2018 season review

[getsmarty]

NRL NEWS

St George Illawarra Dragons: 2018 NRL season preview
Author
Brad Walter Senior Reporter
Timestamp
Tue 27 Feb 2018, 07:00 AM

After years of inconsistency and close shaves, the St George Illawarra Dragons appear primed for success based on the players they have acquired and the talent they already have at their disposal.

The addition of James Graham should prove a particularly beneficial signing, given that he is likely to act as a forward leader for the club.

Graham is expected to build upon the dominance of the Dragons forwards from 2017 that saw both prop Paul Vaughan and lock Jack de Belin top the stats for metres made in their respective positions.

With a roster that Dragons coach Paul McGregor labels as the best he has had in his time at the club, the pressure is now on the players to live up to that expectation.

Doing so is easier said than done but the Dragons faithful will be hopeful that it rings as true on the field as it does on paper. McGregor has a talented and exciting roster to work with.

What's new

The deal was done 12 months ago so fans have had plenty of time to get used to Ben Hunt being the Dragons No.7 but he only started training in January, along with English prop James Graham.

Hunt was targeted as the top-shelf halfback the Dragons haven't had in the 19 seasons of the joint venture, given that Trent Barrett’s preferred position was five-eighth, and the hope is that he lives up to the hype.

It is universally agreed that Graham’s leadership up front will benefit the Dragons forward pack and team-mates are already talking up the influence he has had at training.

Soward's Say: Dragons in 2018

The draw

The Dragons begin the season with four of their first six games at home, including the Telstra Premiership’s opening match at Jubilee Oval against Brisbane, so it will be important they again get off to a good start.

After four years of splitting home games between Kogarah, Wollongong and Sydney’s bigger venues, the Dragons will now play five matches each at Jubilee Oval and WIN Stadium.

The annual ANZAC Day clash with Sydney Roosters will be Allianz Stadium, while the Dragons are taking their round 11 fixture against Canberra to Mudgee.

The Roosters, Cronulla Sharks, Melbourne Storm, Canterbury Bulldogs, Parramatta Eels, New Zealand Warriors and Newcastle Knights are the teams the Dragons are drawn to meet twice during the regular season.

The stat that gives you hope

The Dragons averaged the most metres per game (1,706m) in the NRL last season, led the competition for off-loads (353) and the amount of metres they made from effective off-loads (110.6m per game).

Paul Vaughan (3419m) and Jack De Belin (3177m) were among the NRL leaders in their positions for metres gained, as was Tim Lafai (3168m) and the centre also led the way for offloads (64).

With Hunt wearing the No.7 jersey, the Dragons will have a halfback who runs the ball and can capitalise on the work of the forwards.

St George lllawarra Dragons forward Jack de Belin. Scott Davis / NRL Photos
What you need to know NRL Fantasy wise

Jack de Belin's ($861,000) combination of high defensive workload combined with a knack for an offload makes him tailor-made for NRL Fantasy, and fellow tackle machine Cameron McInnes ($811,000) isn't far behind. Paul Vaughan ($799,000) is the highest-rated prop in Fantasy at the start of the new season, James Graham ($671,000) is a little under-priced if he gets back to his best and Luciano Leilua ($228,000) could be a bargain if he can break into an admittedly stacked forward pack.

The coach

Since taking over the Dragons midway through the 2014 season, Paul McGregor has gradually reconfigured a playing roster that featured big name outside backs but was light on forward power.

As a result, the Dragons now have one of the top forward packs in the NRL and with the addition of Graham and Hunt, McGregor has described the 2018 roster as the best he has coached.

“I feel now that I have got a roster that I am totally comfortable with, I think it is the best roster in the time I have been at the club,” McGregor said.

Contract matters

The Dragons have one of the most settled rosters in the NRL this season, with Jason Nightingale and Lesson Ah Mau the biggest names coming off contract.

Promising forward Hame Sele is likely to be a player the Dragons will be keen to keep, but Jeremy Latimore, Mitchell Allgood and Jordan Pereira were only signed for this season on one year deals.

Dragons hooker Cameron McInnes. Robb Cox/NRL Photos
The burning question

Is Ben Hunt the superstar halfback the Dragons have been seeking since the merger of St George and Illawarra in 1999?

Representative bolter

Cameron McInnes was considered a future South Sydney Rabbitohs captain before joining the Dragons last year and many at the club have been impressed by his leadership values and work ethic.

With no established NSW Origin hooker, McInnes is expected to come into contention for the Blues No.9 jersey if he can build on an impressive 2017 season in which he topped the tackle count across the NRL (1155), and had a 95 per cent tackle efficiency.

