2021 - Squad, Signings, Re-signings

[possm]

What is the consensus with Dufty? Does he have more strengths than weaknesses, or vice versa. Just wondering.

If Garrick is coming to the Dragons, we have 3 potential fullbacks already in our system:
Garrrick
Ramsey
Schiller

I am sure these players will end up being our back 3 before too long. I say let Garrick start at fullback in 2021 with Ramsey on the right wing and possibly Schiller on the left wing. I'm afraid Pereira, Ravalawa and Feagai will have to bide their time in reserve grade. The other Feagai twin should be given his chance at left cetre.

 

[mobels]

If Garrick is coming to the Dragons, we have 3 potential fullbacks already in our system:
Garrrick
Ramsey
Schiller

I am sure these players will end up being our back 3 before too long. I say let Garrick start at fullback in 2021 with Ramsey on the right wing and possibly Schiller on the left wing. I'm afraid Pereira, Ravalawa and Feagai will have to bide their time in reserve grade. The other Feagai twin should be given his chance at left cetre.

No way should we be playing Garrick at fullback. Honestly I’m not keen what so ever on us picking him up again.

He’s Manly supporters whipping boy and consistently makes negative metres on kick returns.

We’ve moved on and have a new crop of youngsters that look like they can be anything in first grade.

 

[Dragon David]

What is the consensus with Dufty? Does he have more strengths than weaknesses, or vice versa. Just wondering.

I think Dufty has more weaknesses than strengths. He might score a try but let in two, not too confident to take the ball up full steam, lets too many high balls bounce.

He needs more toughness in his game and improve his overall attitude. He needs to also back up more like Tedesco.

A great attacking Dufty brings excitement to the game so our guys in the middle and edges need to assist him in defence.

 

[Dragon David]

No way should we be playing Garrick at fullback. Honestly I’m not keen what so ever on us picking him up again.

He’s Manly supporters whipping boy and consistently makes negative metres on kick returns.

We’ve moved on and have a new crop of youngsters that look like they can be anything in first grade.

There are some reports that Garrick doesn't want to leave Manly as he is happy there.

 

[Mark D]

I don’t get this hate for Lawrie
he still only young for a prop and he’s one of our hardest runners at the line in our team with little McInnes
he still got time to build up even bigger and yes his goal line defence needs work But he plays good minutes and he’s got time to develop that being in a poor defensive structure that he is not alone as being the only problem
He will learn of Hook and I predict he will be our best prop in a year or so with some attack tweaking
young bloke with a bit of ticker more than many

Agree loads of upside to Lawrie.. along with McInnes our most courageous forward

 

[Forbes Creek Dragons]

Cant wait for the regular season to end. All this talk of McGuire coming and Young leaving etc is all exciting but we are yet to actually land a significant scalp. I do believe that that we just need that one or two good signings and we might actually start looking a touch more attractive to potential players.

 

[Gareth67]

No way should we be playing Garrick at fullback. Honestly I’m not keen what so ever on us picking him up again.

He’s Manly supporters whipping boy and consistently makes negative metres on kick returns.

We’ve moved on and have a new crop of youngsters that look like they can be anything in first grade.

Agree mobels , of the young lions that are coming through I would go for Cody Ramsey starting at fullback next season . I realize that he is of slight build , however so was Russell Fairfax from the Eastern Suburbs Roosters back in the 70’s .

He was up against some pretty tough boys back then , as you had the South’s no-beg -your- pardons packs along with other numerous hard as nails teams - including the Dragons themselves .

I hope Griffins idea is to start off with a clean slate and pick players whom do have the ability to score points . That coupled with a improved defense should keep the Dragons well and truly ahead of what is now regarded as the norm - to merely get out onto the field and make up the numbers - which quite simply is not good enough.

 

[Forbes Creek Dragons]

Agree mobels , of the young lions that are coming through I would go for Cody Ramsey starting at fullback next season . I realize that he is of slight build , however so was Russell Fairfax from the Eastern Suburbs Roosters back in the 70’s .

He was up against some pretty tough boys back then , as you had the South’s no-beg -your- pardons packs along with other numerous hard as nails teams - including the Dragons themselves .

I hope Griffins idea is to start off with a clean slate and pick players whom do have the ability to score points . That coupled with a improved defense should keep the Dragons well and truly ahead of what is now regarded as the norm - to merely get out onto the field and make up the numbers - which quite simply is not good enough.

I would say Griffin will think defence first and only pick players that wont let us down. After these players are selected a game plan to suit the attack of these players will be formulated. I would say we will try to play a high percentage, grinding game which will require some new forwards and a good kicking game from our halves. Getting rid of Aitken helps because it is almost like having an extra player in attack now having two wingers.

 

[Dragonslayer]

Forgot to add.......

Is Joe O still on our radar?

If so, then he and McGuire would really strengthen our forward stocks.

Starting props - Vaughan and McGuire
Bench props - Joe O and Kerr
Throw in JDB at lock and thats looking awesome imo.

 

[Maddragon99]

What is the consensus with Dufty? Does he have more strengths than weaknesses, or vice versa. Just wondering.

