Silvertails were under scrutiny after Strike Force Nuralda, the taskforce assembled by NSW police to investigate match-fixing, found evidence of player payments in contravention of NRL rules.

    Rugby League Central issued breach notices to the Sea Eagles and two current club officials on Monday after identifying potential breaches of the salary cap over the past five years. Potential punishments include large fines and the deregistration of the administrators involved.

    The sanctions are cold comfort to the Dragons, who were pipped for a finals spot by a team over the limit.

    "It's inappropriate for us to be making comment about a breach notice and an investigation that doesn't involve us and where we are unaware of the facts," St George Illawarra CEO Peter Doust said.

    Had the NRL identified the issue during the season, it's likely Manly wouldn't have played for points until such time as the club was cap-compliant.

    The situation – faced by Parramatta after their salary cap rorting came to light last year – could have provided the Dragons with an opportunity to contest the finals.

    Such an outcome would have generated about $500,000 in additional revenue when finals prizemoney, merchandise sales, corporate interest, membership take-up, sponsor exposure and other incentives are factored in.

    A play-off appearance would also have taken the pressure off Paul McGregor. The coach was re-signed after a strong start to the year that saw the Red V lead the competition after seven rounds.

    Yet despite having two more years to run on his contract extension, the man dubbed "Mary" will be under huge pressure after missing the finals in successive seasons.

    "Obviously to play finals footy would be great for the club for all those reasons, particularly for the supporters," said Dragons legend Mark Coyne, a member of the club's football performance committee.

    "But it is what it is and it's not the first time that's happened. I don't think the Dragons should be relying on someone cheating the salary cap to get in there.

    "While it would have been good to make the finals, as a player or supporter I wouldn't be saying, 'we've been ripped off because Manly spent a few hundred thousand over the salary cap'.

    "We needed to perform better than what we did to make sure we were in the finals for how we played, not because of what's happened with someone else."

    Historically, the NRL hasn't compensated teams affected by clubs breaching the salary cap.

    When Melbourne was stripped of their 2009 premiership for systemically cheating the system, losing grand-finalists Parramatta weren't crowned premiers.

    When the Eels were caught over the limit last year, they were docked 12 competition points and fined $750,000, as well as being stripped of their Nines trophy.
http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/...losers-in-manlys-nrl-salary-cap-bust/?cs=3713
Just another load of spin to deflect attention away from an abysmal capitulation in 2017.
Like Coyne says, we shouldn't have to depend on someone else getting sanctioned to limp into the finals.
If Coyne and his "football performance committee" were fair dinkum, they never would've renewed McGregor in the first place.
That brilliant move basically eradicated any options they may have had at the end of the season to do something different, like...get rid of McGregor!
In any case, 8th place is still not going to win you a premiership and $500,000 doesn't even begin to pay for the damage McGregor's contract has done to the club during his tenure.
Coyne and his committee are a farce and they should take a long hard look at themselves in the mirror.
If Canterbury can sack Hasler and Souths can sack McGuire - both premiership winning coaches - then surely McGregor has to go.
 
Messages
2,866
54390_39_1.png


NRL NEWS

Hunt the right fix for Dragons in 2018
Author
Michael Chammas Chief Reporter
Timestamp
Tue 12 Dec 2017, 03:16 PM

NRL Fantasy 2018

Paul McGregor sat down with Ben Hunt at a Wollongong restaurant in January to tell him why he needed him.

To tell him why the St George Illawarra Dragons needed him. It’s the same reason the club regularly checked in on Hunt throughout his final year at the Brisbane Broncos. The reason why the Dragons coach flew to Brisbane at the end of the season for lunch with the man most believe holds the key to the future of the organisation.

“He [McGregor] spoke about his time at the Dragons and said that throughout his time at the club, the only thing he felt like they never had was a true halfback,” Hunt told NRL.com.

“He said he was looking for a halfback that was just a halfback, not a five-eighth. He wanted someone that could steer the boys around the park. He said he wanted someone that would let Gareth [Widdop] play his footy.”

The Dragons have had plenty of quality pivots at the club since the joint venture’s formation in 1999. Trent Barrett, Anthony Mundine, Jamie Soward.

quote_hunt2.jpg

But they’ve never possessed a top-line halfback. Even when they won the premiership in 2010 under the tutelage of Wayne Bennett, they did so with a makeshift No.7 in Ben Hornby.

It’s why they paid big bucks to lure Hunt south on a five-year deal worth in excess of $1 million per season.

It was a deal that changed the NRL landscape. Hunt didn’t know it at the time, but the huge contract would become the barometer for all off contract and disgruntled NRL players in what would be the biggest year of player movement in recent memory.

“I heard a bit of chatter about what I was on and people saying ‘he’s getting this much, so I should get this much’,” Hunt said.

“Hearing that stuff, it did make me feel a bit funny to hear people referencing me about what they should be getting. They should be talking about Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk and those blokes.

“I think the way the game is going the salary cap keeps creeping up and the prices for quality players are going to keep creeping up as well. Whatever a club is willing to pay someone for their position, you get what you can.”

The 27-year-old, who will move to the Sutherland Shire to start the new chapter of his career, is not feeling any greater expectation than what he has already experienced during his career.

“I don’t think there can be any more pressure on a half in the comp than in Brisbane,” Hunt said.

“Pressure doesn’t bother me anymore. I’m pretty good with it.”

There was a time Hunt was nothing more than a bits and pieces player. A stop-gap solution. He played more than 60 games off the bench before he finally was given a genuine opportunity to make the permanent move into Brisbane’s halves.

Hunt credits Anthony Griffin for having a significant impact on his career as he was the coach who first showed the faith in him to become a regular No.7.

“It sunk into my head that this might be it forever,” Hunt said.

“That all I could be was the bloke who filled the utility role off the bench. But at the end of 2013 Anthony Griffin gave me a chance to play in the halves.

