Round 16 vs Eels

[Smack]

What's disappointing in all this is that there have been ample occasions for the likes of Host, Kerr, Lawrie, Sele etc. to get really good game time in preparation for stepping in to give our rep players a rest. Whilst I'm for the rep players playing on the luxury of ready to go back ups would have been a comfort knowing how we faded at the end of last year.
I just hope it doesn't bite us again.

Why would we doing something intelligent like rotate our squad in case of injury late in the season? It amazes me how many of you people dare question our glorious leader.

 

[Smack]

Club duty the next mission for sky-high Blues

• 
  Mitch Jennings

Dragons Den News

HOW GOOD: Blues forward Tyson Frizell. Picture: AAP

DRAGONS forward Tyson Frizell says he could play against Parramatta on Thursday night on pure adrenaline, with the high of Sunday’s Origin series victory showing no sign of abating quickly.

The Blues ushered in a new Origin era in overcoming a 10-0 deficit to take out game two 18-14, defending the last 10 minutes with just 12 men on the field.

It was a case of one from one for Brad Fittler’s 11 debutants but, having felt his fair share of Origin heartbreak in recent seasons, it was extra special for Frizell.

“Jimmy [Maloney] and I were just speaking about that when we walked into the sheds, these kids are probably ‘thinking how good’s this’,” Frizell said in a jubilant NSW shed on Sunday.

“For us guys who’ve experienced those losses and been that close in the second half and just let it slip away… it's just happened too many times.

“I’ve seen it happen in the past as well so being a man down and being able to hold them out to the end and, to not only defend our line but attack there’s as well in the back end, is just so pleasing.

“It was a different mentality. We knew we couldn’t sit back and do our best to hold out Queensland, we had to attack them at every opportunity, even [while] a man down.

“With and without the ball we had to go after them and, even with a man down, that’s what we did. That last 10 minutes felt like an eternity but I’m so proud of the boys, we got the job done.”

While there’s nothing that will dampen those spirits, the Dragons representative contingent will need to quickly shift focus to club duty ahead of Thursday’s clash with the Eels in Wollongong.

There are no major injury concerns for the Dragons, who had eight players involved in the rep weekend, ahead of their toughest turnaround of the season.

English duo Gareth Widdop and James Graham left Denver injury-free, though prop Leeson Ah Mau’s return was delayed by the cancellation of New Zealand’s scheduled return flight.

The club’s Origin contingent came through Sunday unscathed and the returning Blues will have the words of coach Brad Fittler ringing in their ears.

“They’ve got to go back and play [well] for their club,” Fittler said in the post-match presser.

“It’s an important week for those players to go back and come down from and emotional high and go back and do it for their [club] team.

“We sort of did that between [games] one and two. There was a two-game break there and everyone did it one game and not the other.

“Queensland have set an unbelievable standard for a long time about playing for your state and then going back and playing for your club and keeping he standard high.

“That’s the one thing we need to do to keep the quality of our team going forward.”

Frizell said it’s a responsibility that the Blues experienced campaigners take seriously.

“It’s something [Fittler] wants us to do and it’s something we definitely want to do,” Frizell said.

“We don’t just want to play well for NSW, the club’s got us to this position so we need to reward them. We play with those guys week in, week out and they’re the people that gave us the opportunity to play for NSW.

“At the moment it is a short turnaround but, I’ll enjoy this for what it is and I’ll let Thursday come when it happens. We’ve passed the halfway point of the regular season and, in the past, we’ve probably struggled at this point of the year.

“This year there’s a lot more boys in the Origin side and we’ve come away with a win so hopefully we’ll all take a lot of confidence out of it and bring it back to club footy.”


https://www.illawarramercury.com.au...-the-next-mission-for-sky-high-blues/?cs=3713

He's so hot. I just want him to cuddle me to sleep.

 

[Alec's-saints]

teams are in. frizz the only player been rested. smart move by mary in resting frizz. im thinking mary will take turns in resting players. jdb should be rested v tigers

 

[dragonssamy61]

teams are in. frizz the only player been rested. smart move by mary in resting frizz. im thinking mary will take turns in resting players. jdb should be rested v tigers

Mybe more changes to come.

 

[jak]

teams are in. frizz the only player been rested. smart move by mary in resting frizz. im thinking mary will take turns in resting players. jdb should be rested v tigers

please don't say things like smart move by mary on this forum you will upset to many people, you all no who you are.

 

[Dragonslayer]

Mybe more changes to come.

Yeah i agree Ds61.

Just need to take a loij ag the team named for ISP and in particular whose names are missing.
Normally players named in NRL as reserves are usually found in the ISP but not this time.

Also read between the lines of what was said on the team list announcement its pretty blatant right there.

 

[Alec's-saints]

Yeah i agree Ds61.

Just need to take a loij ag the team named for ISP and in particular whose names are missing.
Normally players named in NRL as reserves are usually found in the ISP but not this time.

Also read between the lines of what was said on the team list announcement its pretty blatant right they will all play shouldn't use tired as a excuse.

 

[Old Kogarah Boy 1]

JDB is the first player that should be rested, regardless of what the player thinks.

 

[Como Connection]

JDB is the first player that should be rested, regardless of what the player thinks.

100% correct.
Sele will be fine, really like him.
CC

 

[merahputih]

I wish we were playing a top 8 team instead of the wooden spooners on Thursday I would be much more confident. For some reason I can't quite understand, even the worst performing sides seem to grow an extra leg when we play them.

 

[Bests Golden Boots]

JDB is the first player that should be rested, regardless of what the player thinks.

