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We need wingers

JDHD

Juniors
Messages
1,082
Looking back on 2017, our biggest liability outside our 7 was our edges. Even back in round one, Semi scored four tries on us simply by running to his left. The Storm absolutely shredded us on both sides in Wollongong. Even the Dogs game, most of their points came from sweeps out to the edge. We would easily dominate teams in the middle, but a lack of speed and defensive nous on our edges consistently let us down all god damn year.

With that said, the only current name I would keep in the run on side next year is Euan Aitken. I know that that goes against everything I said above, but while his defence is questionable, he is the only outside back we have that is going to intimidate opposition defences. The first Sharks game, for instance, he basically tore them a new one by himself purely with his speed and strength. The Manly game, he again scored two tries with his speed and strength. He's absolutely damaging with the ball in hand - when he's fit, that is - so if the coaching staff can work on his defence and his communication with his winger, he could be a game winner for us if Hunt is giving him early ball in space.

Beyond that, Nighty has been a wonderful servant to the club but he's slow and no longer as safe as he once was. Mann is faster, stronger, more skilful and has great vision on an edge and proved in 2016 that he can be an absolute weapon on a wing.

Lafai and MacDonald can f**k right off. Lafai was great until he got paid and MacDonald never got out of second gear.

Anyone agree/disagree? Please feel free to chime in, I'm kind of an idiot and would love to have some salty banter with fellow long-suffering Dragons fans such as you fine people about our shitty wingers.
 

Emu01

Juniors
Messages
833
Yes definitely! I believe the wingers are the most important ingredient for success these days.

Look at Parramatta middle of the road team with an excellent wingman in Semi and what do you know suddenly they are top 4.

Storm 2 great wingers and they are virtually unbeatable..

The Roosters always have good wingers as well.

Nighty has been good but we need a monster that every club fears that can win you a game..

The great Parra team of the 80's had Eric Growth he was unbelievable a wrecking machine and they won 3 comps in a row.

Come on Dragons keep up and buy or produce a good winger.

What about Lomax??
 

JDHD

Juniors
Messages
1,082
Yes definitely! I believe the wingers are the most important ingredient for success these days.

Look at Parramatta middle of the road team with an excellent wingman in Semi and what do you know suddenly they are top 4.

Storm 2 great wingers and they are virtually unbeatable..

The Roosters always have good wingers as well.

Nighty has been good but we need a monster that every club fears that can win you a game..

The great Parra team of the 80's had Eric Growth he was unbelievable a wrecking machine and they won 3 comps in a row.

Come on Dragons keep up and buy or produce a good winger.

What about Lomax??

Lomax is still a baby, I think you need to be at least 19 turning 20 to play first grade now and I'm pretty sure he's still a year young next year as well.
 

dungay dragon

Juniors
Messages
1,014
Lomax is still a baby, I think you need to be at least 19 turning 20 to play first grade now and I'm pretty sure he's still a year young next year as well.
Nick Cottric at the Raiders is 18 and has had a wonderful season.In line for Rookie of the Year..If they are ready give em a go .Lomax is highly talented and has speed..
Please please show Mc Donald and Lafai the door , and sadly Nighty ...
Time to clear the decks and get some speed, enthusiasm and attitude in there
 

giboz71

First Grade
Messages
8,895
I remember Duges, Lafai and McDonald being mighty quick for their previous clubs.

What is it about the Dragons that seems to slow players down?

Who is our sprint coach?
 

possm

Coach
Messages
15,587
Yes our wingers have not performed well however, it is not all their fault. A great proportion of the blame needs to be levelled at our coaching staff. We have had a problem down our right edge ever since Mary has taken over as coach. The compressed defensive plan, pulling our edge forwards in to help in the middle 3rd and the general structure and attiduded adopted by the team has a lot to do with this problem. Hire an experienced and talented coaching staff and this problem will be solved in a moment.

Millward retained Lafai and was given praise for doing so. On this occasion I won't blame Millward but will heap the blame on the coaching staff. Why in the hell they did not put a stop to all of those riscky passes he produces and why he is not instructed to play direct, one wonders.

Both wingers should always mark up in defence. Stay wide and let the rest of the team slide, adjust etc. The inside men and the fullback can more easily cover a line break close to centre field than out on the sideline.
 
Messages
2,910
I've said it before and I'll say it again, our wing defence has been crap all year, but it's coached to be that way.

If running in off thier wing and leaving thier man unmarked was defensive mistakes it would have been fixed, it hasn't, it's coached.
 

mickeylane

Bench
Messages
4,894
Yes definitely! I believe the wingers are the most important ingredient for success these days.

Look at Parramatta middle of the road team with an excellent wingman in Semi and what do you know suddenly they are top 4.

