2019 team line up

[Saint_JimmyG]

Nabuli sums up Mary's abilities to recognise/develop.

Discarded him early - Nabuli looked elsewhere - Injury meant he had to come back in and looked to actually grow as a player as he got used to the game. Scored a tough try in the semi loss. At this point Mary thinks shit - this player may have some ability and tried to retain him but the horse had bolted.

Not a world beater but better than many gave him credit for - just very inexperienced.

Nabuli was slower in turning around than the Titanic.

Saints could (and should have) done a lot better in terms of replacing Morris.

 

[Saint_JimmyG]

*Post deleted*

This doesn’t mean they weren’t on big money.

 

[Saint_JimmyG]

Nighty played mostly left wing in 2016 outside of Lafai.

Right wing started with Aitken, with Dugan at right centre. After a couple of games (Mann at f/b), Aitken was shifted to right centre and P. Mata Utai was the right winger for a few games then KFFL.
Nighty got injured and then Mann took over left wing.
When Nighty came back to left wing Mann shifted to right wing.

So the bottom line is that Nightingale was inconvenienced by being moved to a left profitable left wing. And as for the right, it was a complete hodge podge of Mata’utia, KFFL and Mann.

More evidence that Millward/McGregor have failed in addressing Morris’s departure.

(It’s only been four-years and counting)

 

[giboz71]

True
The trick is to have the right players inside of them who can create their opportunities.

I don’t recall any premiership team with an ordinary spine. That’s where you need to spend your cash. The Roosters bought the 2 most expensive spine players available in Tedesco and Cronk. That’s how they won a comp. Weve done the same with Hunt, Widdop and Norman.

You don’t spend big cash on wingers.

Ask the Dogs who bought Bmoz for big money and they have been shit ever since as they had guys like Hopoate, Lichaa and Reynolds in key spine positions trying to lead them around.

 

[muzby]

"Alleged" sexual assault. Big difference.

No.. Carlton got it spot on, both with his statement and his summary of you. Old Timer gives some sage advice there too.

Sitting here trying to work out if you are:
a) just trying to get a rise out of people
b) celebrating your first time today and couldn’t find anywhere to brag about it
c) just not particularly bright
d) all of the above

I’m currently leaning towards d..

 

[dragonssamy61]

hello again Vas...

Goggles if you leave it alone it will go away.
The guys a dhead.

 

[Warabrook saint]

Frank Facer said;

“....what a great job Millward has done and is doing....”

—————————————————

IMO, (and I’m not saying it’s a easy job) but in comparison to other sides our recruitment has been adequate. I’m basing this on our recent results which have been adequate but not great.

This years side may end up great.

We have a very expensive half and five eight, cheapies on the flanks and inconsistency at the back. This worries me as the great sides have great wingers who score great tries.

We have some great forwards, I’m still concerned about our depth, atleast one more prop needs to make his appearance.

If we make the big dance than recruitment has been very astute, and I will agree the recruitment have been great. If we fade out again, then how could we possibly say it’s great recruitment

Simms, Vaughan, Hunt, Norman, like I mentioned, he's trying.....now who have we got to get the best out of the team.....that's who's causing the fadeout.

 

[DragonJ]

Goggles if tou leave it alone it will go away.
The guys a dhead.

I'm not completely new to the forum. Only new to comment. I started watching it on an irregular basis about 8 months ago. It was a good place to get news. To find out whats going on when the slide inevitably set in. I don't know too much but I know Muzby on pretty much every thread or every page of every thread leaves snide and what he thinks are witty but most people think are lame little remarks.

I also know Possum, whose style, or whose dreams I like. Everyday he posts a message imagining every player who has so much as been rumored to be a free agent at some point in the future, and quite a few who haven't, in the Dragons 2019 team.

Aside from that there seem to a good number of angry old guys who haven't eaten Hayne's favorite food in a long time, grouching at each other and everyone else. I don't want to be part of that. I only wanted to give my thoughts on the 2019 team and maybe from time to time post a message. So pretty f**king please, leave me out of your little cliques.

And so, if Hayne is cleared of all charges and his only crime is being hungry for something he couldn't get in good quality in Western Sydney, I hope he is signed. I liked Dufty as a player but he really lost me in the back half of last season. I now he apparently isn't that much smaller than Barba or Slater but if that is the case, those extra few kgs seem to make all the difference. He looked to me like a boy playing with men quite often. He needs a course of mass increasing PEDs. Who cares about his long-term health if he can help the Dragons win premierships in the near term?

 

[Warabrook saint]

Everything old is new again

 

[Warabrook saint]

I think the Bulldogs changed their mind.
CC

They weren't prepared to give us another quality player just in case we won the comp

 

[Gardenia]

I think the point was that the wing just seems to be a spot where you can (and do) find value, more than any other position.

We managed to keep Morris and Nightingale for a long time as local juniors but they were young when we won the premiership, we probably weren't spending big on them at the time. Also note that we eventually lost Morris for salary cap reasons.