Yeah, JDB and Friz should both be out, no players play the game harder.
Give Sele and Host a run on game against quite possibly the weakest pack in the comp and see how they go.
Hunt will be keen to tear Para a new one given what he’s copped over the last few days, Graham and Widdop may be tired, but not busted.

 

[getsmarty]

TEAM LISTS


NRL team: Round 16 v Parramatta Eels
Author
Dragons.com.au dragons.com.au
Timestamp
Tue 26 Jun 2018, 04:00 PM

St George Illawarra coach Paul McGregor has named a 24-man squad ahead of the Dragons' Round 16 clash against the Parramatta Eels at WIN Stadium, Wollongong on Thursday, June 28.

Tyson Frizell's (rested) absence means that Jacob Host has been named in the back row, with Luciano Leilua named on the interchange as a result.

Tim Lafai, Gareth Widdop, Ben Hunt, James Graham, Paul Vaughan, Leeson Ah Mau and Jack de Belin have all been named to back up from their respective representative honours – though this allowed coach McGregor to name three more players than usual.

There remains scope for the likes of Darren Nicholls, Reuben Garrick and Patrick Herbert to make their NRL debuts following their selection in the wider squad.

The NRL fixture will kick-off at 7:50pm, with a curtain raiser between the New South Wales and Queensland Police sides scheduled for a 5:30pm start.

Red V members, please also note that the 2018 'Members Only' signing session which was scheduled to take place on Sunday, July 1 at Jubilee Oval has unfortunately been postponed. Click here for more details.

NRL squad for Round 16 v Parramatta Eels:

1. Matt Dufty – sponsored by Illawarra Mercury/St George & Sutherland Shire Leader
2. Nene Macdonald – sponsored by Relativity in the Loop
3. Euan Aitken – sponsored by University of Wollongong
4. Tim Lafai – sponsored by Kingsgrove Sports Centre
5. Kurt Mann – sponsored by SMAI
6. Gareth Widdop (c) – sponsored by Dynamic Projects
7. Ben Hunt – sponsored by Paul's Customs and Forwarding Solutions
8. James Graham – sponsored by EFEX
9. Cameron McInnes – sponsored by Floormania
10. Paul Vaughan – sponsored by My Muscle Chef
11. Jacob Host – sponsored by Val Morgan
12. Tariq Sims – sponsored by Stonemasons & Landscapers (since 1970)
13. Jack de Belin – sponsored by Wollongong Jetski

Interchange:
14. Jeremy Latimore – sponsored by Addbuild Additions
15. Jason Nightingale– sponsored by Wollongong Diagnostics
16. Leeson Ah Mau – sponsored by Westfund
17. Luciano Leilua – sponsored by Domus Lighting
18. Blake Lawrie
19. Reece Robson
20. Jai Field
21. Hame Sele
22. Darren Nicholls
23. Patrick Herbert
24. Reuben Garrick

https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2018/06/26/nrl-team-round-16-v-parramatta-eels/

 

[MilanDragon]

Cloak and dagger stuff?

Looking at the ISP team most of that extended bench is playing come Thursday and a lot of the guys will be rested.

Only reason I guess Frizz was rested straight up was because of the amount of spots we can have and naming him would’ve meant someone extra having to play

 

[Bests Golden Boots]

Luc for JDB, Lawrie to the bench would be my guess.

I hope so, can’t wait to see what Host has got in the run on side.

 

[gonz]

Is ah mau our?

 

[dragonssamy61]

Yeah i agree Ds61.

Just need to take a loij ag the team named for ISP and in particular whose names are missing.
Normally players named in NRL as reserves are usually found in the ISP but not this time.

Also read between the lines of what was said on the team list announcement its pretty blatant right there.

No soo players nene need ro pass a fitness test tomorrow as well.
LAM only go back tonight.
Widdop and graham monday

 

[TomRedVRiver]

No Lawrie, Field, Herbert, Nicholls, Garrick or Sele named in ISP. Usually a few of them are named in the first grade extended squad but are also named in the ISP team so we get an idea of who drops out.

Will be interesting to see. I'm predicted a few late changes to the side.

 

[Gareth67]

As said previously - damned if he does give them a rest and damned if he does not .

But after reading in today's rag about the needles that De Belin has had for EVERY match since the win over the Storm , he should had been the first to have a break .

The man needs it if he knows it or not and Jimmy Graham also , the high altitude would not had done him any favours either . Still should the maestro arrange the deck chairs correctly , then I cannot see this ship sinking come Thursday night .

 

[Old Kogarah Boy 1]

Yeah, JDB and Friz should both be out, no players play the game harder.
Give Sele and Host a run on game against quite possibly the weakest pack in the comp and see how they go.
Hunt will be keen to tear Para a new one given what he’s copped over the last few days, Graham and Widdop may be tired, but not busted.

Yeah, JDB has already stated that he’ll needle up every week if it means playing.

It’s nice that he wants to play but his doctor should advising the opposite.

This where Mary really chafes my buttcheeks..... Mary says, It’s the players call!

To me, that is really shortsighted in all regards.

Again, no plan B.

 

[LINESPEED]

Why would we doing something intelligent like rotate our squad in case of injury late in the season? It amazes me how many of you people dare question our glorious leader.

You're talking about the Illawarra acolytes of course?

But they, like everyone else on here, are entitled to their opinions

Everyone's had their say, which is how it should be - and I've certainly put in my two bob's worth over the months. We all hope to make a difference somehow in ensuring the best outcome for our great club.

What must be incontrovertible though is that we've had an unprecedented & unheard of injury-free run. I would think it's a mix of incredible luck & good training practice (minus the boxing lol).

Luck never lasts though!