Last 20 minutes of charity shield

[Weipa Dragon]

I
Don't know what happened but the last 20 minutes of the shield; we played well. Forwards hit it harder, second and third play phases and the follow up- quinlan turned on. Ah mau is playing in the front row pricey or you are going to cop it. Merrin is back ip the front too. No More tip tap flap off him. Hard nosed front row time son. Creagh has fire em up. Quinlan has to be there. As a qlder I think Shaun berrigan led us to a few wins because he was in the spot. That is Adam quinlan and that is what he has to be in the dragons first grade team. Hooker has to be something else. Very poor effort off both hookers. Witt? I thought thompson and frizell stood up. Florence is great along with Morris.
Not convinced we are coming last. That last twenty saw us as a better team than last two years; hands down. Peter mata'utia is our best centre bet at the moment. Love the dragons; please get it right.

 

[possm]

I
Don't know what happened but the last 20 minutes of the shield; we played well. Forwards hit it harder, second and third play phases and the follow up- quinlan turned on. Ah mau is playing in the front row pricey or you are going to cop it. Merrin is back ip the front too. No More tip tap flap off him. Hard nosed front row time son. Creagh has fire em up. Quinlan has to be there. As a qlder I think Shaun berrigan led us to a few wins because he was in the spot. That is Adam quinlan and that is what he has to be in the dragons first grade team. Hooker has to be something else. Very poor effort off both hookers. Witt? I thought thompson and frizell stood up. Florence is great along with Morris.
Not convinced we are coming last. That last twenty saw us as a better team than last two years; hands down. Peter mata'utia is our best centre bet at the moment. Love the dragons; please get it right.

The bunnies played their second string team and Witt replaced Williams.

Garvey is our best bet at hooker
Quinlan and mata' utia would make a good centre pairing
Witt seems to be the best half
We need two big props
We need a new head coach

 

[The Mighty Atom]

I was pleasantly surprised by Michael Witt's performance but saw nothing at all from Williams. I think we had a good half in Drinkwater but apparently he's heading to London. I wish f&cking Price would go instead.

 

[LeedsRhinos]

you mean when souths had kids on and put the cue on the rack you finally showed some balls?

 

[Dragonboyd]

The bunnies played their second string team and Witt replaced Williams.

Garvey is our best bet at hooker
Quinlan and mata' utia would make a good centre pairing
Witt seems to be the best half
We need two big props
We need a new head coach

Well said, however I seem to always think that Quinlans size is a problem in his consideration as a center, definitely a great offensive player but what about when it comes to the high ball and fending off big opponents. Garvey > Rein, any day of the week at the moment.

 

[ebbedfred]

I was pleasantly surprised by Michael Witt's performance but saw nothing at all from Williams. I think we had a good half in Drinkwater but apparently he's heading to London. I wish f&cking Price would go instead.

Thought Williams looked pretty good, Witt was ok against a 2nd string side but I thought Williams showed more.

Drinkwater was rubbish, but we got him cheap, took a chance on him and it didn't work, that's the way it goes.

We can certainly agree on Price though.

 

[gonz]

look at these props, creagh, hunt, de belin haha its laughable.
they said they had no size last yr yet they still didn't do anything about it

rein is a farce thinks his wally lewis has for 2 yrs now, quinlan good for 17

 

[pinkmoon]

Witt barely touched the ball; I have no idea where this idea that he lifted the attack has come from. The Bunnies had taken the majority of their stars of the field by that stage and had put the cue in the rack well and truly. Merrin will not get a soft one on one chance against a reserve grade forward come the season proper, and the last try was opportunistic so let's not speak of Mata'utai as the best centre option based on one hole run and the picking up of some crumbs late in the match.

 

[Louiethefly]

I have no idea where this idea that he lifted the attack has come from.

Ikin said it after the game and people started repeating it.

 

[pinkmoon]

Ikin said it after the game and people started repeating it.

