2019 team line up

[Overseas dragon]

If that's our roster done and dusted and with JDB likely not to play ...Thought I would have a crack .

1..Widdop
2..Pearson
3..Lomax
4..Lafai
5..Ravalawa
6..Norman
7...Hunt
8..Graham
9...McInnes
10..Vaughan
11..Leilua
12..Sims
13..frizell

14..Sims
15...Lawrie
16..Aitken
17..Robson

My reason for the wingers is speed Pereira is far to slow . I have picked big Luc because he is a natural footballer and ballplayer . All he needs is first grade fitness and that will happen the more he plays first grade . That left edge of Norman , Luc , Lafai with Widdop chiming in and feeding a genuine speedster in Pearson could be lethal . Our right side of Hunt , Sims , Lomax with Widdop chiming in could be just as effective and Ravalawa is a flyer also .
Norman is by far our best game manager ( the most yappy ) where Hunt and Widdop are very quiet . Norman tends ( at his best ) to play heads up football and makes good decisions most of the time . Hunt struggles with this and this would let him play his natural running game .
The other thing Norman offers is a class kicking game . Widdop at the back can choose when to inject himself both sides and not have to worry about kicking or directing the teams plays . Also less defence for his shoulder .
Robson is a must I believe it will give McInnes a break and add a lot more attacking spark around the play the ball .
Aitken for me is well suited as a impact bench player . He would handle Lock easy . And be a weapon in the middle with his power running , also his front on defence is good . He would also add cover for the outside backs . He would be more useful if used right than having Mann just sit as a reserve like we have done .
It gives us two front rowers a lock who can cover the centres , and a genuine hooker on the bench . Frizell could cover the edge if needed . we would have no reason not to use all four interchange players every game .
Just my opinion I am sure many will differ .

One thing nobody has mentioned, VAUGHAN is basically an addition to the forward pack ,and a very large addition ,on the second half of last season.....his presence can't be underestimated......

 

[Crush]

1. Dufty
2. Pearson
3. Lomax
4. Norman
5. Periera

6. Widdop
7. Hunt

8. Graham
9. McInnes
10. Vaughan
11. Frizell
12. T.Sims
13. Lawrie

14. Robson
15. K. Sims
16. Host/Latimore
17. Leilua

Lawrie not a 13
Norman not a 4
Not a fan of this team mate, sorry

 

[Frank Facer]

If that's our roster done and dusted and with JDB likely not to play ...Thought I would have a crack .

1..Widdop
2..Pearson
3..Lomax
4..Lafai
5..Ravalawa
6..Norman
7...Hunt
8..Graham
9...McInnes
10..Vaughan
11..Leilua
12..Sims
13..frizell

14..Sims
15...Lawrie
16..Aitken
17..Robson

My reason for the wingers is speed Pereira is far to slow . I have picked big Luc because he is a natural footballer and ballplayer . All he needs is first grade fitness and that will happen the more he plays first grade . That left edge of Norman , Luc , Lafai with Widdop chiming in and feeding a genuine speedster in Pearson could be lethal . Our right side of Hunt , Sims , Lomax with Widdop chiming in could be just as effective and Ravalawa is a flyer also .
Norman is by far our best game manager ( the most yappy ) where Hunt and Widdop are very quiet . Norman tends ( at his best ) to play heads up football and makes good decisions most of the time . Hunt struggles with this and this would let him play his natural running game .
The other thing Norman offers is a class kicking game . Widdop at the back can choose when to inject himself both sides and not have to worry about kicking or directing the teams plays . Also less defence for his shoulder .
Robson is a must I believe it will give McInnes a break and add a lot more attacking spark around the play the ball .
Aitken for me is well suited as a impact bench player . He would handle Lock easy . And be a weapon in the middle with his power running , also his front on defence is good . He would also add cover for the outside backs . He would be more useful if used right than having Mann just sit as a reserve like we have done .
It gives us two front rowers a lock who can cover the centres , and a genuine hooker on the bench . Frizell could cover the edge if needed . we would have no reason not to use all four interchange players every game .
Just my opinion I am sure many will differ .

Good post mate.

 

[dino1]

Good post mate.

what happens to dufty

 

[muzby]

what happens to dufty

Works the bar at the Steelers club till we need him.