The player you should follow on social media


When captain Gareth Widdop isn’t playing or training, he’ll often be at the beach and posts photos or videos on his Instagram account, including one recently of a shark.

Widdop also posted footage from a drone he was testing last month.

The quote

Two of the last three years we have been in the top four over the halfway of the competition so it is about maintaining that standard regardless of the opposition we play on a weekly basis.

St George Illawarra Dragons coach Paul McGregor
Soward's prediction

NRL.com expert Jamie Soward says… ''James Graham is a big recruit from the Bulldogs. They wanted professionalism at the Dragons and they got their man in James Graham.

''St George Illawarra Dragons finish 8th.''

Roster

Ben Hunt, Darren Nicholls, Euan Aitken, Gareth Widdop, Jai Field, Jason Nightingale, Jordan Pereira, Kurt Mann, Matthew Dufty, Nene Macdonald, Patrick Herbert, Reuben Garrick, Steven Marsters, Timoteo Lafai, Tristan Sailor, Zac Lomax, Blake Lawrie, Cameron McInnes, Hame Sele, Jack de Belin, Jackson Ford, Jacob Host, James Graham, Jeremy Latimore, Josh Kerr, Leeson Ah Mau, Luciano Leilua, Mitch Allgood, Paul Vaughan, Reece Robson, Tariq Sims, Tyson Frizell.

Note: These club squads are subject to change. Each club is required to submit 29 of their official 30-man playing squad to the NRL by March 1. The final spot in theses rosters can remain free up until June 30.


https://www.nrl.com/news/2018/02/27/st-george-illawarra-dragons-2018-nrl-season-preview/

 

[getsmarty]

Soward's Say: Dragons in 2018
Jamie Soward gives his thoughts on what to expect from the 2018 St George Illawarra Dragons

https://www.nrl.com/news/2018/02/27/sowards-say-dragons-in-2018/

 

[muzby]

It’s a little early for a 2018 season review isn’t it?

 

[SBD82]

It’s a little early for a 2018 season review isn’t it?

Not really. I think I could probably knock together a pretty accurate draft now.

"While the club is disappointed with missing out on the 8 after being top 4 for the first 10 rounds, we have great trust that Mary will continue to grow into the role as first grade coach.

Peter Doust has decided to stay on until a successor is found, there is no indication at this stage how long that may take"

 

[Life's Good]

Not really. I think I could probably knock together a pretty accurate draft now.

"While the club is disappointed with missing out on the 8 after being top 4 for the first 10 rounds, we have great trust that Mary will continue to grow into the role as first grade coach.

Peter Doust has decided to stay on until a successor is found, there is no indication at this stage how long that may take"

Oh dear. That hurts.

 

[getsmarty]

ur experts - and fans - predict where your team will finish
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In numbers

• Most-fancied team
  
  Cowboys (Average pick - 1.9)
• Least-fancied team
  
  Titans (Average pick - 15.7)
• Biggest gap
  
  Warriors (4th-16th)

The 2018 NRL season is a week away - where will your team be at the end of 26 rounds? Read our experts' picks below, and vote on where you think every team will finish.

The top contenders
North Queensland were picked as minor premiers by three of our seven panellists (Adam Pengilly, James Buckley and Phil Lutton), with the remaining four picking them either second or third.

Heavyweights: The Cowboys or Storm were backed to be minor premiers by six of our seven experts.

Melbourne weren't far behind, also gaining three first-place selections (from Chris Barrett, Adrian Proszenko and Roy Ward) along with a second, third, fourth and fifth.

The one remaining first-place prediction (Matt Bungard) went to the Sydney Roosters, with all seven writers picking them in the top four.

Parramatta were also well liked, with six of seven picking them to make the finals, and three predicting them for the top four - only Roy Ward has them missing the finals.

Brisbane were picked to make the finals unanimously, but only received two selections in the top four.

Contenders: The Broncos were picked in the finals unanimously.

Photo: AAP
2016 Premiers Cronulla were picked in the top four by James Buckley, in the top eight by four other writers and missing the finals in Phil Lutton and Roy Ward's picks.

The middle of the pack

Perhaps the most divisive team of all, Penrith were picked as high as third (Adam Pengilly) and as low as 13th (Roy Ward.)

Polarising: Peter Wallace of the Panthers.

Photo: AAP
The St George-Illawarra Dragons narrowly missed out on last year's finals but the addition of Ben Hunt and James Graham was enough for five of our experts to pick them in the eight.

Manly were the least fancied of last year's top eight, with only Phil Lutton picking them to make the finals again. However, each of the other prediction hovereed just outside the top eight, from ninth to 11th.