Hopoate was young and Williams also unknown at the time but arguably overpaid after their contract extensions kicked in.

RTS was young, moved to fullback the next year and left for a better offer a year or two later. Tupou was unknown young player signed from Parra lower grades. Considering how contract extensions have been done with minimal fuss and all the other players the Roosters have released over the years for salary cap reasons there's a decent chance he's accepting unders to stay at a strong club.

That all said we should be doing better than hoping that Pearson and Ravalawa develops. Chances are that Pereira and Lomax will be asked to play wing for long periods and we hope that Pearson can find his way into the team and that's not ideal at all.

Lomax prefers centre but I think he’s got speed for the wing

 

[Gardenia]

Definitely a question mark over the wingers.

At the moment Pereira is probably considered our leading winger. He has been rewarded for his efforts but realistically he's a backup in most teams at this stage. He can still improve but really we hope that Pearson and Ravalawa are better. Anyway he'll end up playing a lot of games IMO and will have opportunities.

Pearson and Ravalawa are good additions to the squad but they better off being paired up with Macdonald, not seen as his replacement. There will be pressure to do more and develop quickly and we will have to see how much patience the coach has here.

They will all be expected to establish themselves as first graders but at least one of them will have to then take that to another level and be that leading winger like Macdonald was.

Macdonald is so hard to replace

 

[Gardenia]

I like him scoring tries but I think his poor defence directly contributed to something like 8 or 9 tries for the opposition. His defence was a lot worse than many posters will admit.

See in my mind we will be missing one of our best defenders in number 13 for at least a fair chunk of 2019. So we better be finding someone shit hot in Defense to fill that role . As well as we can’t have weak defenders on the field .

 

[Gardenia]

Pearson: only 10 FG games since 2016! If he was any good, Bennett would’ve found a spot for him somewhere.

He didn’t, and I’d respect his judgement over the Dragons’ so called recruitment decision makers.

Ravalawa: NO first grade experience whatsoever. His acquisition represents a massive risk.

Personally, I’d rather experienced wingers than taking a gamble.

Yeah look the brown paper bag can’t buy heart and soul. So I’m crossing everything these new guys have passion overbrimming and they set the field on fire.

 

[possm]

Lomax prefers centre but I think he’s got speed for the wing

Who cares about the quality of our team line-up. More important to fit in Dufty and Aitken than to win a string of games. I'm sure Lomax will play right centre and Widdop will play fullback in rounds 1-4.

 

[TomRedVRiver]

Think we're going to see something like this:

1. Widdop
2. Ravalawa
3. Lomax
4. Aitken
5. Pearson
6. Norman
7. Hunt
8. Graham
9. McInnes
10. Vaughan
11. Frizell
12. Sims
13. De Belin *

14. Robson
15. Leilua
16. K.Sims
17. Lawrie

* Pending investigation. If it goes pear shaped for Jack, Frizell to lock... Leilua to start... Host to bench.

Play Aitken on the left with Lafai breathing down his neck. I just think Laf is too slow and doesn't work hard enough considering the skill-set he has. Needs a wake up call in reggies I believe.
Ravalawa over Pereira at this stage due to Mika's height, size and speed.
Robson the bench utility, because he f**king deserves it.

 

[Como Connection]

Think we're going to see something like this:

1. Widdop
2. Ravalawa
3. Lomax
4. Aitken
5. Pearson
6. Norman
7. Hunt
8. Graham
9. McInnes
10. Vaughan
11. Frizell
12. Sims
13. De Belin *

14. Robson
15. Leilua
16. K.Sims
17. Lawrie

* Pending investigation. If it goes pear shaped for Jack, Frizell to lock... Leilua to start... Host to bench.

No way Aitken gets a start on front of Lafai.
CC

 

[TomRedVRiver]

No way Aitken gets a start on front of Lafai.
CC

If Aitken can play like he did at the start of 2018 consistently through 2019, then he has his nose in front of Laf imo. They're easily interchangeable, but if Laf gets the start I want to see him play like he does when a contract is on the line.

 

[watatank]

Think we're going to see something like this:

1. Widdop
2. Ravalawa
3. Lomax
4. Aitken
5. Pearson
6. Norman
7. Hunt
8. Graham
9. McInnes
10. Vaughan
11. Frizell
12. Sims
13. De Belin *

14. Robson
15. Leilua
16. K.Sims
17. Lawrie

* Pending investigation. If it goes pear shaped for Jack, Frizell to lock... Leilua to start... Host to bench.

Play Aitken on the left with Lafai breathing down his neck. I just think Laf is too slow and doesn't work hard enough considering the skill-set he has. Needs a wake up call in reggies I believe.
Ravalawa over Pereira at this stage due to Mika's height, size and speed.
Robson the bench utility, because he f**king deserves it.

lol you can't say '(I) think we will see something like this' and then talk about what *you* think mcGregor should do.

 

[TomRedVRiver]

lol you can't say '(I) think we will see something like this' and then talk about what *you* think mcGregor should do.

Watapedantic.