I figured it must have been something like that. He honestly had two or three touches the entire match.

 

[beecww]

Well said, however I seem to always think that Quinlans size is a problem in his consideration as a center, definitely a great offensive player but what about when it comes to the high ball and fending off big opponents. Garvey > Rein, any day of the week at the moment.

Adam Quinlan was always a half until he came to the dragons. Because we had Ben Hornby our brilliant coaching staff decided to turn him into a full back. He is a half just like Allan Langer, Steve Morris and Mark Shulman who were all considersd to be too small.

 

[Mattc]

I thought the attack looked better when Quinlan came on.
Granted, Souths had their second stringers on,
but Quinlan supports the ball carrier, and is always looking for an opportunity.
He's sharp, and that rubs off on the test of the team.

 

[Godz Illa]

Can't read anything into it. The intensity dropped right away especially in defence.

 

[mightydragon]

Quinlan would be a great choice at 9. Rein is killing us and don't get me started on Kyle's efforts last night

 

[Mr Red]

you mean when souths had kids on and put the cue on the rack you finally showed some balls?

This.
They blew us off the park and then turned their focus to the real matches coming up, and their intensity dropped allowing us to pretend we had a clue...

 

[Twenty10]

It was the worst possible outcome. We were disgraceful. We have lost Dugan for 6 weeks.
We have zero attack. No strong forwards. And Souths played on 1 leg without their proffered starting halves.

Cannot find a positive from charity shield in way shape or form.

 

[Cagey Mac]

It was the worst possible outcome. We were disgraceful. We have lost Dugan for 6 weeks.
We have zero attack. No strong forwards. And Souths played on 1 leg without their proffered starting halves.

Cannot find a positive from charity shield in way shape or form.

Dugan's injury being six weeks instead of the season is probably the only positive
Beale will go to fullback IMO which means the throw it to Dugan plan is gone for a while.
Quinlan should be there too somewhere (7?). Has the best footy brain in the team at the moment.
Merrin to front row DeBelin to lock Thompson and Creagh in the back row. Mata'utai and Farrell in the centres.

Rubbish in the nines
Rubbish in the CS
Ain't looking good for S Price at the moment
Offering Nathan Brown a couple of years with option in our favour for two more seems like a reasonable idea at the moment

 

[kit66]

Quinlan would be a great choice at 9. Rein is killing us and don't get me started on Kyle's efforts last night

Quinlan's strength is his attack and backing up, play him at 9 and you'll nullify that. Hookers make 40+ tackles a game against mostly forwards with the occasional dart out of dummy half, not what Quinlan is built and designed for I think.
Put him at fullback, in the halves or on the bench but don't ruin a brilliant career by putting at 9.

 

[Black Forest Dragon]

What I saw were two teams that pretty much carried on from where they left off last year. Souths are big and powerful, and clearly a well drilled team. Their execution with the ball was seemless and fluid. They monstored us.

Dragons? ...again stop and start. Passes and runs mis-directed and mis-timed. Just pass and hope, pass and hope. They look like they lack structure and intensity compared to their opponents.

Halftime, we had significant majority of possession (56%) but incredibly defied the stats, again, to be down 22-8, much like Broncos game early last season. Ultimately, the final score flattered us, but we were down a massive 38 points to 4 ...at home AGAIN! I think that is embarrassing - but.. sadly, we're getting used to it.

Frequently, but especially with repeat sets and on the attack in the opposition's 20m, they still look like they don't know what to do, and spend 3 or 4 tackles grappling towards maybe achieving one play in their attacking set.

That's what makes us so predictable and easy pickings.

I know it is only a trial. But we were sh*t in nines too. And it looked exactly the same as last year.

I don't want that pseudo-calm-good-natured-"nothing to worry about here" coaching comments again in 2014.

I want Steve Price to lift HIS intensity in 2014.

That way maybe the players will.

 

[gonz]

Hunt rein creagh to dapto for a spell !
Embarrassing doustys marquees