 

[GC Dragon]

what happens to dufty

He plays reserve grade until there is a injury or Hunt plays origin . He has a chance to work on his game and become our full time fullback when Widdop leaves . Or he can spit the dummy leave and play reserve grade for somebody else .

 

[getsmarty]

McGregor: high standard this pre-season
We recently caught up with Head Coach Paul McGregor to get his perspective on how the 2019 pre-season is shaping up.

https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2018/12/21/mcgregor-high-standard-efforts/

 

[getsmarty]

2019 pre-season: Ben Hornby
For Assistant Coach Ben Hornby the main focus throughout pre-season is to up-skill the backs.

https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2018/12/21/2019-pre-season-ben-hornby/

 

[getsmarty]

2019 pre-season: Mat Head
NRL Transition Coach Mat Head is part of two lots of pre-season, overseeing the Dragons ISP preparations for 2019 and assisting with the NRL squad as well.

https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2018/12/21/2019-pre-season-mat-head/

 

[getsmarty]

2019 pre-season: Dean Young
We caught up with Assistant Coach Dean Young on the progress of the Dragons forward pack during pre-season.

https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2018/12/21/2019-pre-season-dean-young/

 

[Frank Facer]

what happens to dufty

I would still have Dufty in my side. I wouldn't do exactly as GC Dragon said, but I just thought it was a well thought our post and I could see the merit in a lot of things that he said. There are so many different scenarios. I think both our wing spots are up for grabs. Lomax should definitely be one centre. I had Lafai as my other one, but someone suggested the idea of Widdop playing centre yesterday and I could see merit in that idea. He would probably be better than Lafai. A center pairing of Widdop and Lomax could possibly the best pair of centres we could field. That would leave the Dufty at fullback, with Hunt and Norman in the halves and McInnnes hooker. I like an 80 minute hooker, but many are pushing for Robson to be given a run and some think he will be better than McInness. If DeBelin is unavailable, I think Frizell the obvious choice to play lock, but then I would like to see how Lucky would go playing lock. That may be his best position? In my side, the last bench spot would be taken up by either Robson or Aitken. I would have 3 other decent size forwards in Lawrie, Sims and Host as my other reserves.

 

[nontime111]

I like this Widdop idea at centre, great thinking, then Dufty could stay, it would be pretty amazing to have all 4 attack guns in the team every week wouldnt it?

Dufty
Pearson
Lomax
Widdop
Periera
Norman
Hunt

 

[Crush]

I like this Widdop idea at centre, great thinking, then Dufty could stay, it would be pretty amazing to have all 4 attack guns in the team every week wouldnt it?

Dufty
Pearson
Lomax
Widdop
Periera
Norman
Hunt

Widdop at centre? W W W what now!?

 

[dragon thomo]

This is my side depending on de belins case. Aitkin would be my lock if de belin is out if not aitkin would be in reserves .
1 widdop
2 pieara
3 lafai
4 lomax
5 pearson
6 norman
7 hunt
8 graham
9mc inness
10 vahuan
11frizell
12 simms
13de bellin or aitkin
14 laurie
15 leilua
16 k. Simms
17 robson

 

[rednwhites]

In summary, 2019 looks very promising and Recruitment get a pass mark from me despite not exactly doing things the most conventional way. I think most of us wanted a marquee wing signing at the end of the 2018 season, we didn't get it. While Pearson may end up an upgrade on MacDonald it remains to be seen (and Ravalawa is an unknown in the NRL albeit an exciting prospect) but now with the option of Norman at 6 and Dufty to wing or bench, it does give us more than a couple of options that could work nicely for us. When Aitken is playing in reserves, your club must be doing ok. Let's not forget what he has to offer on a good day, and a part of me hopes he sorts out the problems in his game and really makes Lafai and Lomax fight for their spot.

Many were calling for a marquee prop signing and alas we didn't get it. Sims in for Ah Mau is not going to make it or break it for us, if anything we might come out on top there with the bash brothers teaming up. Along with Vaughan, both of them know how to find a try which is handy for our attack that sometimes misfires. We all wait with anticipation over JDB who will be crucial to our success. We better hope he is in or find another available lock that can fold attackers in half. With Lawrie and Luciano on the rise, Host returning from an injury, I think we can compete in the forwards but McGregor needs to be smart and rotate players more effectively, be it within games or between them.

