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Matt Dufty re-signs until end of 2019

getsmarty

Immortal
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33,485
Dragons young gun Dufty reveals how he was once almost a Warrior
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It was a stroke of good fortune two years ago which saved the Dragons from losing a restless heir to their No.1 throne – and now Matt Dufty has revealed how serious the Warriors were about poaching one of the NRL's most exciting young guns.

On the eve of an unlikely top-of-the-table clash with the New Zealand Warriors on Friday night, the jet-heeled Dufty has told of how unsure he was about his standing at St George Illawarra as an injured and off-contract under 20s star that he mulled a move across the Tasman.

No Warrior: Matt Dufty came close to a move across the Tasman.

Photo: NRL Photos
And instead of potentially coming back to haunt the Dragons in the match of the round at Mt Smart Stadium, Dufty has been a revelation for the unbeaten table-topping Red V, who have surged into premiership favouritism as they chase a seventh straight win to start the season.

"It was a couple of years ago and I was coming off an injury," Dufty said. "I was off contract at the Dragons and they hadn't talked to me. My manager said we'll talk around and the Warriors showed a lot of interest. I thought it was a realistic thing, but Mary [Paul McGregor] and Benny Hornby came up to me and said, 'there's no way we're letting you go'. It's probably the best thing that has happened.

"I was a bit worried and I didn't know if the Dragons wanted me or not. I was still in my 20s and your career is definitely not set in stone then. I didn't know what to think, but it obviously all worked out in the end."

I thought it was a realistic thing, but Mary [McGregor] and Benny Hornby came up to me and said, 'there's no way we're letting you go'

Matt Dufty
Josh Dugan's exit to the Sharks has paved the way for Dragons junior Dufty, 22, to trail only Warriors speedster David Fusitu'a as the NRL's leading try scorer after just six rounds. But still he is demanding more improvement from his own game.

In his own words, Dufty was "buzzing" after arguably his best NRL performance yet in the Dragons' 20-point romp over the Sharks last Friday night. It precedes a difficult fortnight with a trip to New Zealand followed by the bumper Anzac Day clash against the Roosters.



Match report
Saints march on while Sharks could barely hobble
Asked whether he expected opposition teams to place more focus on him after an impressive start to the year, Dufty said: "I don't know what other teams do video on during the week, but we've got two of the best halves [Ben Hunt and Gareth Widdop] in the comp. I reckon doing video on them would be better than doing it on me.

"Coming into pre-season [the halves dynamic] was something everyone was a bit unsure about, but they're firing. Our whole spine is firing. Our whole team is firing. To have Benny and Gaz– there managing the team when things go wrong it definitely keeps everyone calm and focused on the job.

"We haven't put a number on [how many games we can go unbeaten], but we know if everyone comes out and does their role week to week we'll have a good chance of winning. How many years do you go 6-0 to start the year? The boys are pretty humbled about it. We just get to training and go about our business like we do every week.

"It's not about wins or losses for us – obviously everyone wants to win – but if everyone does their job we know we'll win."

Tyson Frizell and Nene Macdonald are battling illness to start the week, but both are not considered in any doubt for the Warriors clash. The Dragons have won 13 of their last 14 clashes against New Zealand, who will be hoping to bounce back from their only loss this year against the Broncos last week.


https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/dr...as-once-almost-a-warrior-20180416-p4z9y3.html
 

Frank Facer

First Grade
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5,069
I think that when youngsters are getting their new St George jersey, the number 1 will be the most popular number they want on their jerseys in years to come.
 
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2,910
"Benny and Gaz, they're managing the team when things go wrong, it defiantly keeps everyone calm and focused on the job"

That right there is the difference from last year, no panic when oppositions score.
Last year when we got two tries behind you could see the heads drop as there was no chance they could come back due to our lack of try scoring abilities.
This year they seem to have more self belief that they can score from anywhere and the game is never lost.
 

