Round 10 versus the Titans

[mickeylane]

How the f**k did we hold Penrith to a 4 point game.

 

[mickeylane]

Who knows what happened with Hynes and if we could've signed him, certainly would've been a good addition though.

We've done alright with Suli, Sua, Molo and Mbye to a lesser extent.

Seeing as we're one of the clubs who operates within the salary cap we only get a few bites of the cherry to improve the squad each year which is why I say 3-5 years.

Solution
$1m to Munster
$750k to Keary
$350k Verrels
$800k Crichton

 

[justadragon]

How the f**k did we hold Penrith to a 4 point game.

penrith didnt play that well mickey

 

[mickeylane]

penrith didnt play that well

Tell that to Melb Storm tonite

 

[justadragon]

Tell that to Melb Storm tonite

storm are missing a number of players

 

[Coffs dragon]

Have we ever won in that all red shit away strip?
It’s jinxed and just too much advantage to the opposition, along with our dumb play and sideways running.

Surely our attack coach can just emphasis the basic need to run hard in a forward direction and support the ball carrier…..it’s not rocket science.

 

[Dragsters]

GO THE MIGHTIES!!!





Just watching it now.


I'll be back at full time...

 

[Dragsters]

Bugger, the red rag...

 

[blacksafake]

I’m trying to be positive but with 46% possession, 54 missed tackles, penalties & six agains against us along with spending the first 20 minutes defending our line with the Titans having 80% of the ball was always going to be difficult, especially in those conditions. Being 2 down on the bench in the second half also didn’t help after all the defence they had to do earlier.

I’m not going to hang the youngsters who yes at times were poor but we’ve got to expect this when you throw youngsters into the spine positions. Looks like Hook was correct in not playing them from the start.We’ve got to hope that they’ll learn plenty from it & become better players.
There were glimpses with ball in hand of their chemistry together which will hopefully continue moving forward.

 

[I'm Hornby]

Solution
$1m to Munster
$750k to Keary
$350k Verrels
$800k Crichton

Throw in Hunt and Lomax and that's almost half the cap on six players, so how do we pay the other 24 and stay under the cap?

No quick fixes.

 

[I'm Hornby]

Surely our attack coach can just emphasis the basic need to run hard in a forward direction and support the ball carrier…..it’s not rocket science.

Sorry Coffs but I'm sick of reading 'attack coach this', 'defence coach that'..

It's as if we forget the 17 blokes on the field have been playing this sport since they were knee high to grass hoppers.

Basic skills of the game should be instinctive to these blokes, they're all supposedly good enough and lucky enough to be playing the game at the highest level.

It's not as if our coaches are running drills and these blokes are learning new skills they've never come across before, this is first grade not under 8s.

So less about what and what not the coaches should be doing/saying and more about what the players AREN'T doing because for all we know the coaches tell them and they don't act.

 

[Illusion]

Its Simple we don't have the cattle or the coach ...... I knew it was going to pan out as it did because they as a team are so predictable ...... If Hook is big on defence 54 missed tackles posted by someone 54 missed tackles against a side that lost 5 in a row ...... The game has past Hook but our dumb board sign him before a ball was kicked ...... All the play making seems to be left all to Hunt , kicking left to Hunt it's not working and hasn't for years ...... Like I said people get exited that we won a couple of games and then forget the 8 year of misery nothing is changing be patient is beyond a joke ...... Don't see any light at the end of this loooong tunnel ......

 

[Dragonssupporter]

