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Where will the St George Illawarra Dragons finish in 2018?

Where will the St George Illawarra Dragons finish in 2018?

  • 1st to 4th

    Votes: 12 12.1%
  • 5th to 8th

    Votes: 65 65.7%
  • 9th to 12th

    Votes: 19 19.2%
  • 13th to 16th

    Votes: 3 3.0%

  • Total voters
    99
  • Poll closed .
Messages
2,866
I always believed that Maloney to be a great link-man , he added the spark to the chooks and sharks. And he will do the same job at the panthers alongside young Nathan Cleary .
Add to that his accurate goal kicking . The man was worth his weight in gold to each team that he has been in , the chooks missed him , as will Cronulla and the winners on this occasion shall be the Panthers . Pity , he would had looked good in our jersey .
Totally agree - great player and has a ruthless streak that makes him a formidable competitor.
Significant improvement on our pretty boy...
 
Messages
2,866
I believe that we may just scrape into the final eight next season - if we do not suffer any serious injuries , no player burnout like this year . And most importantly of all , the coach finally gets off that big learning curve that he has been on since he was appointed to the position and makes the right calls , uses his bench wisely . In short becomes a mature 1st grade coach .

We fans need a good season next year , we have all suffered enough with the disappointments of the past . Sincerely hope , wish , that it all comes together in 2018 for all concerned , the team , the coach , the fans and also for the Joint Venture itself .
Our Coach has been going backwards and is inept.
Only learning curve is a spiral downward.
The fans deserve much better than having to watch McGregor trying to learn how to be an NRL FG coach for 3 years in a row.
While our roster has been enhanced, nearly all other teams have also been very active improving their rosters and in some cases, changing their coaching regimes.
No pushover games next year which means more close games.
Much harder draw to contend with compared to the last couple of seasons.
That's where coaches earn their money - winning those close games and grabbing those competition points.
McGregor has a terrible track record in close games.
That is why I have grave doubts about any improvement on the competition table in 2018.
 

getsmarty

Immortal
Messages
33,485
Totally agree - great player and has a ruthless streak that makes him a formidable competitor.
Significant improvement on our pretty boy...

Debatable at best....Maloney can be a turnstile in defense. That being said he has always had good coaching staff ....I am sure our staff would having him going backwards pretty quickly.
 

Life's Good

Coach
Messages
13,971
We have always known about the rorting of the TPA system however, why is it that the NRL who are employed to monitor such rorts are always saying 'nothing to see here'.

I say cancel the current system and introduce a scheme whereby the player managers are responsible for arranging TPA's related to the player only not for any club contract. These TPA's to be for a set time period and follow the player to whichever club he plays with. So if a TPA is arranged, any club fighting for the players signature will not be disadvantaged; the player gets the TPA and the club gets nothing. Of course the player manager gets his cut and the NRL approves the TPA and confirms it is separate from any club contract.

So how is that different to what actually happens now?
 

Belta

Juniors
Messages
1,124
A tougher draw, sides including Cowboys, Newcastle, Bulldogs, Tigers, Roosters to mention a few are looking much stronger. This doesn't bear well for the dragons finishing high up the ladder but I'm hoping we escape a few tight ones and scrape in, finishing 8th on the back of our forwards and halves.

Black ball 8 for me.
 

2010

Bench
Messages
3,490
We have Hunt and Graham si that's a plus.
Where we are lagging behind other clubs is our lack of speed in the wings and centers. That will have a bearing on where we finish.
The power game is not going to get us in the top four we will be, like last season trying to get eighth.
Unless we are going to see some of our young guns being promoted it's going to be a long season.
However, they are still my team and will be there to support them.
 

hewi

Bench
Messages
3,740
Having Hunt is a huge plus. Depth will have a huge bearing on the season for all teams, you can’t keep playing busted forwards week in week out. They have to be well managed so at the business end you can put your best pack on the field without injuries. Huge improvement need in this area IMO if we are to be any sort of threat.
 

Drag Queen

Bench
Messages
2,981
Having Hunt is a huge plus. Depth will have a huge bearing on the season for all teams, you can’t keep playing busted forwards week in week out. They have to be well managed so at the business end you can put your best pack on the field without injuries. Huge improvement need in this area IMO if we are to be any sort of threat.
Surely you'd think they've had enough time to realise this poor bench rotation wasn't working. Then again..
 