Frank Facer

First Grade
Messages
5,069
He has been quoted as saying that he is grateful to Mary and Hornby for holding him back til now. I hope the same is done and achieved for Lomax, Sailor and Field. No reason they cannot be as successful as Dufty. When they reach 22-23 the there will be no Lafai or Nighty playing and they will be in their place.
Lomax has to be in by next year at the latest. I would like to see him in this year.

I doubt that we would be able to hold onto Field and Sailor until they are 23 or 24, if they are going very well in the ISP.

Field will have a difficult time taking Dufty's position. He could possibly play wing? He can play 5/8, but he will have a hard time taking Widdop's spot.

I think Sailor is a 5/8, but he will have a hard time taking Widdop's spot too, but I do hope that we can hold onto all of them, at least for as long as possible.
 

Crush

Coach
Messages
10,408
I was just watching some highlights from this season so far. Geez I loved that 2nd try dufty scored against the sharks in round 6. He was standing still flat footed and then just hit the gas. He had 4 players to beat and left them all for dead with footwork and speed. What a little gem.
 

ALSGI

Bench
Messages
3,101
I was just watching some highlights from this season so far. Geez I loved that 2nd try dufty scored against the sharks in round 6. He was standing still flat footed and then just hit the gas. He had 4 players to beat and left them all for dead with footwork and speed. What a little gem.
Yep, imagine his highlights reel after a season !! There’ll be plenty more.
 

ouryears

Bench
Messages
3,195
Yep, imagine his highlights reel after a season !! There’ll be plenty more.
Just watched a 6 minute interview with the "Duf Man" up close and personal.

Geeze he spoke impressively.

Saying what he needs to be better at, what he aims to achieve this year, the understanding he needs to continue to create and score tries and his great respect for the game.

And his ambition to one day be as good as Slater. He said this with hope, not with an attitude.

And by the way, he looks bigger!
He has definitely built his frame.
 

2010

Bench
Messages
3,490
I agree that Dufty has built on his frame. But what shocked me was Field’s build. He looks very light on his build compared to Dufty.
 

getsmarty

Immortal
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33,485
Dufty prepares to take on rival Slater as Dragons face Storm
Dragons Den News
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Emulating his hero: Matt Dufty will line up opposite his teenage idol Billy Slater on Sunday afternoon. Picture: NRL Photos.

As a teenager growing up, Matthew Dufty was repeatedly questioned about his size.

While there were no doubts about the diminutive fullback’s talent with the ball in hand, his speed, agility and outstanding skills, questions swirled about Dufty’s ability to make it in a competition that had seemingly become the land of the giants, with 120 kilogram forwards running around on a weekly basis.

But the 22-year-old never questioned his ability to make it in the NRL, knowing there was still a place in the competition for smaller, nimbler players.

On Sunday he comes up against Melbourne Storm fullback Billy Slater, one of those players who inspired him to persist in the face of adversity.

Slater has been among the best fullbacks in the competition for the past 15 years, his 179 centimentre, 89kg frame no impediment to a glittering career featuring over 300 NRL games, 29 Origins and 30 Tests for Australia.

“It’s my first time coming up against Billy Slater,” Dufty said. “He was an idol growing up, has been the best fullback in the NRL for the last 10-12 years and I’m very excited and honoured to play against him.

“He’s like me, he’s not one of the biggest players running around but he does everything the best. As a fullback he does everything, catches the ball on the full, stops tries, and he’s someone I can look up to.”

While Slater has produced countless highlight reel plays throughout his career, there is one particular moment that has stuck in Dufty’s mind as he has grown up.

“That chip and chase in Origin he did [Game Two 2004], everyone did that once or twice and said ‘that’s Billy Slater’, that’s probably the memory that comes to mind.”

Despite debuting for St George Illawarra late last season, the questions surrounding Dufty’s ability to cope in the NRL continued throughout the off-season.

It was during this period, however, that Dufty was grinding away at the Dragons WIN Stadium base, adding muscleto his wiry frame and working on his tackling technique, St George Illawarra’s sizeable forward pack providing the perfect tackle bags.

“I have to tackle forwards all the time at training, it gets me physically ready” Dufty said. “If you have to tackle forwards all the time at training you’re going to be ready for the game.

