Well… thank god that’s over.

[Victoire]

Rudyard Kipling wrote a great poem about how to cope with a season such as this. Let me see if I can dig it out. Oh here it is

If

If you watch them beat the table-topping Raiders -
(In fact beat 3 of the final top four)
Then watch them play like a bunch of reserve graders
And never breathe a word about the score;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To move you to WIN long after they have fled,
And head to Kogarah when there is nothing in you
Except the will which says to them "f**k me dead",

If you can talk with Knights and keep your virtue
Or walk with Storm- nor lose the common touch,
If all the forummers post with you,
but none (except I'm Hornby) post too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds of treading water,
Then yours is the Earth, and everything that's in it
And - which is more -
You'll be a Saint, my son (or daughter)

 

[muzby]

We’re all ragging on the club here, but let’s take an objective look at things.

For years we’ve been inconsistent. Never knowing which team will show up week to week.

Pretty sure Flan(n)o has called it out too - he wanted to build more consistency.

And despite our position on the ladder, I think we finally got there in the last few weeks of the season.

I mean, show me any other team who had exactly 40 points scored against them 3 weeks in a a row?


I’ll wait.

 

[muzby]

Rudyard Kipling wrote a great poem about how to cope with a season such as this. Let me see if I can dig it out. Oh here it is

If

If you watch them beat the table-topping Raiders -
(In fact beat 3 of the final top four)
Then watch them play like a bunch of reserve graders
And never breathe a word about the score;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To move you to WIN long after they have fled,
And head to Kogarah when there is nothing in you
Except the will which says to them "f**k me dead",

If you can talk with Knights and keep your virtue
Or walk with Storm- nor lose the common touch,
If all the forummers post with you,
but none (except I'm Hornby) post too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds of treading water,
Then yours is the Earth, and everything that's in it
And - which is more -
You'll be a Saint, my son (or daughter)

 

[JohnnoMcJohnno]

Rudyard Kipling wrote a great poem about how to cope with a season such as this. Let me see if I can dig it out. Oh here it is

If

If you watch them beat the table-topping Raiders -
(In fact beat 3 of the final top four)
Then watch them play like a bunch of reserve graders
And never breathe a word about the score;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To move you to WIN long after they have fled,
And head to Kogarah when there is nothing in you
Except the will which says to them "f**k me dead",

If you can talk with Knights and keep your virtue
Or walk with Storm- nor lose the common touch,
If all the forummers post with you,
but none (except I'm Hornby) post too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds of treading water,
Then yours is the Earth, and everything that's in it
And - which is more -
You'll be a Saint, my son (or daughter)

Thankyou - this has made my day. In one post you have alleviated my misery, something the entire Dragons team failed to achieve.

 

[sammymills]

Over the course of the season, I like many have lamented our lack of a big prop, speed, creative halves, etc.

But particularly over this last round, I've arrived at the belief that every single problem stems from this passive defensive system the club has employed for years and continues to employ now.

Opposition teams are routinely making more than 50 metres per set meaning after an attacking kick, we're starting our set on or inside our own ten. So while a big, mobile prop would be great, we spend the first three tackles of any set just trying to get to our 20 or 30 before the props even see the ball. Then we're kicking from our own 40 (at best) so they're most often to a fullback who can attack the ball and start their own set on their 40.

Then because we know we're going to be running back from our line, we need to prioritise big outside backs rather than speed. But that then means that when we do find ourselves in position - usually through an opposition error - to take an attacking kick, we bomb to the corner but with backs that aren't fast enough to get to their opposite number to put them under pressure.

So our roster might not be flush with alpha props, elite playmakers and lighning-quick backs, but whilst ever our defensive system allows the opposition to run at least 8 metres before engaging, even if we magically had guns from 1 to 17, they'd be wasted anyway and would likely regress to what we've all been sadly watching for years.

Watching Cronulla or Easts this weekend and their defense was aggressive. They met the opposition early, cut down easy metres, exerting pressure that led to mistakes, field position and points.

