Dragons Final 8 Games 2021

[Mickthedragon]

Can't see us making it, too many passengers in the team and the coach won't drop Norman.

 

[Saints Forever]

Actually looking at the results this round, we will still be 7th by the end of the round.

I wouldn’t be surprised if we managed to play finals footy this season.

We are a dysfunctional side thanks to suspensions and injuries.

But, believe it or not, most of the other clubs behind us on the table are even worse than we are.

The next few weeks will be critical to our chances.

We have some breathing space.

If we can just snag a win or two before we return to full strength(minus Vaughan) we may just shock the media who have been death riding us all season.

 

[mickeylane]

And hence why only 3 wins will do.. watch the Knights getting smashed by 30 in the first half tonite.. watch the sharks getting smashed by the raiders.. just need 3 games .. we have too many good players to be losing 8 straight games

The only reason they are still there about in the 8 is because the bottom half teams are very poor ...

 

[Number of the Beath]

The pundits predicted that we would be wooden spooners this season. So far, though being anything but consistent or particularly impressive, we are running 7th.
We have suffered some serious injuries (Hunt's leg, Fittler's Love Child hurt his thumb) and RIDICULOUS suspensions (McGuire, Sims and especially Rava who seemingly can't touch anyone without getting 3 weeks).
To say nothing of BBQgate. Are we the only club whose players have done this kind of thing, or the only ones who got caught?
A healthy contingent of the sport media community seems to get their jollies out of death-riding this club. It's almost enough to make you think that we are being punished for defying the popular opinion that we'd be running well and truly last. If we are the basket-case people say we are, with endemic cultural problems and rifts in the squad - and further hampered by having a statue like Norman at 5/8 - how are we capable of being anywhere NEAR the Top 8?

 

[Dragon David]

The pundits predicted that we would be wooden spooners this season. So far, though being anything but consistent or particularly impressive, we are running 7th.
We have suffered some serious injuries (Hunt's leg, Fittler's Love Child hurt his thumb) and RIDICULOUS suspensions (McGuire, Sims and especially Rava who seemingly can't touch anyone without getting 3 weeks).
To say nothing of BBQgate. Are we the only club whose players have done this kind of thing, or the only ones who got caught?
A healthy contingent of the sport media community seems to get their jollies out of death-riding this club. It's almost enough to make you think that we are being punished for defying the popular opinion that we'd be running well and truly last. If we are the basket-case people say we are, with endemic cultural problems and rifts in the squad - and further hampered by having a statue like Norman at 5/8 - how are we capable of being anywhere NEAR the Top 8?

In the circumstances as you have stated Number of the Beath, we haven't done too badly. But in saying this, some clubs like the Roosters have had major injury problems and layoffs/retirements this year but are still managing to stay afloat well.

I'm not too sure if there would have been much BBQ Gating being done elsewhere if any. The lockdowns started on 26 June and basically our BBQGate incident was about a week later and I doubt that any other group would have done anything as stupid as our guys after being nabbed. Now that the majority of the players are in their respective bubbles in the North State, there shouldn't be anymore incidents occurring.

But yeah, the pundits hey. They love to see us in the "gutter" and coming last would have had them chock full of laughter but not now. They will still have a go because we are an easy target but up them!

 

[Hutty1986]

Yeaaaah...we won't win another game.

 

[Dragonslayer]

And hence why only 3 wins will do.. watch the Knights getting smashed by 30 in the first half tonite.. watch the sharks getting smashed by the raiders.. just need 3 games .. we have too many good players to be losing 8 straight games

I agree with 3 wins, that would get us 8th spot imo. 2 wins would get us into a for and against situation, again imo.

Of those in contention, the Sharks seem to have the easiest run home and the Tigers surprisingly enough have some easy games (Dogs twice, Warriors and Cows). But I must say no game is easy!

Round 20 the Raiders & Knight play each other as do Warriors & Tigers, is an example that some teams in the chase play each other, so one will drop behind, it happens a few times over the next 7 rounds.

Currently:
Dragons - 18 points : -24
Sharks - 16 : -60
Raiders - 16 : -74
Knights - 16 : -137
Titans - 14 : -74
Tigers - 14 : -130
Warriors - 12 : -203

After Rd 25 (IMO)
Sharks - 26 finish 7th
Dragons - 24 (assuming 3 wins) finish 8th
_____________________________________________
Knights - 22
Raiders - 20
Tigers - 20
Titans - 20
Warriors - 18

Games against Titans, Raiders and Cows should be our targets, jag a win in any other game is a bonus.

 

[Walpole]

Who are these "3 wins" going to come against?

Edit: just saw Titans, Raiders, Cowboys as the targets. Unfortunately they're all 50/50 games, not sure we're playing well enough to win all three.