“That off-season he told me I would be the No.7. That gave me the confidence that I finally felt comfortable in first grade. That I belonged.”

The criticism for the Dragons under McGregor’s watch has been their inability to attack with the same level of potency as the top sides.

They went some way to changing that in 2017, but they were unable to capitalise on a strong start to the season and missed the finals.

1gp_143001-copy.jpg

Ben Hunt and son Brady after Australia's World Cup match against Lebanon. :copyright:NRL Photos
“I’ve seen it at the Broncos where we go through patches where we struggle to attack as well,” Hunt said.

“You get in and train really hard with a decent squad, you’ll be able to get your attack going. Look at what Gareth did this year – he was winning games by himself down there.

‘’If we can get a good combination going and start working with Cameron McInnes – I think he’s a good little hooker, I think we’ll get the attack firing for sure.

“I want to go down there and bring something to the Dragons that they need. I want to come down and be the halfback they wanted.”

The Dragons have played finals football once since Wayne Bennett left at the end of 2011.

Even then, they scraped into the playoffs in eighth position and were bundled out in week one. Failure won’t be tolerated in 2018, especially after blew a golden opportunity last season with a final-round loss to Canterbury Bulldogs.

But as McGregor mentioned to Hunt back in January, there’s always been one key ingredient missing.

“If I can bring what I know I can bring, and looking at the team we’ve got, I think we can finish in the top four,” Hunt said.

https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2017/12/13/hunt-the-right-fix-for-dragons-in-2018/
So the only thing missing for McGregor to be recognized as a top line coach was a top line half back....
And we won a premiership under Bennett with a "makeshift half back".
Why do McGregor supporters think that we are always one new recruit away from being successful?
Hunt will definitely make a difference but that will not magically make McGregor a better coach.
Bennett and most recently Green coached their teams to success without a recognized halfback.
Good coaches find a way...
 

JDHD

Juniors
Messages
1,082
So the only thing missing for McGregor to be recognized as a top line coach was a top line half back....
And we won a premiership under Bennett with a "makeshift half back".
Why do McGregor supporters think that we are always one new recruit away from being successful?
Hunt will definitely make a difference but that will not magically make McGregor a better coach.
Bennett and most recently Green coached their teams to success without a recognized halfback.
Good coaches find a way...

Tbf though I don't think even Michael Morgan knew he could play like that
 

getsmarty

Immortal
Messages
33,485
mcinnesc-17071421nh.jpg


NRL NEWS

Dragons tackle machine McInnes to focus on attack
Author
Chris Kennedy
Timestamp
Thu 14 Dec 2017, 08:20 AM

McInnes dreams of NSW debut

Freshly re-signed hooker Cameron McInnes has established himself as one of the Telstra Premiership's best defenders but is now aiming to bring a revamped attacking game to the St George Illawarra Dragons.

McInnes's 1155 tackles last season was easily an NRL-best – well clear of runner-up Jake Friend's 989 – while his stunning effective tackle rate of 95.1 per cent was bettered only by incoming teammate James Graham (95.6 per cent).

Because he feels he has adapted to such a huge defensive workload, McInnes told NRL.com his main focus now was to add some more spark out of dummy-half.

"It was a higher work rate than I've ever done before so it's only going to make me better for next year as well," McInnes said.

"For me now it's being able to combine that work rate with more spark out of dummy-half which is what I'm definitely going to be looking towards this season coming, being able to make my tackles and do my work rate but also being able to take my opportunities when they're there to take off or to kick or to do whatever the team needs."

quote_mcinnes_720.jpg

NRL.com Stats show McInnes was one of the less effective dummy-half runners in the league with his average runs per game (2.9) and metres per game (23.7) well outside the NRL's top 10 rakes.

McInnes is also acutely aware that with Kangaroos utility Ben Hunt joining the club to partner skipper Gareth Widdop in the halves, there will be other quality ball-players demanding the Steeden.

"It's about taking those opportunities," he said.

"It's not the Cameron show, if it's better for someone else to get the ball I want to give it to them but when the opportunity is there for me I definitely want to take those opportunities so that will definitely be a focus."

Still, McInnes's four tries, six try assists and 27 tackle busts was a fair haul combined with his massive defensive contribution and there's no question it was a breakout season for the former South Sydney Rabbitohs under-20s skipper.

"I definitely had my best year to date but I'm looking to improve against next year and the pack that we have here, there's no excuse for me not to have a great year," he said.

"There's going to be plenty of quick play-the-balls and room to move so it's up to me to take advantage of that a bit better this year coming.

"[There were] a lot of different factors [behind the career-best year] but definitely my maturity and my approach to the game was a lot better coming to the Dragons.

mcinnesc-170818701.jpg

Dragons hooker Cameron McInnes. :copyright:NRL Photos
"When I was at Souths as a young kid it's all I'd known and I put a lot of pressure on myself. I still put pressure on myself, as all players do, but I overthought it a bit and got out on the field and probably it was in my head too much.

"I wasn't playing instinctive footy whereas this year at the Dragons I was relaxed a lot more and decided to enjoy everything because it is a great opportunity that I have to be a footy player. It was really as simple as that. Mary (coach Paul McGregor) showed great faith in me and the club was really good in giving me an opportunity."

Such was McInnes's form his name has entered representative discussions. While Titans hooker Nathan Peats eventually got the nod for NSW, new Blues coach Brad Fittler has declared positions in his team are open for 2018.

"Playing rep football is a by-product if playing well week-to-week at club level," McInnes said.

"Definitely, I'll be putting my hand up but that will be through my performances and making sure I'm playing good footy for the Dragons every week. As a team if we're rolling and playing well, that success, your name gets tossed up more. "


https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2017/12/14/dragons-tackle-machine-mcinnes-to-focus-on-attack/
 

getsmarty

Immortal
Messages
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dsc_0721.jpg



Best of Both Worlds launched
Author
Dragons.com.au dragons.com.au
Timestamp
Thu 14 Dec 2017, 02:00 PM

Players from English Super League teams Wigan Warriors and Hull FC will join St George Illawarra Dragons players and representatives from the world champion Australian Jillaroos in February to share their love of the game with the next generation.

