Round 8 vs Roosters

[possm]

Our game plan for last tackle action should have been:

1. Long kicks to the corners.
2. Our quick outside backs to chase a full speed and secure the tackle.
3. The team should have then executed forceful tackles using very quick line-speed.

In attack, the Dragsons should have been using their quick outside backs during tackles 4 - 6.

Ilia and K Flannagan's poor form was a major reason we lost yesterday. Of course, the main reason was that our forward pack could not match the Roosters pack.

 

[OneEyedDragon]

I had to Google it to find out that Shane Millard is the Dragons Recruitment and Pathways Manager. Talk about a low profile! I don't know his background or his skill level in bringing on young talent or in attracting talent from other clubs, but he appears mostly ineffective. I don't know what happens behind closed doors, but Shane needs a few high profile wins or the Dragons need to move onto someone more effective.

 

[JohnnoMcJohnno]

If it was me 30 m out I'd throw Luciano at 5/8 he can ball play better then the 2 we have ....... Don't understand why coaches don't mix things up ..........

Good point. I remember years ago when Dessie Hasler was coaching the Dogs. One game he put his two front rowers in the backs - Tony Williams at 5/8 and Sam Kasiano at centre. The Dogs won an emphatic victory. Can't hurt to try something different now and again.

I wouldn't be putting JDB at half though. That would just be silly.

 

[redandwhite4evr]

We need line speed in defence.
We need a more intelligent kicking game.
We need to stop dropping the ball.

Agreed- but above all we need better players and better coaching- Sloan, Suli, Ilias, Leilua, Lawrie, Klemmer, Cook and Guler just not consistent NRL standard I'm afraid and our coaching setup doesn't seem to get that. Broom and dust pan for this lot please.

 

[Crush]

Agreed- but above all we need better players and better coaching- Sloan, Suli, Ilias, Leilua, Lawrie, Klemmer, Cook and Guler just not consistent NRL standard I'm afraid and our coaching setup doesn't seem to get that. Broom and dust pan for this lot please.

The dogs are the best at these 3 things, is their playing roster that exceptional?

 

[Lovemedragons]

I’ll be honest and admit I had heard of neither until about 4.05 yesterday, Smith made us look silly, and didn’t really have to try that hard to do it.

 

[thebigredv]

I wouldn’t say we are going nowhere near finals mate, we’ve got a lot of improving to do but I can still see us there abouts at end of season.
Need to get better but for sure.

The season is following the basic pattern of the last 13 years. We hang around for a bit but then we have no new level to go to. Perfect example yesterday when a struggling team just found a new level.

On our side...there was a lot said about last year's disgrace but that couldn't do anything to stop it happening again.

Want to see an amazing response against Tigers. Finals are very hard to reach when you have forwards and halves like we do. Not sure you can convince me otehrwise.

 

[redandwhite4evr]

The dogs are the best at these 3 things, is their playing roster that exceptional?

The dogs are the best at these 3 things, is their playing roster that exceptional?

Their roster-no. However, the combination of their coaching and their roster- yes. They have coachable players buying into Ciraldo's methods and enough talent (rep already or in the frame such as Kiraz, Xerri, Crichton, Burton, Kikau, Preston, Mahoney and King) to give the premiership a shake.

 

[Crush]

The season is following the basic pattern of the last 13 years. We hang around for a bit but then we have no new level to go to. Perfect example yesterday when a struggling team just found a new level.

On our side...there was a lot said about last year's disgrace but that couldn't do anything to stop it happening again.

Want to see an amazing response against Tigers. Finals are very hard to reach when you have forwards and halves like we do. Not sure you can convince me otehrwise.

I can’t see us bothering any of the top teams at business end of season, you’re right, our halves and forwards aren’t there.
But I think we can still sneak into the 8 and improve on last year.

 

[KingFlanno7]

This year is a write off. If we could get someone like Cobbo that would help for next year.
1. Cobbo
2. Sloan
3. Suli
4. Holmes
5. CT
6. Gutho
7. Atkinson
Kyle and Illias are not the answer and I'm not sure Atkinson is either but he can't be any worse then them surely.

 

[SEAT 1A]

What does it take to get the team fired up. Two wins and an ANZAC day game.

It's the biggest games of the regular season, everyone connected to the game would give one arm to be involved. Easts showed up from the kickoff.

Thought we were in the game before their try before half time considering the possession.

Showed where we are, will win our fair share in the middle of the pack.

 

[Gomarchin]

I can't wait to watch our mob make Galvin look like Andrew Johns.

Our only hope is if the Tigers are off their game.

If they're on (like Roosters yesterday), we're no chance.

