Signing News

[dragonssamy61]

IMO Dragons 2018 Backline

1. Field or Nightingale
2. Johnstone
3. Lafai
4. Aitken or Mann
5. McDonald

6. Widdop
7. Hunt

We still have to keep mann very important.

 

[nontime111]

I like the idea of 2018 backline as.....

Field
Dufty
Mann
Lafai
Widdy
Hunt

 

[ALSGI]

I like the idea of 2018 backline as.....

Field
Dufty
Mann
Lafai
Widdy
Hunt

Nene?

 

[Frank Facer]

I like the idea of

1 Field
2 Marsters
3 Herbert
4 Lafai
5 McDonald
6 Widdop
7 Hunt

could even swap Marsters and Herbert? Lomax also looks like a top centre prospect and could even be ready by next year.

We definitely have no need for Johnston.

 

[Walpole]

I like the idea of

1 Field
2 Marsters
3 Herbert
4 Lafai
5 McDonald
6 Widdop
7 Hunt

could even swap Marsters and Herbert? Lomax also looks like a top centre prospect and could even be ready by next year.

We definitely have no need for Johnston.

Is this the 2018 or 2021 backline?

 

[Frank Facer]

Is this the 2018 or 2021 backline?

2018

We have good forwards and good halves now. I think we could blood those young backs next year. Herbert and Field even this year. Just think of Easts winning the comp with RTS and Tupou as their wingers who were both in their first full year of first grade. Melbourne were challenging or winning premierships with Inglis, Slater and Folau all rookies at one stage or another. Cronulla blooded Bird and Holmes and won a comp the following year. I am of the belief that if they are good enough, they are old enough. I have seen many 18 year old backs come in a equip themselves very well in first grade. We have some great young talent coming through and I want to see them given a go, because I think they can make it.

I remember the likes of Daley, Brasher, Brett Rodwell, Fittler, Jason Taylor, John Simon and Andrew Ettingshauson all going really good as 18 year olds in the late 80's.

 

[ALSGI]

2018

We have good forwards and good halves now. I think we could blood those young backs next year. Herbert and Field even this year. Just think of Easts winning the comp with RTS and Tupou as their wingers who were both in their first full year of first grade. Melbourne were challenging or winning premierships with Inglis, Slater and Folau all rookies at one stage or another. Cronulla blooded Bird and Holmes and won a comp the following year. I am of the belief that if they are good enough, they are old enough. I have seen many 18 year old back come in a equip themselves very well in first grade. We have some great young talent coming through and I want to see them given a go, because I think they can make it.

Promoting our youngsters seems to be one of our clubs biggest failures. Johnston was 18/19 when he started FG and scored a try in their GF win same year. I hope we don't by him but look wiithin.
Nene has to be close to being dropped, and Nighty is too slow. McCrone won't win us any finals.
What is Mary waiting for?

 

[Frank Facer]

Promoting our youngsters seems to be one of our clubs biggest failures. Johnston was 18/19 when he started FG and scored a try in their GF win same year. I hope we don't by him but look wiithin.
Nene has to be close to being dropped, and Nighty is too slow. McCrone won't win us any finals.
What is Mary waiting for?

I recall Price saying something like One has to be gentle when easing youngsters into first grade. I believe that he got that mentality from Bennett. Mary has continued in the same vein. The only 2 young players that can recall Bennett blooding in our team were Merrin, who has gone on to play for Australia and Kyle Stanley who was playing in our under 20's team when he was 18 years old.

Brownie was certainly not afraid to blood juniors. We had a production line coming through when Brownie was our coach. I like Brownie and would be happy for him to come back and coach us again.

 

[Life's Good]

Promoting our youngsters seems to be one of our clubs biggest failures. Johnston was 18/19 when he started FG and scored a try in their GF win same year. I hope we don't by him but look wiithin.
Nene has to be close to being dropped, and Nighty is too slow. McCrone won't win us any finals.
What is Mary waiting for?