The Best of Both Worlds junior rugby league development day will be held on Thursday, February 8, just two days before Wigan and Hull FC face off at WIN Stadium, Wollongong in the first Super League match for points held outside Europe.

The coaching clinics will be part of a day of community activity by the visiting players as they embrace the opportunity to get among fans and broadly share their love of the game. Wigan Warriors Executive Director Kris Radlinski says both visiting teams are keen to get involved with the Illawarra community in the week leading into the game.

"The Best of Both Worlds promises to be something special. The opportunity for young players to run around the field with their NRL and Super League heroes is something they won’t forget," Radlinski said.

"I know Wigan and Hull FC players take their roles and responsibilities in the community seriously and I am sure the NRL clubs and players share the same values. Playing rugby league for a living is the greatest job in the world and who knows, some of the kids we see on February 8 may go on to realise their dreams and play under the bright lights.

"Rugby league provides you with qualities that guide you through whatever path you choose in life – honesty, commitment and dedication. We consider ourselves lucky to share the training fields of New South Wales with these kids and we will promise them a day that they will never forget."

Destination Wollongong General Manager Mark Sleigh said the development day has been a key part of the planning since discussions began with Wigan.

"The community engagement day has been an important part of our vision from the moment Wigan made the commitment to the region," Sleigh said.

"The day will start with school visits and end with two community events, one at Lang Park in Wollongong and one at Black Beach, Kiama. This is where fans will be welcome to come along and meet the players, throw a ball around and be a part of history for the Illawarra.

"Having three football clubs coming together across five local government areas is a fantastic example of how sport can transcend traditional boundaries and bring people of all ages and walks of life together to enjoy what will be a unique and historic celebration of rugby league."

St George Illawarra local junior Tariq Sims said success can be determined by the generations of players coming through the ranks and the fans who support the Dragons week-in and week-out.

"We have to support and encourage these young players. There is no greater reward as a player than to see the joy they get from our interactions with them," Sims said.

"Getting involved with the kids is always fun and next year we get to extend our engagement with the community events for any and all fans of the game. It should be an amazing day."

Southern NSW Regional Game Development Manager Matt O'Brien said the Best of Both Worlds development day was a coup for the region.

"This is a fantastic opportunity for rugby league in the Illawarra and South Coast regions and we can't wait to work with Wigan and Hull FC along with our local NRL team the Dragons," O'Brien said.

"This is the biggest junior rugby league development day that our team has assembled, with 40 schools in our catchment having the opportunity to interact with superstars from the three clubs. It's a great way to kick off the season and we hope many families, rugby league supporters, fans and junior league players can get to WIN Stadium for the game."

For further information on the Best of Both Worlds junior rugby league development day and to receive an exclusive ticket offer, visit vistwollongong.com.au and click on the Super League on Tour tab.

Wigan plays Hull FC on Saturday, February 10, 2018. Tickets are on sale through WIN Stadium and Ticketmaster.

The Super League game was secured exclusively for Wollongong by the NSW Government via its tourism and major events agency Destination NSW, in partnership with Wigan RLFC and Destination Wollongong.

https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2017/12/14/best-of-both-worlds-launched/
 

getsmarty

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grahamj-17120207.jpg


NRL NEWS

Millward connection helped Dragons sign Graham
Author
Brad Walter Senior Reporter
Timestamp
Fri 15 Dec 2017, 08:00 AM


St George Illawarra Dragons Season in Review

The decision to join the St George Illawarra Dragons was made easier for James Graham by the fact his contract negotiations were done with the person who handed him his senior debut 15 years ago in England.

Graham was a 17-year-old rookie when St Helens coach Ian Millward called him up to play alongside the likes of Keiron Cunningham, Sean Long and Paul Wellens in the 2003 Super League match against Castleford at Knowsley Road.

While that was his only first-grade appearance of the season, Graham played another two years under Millward and credits him for instilling a work ethic that has enabled the 32-year-old to remain one of the best props in the game for more than a decade.

As he considered a move from Canterbury at the end of last season, Graham met Dragons coach Paul McGregor and Millward, the club's director of rugby league pathways, and immediately felt comfortable.

"Ian was actually the coach at the time of me making my first-team debut so it was really nice to have a familiar face involved. That definitely helped," Graham told NRL.com from England, where he was visiting family after the World Cup.

"He handed me my debut shirt, but it was more than just my first-team debut. Ian was the first coach to have me when rugby became serious.

quote_graham-1.jpg

"He had been a really successful coach at St Helens and I was a young teenager at the club before I got the chance to play first grade. At 16, there were a few of us who would go and train with the first team in school holidays and at other times, just to get a taste of it.

"It was at that time I really started thinking about my game, and Ian and the players taught me about the extras culture and other things that really rubbed off. It was then I realised I had to do all these little things if I wanted to be part of a first-team squad and it was Ian who started me on that journey."

Graham was also impressed by McGregor, his vision for the Dragons and the culture within the club.

"I like how down to earth he is," Graham said. "He seems like he has got a lot of time for his players and he made a lot of time for me and my family when we went down to Wollongong.

"Once things turned to rugby I was really impressed with what he was saying. If you look back to St George Illawarra's season last year, he pointed out a couple of areas that went really well and other areas that didn't go so well."

After winning six of their opening seven matches, the Dragons slid down the Telstra Premiership ladder before dropping out of the top eight five weeks from the end of the regular season to finish ninth.

They lost five matches by less than six points and another by seven points to Newcastle after a 79th-minute Trent Hodkinson field goal.

Graham believes the Dragons are capable of winning a premiership during the term of his three-year contract – particularly with halfback Ben Hunt from the Brisbane Broncos.