I didnt watch the match tonight but ive read enough comments on here to make a few comments.
After watching the Melbourne Panthers match it seems apparent that the split from the top teams to the bottom teams is now quite wide and were definately one of the bottom ones. I never thought as a Saints/Dragons supporter that i would ever see it or have to say it. It also seems to me that this sort of split may now be permanent.
I cant understand how our coaches cant watch videos of the top teams and replicate what they do. Seems to be that the difference isnt necessarily all about how they play-its the intent they put into it. Watching the Panthers still driving opposition players back 5m in tackles with 2 mins to go. We seem to have lost that intensity quite a few years ago. Now the top teams have massive pride in wearing their jerseys. Its something that was always associated with the Dragons jersey but not anymore.
Each week we hear a different reason for why we lost, but its now become each year we hear it, and now its past a decade and were still hearing it.
Im getting more interested in watching A and B grade or U20 and U18 park footy every year. I see guys trying and doing it for free, with a crowd of people who love the game. Sadly now there is almost no St George junior football left. I have to go to Cronulla every week to watch matches. Theres maybe 1 or 2 U18 matches in our area at Cahill Park. To me it represents everything that is now wrong with St George. I think like a few other original clubs were a relic of the past and the modern game has moved past us.

 

[DRAGONZ_RULE]

What a shit show!

Hook was right to give Sloane, Amone and Sullivan another opportunity in this game and all were patchy and that is being kind.

Kick Defusal % at 40 for the game, that sound low? Not as bad as Sloane's last game in top grade which was 38. This stat has been notably higher the past few weeks with Mbye at fullback who as I pointed out to a poster last week, at least was willing to put his body on the line, get under the ball when a forward is trying to barge over, organise the defence just everything you want a fullback to do. Young Campbell for the Titans is half Sloane's size and didn't once look to not get underneath a kick! Mbye isn't the long term answer at fullback but FMD Sloane doesn't appear to be either, so surely you go back to Mbye who is safe at the back if nothing else.

Wallace's barge over try was as soft as butter and unfortunately the three amigos were powerless in their attempt to stop him. That try doesn't get scored if McCullough and Mbye are defending in those positions I'm sorry to say.

The Fermour try people blaming Rava but that's Sloane again, a fullback who communicates with the back three is either covering that kick or making it clear to the winger that it's there for them to dive on. No point running 70 meters down the field after you've watched the opposition score, FMD!

Amone not simply picking that ball up at the end with his two god given hands was an absolute cluster f**k.

This is what many of us wanted and were pressuring the coach to let the kids play, we aren't going to win anyway etc. I'd prefer us to be a fringe top 8 side, building a better squad, a winning culture and an environment that develops good young players rather than a rubble who throws in kids who aren't ready at this point in time. A lot of players look good playing against 19 year Olds but we need players who can handle first grade footy and like it or not, McCullough and Mbye are at least proven first graders.

Where to from here? The answer is as it has been, us as fans need to be patient, let the new coaching regime rebuild this side and expect it will take 3-5 years for us to start looking like a quality first grade team again. There are no quick fixes here unfortunately, things will have to run their course.

I agree with everything you've written here except lumping Sullivan into the "patchy" category.

The moment he came on we started looking like an actual NRL team, he completely changed our game.

The only thing you can criticise him for is being run over the top of by Wallace ... But if you are going to criticise an 80kg 20yo rookie for getting steamrolled by a 115kg seasoned prop, then you are looking to blame the wrong thing. The try came as a result of Lomax missing a conversion from 5m to the left of the posts, followed up by Sloane trying a Hollywood pass on halfway which turned possession over for the try scored off the very next set.

Sullivan needs to be starting half next week. Amone on bench as utility. If McCullough is back he plays hooker for 55 minutes and then Amone comes on.

 

[I'm Hornby]

I agree with everything you've written here except lumping Sullivan into the "patchy" category.

The moment he came on we started looking like an actual NRL team, he completely changed our game.

The only thing you can criticise him for is being run over the top of by Wallace ... But if you are going to criticise an 80kg 20yo rookie for getting steamrolled by a 115kg seasoned prop, then you are looking to blame the wrong thing. The try came as a result of Lomax missing a conversion from 5m to the left of the posts, followed up by Sloane trying a Hollywood pass on halfway which turned possession over for the try scored off the very next set.

Sullivan needs to be starting half next week. Amone on bench as utility. If McCullough is back he plays hooker for 55 minutes and then Amone comes on.

Yep fair call, Sullivan did look the best of the three so you're right that he deserves more of an opportunity to prove himself.

