Poasa Faamausili to play Lock

[mickeylane]

I can’t help but think that what you are saying was all due to a lack of enthusiasm strike by the players to subtlety get the message across that they had had enough of the coach.

Agreed in 2020 the players finally put their hands up and said “f**k this guy off” . I think it will be safe to say that every player will go up a notch this season w Hook and his hombres at the helm. You can see the work being done , you can hear the players enthusiasm re the training, you can hear the coaches simple philosophy- so expect great improvement in everyone even the “basic” footballers like Lawrie which all goes well for an improved team performance all round.

 

[redv13]

With all due respect I can't agree with you...or anyone talking up Lawrie for that matter. Lawrie is more of a plodder. One of those journey men forwards who go to a club just to add depth...He is like a Jeremy Latimore or George Rose...He has not shown me anything that indicates he is a gun...again...I don't mean any disrespect.

All good. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. Hopefully he does enough this year to change your mind

 

[R&WTILLIDIE]

He's a Dragons junior who's come up through the ranks, playing for both NSW under 20's SOO and the Junior Kangaroos teams along the way. Born and bred in Wollongong. Don't know where you get " Journey man " from. I'm hoping he stays with us for years to come. He worked really hard for us in 2020 especially in defence - him and Vaughan both were two of the hardest working props in the league - they had to be because others in the team and the coach let them down most games. He'll go better this year too under Griffin.

sorry...by journeyman, I meant he’s the sort of player who is like a journeyman where their role is to fill in gaps at a club because they’re not the best prop at a club. Mate...sorry...I def can’t agree with you about Vaughn either. He was so bad last year that he lost his NSW spot. The whole forward pack was ordinary last year.

 

[R&WTILLIDIE]

All good. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. Hopefully he does enough this year to change your mind

Thanks mate. I hope him and the whole team have a great year and make me look like an idiot for what I said. Happy to be proven wrong.

 

[possm]

All good. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. Hopefully he does enough this year to change your mind

Exactly, talk is just talk let's see how the selected 17 go on the field. We will know which ones deserve an extension.

 

[Forbes Creek Dragons]

I can’t help but think that what you are saying was all due to a lack of enthusiasm strike by the players to subtlety get the message across that they had had enough of the coach.

I like the comments from Ford that Hooks style of gameplay suits his game.

 

[getsmarty]

New recruits bringing the heat to front row battle
Dragons prop Blake Lawrie speaks about the competition in the front row with Danial Alvaro and Poasa Faamausili joining the pack for the 2021 season.

https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2021/01/20/new-signings-bringing-the-heat-to-front-row-battle/

 

[denis preston]

Lawrie put up some decent stats last year particularly total run meters. He just needs to be left alone at Prop. He’s not a Lock he lacks lateral mobility. Unfair to ask him play a position he’s not suited to.

The only stat worth reading is post tackle metres. My impression is that Lawrie didn't shirk the work and was Gallen like in his desire for the ball BUT he never bends the line so his PTM's wouldn't be high and as far as a passing game , i never saw it.

 

[kit66]

The only stat worth reading is post tackle metres. My impression is that Lawrie didn't shirk the work and was Gallen like in his desire for the ball BUT he never bends the line so his PTM's wouldn't be high and as far as a passing game , i never saw it.

And there you have two of the hallmarks of Maryball, 1) No Offloads ( we're worst in the league for those ) and 2) Submit in the tackle for a supposed quick play the ball - something the Dragons have persisted with for more than 20 years even through the Wrestle years. Watch any game of ours from the Mary / Young era and you'll see our props / locks only run hard into the line when they're running a little wide or running into opposition small men / halves. In the middle, running into their opposites, it's straight to your knees for a quick play the ball - usually futile against the wrestle. It can be a real momentum killer when it just gives the opposition forwards an excuse to go slow - but that is how our boys were coached to play. The only forward actually good at that is Kerr who gets some incredibly fast ptb's.
Note : it worked for while in 2018 when the refs were blowing a sh*tload of anti-wrestle penalties but that was short lived.

 

[epDragon62]

And there you have two of the hallmarks of Maryball, 1) No Offloads ( we're worst in the league for those ) and 2) Submit in the tackle for a supposed quick play the ball - something the Dragons have persisted with for more than 20 years even through the Wrestle years. Watch any game of ours from the Mary / Young era and you'll see our props / locks only run hard into the line when they're running a little wide or running into opposition small men / halves. In the middle, running into their opposites, it's straight to your knees for a quick play the ball - usually futile against the wrestle. It can be a real momentum killer when it just gives the opposition forwards an excuse to go slow - but that is how our boys were coached to play. The only forward actually good at that is Kerr who gets some incredibly fast ptb's.
Note : it worked for while in 2018 when the refs were blowing a sh*tload of anti-wrestle penalties but that was short lived.