"It is clear to see that it is club with massive potential these next few years," Graham said.

"One of the great things about the NRL is that it is very hard to pick who is going to win our competition and with St George Illawarra I think there is a huge chance of something happening there. That was probably the biggest influence on my decision.

"With someone like Ben Hunt coming in, if you can change a couple of those one-to-six point losses to one-to-six point wins you are starting to look at definitely top eight and maybe top four. After that anything is possible."

While Hunt will help skipper Gareth Widdop steer the team around, Graham will provide leadership up front and the experience of 360 matches for St Helens (225) and the Bulldogs (135), as well as 40 Tests for England (35) and Great Britain (five).

He and Widdop were two of the stars of the England team which made their first World Cup final since 1995 and lost 6-0 to Australia in a gripping final on December 2 at Suncorp Stadium.

"Gareth was outstanding for England both at No.6 and at fullback, and I am looking forward to playing with him more regularly," Graham said of Widdop, whose absence with a knee injury suffered in round eight coincided with a three-game losing streak for the Dragons.

"I think he is a quality, quality player and when you think back to last year, until he picked up that injury he was leading the race for the Dally M and up there with the best halves in the game."

Despite England's World Cup performance earning widespread praise, Graham remains bitterly disappointed by the narrow loss.

However, he believes the tournament was a turning point for the international game and urged officials to schedule more regular matches for the likes of Tonga and ensure England's proposed Test against New Zealand in Denver next June goes ahead.

"That match in Denver is an absolute must for me. I can't speak strongly enough about that," Graham said. "I understand that there might be some concerns from the clubs about player welfare but it is too important for the game to miss out on this opportunity. It could be huge.

"If the right people in the right positions make the right decisions now, we could look back in 20 or 30 years and say 'wow, that 2017 World Cup changed our game at an international level'.

"I honestly think this could be a springboard for our game and I hope the powers that be are asking questions like 'how can we replicate this, how can we do this more often, how can we get Tonga involved in big international rugby league games every year – not just at the World Cup'."



https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2017/12/15/millward-connection-helped-dragons-sign-graham/
 

getsmarty

Immortal
Messages
33,485
St George Illawarra’s No.1 priority to be NRL premiership force
  • Dragon's Den News
    r0_0_3768_2202_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg

    Man on a mission: Matt Dufty (left) celebrates during this year's NRL campaign. Picture: NRL Imagery
    The decision on who wears the St George Illawarra No.1 jersey next year will be the most important of Paul McGregor’s coaching career.

    McGregor has two years to run on his contract, but the disastrous end to the 2017 campaign has added a sense of urgency for success next season.

    And he really does have all the necessary tools at his disposal, after throwing the chequebook at Ben Hunt to partner Gareth Widdop.

    Cameron McInnes has succeeded where Mitch Rein, among others, at times struggled in meeting the demands of being an 80-minute player.

    McInnes was the league’s top tackler this year and appears ready to join the truly elite category, declaring to NRL.com this week he has eyes on the NSW No.9 jumper next May.

    But it is the Dragons fullback position which holds the key to success.

    Widdop did a fantastic job at the back for England, but there’s a three-way race emerging between the young talent of Matt Dufty, Jai Field and Zac Lomax.

    Dufty, who like Field has bulked up significantly in the off-season, deserves first shot at it, given he forced Josh Dugan's switch to the centres mid-year.

    With Dugan now set to line-up against the Dragons for arch-rivals Cronulla, Dufty can repay the faith McGregor and recruitment man Ian Millward have in him. But Field and Lomax have bright futures, though in Shellharbour junior Field’s case, they’ll need to determine his best position.

    He’s already second in the ‘utility’ pecking order behind Kurt Mann, who has floated across the backline with varying degrees of success.

    It’s a vastly different pre-season build-up for all NRL clubs, given the successful World Cup filling the post-grand final void.

    The shortened off-season also comes with the lure of playing English Super League club Hull in February, who will already by into their official campaign.

    Hull play Wigan for Super League competition points in Wollongong on February, so they’ll be conditioned when they meet the Dragons the following week.

    This columnist made the bold summer prediction St George Illawarra can finish in the top four next year.

    It would be a huge achivement, especially as the Melbourne machine, North Queensland and the Roosters look destined to be at the top end of the ladder given the impressive names on their rosters.

    It was met with a usual level of derision and predictable comments about McGregor’s record as coach. But the majority of responses were surprisingly upbeat from fans still wrestling with the notion anyone other than Wayne Bennett can bring success.

    If the Dragons fullback is one of their best players next year, it can become a reality.
http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/5123559/st-george-illawarras-no1-priority/?cs=3713
 
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2,866
St George Illawarra’s No.1 priority to be NRL premiership force
  • Dragon's Den News
    r0_0_3768_2202_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg

    Man on a mission: Matt Dufty (left) celebrates during this year's NRL campaign. Picture: NRL Imagery
    The decision on who wears the St George Illawarra No.1 jersey next year will be the most important of Paul McGregor’s coaching career.

    McGregor has two years to run on his contract, but the disastrous end to the 2017 campaign has added a sense of urgency for success next season.

    And he really does have all the necessary tools at his disposal, after throwing the chequebook at Ben Hunt to partner Gareth Widdop.

    Cameron McInnes has succeeded where Mitch Rein, among others, at times struggled in meeting the demands of being an 80-minute player.

    McInnes was the league’s top tackler this year and appears ready to join the truly elite category, declaring to NRL.com this week he has eyes on the NSW No.9 jumper next May.

    But it is the Dragons fullback position which holds the key to success.

    Widdop did a fantastic job at the back for England, but there’s a three-way race emerging between the young talent of Matt Dufty, Jai Field and Zac Lomax.

    Dufty, who like Field has bulked up significantly in the off-season, deserves first shot at it, given he forced Josh Dugan's switch to the centres mid-year.