 

[Crush]

The media will be death riding us and we have on one else to blame but ourselves. We lost 3-4 winnable games before the BBQ fiasco, should have been comfortable in the 8 with hopes to play semi-finals. Would have been a great springboard into 2022. Instead our season has unraveled with sacking, fines, suspension and shaming by media and fans etc.All of this in the 100 year anniversary of the Club. Then add the relocation and disruption to QLD due COVID drama and it’s the perfect storm. The team has never tough nor resilient under full strength conditions, so how will they cope now. Seriously you could not have scripted this.

You are dead right, there are no excuses. We lost to Tigers twice, Warriors at home, Sharks twice, Bulldogs. I mean if you don't win those games how do you expect to beat the big boys now who are fine-tuning for the finals?
The other thing to remember is, every time we change our side now (which we are forced to do through BBQ fiasco) the players coming in haven't played any football for months! They'll be rusty and out of click. If we bring in JP, Sulllivan, Fegai etc they wont have played proper footy for some time.
We will be nothing more than a training drill for Rabbits, Panthers, Roosters.
I think Raiders will be licking their lips too.
Cowboys and Titans could go either way but it wont be pretty if we do win, our error rate is no joke mate!

 

[Mjab]

Errors and Fking 6 agains . Are we the worst in the comp for this , surely
Our defence is too brittle to hold out 2 sets and often late in the tackle count
what dont they get

My gut feeling is we will win 1 game

It would be nice to make the 8 , but we certainly dont deserve to
We are better than last year, so I generally dont mind watching the games , whereas the last 2 years I often couldnt have been bothered with the peanut in charge
We still have a long way to go and Im hopeful Hook will get us to be a reasonable team next year , once he loses his rose coloured glasses with Fking NORMAN

I would rather have the players we are using next year get a good run now and see if they are close enough to NRL standard and if not we know we have to buy some cover for them for next year rather than finding out round 6 next year when we have lost 4 games

 

[Dragon David]

Errors and Fking 6 agains . Are we the worst in the comp for this , surely
Our defence is too brittle to hold out 2 sets and often late in the tackle count
what dont they get

My gut feeling is we will win 1 game

It would be nice to make the 8 , but we certainly dont deserve to
We are better than last year, so I generally dont mind watching the games , whereas the last 2 years I often couldnt have been bothered with the peanut in charge
We still have a long way to go and Im hopeful Hook will get us to be a reasonable team next year , once he loses his rose coloured glasses with Fking NORMAN

I would rather have the players we are using next year get a good run now and see if they are close enough to NRL standard and if not we know we have to buy some cover for them for next year rather than finding out round 6 next year when we have lost 4 games

That's it Mjab. We need plenty of luck to win at least a 2-3 to keep the comp honest for us to at least be there in the 8 and show what mettle we have. We MUST eliminate the 6agains, penalties, handling mistakes and letting the opposition steal the ball in the one on one tackles.

Our team will be makeshift but if the players do the little things right and focus in every game then we could jag the number of wins needed to be in the 8 at the end. The teams just below us - Sharks, Raiders, Knights, Tigers won't have everything go their way so it is going to be an interesting finish.

If we lose to the Titans on Sunday and they will be tough, it will make things a lot harder for us, but we have to be at our utmost efficient in nearly all aspects of our game.

 

[hewi]

I don’t see a win against the Raiders coming

 

[Crush]

I don’t see a win against the Raiders coming

I actually think we will struggle to win any games until we get our players back, Zac, Rava, full strength forward pack.
Then we look a different team and will be able to compete against these teams.
Raiders game we should have these guys back or not yet?

 

[BLM01]

I actually think we will struggle to win any games until we get our players back, Zac, Rava, full strength forward pack.
Then we look a different team and will be able to compete against these teams.
Raiders game we should have these guys back or not yet?

Rava back but last week of forced suspensions

 

[hewi]

Rav back but for how long that’s the question. Hardest tackler in the game so they rub him out.

 

[thebigredv]

Since we lost our linespeed we've been deplorable, as bad as any of the other teams around the bottom 10.

Hasn't been there for 15 weeks.

 

[jeffdragon]

Was cheering for the eels and they stuffed up.
We would have been clear of the raiders.2 points maybe 4 .
Now we could be level.
But if we take care if own results we don't have to worry about other teams.

 

[Mjab]

Was cheering for the eels and they stuffed up.
We would have been clear of the raiders.2 points maybe 4 .
Now we could be level.
But if we take care if own results we don't have to worry about other teams.

good luck with taking care of our own results in my recent experience
cant even beat shit teams

Titans will be an indicator for the rest of season , a poor effort and we are gone, might as well sort out next years roster ie never see Dufty and Norman again
At least thats some upside

 

[mickeylane]

good luck with taking care of our own results in my recent experience
cant even beat shit teams

Titans will be an indicator for the rest of season , a poor effort and we are gone, might as well sort out next years roster ie never see Dufty and Norman again
At least thats some upside

if we dont beat Titans it will be all over...

 

[TruSaint]

if we dont beat Titans it will be all over...

Yep. Have a look at the teams around us and their run home. Lose this and its on to 2022.