Paul McGregor’s simple secret to Red V resurrection

[possm]

EVERYONE seems surprised at the fact the Dragons are sitting on top of the NRL ladder.
But not us. We — the players, the club — knew the potential this team had before the season even started.

Because while we may not have the “star power” other teams boast, we’ve got a dedicated playing group and a coach who’s given us a very simple message.

Paul McGregor deserves a lot of credit for our early-season success.

Tyson Frizell writes an exclusive column for foxsports.com.au

Should Dugan get $1m?

Last year was tough because we were one of the lowest scoring clubs in the competition, and there was a lot of focus on our attack.

It put pressure on Mary and on the team to tinker with the game plan and try a lot of different things from week to week.

It meant we were almost trying to score on every play, and us players were probably overthinking every time we had the ball.

We were having a lot of information and instructions thrown at us.

This year Mary has totally simplified it, giving us all pretty simple roles which obviously makes our jobs easier.

He doesn’t overload us with instructions anymore.

On the back of our work up the middle Gareth Widdop and Josh McCrone are given time and room to create late in sets, get the ball out wide and then the outside backs do their job.

Mary has helped us turn our form around.

REP JUMPERS CALLING

Our forward pack is playing really well over the first seven games, laying the platform for our attack.

There’s definitely a couple of guys I’d be handing representative jumpers to, and I hope they get their chance.

Jack de Belin has been consistently improving over the past couple of years and I think he’s now an Origin-style forward.

JDB has been in the NSW Country side in the past and if NSW is looking for a middle man, they could do a lot worse than pick him.

He’s tough, he runs hard, he’s a workhorse.

Jack de Belin and the Dragons players celebrate a win.Source: News Corp Australia
Paul Vaughan has also been playing out of his skin and can’t be too far off a representative call-up.

Russell Packer is another of our forwards who has been in purple form recently, and surely New Zealand will be looking at him when they pick their Test squad.

But of course all we can worry about is going out and doing our job for the Red V each week.

If we continue to do that, hopefully those rep jumpers follow.

AN ANZAC TRIBUTE

This round is my favourite of the whole footy year.

Playing on Anzac Day is an experience unlike any other I’ve had in rugby league.

Outside finals I rate the annual Anzac Day game against the Roosters as my favourite.

The whole build-up to the game is sensational. The club usually gets some former soldiers to come in and talk to the players, and we love listening to them and meeting the men who have fought for our country.

Tyson Frizell of the Dragons in action.Source: News Corp Australia
Game day is special too. It’s something else.

It’s one of those games the players seem to rise 10 per cent for.

Hopefully we can continue our streak with a win over the Roosters!

http://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl...n/news-story/26d3bf593deb4e14388a07a02b250dbd

 

[Objective View]

But the puff piece written by Andrew Webster suggests the turning point for Mary was the DUI. Apparently it changed him as a person and as a coach.

I recommend all budding coaches arrange an alcohol arrest to charge up their careers.

Straight Shooter

 

[duck]

Jack Gibson drove pissed all the time.
He went ok.

 

[giboz71]

Well sometimes simple is the way to go.

We had a simple game plan under Bennett, run and tackle hard, defend and score points from one set play (the Boyd sweep play).

Worked well enough to win us a comp.

 

[Alec's-saints]

But the puff piece written by Andrew Webster suggests the turning point for Mary was the DUI. Apparently it changed him as a person and as a coach.

I recommend all budding coaches arrange an alcohol arrest to charge up their careers.

Straight Shooter

you're just perfect sounds like you have never done anything wrong in the past. I lost my license the other day does that make me a bad person? mate i literally can't stand your negativity. let me guess you're supporting roosters tomorrow.

 

[Old Timer]

Jack Gibson drove pissed all the time.
He went ok.

Evidently Jason Taylor is really pissed.

 

[Crush]

Sack McGregor thread isn't getting much action these days, its kinda dropped off a bit.
Hard to argue to sack the coach of a team that is 6W 1L.

 

[Gomarchin]

If we're in the top 4 by round 12 then I think he should be re-signed for 2018 with an option in the club's favour for 2019. I never thought I'd be typing this but you can't argue with results.

 

[Dragon Revival]

There seems to be great morale and confidence in the Club and encouraging form. All that we need now is to re-sign Dugan, Lafai, Mann and Packer and the picture is complete. Go the Mighty Born Again Dragons against the Eastern Suburbs Feather Dusters!