Canberra were picked inside the top eight by Matt Bungard and Roy Ward, with a couple of other picks just outside the finals places.

Surprise packets: Several experts are backing Souths to bounce back in 2018.

Photo: AAP
South Sydney, somewhat surprisingly, are favoured to bounce back into the finals by the trio of Chris Barrett, Phil Lutton and James Buckley

The long shots

None of our experts think that Newcastle will come last again, but only Roy Ward picked them to make the finals.

The Canterbury Bulldogs were picked to scrape into eighth by Chris Barrett, with nobody else picking them higher than 10th.

Unfancied: The Gold Coast Titans were not picked higher than 15th by anyone.

The NZ Warriors were picked between 14th and 16th by six of our seven experts - with Roy Ward going completely against the grain and backing them for the top four.

Only two teams were completely left out of the top eight by our panel of seven - the Wests Tigers were picked highest by James Buckley at 11th, and with one wooden spoon vote from Roy Ward.

Finally, the poor old Gold Coast Titans couldn't find a friend - being picked 15th by Chris Barrett and Roy Ward, and last by everybody else.

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/sp...re-your-team-will-finish-20180228-p4z25f.html

 

[grouch]

The coach

Since taking over the Dragons midway through the 2014 season, Paul McGregor has gradually reconfigured a playing roster that featured big name outside backs but was light on forward power.

As a result, the Dragons now have one of the top forward packs in the NRL and with the addition of Graham and Hunt, McGregor has described the 2018 roster as the best he has coached.

“I feel now that I have got a roster that I am totally comfortable with, I think it is the best roster in the time I have been at the club,” McGregor said.

Why doesn't the section called "The coach" talk about the performance of the coach at all?

 

[ViceVersa]

I thought we already had the '2018 season review' in the Charity Shield thread...

 

[getsmarty]

KICKOFF: Fearless predictions for the 2018 NRL season

• 
  Mitch Jennings

Dragons Den News

FINAL LAP: North Queensland's roster, and the Jonathan Thurston farewell factor, make the Cowboys the team to beat this season. Picture: AAP
They call it the “off-season” but, in reality, rugby league never stops.

Player movements, board blues, player managers linking their clients to other clubs, or even other codes before they miraculously re-sign with their current club on extended deals – all that jazz.

It’s been enough to send Kickoff to our regular stool at Dicey Rileys to stare blankly into pints of Guiness – our very own crystal ball.

Now, finally, the time has come, time to upturn those soggy beer coasters and decipher the thought bubbles we’ve scrawled with Keno pencils. Here you have it, Kickoff’s rundown of every teams’ 2018 prospects – cue debate.

Storm: It’s become the conventional argument that teams simply can’t go back to back in the NRL. It’s the only really compelling argument you can make in regards to the defending premiers but if you look a little bit harder you can find a couple. No more Cooper Cronk is the obvious one, but the loss of Jordan McLean and Tohu Harris will also take some punch out of their pack. Expect them to be top four again but could just fall short of another title.

Cowboys: This columnist’s tip for the 2018 premiership. Plenty will depend on whether Jonathan Thurston stays healthy but we’re in for a hell of a farewell tour if he does. The club found a silver lining to his absence last season in the emergence of Michael Morgan as a genuine match-winner. Matt Scott returns with new recruit Jordan McLean in a pack that already includes Jason Taumololo, Gavin Cooper, Ethan Lowe and Cohen Hess. Throw in the JT farewell tour factor and they’re the team the beat for this year’s crown.

Roosters: The betting favourites for good reason given the arrival of Cooper Cronk. How he clicks in a system not as regimented as Craig Bellamy’s remains to be seen but it’s a good bet he’ll do so seamlessly. Was very unconvinced by the Roosters last year despite their 17 wins and they ultimately went out of of the finals with a whimper. Ridiculous to suggest Trent Robinson is under pressure but, with this team at his disposal, fans will demand rather than hope for success. Will be aiming for the top two.

Broncos: Big question mark hovers over Kodi Nikorima in the No. 7 and, unlike previous seasons, Anthony Milford will have the be the man at Red Hill. Some departures haven’t raised a lot of eyebrows but Herman Ese'ese was their best forward last season and has moved on. There’ll also be plenty of expectation on Jack Bird whatever position he ultimately turns out in. Never write off a Wayne Bennett coached side but they look a shade off the top contenders. Top four though, is definitely within reach.