 

[redandwhite4evr]

This year is a write off. If we could get someone like Cobbo that would help for next year.
1. Cobbo
2. Sloan
3. Suli
4. Holmes
5. CT
6. Gutho
7. Atkinson
Kyle and Illias are not the answer and I'm not sure Atkinson is either but he can't be any worse then them surely.

The little I've seen of Atkinson suggests he's a running No 6- not the organising half-back that just about every club in the NRL (bar the Dolphins with Katoa, the Storm with Hughes and the Broncs with Reynolds) are looking for. Until Reed matures, we may have to move KF to half- Ilias back to KOE although there are rumours the Broncs may not have the cash to keep Reynolds so he might be a short-term possibility.
If Glover or King Togia were the answers, you'd think they would have been tried by now.

 

[TheRev]

Think I read Dykes has a serious injury (potential ACL) out of todays nsw cup game, combined with Ison who also did an ACL.. if thats the case, I think Atkinson & Puru are all thats left for them to cover 1/6/7.

 

[Number of the Beath]

This year is a write off. If we could get someone like Cobbo that would help for next year.
1. Cobbo
2. Sloan
3. Suli
4. Holmes
5. CT
6. Gutho
7. Atkinson
Kyle and Illias are not the answer and I'm not sure Atkinson is either but he can't be any worse then them surely.

Suli out, Gutho to FB, Combo to centre, LKT to 5/8 and I'm with you.

 

[dragon thomo]

I'm Hornby plays with himself.

 

[I'm Hornby]

I'm Hornby plays with himself.

Cheers mate, that's true but at least mine still works well.

I'm sure an old codger like you would need to rely on pills to be able to have a play every now and again.

 

[Captain Apollo]

They get gassed because they have to do a heap more tackling than the opposition. Our forwards simply cannot make yardage. We are then kicking on tackle 5 mostly on our side of half way. We are always making more tackles than the opposition and spending more time in our own red zone than the opposition. This is even the case we win a game, I saw the stats against manly last week , I was amazed that we hung in and won.
The pack is too small, Flanno needs to come up with a better game plan, and it needs to be more than just having our wingers and centres taking runs from dummy half.

At the ground, they had match stats up on the screen at fulltime. The Dragons had to make 50+ more tackles than the Roosters did. That would contribute to the fatigue factor, which is what assisted in the scoreline blowing out in the second half. The mddle forwards were gassed, and that is whre people like Sandon Smith, Zac Dochar-Clay, Blake Steep and Connor Watson punched thru. It wasn't helped by some of the poor lateral movement by certain defenders which my mob exploited.

In the short term, the one area of improvement would be for the Dragons to defend in a straight line. Too often they hgad peiople coming up whilst the rest of the line hung back, which created some gaps.

Also, the Dragons need to mix up their kicks a bit. I'm assuming it was planned, but they kicked nearly all day in general play toward Tupou, who is normally good under the highball, whilst every kick-off went to him also. Just made it easy for the Roosters.

 

[dragon thomo]

No pills for me you little wart. I am still young enough to handle you.

 

[Inisai Toga]

At the ground, they had match stats up on the screen at fulltime. The Dragons had to make 50+ more tackles than the Roosters did. That would contribute to the fatigue factor, which is what assisted in the scoreline blowing out in the second half. The mddle forwards were gassed, and that is whre people like Sandon Smith, Zac Dochar-Clay, Blake Steep and Connor Watson punched thru. It wasn't helped by some of the poor lateral movement by certain defenders which my mob exploited.

In the short term, the one area of improvement would be for the Dragons to defend in a straight line. Too often they hgad peiople coming up whilst the rest of the line hung back, which created some gaps.

Also, the Dragons need to mix up their kicks a bit. I'm assuming it was planned, but they kicked nearly all day in general play toward Tupou, who is normally good under the highball, whilst every kick-off went to him also. Just made it easy for the Roosters.

Agree, personally don't think its the train wreck everyone sprucing. What is out of wack are the rules of the game! See Melbourne and Penrith losses, Souths vs Canterbury one week then Canterbury vs Brisbane the next. You need possession to win now. Ridiculous that it is i think the game is actually worse, too chancy on ref calls, sin bins, 6 again.. can’t believe the crowds love it so much.

Strangely, we were still on that game until Liddle couldn’t juggle the intercept and they scored. Agree with you that we have to play forwards with side lateral ability only and with the speed of the game wed be crazy if we don't ensure they are in the run on side every week.

Tupou always plays strong against us and the way he took the ball up following Lenu’s charges was way above our best in that area. Still i saw effort; we’ll win again, getting the team smarter is the coach’s biggest challenge.