 

[mickeylane]

Well sometimes simple is the way to go.

We had a simple game plan under Bennett, run and tackle hard, defend and score points from one set play (the Boyd sweep play).

Worked well enough to win us a comp.

I keep reading that its all about attitude and I cant help thinking that our great defense and strong ball running is all about "Can Do" and "Have to Do" attitude...its the players themselves pushing themselves individually and afraid to let down a team mate thats trying a little harder....its going to take a while for that kind of attitude to wear off...I think the coach played his part and has included himself in this group and thats what the players like - that he's also put his hand up to see that he grossly underperformed last year and needs to step up...coaching is a mental thing - players buy into it all the time if the message is delivered w honesty...
In this case the coach has been as honest as you can possibly be.

 

[Uplifting]

Hey it seems at the start of every year I read that Mary has simplified the players attacking roles. I think we all know, the real difference this year is that the forwards are ferocious. Subsequently Mary's simplified delegations are enough for the team to be effective.

 

[Gareth67]

I realise that the forwards have been playing great footy and making the hard yards , in fact at times relatively easy . However the teams that have been there at the business end of the season , do the same week in , week out .
This is what the Dragons must do also , we must maintain our fitness and also our enthusiasm for the entire season , not for only for a couple of months .

Mary's game-plan may be a simple one , but as others have said - it's working , however he will need to ' tinker ' with it occasionally . When the time arrives and we suffer a loss , we must be able to pick ourselves up of the floor and go at it full steam ahead the following week .

Hopefully Mary will have the skills to be able to get the players in that frame of mind , should he be able to do this, then the Dragons will be there at the business end of the year also .

For now , the man is doing an exceptional job , more so when you take into account last years nightmare .

 

[Saintsified]

Cleary not a secret anymore...TIME for a new one before the other teams figure us out lol

 

[ALSGI]

Cleary not a secret anymore...TIME for a new one before the other teams figure us out lol

I've been think the same thing since Mary told everyone after round one.
How do you counter our forwards without leaving holes eveywhere else?
They can't rely on Perenara refereeing us every week.

 

[Como Connection]

There seems to be great morale and confidence in the Club and encouraging form. All that we need now is to re-sign Dugan, Lafai, Mann and Packer and the picture is complete. Go the Mighty Born Again Dragons against the Eastern Suburbs Feather Dusters!

And extend McInness.
CC

 

[possm]

If we're in the top 4 by round 12 then I think he should be re-signed for 2018 with an option in the club's favour for 2019. I never thought I'd be typing this but you can't argue with results.

For what purpose, there are no other Clubs known to be chasing Mary for a job as head coach. The fact he has not been signed is making him work hard every day to get the best possible result.

I see no upside in announcing an his extension early. I'd rather the Board keep their options open and make such an announcement at seasons end.

 

[Crush]

For what purpose, there are no other Clubs known to be chasing Mary for a job as head coach. The fact he has not been signed is making him work hard every day to get the best possible result.

I see no upside in announcing an his extension early. I'd rather the Board keep their options open and make such an announcement at seasons end.

I would wait until round 16. By then we should know where we are at. If we are playing the same footy then that we are now extend his contract for sure. Then we can stop reading about it and get on with supporting the players and the coach.

 

[possm]

I would wait until round 16. By then we should know where we are at. If we are playing the same footy then that we are now extend his contract for sure. Then we can stop reading about it and get on with supporting the players and the coach.

So is that the ONLY reason why you would extend before the end of the season?

 

[TheOnlyTeam]

Mary's getting paid, nobody else wants him, wait until seasons end before making a decision on extending.

 

[Crush]

So is that the ONLY reason why you would extend before the end of the season?

No thats not a reason why I would extend his contract at all, thats just an added bonus.
I would extend his contract after 16 rounds if we are still playing great footy because he would deserve it.
The players would want it. The fans would want it and the coach would want it.
And I gaurentee if we are sitting in the top 3 after 16 weeks of footy you too would be happy for Mary to be re-signed Possm. You just cannot see it yet because you still don't believe that we can continue this form. You have said recently that you are convinced that our style of power game will bite us down the track and that the fowards will tire and we will drop off. If you believe this, which you clearly do, then I don't blame you for not wanting Mary to be re-signed.
Anyway, lets hope we are still firing after 4pm today let alone round 16!
I think we will be but always get nervous before a game!