Storm 2 great wingers and they are virtually unbeatable..

The Roosters always have good wingers as well.

Nighty has been good but we need a monster that every club fears that can win you a game..

The great Parra team of the 80's had Eric Growth he was unbelievable a wrecking machine and they won 3 comps in a row.

Come on Dragons keep up and buy or produce a good winger.

What about Lomax??
Rona
Rona
Rona
 

mickeylane

Bench
Messages
4,894
Do we need wingers or do they bring in Masters, Lomax, Sailor, Dylan Morris to partner Kurt Mann.

Spending money on wingers when they have these guys coming through may be a waste.
Actually I would take a gamble on Morris or even Sailor - only problem for both are thAt they are short
 

MrDragon007

Juniors
Messages
159
Looking back on 2017, our biggest liability outside our 7 was our edges. Even back in round one, Semi scored four tries on us simply by running to his left. The Storm absolutely shredded us on both sides in Wollongong. Even the Dogs game, most of their points came from sweeps out to the edge. We would easily dominate teams in the middle, but a lack of speed and defensive nous on our edges consistently let us down all god damn year.

With that said, the only current name I would keep in the run on side next year is Euan Aitken. I know that that goes against everything I said above, but while his defence is questionable, he is the only outside back we have that is going to intimidate opposition defences. The first Sharks game, for instance, he basically tore them a new one by himself purely with his speed and strength. The Manly game, he again scored two tries with his speed and strength. He's absolutely damaging with the ball in hand - when he's fit, that is - so if the coaching staff can work on his defence and his communication with his winger, he could be a game winner for us if Hunt is giving him early ball in space.

Beyond that, Nighty has been a wonderful servant to the club but he's slow and no longer as safe as he once was. Mann is faster, stronger, more skilful and has great vision on an edge and proved in 2016 that he can be an absolute weapon on a wing.

Lafai and MacDonald can f**k right off. Lafai was great until he got paid and MacDonald never got out of second gear.

Anyone agree/disagree? Please feel free to chime in, I'm kind of an idiot and would love to have some salty banter with fellow long-suffering Dragons fans such as you fine people about our shitty wingers.
Agree. Nighty, i love the guy, but his time is up. Mann is a weapon on the wing, Nene, well, he has the size, and before joining us had the speed, which is what we wanted, a big fast winger. For the life of me i dont know what went wrong with him.
Lafai, is a tricky one, on his day he can carve up anyone, but, his on days are too few for my liking.
Im hoping with Hunt coming, these outside backs will get better ball service, but Hunt cant bring speed for Nene, that Lads gotta pull his finger out.
Like dino said, and has said for many years, we need speed, and we dont have that atm, besides Dufty, we lack real strike power speed.
Who would you look at for the wing spots JDHD?
 

hewi

Bench
Messages
3,740
Yes we need wingers , however under SuperCoach even the best wingers will fail at the Dragons.
 

emu62

Juniors
Messages
601
Everybody seems to praise what a great pack we have. If this were true how come the Bullgrubs handled our pack with such ease.Imo our slow back line is not our only issue
 
Messages
718
Personally think nighty cost us a lot more in attack and defence even when we create overlaps his too slow to take advantage of it
Nene back to his preferred left wing and fight a new right winger
 

JDHD

Juniors
Messages
1,082
Agree. Nighty, i love the guy, but his time is up. Mann is a weapon on the wing, Nene, well, he has the size, and before joining us had the speed, which is what we wanted, a big fast winger. For the life of me i dont know what went wrong with him.
Lafai, is a tricky one, on his day he can carve up anyone, but, his on days are too few for my liking.
Im hoping with Hunt coming, these outside backs will get better ball service, but Hunt cant bring speed for Nene, that Lads gotta pull his finger out.
Like dino said, and has said for many years, we need speed, and we dont have that atm, besides Dufty, we lack real strike power speed.
Who would you look at for the wing spots JDHD?

In a perfect world, I'd of course take Vunivalu and Addo-Carr, but this is a dark and terrifying world. However, contracts aren't worth the paper they're written on, so I'd be going hammer and tongs after established wingers, preferably at clubs who are known to have cap problems, ie Canberra, Canterbury, Cowboys or Penrith. Specifically, I'd be hitting up Jordan Rapana, Kyle Feldt or Josh Mansour with offers that they simply could not refuse. One of them will inevitably ask for a release from their current club. I know these seem ridiculous but seriously, we need to start swinging our dicks around a bit more and start poaching quality players off other teams instead of graciously accepting their discards. We did it with Hunt (contrary to what Broncos fans will tell you, the actual Brisbane club itself did not want to let him go - as the constant switching between Nikorima, Milford and Benji can attest to) and we should do it again.
 

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