Dragons' final loss stimulates training
By AGRON LATIFI
November 9, 2004
THEIR first competition match is still almost four months away, but that didn't stop the Dragons from kick-starting their pre-season training campaign yesterday in Wollongong.
Kangaroo tourists Jason Ryles, Shaun Timmins and Matt Cooper missed St George Illawarra's first official hit out, as did injured skipper Trent Barrett.
But fellow experienced players Lance Thompson, Luke Bailey and Mark Gasnier were put through their paces yesterday at the University of Wollongong.
A sprinkling of new faces were also in attendance, including Michael Ennis, who made an instant impression at the Dragons by winning the club's beep test.
St George Illawarra coach Nathan Brown said he was happy to have Ennis and fellow recruits Colin Best, Albert Torrens and Willie Manu on board.
"Obviously we lost a couple of players but we're very happy with the players we've got to replace them," he said.
"Ennis can play the full 80 minutes we believe, and he'll be a more than capable replacement for Mark Riddell.
"While ideally we would have liked to have kept Lincoln Withers as a backup, that was not possible. We'll probably go with Aaron Gorrell as Ennis' backup."
The Dragons finished fifth in the 2004 NRL competition, their best home-and-away result in the joint venture's six-year history.
But, the way they went out of the finals' "back door" frustrates Brown.
St George Illawarra lost their first finals game 31-30 to Penrith and were knocked out of the premiership race after Melbourne and North Queensland upset Brisbane and Canterbury respectively.
"It was disappointing the way things turned out in the finals, but I guess we've learned that there's no tomorrow and we have to make the most of our opportunities," Brown said.
"It is the start of a new pre-season now and we're just concerned with preparing for another campaign. We're scheduled to train for the next six weeks before taking a couple of weeks off over Christmas ... and then getting stuck into it again."
Before the season starts, the Dragons will play two trial matches, the Charity Shield showdown against South Sydney at Aussie Stadium on February 19, and a clash against Manly at Centenary Field the week after.