 

[dragon thomo]

Lomax has shitted me all year. He never learns from mistakes and he also doesnt look like he practices his goal kicking.
I would let him go and sign Herbie Farnsworth.
Also i would like to have Jackson Hastings back at the Dragons

 

[Trifili13]

Great that the young blokes got a go but some real costly errors there.
This team is so bloody hard to watch and never seals the deal.
That one should of been put to bed by Lomax and then dumb pens and poor defence to let them back. Ben Hunt, give it to the forwards, get in position and kick the field goal you are f**king paid to kick.
Instead he tries to break the line himsepf and drops it 30 out in front.
f**k me dead, hard work being a dragons fan. Haha

IMO opinion, Hunt can't manage a game. His good games are only when the whole team plays well. In golden point when we started a set on about the half way line (i think Tino dropped it on the first tackle), any decent halfback would have steered his team towards the posts for a field goal. We play boring 1 out runs all season, which is what this moment called for, 5 good hard straight runs and set yourself for the field goal. But no, in this instance Hunt decides to take the line on and loses the ball on about the second or third tackle.

 

[Spazer]

Went to the game, I think my 8th dragons game at suncorp, and still yet to see a dragons victory in person which sucks.

On the topic of our juniors, Sullivan should 100% be in the starting side ahead of Junior. We need someone who can manage our forwards and direct them around the park. Junior only seems to be threatening 5 out and is otherwise easily marked. Sullivan has vision.

I was surprised with Sloan for how small he is was able to poke his nose through the line a couple times and almost create. Errors killed him though. Rookie errors. I don't know if we keep him there to get experience or drop him to ressies, his confidence would be shot after tonight.

 

[dragon thomo]

Our dickhead coach decides to bring Sloane back on a wet track.
He can't use his speed or evasion skills. It was not the right week to bring Sloane back, it has just f#### his confidence more.
For this game Mbye should have stayed back at fullback and Sullivan to start at hooker.
Our coaches late changes never work.

 

[matPORTS]

Have tried to remain positive for a little while now... but I can't cop this too much longer.

The panic started back in Round 4 with Sloan and Amone being 'demoted', and clearly the confidence has been dented. So, we are putting them back to the bench/reggies again next week? This is no way to build a team for the future. All I can say is - look at the Broncos after suffering for the past 2-3 seasons with all their young fellas (it's not all because of Reynolds and Capewell who are complimentary buys - look at Staggs, Farnworth, Carrigan, Flegger, Hetherington, Riki who've all found new levels in their games this year as well) ?

Is it really going to take a wooden spoon for the tools in the boardroom to finally wake up?

Our ability to control a game in crucial moments is absolute rubbish. The close wins we have had during the last month were never going to be sustainable before it eventually unraveled again. Is it fair to blame Ben Hunt for all of this though? We have some very senior and seasoned players in our line up. Surely someone else can take the lead in these moments as well? Or is it a case of just going through the motions for most in the squad?? Benny & Birdy can only do so much.

Anthony Griffin - what is the end game for us this season? I'm crossing everything hoping that this season might be different i.e. we'll be firing at the back end (after the bye/post Origin) instead of the fade outs we've become accustomed to, at various times over many years now. But we just look totally rudderless when it really counts. There is no one player in our team providing individual brilliance or impact. The opposition clearly don't fear us and see us as their launch pad to boost themselves back into form.

Lomax is too hot and cold. Instead of it being allowed to go 16-all, he should have nailed that conversion to make it 18-10 and the game is done (that moment was probably the most frustrated I've been as a supporter in a very long time - especially given moments earlier he nailed the penalty goal from the sideline on the bad side for the right footer). I'll refrain from getting any more critical - because I'd hate to see him coached by Bellamy or Bennett against us !!

We have a need for (some) speed(sters) !

We need to recruit an elite number nine (like throw the damn kitchen sink at Harry Grant - offer two boats and two Jayco caravans ffs)!

We need the forwards looking for more second phase and players pushing up to compliment - boy we are such a lazy team !! Why does it feel like the footy has been coached out of the players??

Am ranting now...