    With Dugan now set to line-up against the Dragons for arch-rivals Cronulla, Dufty can repay the faith McGregor and recruitment man Ian Millward have in him. But Field and Lomax have bright futures, though in Shellharbour junior Field’s case, they’ll need to determine his best position.

    He’s already second in the ‘utility’ pecking order behind Kurt Mann, who has floated across the backline with varying degrees of success.

    It’s a vastly different pre-season build-up for all NRL clubs, given the successful World Cup filling the post-grand final void.

    The shortened off-season also comes with the lure of playing English Super League club Hull in February, who will already by into their official campaign.

    Hull play Wigan for Super League competition points in Wollongong on February, so they’ll be conditioned when they meet the Dragons the following week.

    This columnist made the bold summer prediction St George Illawarra can finish in the top four next year.

    It would be a huge achivement, especially as the Melbourne machine, North Queensland and the Roosters look destined to be at the top end of the ladder given the impressive names on their rosters.

    It was met with a usual level of derision and predictable comments about McGregor’s record as coach. But the majority of responses were surprisingly upbeat from fans still wrestling with the notion anyone other than Wayne Bennett can bring success.

    If the Dragons fullback is one of their best players next year, it can become a reality.
http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/5123559/st-george-illawarras-no1-priority/?cs=3713
Another Club spin article aimed at supporting McGregor and rationalizing everything about him.
1. His CV/qualifications and how he was ever appointed as FG coach of this mighty club still remains an unexplained open sore..
2. His record since he took over the reigns. 2016 was a basket case and 2017 an embarrassment.
Now we are talking up a top 4 spot in 2018??
3. "He has 2 years to run on his contract" - premature decision that has already cost the club dearly.
4. Pointing to Dufty's development in 2018 as the definitive ingredient to making the top 4.
When Widdop and Dugan were injured in the first have of 2017, that was the time McGregor should have blooded Dufty.
Instead he left it to the last 7 games.
The discussion about the fullback spot being the final ingredient is just another red herring so that in case of failure, McGregor can blame Dufty or the inexperience of the youngsters vying for that position.
5. While the author who spun this recognizes that Melbourne, Cowboys and Easts as top 4 certainties, there are a number of other clubs capable of making the top 4 such as Parramatta, Cronulla and Penrith.
Then there is Souths with Inglis back, Canterbury with a new outlook, Canberra, a much stronger Newcastle and Balmain and so on.
To set the record straight for the bright spark McGregor supporter that wrote this - the "derision" is well founded and emanates from a place of pride swallowing embarrassment and hurt during the last 2 seasons.
Of course fans are upbeat at this time of year.
We all look forward to next season with renewed optimism and hope - especially with the advent of Hunt and Graham.
But don't misinterpret that as being support for McGregor and his coaching ability.
No one adheres to the stupid notion that only Wayne Bennett can bring success. Ridiculous comment by a second rate journo/lap dog.
The club rushed through McGregor's appointment when other more qualified candidates were available.
Then they rushed through a 2 year renewal again, when much better and more qualified candidates were available.
It is decisions like these that the fans deride and maybe these spin articles should stop insulting the fans' intelligence.
My final point is very simple.
McGregor now has a very strong roster which has been beefed up by Graham and solved the halfback issue with the arrival of Hunt.
He also has a pool of talented youngsters at his disposal as well as Kurt Mann who is jumping out of his skin to play more minutes.
So with this roster and with expectations now fairly and squarely set on the top 4, what happens if McGregor fails again?
Will McGregor finally get the sack and a qualified coach be appointed?
OR will we be subjected to more cheap rationalization and positive spin about all the "positives" to come out of another fruitless season - culminating in more of the same for 2019?
 

Old Kogarah Boy 1

First Grade
Messages
5,415
grahamj-17120207.jpg


NRL NEWS

Millward connection helped Dragons sign Graham
Author
Brad Walter Senior Reporter
Timestamp
Fri 15 Dec 2017, 08:00 AM


St George Illawarra Dragons Season in Review

The decision to join the St George Illawarra Dragons was made easier for James Graham by the fact his contract negotiations were done with the person who handed him his senior debut 15 years ago in England.

Graham was a 17-year-old rookie when St Helens coach Ian Millward called him up to play alongside the likes of Keiron Cunningham, Sean Long and Paul Wellens in the 2003 Super League match against Castleford at Knowsley Road.

While that was his only first-grade appearance of the season, Graham played another two years under Millward and credits him for instilling a work ethic that has enabled the 32-year-old to remain one of the best props in the game for more than a decade.

As he considered a move from Canterbury at the end of last season, Graham met Dragons coach Paul McGregor and Millward, the club's director of rugby league pathways, and immediately felt comfortable.

"Ian was actually the coach at the time of me making my first-team debut so it was really nice to have a familiar face involved. That definitely helped," Graham told NRL.com from England, where he was visiting family after the World Cup.

"He handed me my debut shirt, but it was more than just my first-team debut. Ian was the first coach to have me when rugby became serious.

quote_graham-1.jpg

"He had been a really successful coach at St Helens and I was a young teenager at the club before I got the chance to play first grade. At 16, there were a few of us who would go and train with the first team in school holidays and at other times, just to get a taste of it.

"It was at that time I really started thinking about my game, and Ian and the players taught me about the extras culture and other things that really rubbed off. It was then I realised I had to do all these little things if I wanted to be part of a first-team squad and it was Ian who started me on that journey."

Graham was also impressed by McGregor, his vision for the Dragons and the culture within the club.

"I like how down to earth he is," Graham said. "He seems like he has got a lot of time for his players and he made a lot of time for me and my family when we went down to Wollongong.

"Once things turned to rugby I was really impressed with what he was saying. If you look back to St George Illawarra's season last year, he pointed out a couple of areas that went really well and other areas that didn't go so well."

After winning six of their opening seven matches, the Dragons slid down the Telstra Premiership ladder before dropping out of the top eight five weeks from the end of the regular season to finish ninth.