“If you’ve got big Lesson running at you there’s not much bigger and stronger than him. It helps with your goal line defence, if you’re holding up big boys like that at training, it goes a long way in games.

“I just try to prepare the same way every week, get my weights and my tackles in.”


https://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/5376904/dufty-aims-to-upstage-idol/?cs=3713
 

Life's Good

Coach
Messages
13,971
Just watched a 6 minute interview with the "Duf Man" up close and personal.

Geeze he spoke impressively.

Saying what he needs to be better at, what he aims to achieve this year, the understanding he needs to continue to create and score tries and his great respect for the game.

And his ambition to one day be as good as Slater. He said this with hope, not with an attitude.

And by the way, he looks bigger!
He has definitely built his frame.
I saw that too. Seems genuinely excited at the prospect of running out each week as he builds his experience. He came across as a kid havingvthe time of his life alongside his mates. I guess that’s what winning does for you.
Long may it continue especially this coming Sunday.
 

getsmarty

Immortal
Messages
33,485
Dragons 2018: Dufty right at home in No. 1 jumper
Dragons Den News
r0_0_4063_2501_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg

THEY'VE had no trouble finding top gear on the field, but Dragons fullback Matt Dufty puts the form of his side's spine down to their synergy off the park this season.

the Dragons are the NRL's runaway leaders in the attacking stats with 274 – 20 points ahead of their nearest rivals Melbourne – with their spine boasting 13 tries, 20 try-assists and 19 line-break assists between them.

It's saw them power to a 8-2 start to the season, with Dufty says he's right in-sync with Ben Hunt, Gareth Widdop and Cam McInnes 10 rounds into their campaign..

“We have spine meetings where Gaz, Benny and Cam are all there and I'm there every time,” Dufty said.

“Most plays end with me in spine terms, it goes Cam to Benny, Gaz to me so I've got a bit of input there.

“Gaz has been talking to me more and more around what plays we can run and It goes a long way towards making me comfortable in that number one jersey.

“I've pretty much figured out how Gaz likes to play, when he wants me on his edge and when I can just roam, and my combination with Benny's really come along to.

“I get on with all the spine really well and I think our friendship off the field is translating on the field which always makes it easier.”

Dufty in particular has thrived in 2018 after managing seven top-grade matches last season and puts the strong start to his first full campaign to having the freedom to roam at the back.

“At the start of the year, week to week, I just tried to do my job and play the best footy I could but, probably ever since that Cronulla game [in round six], I've been feeling really comfortable,” he said.

"Gaz and Benny and the forward pack have just been letting me do my own thing which is the style of footy I like to play. I don't like to play too structured.

“I like to play off the cuff and just play footy. That's how I've played my whole life and to have the halves and the spine we do this year it's given me the opportunity to do the same thing.”

The Dragons suffered their first major hiccup in a 24-10 loss to Souths last week, but Dufty will head into Sunday's clash with Canberra in Mudgee high on confidence after re-finding his mojo against the Rabbitohs.

“The last couple of weeks have been a bit quiet in running terms so I wanted to go out there with a mindset to get my running game back,” Dufty said.

“I think I just caught up in other things, there's so many jobs to do out there, so [last] week there was a conscious decision to get my running and my supports up.

“That's what I was trying to do and it worked a little bit so I'll try and stick to it this week.

 
Messages
3,582
Its his attitude that impresses me.

His feet are firmly planted on the ground.

Knows he needs to improve and is willing to work very hard to become the best FG he can be.

Has the attacking skills. Knows he needs to improve his positional play, catching high ball and defence generally.

One on one when a break is made by a back, he has pulled off a few good tackles.

Good luck today Mat.

Fire up Saints !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

ouryears

Bench
Messages
3,195
Cmon Millward extend his contract ASAP

Yes ASAP.
Been years since we have had a player score electrifying tries out of nothing. Blacklock did it at times...and Morris at his best. Not many others though.

And he will get better and better.

Now... is it already 4 times the tries ....and 5 times the try assists the Duft man has already achieved compared to our.. (cough cough) million dollar fullback
(cough cough) from last year?!
 
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