Slippery Morris
First Grade
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St George Illawarra Dragons admit missing NRL top eight would mean season a failure
Date
August 4, 2015 - 6:20PM
Brad Walter
St George Illawarra players held a team meeting two weeks ago and agreed that this season would be considered a failure if they don't make the top eight.
Widely tipped as wooden spooners before the start of the season, the Dragons shocked most outsiders by climbing to the top of the NRL ladder and staying there until mid-season when they began a seven-match losing streak that only ended with last Sunday's 46-24 defeat of Newcastle.
Let's face it, if we don't make the top eight it is a failure of a season
Benji Marshall
After dropping out of the top eight following their round-19 loss to Cronulla, St George Illawarra players got together before the match against Melbourne in Napier two weeks ago and reaffirmed their goals for the season.
"We didn't change our goals; the goal has always been the same, which is making the top eight," star halfback Benji Marshall said. "When you set goals at the start of the season you have got to keep them the same otherwise what is the point of making them.
"Let's face it, if we don't make the top eight it is a failure of a season I think, especially after the position we put ourselves in and with the team that we do have.
"We haven't made the semis for a few years now and obviously for this club it is not acceptable to not do that. It is still our goal from the start of the season but you have got to set goals within those goals to help achieve it.
"Two weeks ago, before we played Melbourne, we sat down and said 'let's put these last six losses aside and forget about it'. We started a new competition where we set new goals and even though we didn't beat Melbourne there was probably a massive improvement in our intent in defence, and we found that again against Newcastle and a bit of confidence in our attack as well.
"For us, there are tough games coming up but if we can build momentum and win more than we lose we're a chance."
It is believed that the players identified the need to win at least four of their last seven games - an equation that means they now have to win three of their remaining five matches.
Of particular importance is Saturday's match against the Warriors, as they are sitting equal with seventh-placed St George Illawarra and eighth-placed Canterbury on 22 competition points.
After coming from 22-12 down to overpower the Knights, the Dragons are hoping last Sunday's second-half performance will have the same effect as their stunning round-three fightback from 18-0 after 20 minutes against Canberra to triumph 22-20 and spark a run of eight wins in nine matches.
There is also a belief within the camp that a nine-day trip to Wellington to play the Warriors on Saturday and Brisbane for Friday week's clash with the Broncos will boost team spirit as did their pre-season camp in Manchester for the World Club Series.
"With half the boys living in Sydney and half the boys living in Wollongong, we get limited time to spend together, so when we go away on trips together we have a great time - we play cards, we are in each other's company, we spray each other and there are no distractions," Marshall said.
"The Warriors are a challenge. If we don't win this game we are going backwards again and in the scale of the top eight, we are on the same points as them so this can sort of build a bit of a gap and keep us in good stead for making the top eight. We are definitely good enough to make a run at it and have a chance to win it."
With Warriors halfback Shaun Johnson out for the season after suffering an ankle injury two weeks ago in their 32-12 loss to Manly, Marshall is expected to regain the New Zealand No. 7 jersey for the end-of-year Test series against England.
However, the former Kiwis captain insists his only focus is on helping St George Illawarra make the play-offs.
"People are in my ear about it but I want us to make the semis," Marshall said. "If we don't make the semis I reckon I probably don't deserve to play for New Zealand. That is my goal here and if that happens after that, well sweet."
Date
August 4, 2015 - 6:20PM
Brad Walter
St George Illawarra players held a team meeting two weeks ago and agreed that this season would be considered a failure if they don't make the top eight.
Widely tipped as wooden spooners before the start of the season, the Dragons shocked most outsiders by climbing to the top of the NRL ladder and staying there until mid-season when they began a seven-match losing streak that only ended with last Sunday's 46-24 defeat of Newcastle.
Let's face it, if we don't make the top eight it is a failure of a season
Benji Marshall
After dropping out of the top eight following their round-19 loss to Cronulla, St George Illawarra players got together before the match against Melbourne in Napier two weeks ago and reaffirmed their goals for the season.
"We didn't change our goals; the goal has always been the same, which is making the top eight," star halfback Benji Marshall said. "When you set goals at the start of the season you have got to keep them the same otherwise what is the point of making them.
"Let's face it, if we don't make the top eight it is a failure of a season I think, especially after the position we put ourselves in and with the team that we do have.
"We haven't made the semis for a few years now and obviously for this club it is not acceptable to not do that. It is still our goal from the start of the season but you have got to set goals within those goals to help achieve it.
"Two weeks ago, before we played Melbourne, we sat down and said 'let's put these last six losses aside and forget about it'. We started a new competition where we set new goals and even though we didn't beat Melbourne there was probably a massive improvement in our intent in defence, and we found that again against Newcastle and a bit of confidence in our attack as well.
"For us, there are tough games coming up but if we can build momentum and win more than we lose we're a chance."
It is believed that the players identified the need to win at least four of their last seven games - an equation that means they now have to win three of their remaining five matches.
Of particular importance is Saturday's match against the Warriors, as they are sitting equal with seventh-placed St George Illawarra and eighth-placed Canterbury on 22 competition points.
After coming from 22-12 down to overpower the Knights, the Dragons are hoping last Sunday's second-half performance will have the same effect as their stunning round-three fightback from 18-0 after 20 minutes against Canberra to triumph 22-20 and spark a run of eight wins in nine matches.
There is also a belief within the camp that a nine-day trip to Wellington to play the Warriors on Saturday and Brisbane for Friday week's clash with the Broncos will boost team spirit as did their pre-season camp in Manchester for the World Club Series.
"With half the boys living in Sydney and half the boys living in Wollongong, we get limited time to spend together, so when we go away on trips together we have a great time - we play cards, we are in each other's company, we spray each other and there are no distractions," Marshall said.
"The Warriors are a challenge. If we don't win this game we are going backwards again and in the scale of the top eight, we are on the same points as them so this can sort of build a bit of a gap and keep us in good stead for making the top eight. We are definitely good enough to make a run at it and have a chance to win it."
With Warriors halfback Shaun Johnson out for the season after suffering an ankle injury two weeks ago in their 32-12 loss to Manly, Marshall is expected to regain the New Zealand No. 7 jersey for the end-of-year Test series against England.
However, the former Kiwis captain insists his only focus is on helping St George Illawarra make the play-offs.
"People are in my ear about it but I want us to make the semis," Marshall said. "If we don't make the semis I reckon I probably don't deserve to play for New Zealand. That is my goal here and if that happens after that, well sweet."