On paper, and still with a huge question mark over the coach's management of players, I have belief this team can crack top four. I would not be surprised if this is the year we go deep in finals.

 

[Crush]

In summary, 2019 looks very promising and Recruitment get a pass mark from me despite not exactly doing things the most conventional way. I think most of us wanted a marquee wing signing at the end of the 2018 season, we didn't get it. While Pearson may end up an upgrade on MacDonald it remains to be seen (and Ravalawa is an unknown in the NRL albeit an exciting prospect) but now with the option of Norman at 6 and Dufty to wing or bench, it does give us more than a couple of options that could work nicely for us. When Aitken is playing in reserves, your club must be doing ok. Let's not forget what he has to offer on a good day, and a part of me hopes he sorts out the problems in his game and really makes Lafai and Lomax fight for their spot.

Many were calling for a marquee prop signing and alas we didn't get it. Sims in for Ah Mau is not going to make it or break it for us, if anything we might come out on top there with the bash brothers teaming up. Along with Vaughan, both of them know how to find a try which is handy for our attack that sometimes misfires. We all wait with anticipation over JDB who will be crucial to our success. We better hope he is in or find another available lock that can fold attackers in half. With Lawrie and Luciano on the rise, Host returning from an injury, I think we can compete in the forwards but McGregor needs to be smart and rotate players more effectively, be it within games or between them.

On paper, and still with a huge question mark over the coach's management of players, I have belief this team can crack top four. I would not be surprised if this is the year we go deep in finals.

Nice summary.
One thing though, what makes you think Aitken will be in reserves?

 

[BLM01]

McGregor: high standard this pre-season
We recently caught up with Head Coach Paul McGregor to get his perspective on how the 2019 pre-season is shaping up.

https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2018/12/21/mcgregor-high-standard-efforts/

McGregor did not sound over the moon confident with the 2 new wingers, so it looks like they have their work cut out to make 1st grade at this stage. Pereira & Lomax will be the wingers me thinks Round 1. Lomax should be No. 3 although he played wing in Junior Roos...did he not? (I still have hope he wakes up to this as he said so himself he is an out and out centre)
In regards to Norman Mray has not got a clue yet but it also sounds like Norman is pencilled ATM at 14.
Mary did say pre-season, training and trials will determine but the problem for me is they have 1 trial locked in which is the Charity Shield. They did this last year and I dont see the benefit of 1 trial playing 40 minutes each basically to work out best starting spots...its just me that is worried about that as you need as much real game time (even though trial), cause training and working hard even having simulated opposition games are not the same.
I think this is a mistake for this year and may cost us early on playing around with combos or he will just put Norman 14 anyway to start with.

 

[BLM01]

2019 pre-season: Ben Hornby
For Assistant Coach Ben Hornby the main focus throughout pre-season is to up-skill the backs.

https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2018/12/21/2019-pre-season-ben-hornby/

Up skill the backs aye!. Look after their defense and attack.
Aitken & Lafai's choice and missed opportunites due to passing game. Nene out of position in attacking raids at times. Defense of Ben Hunt and centres & Dufty at times. Below par bomb catching and leaping.
It is not all about working on hand / eye co-ordination skills to be able to catch a ball which they did a lot of.
The Backs at times did some individually brilliant things, this combined with our forwards for most of the season saved our behinds. But the back 7 working as a unit or combination was a overall a slight failure in both defense and attack after the 25 rounds.
Lift your game Benny

 

[Old Timer]

If the majority of the squad is 7 weeks into heavy conditioning and Norman has been doing no formal training, there is no way he will have the fitness level of the rest of the team come round 1, so he will more than likely be taking Mann's spot on the bench.
After listening to the pressers from the 3 blind mice I suspect that the new wingers have a bit to do and will most likely be ISP for a few weeks so as much as it will shit me Lomax could be headed for "the freezer" playing wing outside Aitken.
Playing 1 trial will give no indications but for sure Mc Fookknuckle has it all nutted out already (little imagination means quick decisions) as he is that sort of person.

 

[muzby]

If the majority of the squad is 7 weeks into heavy conditioning and Norman has been doing no formal training,

I know the eels are a basket case, but it’s a bit harsh to say their preseason training isn’t in some way formalised..