Eels: We’ve seen plenty of teams exceed expectation one season only to wobble under it the next. That seems unlikely to happen under Brad Arthur though most attention will be on whether the Jarryd Hayne’s return is a success or a distraction. It doesn’t appear there’ll be a middle ground on that score. Corey Norman was arguably the form half of the competition before hitting some off-field skids while Mitch Moses showed encouraging signs at the back end of last season. A genuine top four prospect.

Panthers: Possibly the hardest team to get a read on. You’d expect Nathan Cleary to go up a gear and press for an Origin jumper and success has followed James Maloney wherever he’s gone. However, rumours still persist that the playing group still hasn’t warmed to Anthony Griffin. Whether the clean-out the club’s undergone remedies that remains to be seen.

Sharks: Expect them to continue to scrap every week but James Maloney leaves a huge hole. Matt Moylan’s a more than handy pick-up, as is Josh Dugan, but a lot will depend on whether they can steer clear of Northies. Still boast a formidable pack and a fully fit James Segeyaro is a boost. Easy to see them matching their 2017 finish, harder to see them going beyond it.

Sea Eagles: Proved one of the unexpected success stories last season, got real value out of bargain buys Curtis Sironen, Frank Winterstein, Akuila Uate and Brian Kelly. Salary cap stain still hangs over the club and has limited their recruitment, specifically in regards to finding a halves partner for Daly Cherry-Evans. Could find themselves on the edge of the eight at season’s end.

Dragons: Showed they can be a top four side last season… and then showed why they’ve finished outside the eight in five of the last six seasons. Early indications are that Ben Hunt’s signing will be a good one and the attack looks more balanced with Matt Dufty at the back. Gareth Widdop is Kickoff’s tip for the Dally M. With this roster, top four is not beyond them – missing the finals would be an unmitigated failure.

Raiders: Were arguably the biggest disappointments of 2017 after reaching the prelim final a season earlier. Plenty of players have since admitted they got too comfortable. A look at Ricky Stuart’s career shows he’s often had early success at a club before falling away. He’ll be looking to buck that trend in 2018 but could ill-afford to lose Josh Hodgson for what will be at least part of the season. In danger of missing the eight again.

Bulldogs: Have endured tumultuous times off the park of late with messy board elections and will head into the season with a rookie coach. Off-field dramas aside, Keiran Foran’s body has started to quit on him with some regularity. There’ll be plenty of pressure on Aaron Woods to deliver on his big-money deal. Not a knock on him, but still baffled as to why the club made a front-rower such a huge recruitment priority. Points, or rather a lack of them, was their issue last season. Hard to see what, or who, is going to fix that.

Rabbitohs: Anthony Seibold is one of the more unheralded coaches to rise to the NRL ranks in recent seasons but, if the Charity Shield is anything to go by, he looks to have broken off some attacking shackles. Greg Inglis back from injury, Damien Cook coming into his own, the addition of Dane Gagai all point to an improved showing. Bottom half of the eight is realistic.

Warriors: Fans will hope Blake Green will have a positive effect on Shaun Johnson’s game but we’ve seen enough to surmise that, despite his highlight reel, Johnson is not capable of leading a side to finals let alone beyond that. The form of Isaac Luke and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck has fallen off a cliff since crossing the Tasman. Long considered the NRL’s sleeping giant… expect them to hit the snooze again.

Tigers: The basket case of the NRL but Ivan Cleary has a history of righting wayward ships. Took the great under-achievers the Warriors to the finals four times in six years and rebuilt the Panthers despite minimal finals success. Certainly the right man for the Tigers job but expect them to fall short of the finals this year.

Titans: Now free of the Jarryd Hayne circus, expect the Titans to climb this season. Garth Brennan has long been regarded an NRL coach in waiting and he’s recruited smartly. Michael Gordon seems undervalued everywhere he goes but never by those who play alongside him. At their best Bryce Cartwright and Tyrone Peachey, can be more than handy pick-ups. Expect them to be in the top-eight fight in rounds 24-26.

Knights: Now for the boldest prediction of the lot, expect the Knights to make the finals this season. It would be a dramatic rise for the wooden spooners but remains possible. Mitchell Pearce is a near perfect signing for both parties. They’ve added genuine experience in Aiden Guerra, Chris Heighington and Jacob Lillyman, while Tautau Moga and Herman Ese’ese were outstanding for Brisbane last season. Connor Watson will be also be a good foil for Pearce. It’s enough to scrape into the eight...just.

http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/...-predictions-for-the-2018-nrl-season/?cs=3713

 

[getsmarty]

No excuses for the Dragons in 2018
Roar Guru
By mastermind5991, 1 Mar 2018 mastermind5991 is a Roar Guru


The greatest corner finish of all time!
If there is one team which is intent on making a statement this season after narrowly missing the finals last year, it is the St George Illawarra Dragons.