Good summary. We have been so weak in the area of giving juniors a go. It looks like we have a good crop coming through but they are struggling to get an opportunity and it should be something we use to our advantage eg. low cost juniors because we can't compete with the TPA supported clubs.

 

[MilanDragon]

I agree with blooding the youngsters but we also can't blood 4 in one season at once. We do need to bloood them all so they will be able to play together in the next 2-3 years. If we can blood them while having some established FG players around it makes the transition easier, rather than having 4 guys running around with 10 games of experience between them.

With Milne signing with the tigers I'd rather someone else be on the bench to help with the transition. Unless the ploy by Mary is to give the juniors as much game time as possible vs the men and therefore let Milne sit on the bench 70minutes a week.

 

[Slippery Morris]

Blooding youngsters is easy for some coaches e.g Browny, Cleary, Henry. Bellamy The bulk of the 2010 team was Browny's doing by blooding juniors. Bennett added the experience and mental toughness. Other coaches like Bennett and Hasler prefer to get the players from other sides that have at least 50 games NRL experience. Hardly produce any youth.

Whether it was his smarts or by force for Browny I do not remember Saints had plenty of injuries during his tenure and had to promote youngsters. I still can't forget the side that he took over to NZ with a halves pairing of Hornby and Gorrell with a heap of juniors thanks to Origin and won. It is similar to what Browny is doing now at Knights. In a few years they will be a great side mixed with some experience which he will bring in. JUst like he did at Saints with Lincoln Withers, Priddis, Woolford, Albert Torrens, etc. Loved picking up the guys who were close to their used by date. But hey it seemed to work well. They may not have played many games but he had them there to teach the juniors. And if anything it made the juniors step up to keep the old fellas on the bench.

 

[PuffGasnier]

Isn't the best backline that we can field in 2018 at the moment, assuming we don't sign anyone else between now and then:

1. Dufty
2. Mann
3. Lafai
4. Aitken
5. McDonald
6. Widdop
7. Hunt

And then Field on the bench for utility? The lad plays five-eighth most of the time, isn't that his best position as opposed to fullback? People were calling for Dufty to get a chance, and now are passing him over.

 

[Saintsified]

Harry Baths babe's were all blooded young and we won 2 comps.

Let them loose already.

 

[RedV Resurgence]

I would still like to have Brownie as our Coach. I know this isn't popular, but I think he has matured from his stint with the dragons.

I respect that Mary has got better and we are winning, but to win the comp, we need to be able to attack and still be adaptable when a team can shut down our forwards first game plan.

 

[The calm one]

I would still like to have Brownie as our Coach. I know this isn't popular, but I think he has matured from his stint with the dragons.

I respect that Mary has got better and we are winning, but to win the comp, we need to be able to attack and still be adaptable when a team can shut down our forwards first game plan.

Get to like him. Mary won't be going anywhere

 

[Coffs dragon]

Get to like him. Mary won't be going anywhere

He's slowly growing on me......much like mould!!

 

[RedV Resurgence]

Get to like him. Mary won't be going anywhere

Yes, I know and agree, I'll have to become more like your site persona.

Maybe Mary does turn into a great coach. Just struggling to see it at the moment.

 

[RedVDragon]

I would still like to have Brownie as our Coach. I know this isn't popular, but I think he has matured from his stint with the dragons.

I respect that Mary has got better and we are winning, but to win the comp, we need to be able to attack and still be adaptable when a team can shut down our forwards first game plan.

So you would have a coach whose team is running last 2 years in a row? Forget about brown.

 

[RedV Resurgence]

So you would have a coach whose team is running last 2 years in a row? Forget about brown.

They have no stars. What do you expect.

Let's see what he does in the next two years.

 

[dragoncountry]

2018 backline
1-Dufty
2-Nightingale
3- Mann
4-Lafai
5- McDonald
6-Widdop
7-Hunt
Aitken to me will be better suited in the forwards.
Field will maybe come off the bench.