They lost five matches by less than six points and another by seven points to Newcastle after a 79th-minute Trent Hodkinson field goal.

Graham believes the Dragons are capable of winning a premiership during the term of his three-year contract – particularly with halfback Ben Hunt from the Brisbane Broncos.

"It is clear to see that it is club with massive potential these next few years," Graham said.

"One of the great things about the NRL is that it is very hard to pick who is going to win our competition and with St George Illawarra I think there is a huge chance of something happening there. That was probably the biggest influence on my decision.

"With someone like Ben Hunt coming in, if you can change a couple of those one-to-six point losses to one-to-six point wins you are starting to look at definitely top eight and maybe top four. After that anything is possible."

While Hunt will help skipper Gareth Widdop steer the team around, Graham will provide leadership up front and the experience of 360 matches for St Helens (225) and the Bulldogs (135), as well as 40 Tests for England (35) and Great Britain (five).

He and Widdop were two of the stars of the England team which made their first World Cup final since 1995 and lost 6-0 to Australia in a gripping final on December 2 at Suncorp Stadium.

"Gareth was outstanding for England both at No.6 and at fullback, and I am looking forward to playing with him more regularly," Graham said of Widdop, whose absence with a knee injury suffered in round eight coincided with a three-game losing streak for the Dragons.

"I think he is a quality, quality player and when you think back to last year, until he picked up that injury he was leading the race for the Dally M and up there with the best halves in the game."

Despite England's World Cup performance earning widespread praise, Graham remains bitterly disappointed by the narrow loss.

However, he believes the tournament was a turning point for the international game and urged officials to schedule more regular matches for the likes of Tonga and ensure England's proposed Test against New Zealand in Denver next June goes ahead.

"That match in Denver is an absolute must for me. I can't speak strongly enough about that," Graham said. "I understand that there might be some concerns from the clubs about player welfare but it is too important for the game to miss out on this opportunity. It could be huge.

"If the right people in the right positions make the right decisions now, we could look back in 20 or 30 years and say 'wow, that 2017 World Cup changed our game at an international level'.

"I honestly think this could be a springboard for our game and I hope the powers that be are asking questions like 'how can we replicate this, how can we do this more often, how can we get Tonga involved in big international rugby league games every year – not just at the World Cup'."



https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2017/12/15/millward-connection-helped-dragons-sign-graham/

He had me hook, line & sinker...... until he mentioned how impressed he was with McGregor.
 

Old Kogarah Boy 1

First Grade
Messages
5,415
Another Club spin article aimed at supporting McGregor and rationalizing everything about him.
1. His CV/qualifications and how he was ever appointed as FG coach of this mighty club still remains an unexplained open sore..
2. His record since he took over the reigns. 2016 was a basket case and 2017 an embarrassment.
Now we are talking up a top 4 spot in 2018??
3. "He has 2 years to run on his contract" - premature decision that has already cost the club dearly.
4. Pointing to Dufty's development in 2018 as the definitive ingredient to making the top 4.
When Widdop and Dugan were injured in the first have of 2017, that was the time McGregor should have blooded Dufty.
Instead he left it to the last 7 games.
The discussion about the fullback spot being the final ingredient is just another red herring so that in case of failure, McGregor can blame Dufty or the inexperience of the youngsters vying for that position.
5. While the author who spun this recognizes that Melbourne, Cowboys and Easts as top 4 certainties, there are a number of other clubs capable of making the top 4 such as Parramatta, Cronulla and Penrith.
Then there is Souths with Inglis back, Canterbury with a new outlook, Canberra, a much stronger Newcastle and Balmain and so on.
To set the record straight for the bright spark McGregor supporter that wrote this - the "derision" is well founded and emanates from a place of pride swallowing embarrassment and hurt during the last 2 seasons.
Of course fans are upbeat at this time of year.
We all look forward to next season with renewed optimism and hope - especially with the advent of Hunt and Graham.
But don't misinterpret that as being support for McGregor and his coaching ability.
No one adheres to the stupid notion that only Wayne Bennett can bring success. Ridiculous comment by a second rate journo/lap dog.
The club rushed through McGregor's appointment when other more qualified candidates were available.
Then they rushed through a 2 year renewal again, when much better and more qualified candidates were available.
It is decisions like these that the fans deride and maybe these spin articles should stop insulting the fans' intelligence.
My final point is very simple.
McGregor now has a very strong roster which has been beefed up by Graham and solved the halfback issue with the arrival of Hunt.
He also has a pool of talented youngsters at his disposal as well as Kurt Mann who is jumping out of his skin to play more minutes.
So with this roster and with expectations now fairly and squarely set on the top 4, what happens if McGregor fails again?
Will McGregor finally get the sack and a qualified coach be appointed?
OR will we be subjected to more cheap rationalization and positive spin about all the "positives" to come out of another fruitless season - culminating in more of the same for 2019?

We can only hope the team has a really good year.
Either way, McGregor won’t be sack and the tradition of no season review, will continue.
 

getsmarty

Immortal
Messages
33,485
Stats machine De Belin to build on 2017 transformation
Author
Chris Kennedy
Timestamp
Sat 16 Dec 2017, 08:00 AM

St George Illawarra Dragons Season in Review

Even with a cursory glance at St George Illawarra Dragons work-horse Jack De Belin's numbers for last season, one conclusion is unavoidable – his attacking contribution skyrocketed.

A noted defender, De Belin's old-school chop-them-in-half technique has been remarkably effective since he was a budding National Youth Competition star making his way to first grade.

Now 26, De Belin has spent much of his 129-game, seven-season NRL career as a reliable defender who also gets through his carries. But the club's 2017 recruitment of defensive maestros such as Cam McInnes and Paul Vaughan, plus the faith of his coach Paul McGregor to focus more on what he can offer with ball in hand, resulted in De Belin's attacking numbers going through the roof.