After taking a step or two backwards in 2016, not much was expected from the Red V in 2017.

However, a 42-10 thrashing of pre-season premiership favourites the Penrith Panthers in Round 1 would catch the competition by surprise, with the Dragons going on to win five matches in a row between Rounds 3 and 7 to sit on top of the ladder.

This included wins over reigning premiers the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in Round 3, as well as eventual grand finalists the North Queensland Cowboys, whom they defeated by 28-24 after leading 28-4 at halftime.

However, their season took a turn for the worse when their captain Gareth Widdop suffered a knee injury in the first half of their Anzac Day clash against the Sydney Roosters, which they lost 13-12 in golden point extra time.

His absence would see the Dragons drop their next three matches, and apart from beating the Warriors and Wests Tigers on either side of their Round 12 bye, they would not win consecutive matches for the remainder of the season.

Still, it was their impressive first half of the season which won coach Paul McGregor a contract extension, tying him to the club until the end of 2019, by the end of which he will be the club’s second-longest serving coach, only behind Nathan Brown who mentored the side between 2003 and 2008.

This, however, would mark a millstone as the Dragons would win only twice more to drop out of the top eight for the first time in the season in Round 22.

Two wins in their next three matches would then place them in the precarious situation whereby they would have to beat one of their bogey sides, the Bulldogs, in the final round to clinch a finals berth.

They led by 20-14 with fifteen minutes to go but conceded the last two tries to go down by 26-20, finishing the season in ninth place and marking a sour ending to a year which had started so brightly.

As if that wasn’t enough, they then had to watch on as the team that finished eighth, the Cowboys, made it all the way to the grand final, only to be beaten by the Melbourne Storm 34-6.

(AAP Image/Darren Pateman)

Still, to many fans it was a good result given the low expectations on them at the start of the season borne out of their dismal 2016 season in which only the Newcastle Knights scored less points than the Red V.

Apart from the early season form of Gareth Widdop, other highlights for the club included the individual form of forwards Jack de Belin, Paul Vaughan and Tyson Frizell.

Frizell played all three games for New South Wales in 2017, while de Belin and Vaughan were both very close to selection for the Blues, who this year will be coached by former captain Brad Fittler.

Days after the soul-crushing loss to the Bulldogs, it was announced that James Graham had signed a three-year deal with the Dragons, ensuring that his rugby league career would end by wearing the most famous letter in the NRL.

It came months after Brisbane Broncos half-back Ben Hunt signed a six-year, $6 million contract, also starting in 2018.

The club’s acquisition of both Hunt and Graham are arguably the biggest signings, whether it’d be player or coach, since Wayne Bennett coached the club between 2009 and 2011.

It was during Bennett’s tenure as Dragons coach in which the club won the 2010 premiership, defeating the Sydney Roosters by 32-8 in the grand final.

From the side that saluted on that rainy evening on October 3, 2010, only Jason Nightingale remains at the club today, and it is inevitable that this season will be his last. He only needs to play five games to reach the 250-game milestone.

(Photo: AAP)

Thus, on the back of their biggest off-season since the 2010 premiership, which to many fans seems like an eternity ago given the club’s recent downturn in fortunes, expectations will be very high.

Already their 2018 season has got off to a mixed start, winning an exhibition match against Hull and dropping their annual Charity Shield match against the Rabbitohs for the sixth consecutive year.

The club cannot overly rely on both Hunt and Graham alone to lift them back into the promised land, with others such as Matt Dufty, Jack de Belin, Paul Vaughan and Tyson Frizell all having to contribute to some degree as well.

Of particular interest will be how the new halves pairing of Gareth Widdop and Ben Hunt will operate. This is set to be their most stable halves pairing since Jamie Soward and Ben Hornby led the club to the 2010 title.

Already, next week’s season opener against the Broncos is already looming large for the club, none more so for Ben Hunt, who is to be unleashed against the club he represented 189 times between 2009 and 2017.

Highlighting their commercial appeal, seven of their first eight games will be televised on Channel Nine, including the aforementioned Round 1 match against the Broncos, as well as both of their derbies against the Sharks.

Apart from their two biggest signings, it will also remain to be seen whether they have learnt the lessons from their capitulation in the second half of last season, which cost them a finals berth and undoubtedly frustrated their large legion of fans.

And so, the time for excuses are over and it’s now up to the Dragons to deliver on what is expected of them in 2018.


http://www.theroar.com.au/2018/03/01/no-excuses-dragons-2018/