Gareth67

First Grade
Messages
8,406
Our Coach has been going backwards and is inept.
Only learning curve is a spiral downward.
The fans deserve much better than having to watch McGregor trying to learn how to be an NRL FG coach for 3 years in a row.
While our roster has been enhanced, nearly all other teams have also been very active improving their rosters and in some cases, changing their coaching regimes.
No pushover games next year which means more close games.
Much harder draw to contend with compared to the last couple of seasons.
That's where coaches earn their money - winning those close games and grabbing those competition points.
McGregor has a terrible track record in close games.
That is why I have grave doubts about any improvement on the competition table in 2018.

Dennis , I totally agree with opinion. 3 years is 3 years too many . When a team selects a coach , he should come with all the attributes, experience, all round knowledge of the game and may I add shrewdness . Unfortunately for the team McGregor lacks each of these .

As you have said the crunch will come in those close games , this is where a ' wily ' coach will have the ability to try something a bit different to grab the two competition points . Whether that be by introducing a fresher player into the game or perhaps kicking early on in the tackle count , anything , whatever it takes to close the game down .

Still , if the the football gods smile upon us , I can see us reaching the eight as I believe , imo, that Canberra will not be there next season , freeing 1 spot for the Dragons to take if we are good enough .
 
Last edited:

Coffs dragon

Bench
Messages
4,247
I still feel mid table finish at best....around 8th or 9th. We have half a good spine in Hunt & Widdop with our 1 & 9 somewhat adequate and a work in progress. There lays the problem with our coach having the ability to de-skill them both and stall their progress.
So a good forward pack + 2 good halves minus a dud coach minus 2 slow wingers minus 2 iffy centre pairing = same as last year
 

Crush

Coach
Messages
10,410
I still feel mid table finish at best....around 8th or 9th. We have half a good spine in Hunt & Widdop with our 1 & 9 somewhat adequate and a work in progress. There lays the problem with our coach having the ability to de-skill them both and stall their progress.
So a good forward pack + 2 good halves minus a dud coach minus 2 slow wingers minus 2 iffy centre pairing = same as last year
Damn it coffs, stop it mate! I'm trying to trick myself into believing that we will be top 4 then I read your post and thought shit he's right!
 

Sheridan Stand

Juniors
Messages
427
Who better to ask where a certain team will finish than the fans of the team themselves!

With their strongest line up where would you have them finishing?

1. Matthew Dufty
2. Nene Macdonald
3. Timoteo Lafai
4. Euan Aitken
5. Jason Nightingale
6. Gareth Widdop
7. Ben Hunt
8. James Graham
9. Cameron McInnes
10. Paul Vaughan
11. Joel Thompson
12. Tyson Frizell
13. Jack de Belin

Leeson Ah Mau
Tariq Sims
Kurt Mann
Hame Sele

But still the weakest coach in NRL history
 

Coffs dragon

Bench
Messages
4,247
But still the weakest coach in NRL history
Surely right up there! Even Steve Price is a 2 time premiership assistant coach whom has secured a Head Coaching position in the ESL with one of the powerhouse clubs. He must be doing something right!
Meanwhile we have the bloke that won some comps in the Illawarra League and is a favourite son in the Gong and JetSki world. Get me another Panadol!
 

Crush

Coach
Messages
10,410
Surely right up there! Even Steve Price is a 2 time premiership assistant coach whom has secured a Head Coaching position in the ESL with one of the powerhouse clubs. He must be doing something right!
Meanwhile we have the bloke that won some comps in the Illawarra League and is a favourite son in the Gong and JetSki world. Get me another Panadol!
I think McGregor is buliding nicely. He will be hoping to finish 8th next year, then in 2019 7th and so on.
2025 premiers!
 

kit66

Bench
Messages
3,576
Realistically......In 2018 we'll have the Forwards and Halves we need to make the 8 but not the firepower out wide to match it with the top 4 sides. Our backline, as is, simply doesn't have the class to get us to the top. That could change if a couple of our juniors get a run and become overnight legends but that's a tad unlikely.
Hopefully though we'll win more than we lose and at least be competitive.
 

Drag Queen

Bench
Messages
2,981
Surely right up there! Even Steve Price is a 2 time premiership assistant coach whom has secured a Head Coaching position in the ESL with one of the powerhouse clubs. He must be doing something right!
Meanwhile we have the bloke that won some comps in the Illawarra League and is a favourite son in the Gong and JetSki world. Get me another Panadol!
No offence Coff but we are getting Agar from Warrington, Price's new team. Warrington did not end the year well and certainly not a powerhouse having finished 9th in ESL. Just a thought.
 

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