I like this analysis and makes sense for the 2018 success.

 

[kit66]

I like this analysis and makes sense for the 2018 success.

I have to give credit to the poster RedVinme who convinced me that that crack down by the refs was a major part of our " Power Game " success in early 2018. So Mary's genius ploy was just a coincidence really, nothing to do with smart coaching.

 

[redVinme]

I have to give credit to the poster RedVinme who convinced me that that crack down by the refs was a major part of our " Power Game " success in early 2018. So Mary's genius ploy was just a coincidence really, nothing to do with smart coaching.

Thanks @kit66 just telling it how I see it.

 

[SEAT 1A]

New recruits bringing the heat to front row battle
Dragons prop Blake Lawrie speaks about the competition in the front row with Danial Alvaro and Poasa Faamausili joining the pack for the 2021 season.

https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2021/01/20/new-signings-bringing-the-heat-to-front-row-battle/

Thanks getsmarty.

Dragons prop Blake Lawrie also speaks about the old coach.

Q. 2020 wasn't one of your (Dragons forward pack) for punch. What are you going to do to turn that around.

A. Yes, we flushed that. We have new staff and coaches.

Bravo good sir.

 

[True_Believer]

And there you have two of the hallmarks of Maryball, 1) No Offloads ( we're worst in the league for those ) and 2) Submit in the tackle for a supposed quick play the ball - something the Dragons have persisted with for more than 20 years even through the Wrestle years. Watch any game of ours from the Mary / Young era and you'll see our props / locks only run hard into the line when they're running a little wide or running into opposition small men / halves. In the middle, running into their opposites, it's straight to your knees for a quick play the ball - usually futile against the wrestle. It can be a real momentum killer when it just gives the opposition forwards an excuse to go slow - but that is how our boys were coached to play. The only forward actually good at that is Kerr who gets some incredibly fast ptb's.
Note : it worked for while in 2018 when the refs were blowing a sh*tload of anti-wrestle penalties but that was short lived.

And funnily enough, our play the balls were always slower than the oppositions 70% of the time. Really worked a treat didn't it?

Note : it worked for while in 2018 when the refs were blowing a sh*tload of anti-wrestle penalties but that was short lived.

100%. This is why we performed so well in the first half of the season before they stopped blowing the whistle and let the game go back to what it was. It initially suited our game plan/style. But as you say - short lived.

 

[BLM01]

And funnily enough, our play the balls were always slower than the oppositions 70% of the time. Really worked a treat didn't it?



100%. This is why we performed so well in the first half of the season before they stopped blowing the whistle and let the game go back to what it was. It initially suited our game plan/style. But as you say - short lived.

and never a Plan B. The old ostrich could not understand when something worked once why I ddi not work all the time.

 

[kit66]

Thanks getsmarty.

Dragons prop Blake Lawrie also speaks about the old coach.

Q. 2020 wasn't one of your (Dragons forward pack) for punch. What are you going to do to turn that around.

A. Yes, we flushed that. We have new staff and coaches.

Bravo good sir.

What a fitting choice of words, Blake just went up a whole other level in my estimation of him.

 

[epDragon62]

What a fitting choice of words, Blake just went up a whole other level in my estimation of him.

Of course it is possible that Blake didn't mean it the way it sounds; hope he did

 

[carltonsouth79]

The only stat worth reading is post tackle metres. My impression is that Lawrie didn't shirk the work and was Gallen like in his desire for the ball BUT he never bends the line so his PTM's wouldn't be high and as far as a passing game , i never saw it.

Interesting take on PTM from out new assistant coach Matthew Elliot who I remember saying on his radio gig that PTM can also be a negative in that it often indicates slow play the balls and extra time for the defence to reset. Many times best to get to ground quickly and play the ball. Wonder if we will see anything like that from the game plan this year.

 

[TruSaint]

Interesting take on PTM from out new assistant coach Matthew Elliot who I remember saying on his radio gig that PTM can also be a negative in that it often indicates slow play the balls and extra time for the defence to reset. Many times best to get to ground quickly and play the ball. Wonder if we will see anything like that from the game plan this year.

I'm waiting for your match day commentary mate.
Bring on the season eh .

 

[SEAT 1A]

What a fitting choice of words, Blake just went up a whole other level in my estimation of him.

Yes, he's a good fella.

He had a hard slog last year.

That should be rewarded in spaced this year.