This was partly fuelled by a reduction in the defensive requirements placed on the Cootamundra Bulldogs junior, whose average minutes (69 per game down to 66) and tackles (44 down to 35) dropped noticeably in 2017.

In contrast, his season offloads almost tripled from 15 to 42, his tackle breaks more than doubled from 30 to 64 while his average metres leapt from 117 per game to 147.

debelin_graphic.jpg

Having gone from someone whose attacking figures were never better than middle of the road, De Belin is now among the NRL's best in a few categories.

He was arguably the most effective offloader in the entire competition in 2017. His 42 offloads came at a 95 per cent effectiveness rating – the only four players above that (given a minimum qualification of 15 offloads) all produced fewer than 30 total offloads while the only players to produce more offloads than De Belin in 2017 fell well short of his effectiveness rate.

Tim Lafai was the only Dragon with more offloads but they came at a 77 per cent effective rate with many of his 71 offload attempts hitting the turf. Competition leader Martin Taupau (72 offloads) was effective at an 81 per cent clip.

De Belin's 62 tackle busts were fifth-best among all forwards in the Telstra Premiership, with a quartet of hard-running superstars in Jason Taumalolo (114), Angus Crichton (107), Andrew Fifita (87) and Martin Taupau (85) the only names ahead of him.

"I feel like with defence, that's what got me into first grade, being a solid defender," De Belin told NRL.com.

"That was always my strong point playing rugby league. With my attack I never really had a chance to show what I had.

"I feel like I'm a natural ball player and it kinda comes pretty easy to me so a lot of that goes to Mary (McGregor) having the faith and trust in me to get some more plays on and be able to do that.

"With the tackle breaks, that just comes from having a big pre-season and more confidence in what you can do."

De Belin feels his game would be suited to representative football. The two-time Country Origin representative got agonisingly close to NSW honours in 2017, called into Laurie Daley's extended Blues squad to be part of an extended bench for all three games without quite cracking a debut.

"Being in and around that it makes you want to aspire to be playing [Origin]," De Belin said.

"I'll be putting some high standards on myself to be playing [Origin] next year. That's one of my biggest goals. Obviously to be playing good football week in week out for the Dragons but I definitely want to be playing for my state [next] year. I feel like I'm ready for it now. I was in the system [this year] and I feel like I'll be ready [next] year."

https://www.nrl.com/news/2017/12/16/stats-machine-de-belin-to-build-on-2017-transformation/
 

getsmarty

Immortal
Messages
33,485
dragons-medal.png


COMMUNITY

2017 Dragons Medal recipients
Author
Dragons.com.au dragons.com.au
Timestamp
Sun 17 Dec 2017, 09:00 AM

St George Illawarra have had another busy year of rugby league which has been completed with the presentation of 24 Dragons Medals to local high schools from within the Dragons catchment.

It was especially pleasing for the club to see so many high schools who have again responded in making our Dragons Medal a part of their end of year awards.

Dragons Medal recipients are selected by teachers at the respective schools on the criteria that the player displays great team work, respects all players and officials and represents their school with pride win, lose or draw.

Dragons' ambassadors Matt Cooper and Kezie Apps have been on hand at many of the 24 presentations to personally award the medal.

Currently there are four previous winners of the Dragons Medal in the St George Illawarra Dragons NRL full-time squad.

They include:

  • Hame Sele -Kingsgrove High (2013)
  • Luciano Leilua – Endeavor Sports High (2014)
  • Zac Lomax – Figtree High (2015-16), and;
  • Ruben Garrick – Kiama High (2015)
Another member of the Dragons' full-time squad Steven Marsters from Holy Spirit High was also awarded a 2017 Dragons Medal.

Below is the full list of the 24 high schools and their Dragons Medal recipients for 2017.

Albion Park High: Kyle Mounfield

Bomaderry High: Jarrod Bowley

Bulli High: Ben Fulton

Cedars Christian College: Victoria Nourie

Corrimal High: Brad Meades

Endeavour Sports High: Liam Christensen

Edmund Rice College: Liam Macpherson

Figtree High: Sam Oysten

Holy Spirit High: Steven Marsters

Illawarra Sports High: Shalom O'Ofou

James Cook Technology High: Epeli Sukanaivalu

Kanahooka High: Jordan Wolhar

Kiama High: Tyran Wishart

Kingsgrove High: Thomas Cartwright

Kogarah High: Tasesa Tomasai

Lake Illawarra High: Jake Fitzgerald

Oak Flats High: Jarad Berecry

Shoalhaven High: Jayden Kelly

Sydney Technical High: Claren Ye

St George Christian School: Jemimah Wrench

St Joseph's Catholic High: Corey Daley

Warilla High: Josh Goodchild

Woonona High: Ben Stewart

Vincentia High: Alysha Adams

https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2017/12/17/2017-dragons-medal-recipients/
 