I loved Dean Young as a player and I believe Flanno is our best current option as coach but until the passivity of our defensive system - which is surely by design - is addressed, no roster moves big or small are going to make a difference.

post of the year in my opinion

 

[since77]

You cant really attribute the 2023 season to Griffin, he was sacked after I think round 11 or 12 that year.

I'll have some of what you're smoking then.....
Um, yeah you can.
Spent 3 years assembling an insipid squad of washed up has beens and pathetically limp and lame NRL players playing his moneyball nonsense. Most putrid squad assembled in Dragons history plus an inept coach = what happened in 2023.
You could smell the wooden spoon potential before the season began. And our season was already over by the time he was punted.
2023 was 100% attributable to Griffin and the board. How you divide up that 100% is up to you.

 

[Dragon Slayer]

I can’t quite express how grateful I am that we can finally put the 2025 season behind us.

Now that I won’t be watching the Dragons on weekends I can finally spend time on more enjoyable hobbies - like sticking hot needles in my eyes while getting my taint threaded.

Hope everyone on the forum finds similarly constructive ways to indulge their masochism during the off season.

You’ll be doing the same thing this time next year.

Lol @ The Dargons!!

 

[This Year?]

I felt so empty with nothing to be angry at for a few days, then today I get an email from the club about signing Ennis.
Thank you Dragons.

 

[JohnnoMcJohnno]

I was feeling miserable. But then my daughter sent me this hand made tea cosy for Father's Day.

 

[jeffdragon]

post of the year in my o

 

[jeffdragon]

Over the course of the season, I like many have lamented our lack of a big prop, speed, creative halves, etc.

But particularly over this last round, I've arrived at the belief that every single problem stems from this passive defensive system the club has employed for years and continues to employ now.

Opposition teams are routinely making more than 50 metres per set meaning after an attacking kick, we're starting our set on or inside our own ten. So while a big, mobile prop would be great, we spend the first three tackles of any set just trying to get to our 20 or 30 before the props even see the ball. Then we're kicking from our own 40 (at best) so they're most often to a fullback who can attack the ball and start their own set on their 40.

Then because we know we're going to be running back from our line, we need to prioritise big outside backs rather than speed. But that then means that when we do find ourselves in position - usually through an opposition error - to take an attacking kick, we bomb to the corner but with backs that aren't fast enough to get to their opposite number to put them under pressure.

So our roster might not be flush with alpha props, elite playmakers and lighning-quick backs, but whilst ever our defensive system allows the opposition to run at least 8 metres before engaging, even if we magically had guns from 1 to 17, they'd be wasted anyway and would likely regress to what we've all been sadly watching for years.

Watching Cronulla or Easts this weekend and their defense was aggressive. They met the opposition early, cut down easy metres, exerting pressure that led to mistakes, field position and points.

I loved Dean Young as a player and I believe Flanno is our best current option as coach but until the passivity of our defensive system - which is surely by design - is addressed, no roster moves big or small are going to make a difference.

What is can't believe is they should be aggressive right from the start in every game.

It's not rocket science in any sport you have to let the opposition know your there.

 

[Crush]

I didn’t mind this season, enjoyed it more than last season, and much more than the few before that.
We beat the Sharks, that brought joy.
The wins against Raiders, Storm, Broncos were fun too, like proper fist pumping wins.
It had its frustrations though, some absolutely terrible refereeing decisions and horrific injury toll.
I think it’s the first team in a while that I actually like all the players. No knobs like Hunt, Lomax, McGuire, Amone etc.
We fought hard, competed in most games, yep the wheels fell off a bit at the end as they were pretty cooked.
I like what’s happening with the management, a new CEO, recruitment manager, new people coming in and old dead wood moving on.
Fingers crossed we recruit well in next couple of years and we finally take that next step and get back to winning.