I think Dufty will get squeezed out, his future is at 6 where he can make the most of his running & passing games without the additional pressures that come with playing fullback

 

[Maddragon99]

I don’t get this hate for Lawrie
he still only young for a prop and he’s one of our hardest runners at the line in our team with little McInnes
he still got time to build up even bigger and yes his goal line defence needs work But he plays good minutes and he’s got time to develop that being in a poor defensive structure that he is not alone as being the only problem
He will learn of Hook and I predict he will be our best prop in a year or so with some attack tweaking
young bloke with a bit of ticker more than many

Lawrie’s development has plateaued under McGuber. We all remember him ripping in against Brisbane in the 2018 Semi Final. He’s not playing that well at the moment

 

[be55]

Agree

Maybe another hard nut?
Blacker should get a run Sunday - just to see what he’s got.

Shame we lost an offloader & linebreaker in Luch

I like Hook’s philosophy of looking from within too -

...as that’s the bedrock of culture

Luciano was an offloader and a linebreaker but Mary didn't want those two attributes...Mary wanted human battering rams to enforce his one dimensional game plan and it cost us a good player in the end.

 

[Inisai Toga]

Luciano was an offloader and a linebreaker but Mary didn't want those two attributes...Mary wanted human battering rams to enforce his one dimensional game plan and it cost us a good player in the end.

Yeh interesting. Just wish his defence was way better; he could have made it really hard for McGregor to leave out. Still not sure on Luciano despite he’s wonderful attacking flair. Where’s all the allrounders gone?

 

[Maddragon99]

Luciano was an offloader and a linebreaker but Mary didn't want those two attributes...Mary wanted human battering rams to enforce his one dimensional game plan and it cost us a good player in the end.

Yes I agree, I thought at the time it was a mistake to let him go. We’ll have to pay overs to attract a player with similar attributes. In retrospect we should dealt Frizell early when he signed with Newcastle

 

[be55]

I would say Griffin will think defence first and only pick players that wont let us down. After these players are selected a game plan to suit the attack of these players will be formulated. I would say we will try to play a high percentage, grinding game which will require some new forwards and a good kicking game from our halves. Getting rid of Aitken helps because it is almost like having an extra player in attack now having two wingers.

Mate i hope by " high percentage " you don't mean no offloads because that's the game plan we've had under Mary for years now, and the last thing i want to see going forward is anything close to that style of play.I am fairly sure you didn't mean that but the term "high percentage" scares the shit out of me because it sounds like something Mary would have said on loop to our players.

 

[Maddragon99]

Mate i hope by " high percentage " you don't mean no offloads because that's the game plan we've had under Mary for years now, and the last thing i want to see going forward is anything close to that style of play.I am fairly sure you didn't mean that but the term "high percentage" scares the shit out of me because it sounds like something Mary would have said on loop to our players.

I think there’s potentially plenty of points in the team once Ramsey & the Feagai boy’s are settled in. We need to dramatically tighten our defence as the number one priority & if that means taking on Josh McGuire for 2 seasons I can live with that.

 

[be55]

Yeh interesting. Just wish his defence was way better; he could have made it really hard for McGregor to leave out. Still not sure on Luciano despite he’s wonderful attacking flair. Where’s all the allrounders gone?

It is correct what you say about his defence at times, but with Luciano i think a lot of it is in his attitude and getting him switched on.I think he looks a lot fitter now then he did when he was playing with us, but you are right to say,at times, he does go missing defensively.
I'd still have him back in a heartbeat....

 

[Inisai Toga]

It is correct what you say about his defence at times, but with Luciano i think a lot of it is in his attitude and getting him switched on.I think he looks a lot fitter now then he did when he was playing with us, but you are right to say,at times, he does go missing defensively.
I'd still have him back in a heartbeat....

Well he a ‘natural’ footballer and it’s great to see. Good coach would have done more with him. Think I would too!

 

[True_Believer]

No way should we be playing Garrick at fullback. Honestly I’m not keen what so ever on us picking him up again.

He’s Manly supporters whipping boy and consistently makes negative metres on kick returns.

We’ve moved on and have a new crop of youngsters that look like they can be anything in first grade.

I agree.

At the risk of being called a death-rider, I've never understood the Garrick love on here.

Granted I'd not watched him with any interest when he played CC, but I'd seen enough games to form the opinion that he wasn't a great loss when he left. And that hasn't changed with the games I've seen of him at Manly. Defensively he's been a liability for Manly - even last year. Looking at the heat map for last year, most of Manly's conceded tries have been down his side of the field.

Much of the support for him has suggested that his inside men contribute to that. That might be true, but surely that same argument can be made for his attack. Watching his tries, there were a couple of nice finishes, but most are falling over the line or a clear run to the line. That really comes down to a well coached team and executed attack from his inside men. He played for a confident team with some good players in it and he benefited from that.

Taking out of consideration the possibility the inside men contributed to his defensive issues, he'd often got found out of position (particularly evident at fullback this year) and shirt grabbing.

I'd love to see him succeed and I'm sure a good coach may be able to improve some of these deficiencies, but I think we can do better than expect him to come back and immediately step into the side. For a start, we need forwards, not backs.

 

[Forbes Creek Dragons]

Mate i hope by " high percentage " you don't mean no offloads because that's the game plan we've had under Mary for years now, and the last thing i want to see going forward is anything close to that style of play.I am fairly sure you didn't mean that but the term "high percentage" scares the shit out of me because it sounds like something Mary would have said on loop to our players.

More thinking repeat sets kicking to the corners. This how he has coached his previous teams. He’s certainly no Tim Sheens 2005 Tigers or the the old Canberra days but not will he have the stock to play that way.