JDHD

Juniors
Messages
1,082
Another Club spin article aimed at supporting McGregor and rationalizing everything about him.
1. His CV/qualifications and how he was ever appointed as FG coach of this mighty club still remains an unexplained open sore..
2. His record since he took over the reigns. 2016 was a basket case and 2017 an embarrassment.
Now we are talking up a top 4 spot in 2018??
3. "He has 2 years to run on his contract" - premature decision that has already cost the club dearly.
4. Pointing to Dufty's development in 2018 as the definitive ingredient to making the top 4.
When Widdop and Dugan were injured in the first have of 2017, that was the time McGregor should have blooded Dufty.
Instead he left it to the last 7 games.
The discussion about the fullback spot being the final ingredient is just another red herring so that in case of failure, McGregor can blame Dufty or the inexperience of the youngsters vying for that position.
5. While the author who spun this recognizes that Melbourne, Cowboys and Easts as top 4 certainties, there are a number of other clubs capable of making the top 4 such as Parramatta, Cronulla and Penrith.
Then there is Souths with Inglis back, Canterbury with a new outlook, Canberra, a much stronger Newcastle and Balmain and so on.
To set the record straight for the bright spark McGregor supporter that wrote this - the "derision" is well founded and emanates from a place of pride swallowing embarrassment and hurt during the last 2 seasons.
Of course fans are upbeat at this time of year.
We all look forward to next season with renewed optimism and hope - especially with the advent of Hunt and Graham.
But don't misinterpret that as being support for McGregor and his coaching ability.
No one adheres to the stupid notion that only Wayne Bennett can bring success. Ridiculous comment by a second rate journo/lap dog.
The club rushed through McGregor's appointment when other more qualified candidates were available.
Then they rushed through a 2 year renewal again, when much better and more qualified candidates were available.
It is decisions like these that the fans deride and maybe these spin articles should stop insulting the fans' intelligence.
My final point is very simple.
McGregor now has a very strong roster which has been beefed up by Graham and solved the halfback issue with the arrival of Hunt.
He also has a pool of talented youngsters at his disposal as well as Kurt Mann who is jumping out of his skin to play more minutes.
So with this roster and with expectations now fairly and squarely set on the top 4, what happens if McGregor fails again?
Will McGregor finally get the sack and a qualified coach be appointed?
OR will we be subjected to more cheap rationalization and positive spin about all the "positives" to come out of another fruitless season - culminating in more of the same for 2019?

The only thing I disagree with is the 'should have blooded Dufty in round 8' and I only disagree because Dufty was only just coming back in reggies from a pretty bad knee injury at that point. He still should have been blooded before round 19, but I'm not convinced that round 8 was the right time either.

You're hammer-nail-head for the rest though
 
Messages
2,866
The only thing I disagree with is the 'should have blooded Dufty in round 8' and I only disagree because Dufty was only just coming back in reggies from a pretty bad knee injury at that point. He still should have been blooded before round 19, but I'm not convinced that round 8 was the right time either.

You're hammer-nail-head for the rest though
OK I didn't realize that but the point is he could've done something different than put Nightingale at FB as a safety first measure. Maybe a better utilization of Mann?
We became so predictable in 2017, most teams had well and truly worked us out by mid season.
 

Old Timer

Coach
Messages
16,914
OK I didn't realize that but the point is he could've done something different than put Nightingale at FB as a safety first measure. Maybe a better utilization of Mann?
We became so predictable in 2017, most teams had well and truly worked us out by mid season.
Some in here had us worked us out straight after the Charity Shield so not quite sure what took other teams so long to do it.
 

getsmarty

Immortal
Messages
33,485
aitkene-17041539.jpg

NRL NEWS

Aitken goes to extreme measures to tackle injury curse
Author
Chris Kennedy
Timestamp
Mon 18 Dec 2017, 07:00 AM

St George Illawarra Dragons centre Euan Aitken has gone to extreme measures to counteract ongoing hamstring issues, undergoing an off-season epidural to correct the issue.

Many athletes suffer repeated hamstring problems due to back issues and for Aitken, the injection in his spine looks to address the neural link between back tightness and hamstring strains.

Most commonly associated with the delivery of pain relief to women in childbirth or treating lower back pain, epidurals – the medical administration of a drug into the epidural space of the spinal cord – are becoming more common in treating athletes with chronic hamstring injuries.

Aitken is on track to feature in round one having also undergone a shoulder reconstruction following his round 24 shoulder dislocation suffered against the Brisbane Broncos.

"I've gotten on top of shoulder rehab and it's tracking along nicely, I'll be starting to transition into a bit of defence soon," Aitken told NRL.com.

aitkene-try-17040822.jpg

Dragons centre Euan Aitken crosses for a try. :copyright:NRL Photos
"Hopefully I'll be in full training by January. The hammy issues, I got an epidural [in late November], it's a work in progress, I don't know whether it's going to work for me or not but over the next couple of weeks we'll see how that progresses as well."

Aitken said the mechanism of the epidural treatment is "a complicated process".

"It's a lot to do with the neural system and how it affects the hamstring," he said.

"If your back's tight and it's inflamed it can send spasms to your hamstring so your muscles tighten up around it.

"It's a bit of a complicated process, that's as much as I know about it but there's a lot of track records that show improvements in reoccurrence of hamstring injuries so I'm hoping that works for me.

"[There have been] a lot in the AFL, there's a lot of hamstring issues obviously in the AFL. That's the road they've taken to try and fix their hamstring issues so I'm hoping it works for me."

Aitken said his early field sessions following the treatment had shown no ill-effects.

However, he did reveal his disappointment and not being able to represent Scotland in what turned out to be something of an ill-fated World Cup campaign for an injury-ravaged squad missing close to a full Test line-up in NRL and Super League talent.

"A lot of players from Scotland had to miss out on the World Cup for personal reasons or injury," Aitken said.

"It felt like if we did get our full side out there we probably could have done a lot better. We nearly came away with a win [against Samoa], we nearly made the quarter-finals but I feel like if our better side was there we would have been more of a challenge to the top nations.

"There was a lot of NRL talent that missed out and a few from the Super League that weren't able to play. Credit to them, they had the draw with Samoa and probably should have won so it was a credit to the boys that played that game and finished the tournament on a high.

Aitken's immediate goals mostly revolve around getting his body right following the dual injuries that robbed him of a World Cup berth but beyond that, hopes to improve both on and off the ball for the Red V next season.

"Injury is a priority, getting the shoulder right and as strong as possible," he said.

"I want to work on my defence more and let the attack come as well, there's a lot of improvements to be made at the Dragons and we've got the systems in place to make the improvements.

"With some quality players coming, James Graham and Ben Hunt, that will add to the side and make the side better. I think it's going to be big things for the Dragons come 2018."

https://www.nrl.com/news/2017/12/18/dragons-centre-euan-aitken-hoping-injury-curse-is-over/
 
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