 

[UDGE]

I didn’t mind this season, enjoyed it more than last season, and much more than the few before that.
We beat the Sharks, that brought joy.
The wins against Raiders, Storm, Broncos were fun too, like proper fist pumping wins.
It had its frustrations though, some absolutely terrible refereeing decisions and horrific injury toll.
I think it’s the first team in a while that I actually like all the players. No knobs like Hunt, Lomax, McGuire, Amone etc.
We fought hard, competed in most games, yep the wheels fell off a bit at the end as they were pretty cooked.
I like what’s happening with the management, a new CEO, recruitment manager, new people coming in and old dead wood moving on.
Fingers crossed we recruit well in next couple of years and we finally take that next step and get back to winning.

It's good to wake up to some positivity . Sick of reading all the negative dribble . Have a great off season CRUSH and go the cup boys .

 

[TheRev]

I didn’t mind this season, enjoyed it more than last season, and much more than the few before that.
We beat the Sharks, that brought joy.
The wins against Raiders, Storm, Broncos were fun too, like proper fist pumping wins.
It had its frustrations though, some absolutely terrible refereeing decisions and horrific injury toll.
I think it’s the first team in a while that I actually like all the players. No knobs like Hunt, Lomax, McGuire, Amone etc.
We fought hard, competed in most games, yep the wheels fell off a bit at the end as they were pretty cooked.
I like what’s happening with the management, a new CEO, recruitment manager, new people coming in and old dead wood moving on.
Fingers crossed we recruit well in next couple of years and we finally take that next step and get back to winning.

agree mate, I mean it was hard to watch for me... knowing we were trying to do it without Ryan/Egan/TomE for almost all of the season and Tom, Val, CT and co for half a season... knowing that we were going to have to work our guts out to compete with far better rosters... I found that very hard to watch.. but at the same time it was impressive that we were able to be competitive.

Consistency was way up on 2024, CEO and Recruitment Manager are in, more to come.. we are getting there and we might be in 1 more tough one yet in 2026 just bedding everything in, and hopefully by 2027 the fusion of new recruits with seasoning of our young ones comes together and are genuinely Top8 competitors again (hopefully to stay).

Noting that the competition only gets more elite every year also.. and at some point Titans, Knights, Cows will turn it around, lot of good players in those sides.... the rest of the NRL already have.. the Bears/PNG might be the spoon favourites however once they come in.

 

[denis preston]

Yes, thank f**k it's over. I hope the reserve grade boys win their finals campaign.
I've followed my beloved Saints for well over 55 years. This year was a flog of a season. 8 closes lost, I think.

Two words to describe our season performance: Inconsistent and can't close games off.

That’s six words !

 

[denis preston]

There's a lot of damning stats that tell the story of this season.
Dragons had by far the worst Away record of any team (2 wins 10 losses)

If you want a sign of an uncommitted team that's got to be it.
I'm sinking the boot in until this team gets serious about being something more than just a participant.
Absolutely trash.

If sinking the boot in nearly every post makes you feel better then go for it but it doesn’t make the post highlights.

 

[denis preston]

It's good to wake up to some positivity . Sick of reading all the negative dribble . Have a great off season CRUSH and go the cup boys .

Same here ! The club deserves criticism for sure but every fu—en post from some ?

 

[overseadragon3064]

Seems some supporters can't see the forest for the trees lots of improvement made this year if you can't see it .that's your problem not the Dragons who are trending up ...let's see what happens in vegas .....GO THE BIG RED V.......

 

[Wolfgang90]

It was good fun watching our youngsters who look like genuine 1st graders & not have dickhead leaders. The exp players were flying in the 1st half of the season with youth supporting them but unfortunately injuries were too much & fatigue set in at the back end.

Some very good signs, imo we have a genuine platform to build on for the future. I don't have expectations to make finals in 2026 but defs for 2027. I think next year we could sneak in depending on injury & off-season recruits.

 

[possm]

In the 2025 season, I was pleased to see many of our talented juniors get a run in first grade. And at the end of this season. I am also happy to see some roster deadwood moved on. I will be very happy when the entire list of deadwood is moved on.