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2020 Squad Analysis

getsmarty

Immortal
Messages
34,334
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BLM01

First Grade
Messages
9,977
Paul McGregor provides pre-season update
St George Illawarra Dragons coach Paul McGregor provides a pre-season update and looks ahead to season 2020.

https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2020/01/11/paul-mcgregor-provides-pre-season-update/
The old Maryisms.....this season and the 2020 story has not been written yet...OPINOF..our past is not our future...he makes you laugh with his rehearsed lines from the psycho coaching babble of today.
I must say though..Mary has been in a good pasture in the off season and looks well fed.
How is Dean Young a "very good coach" especially for the defence....he was forwards and attack defensive? coach last year and we were letting teams roll us down the park and made minimal metres in attack. Mary just sticking up for a mate...what happened to your mate Ben Hornby.

Mary Comfortable convincing us all how we are new team, new players in new positions..WTF. What has really changed personnel wise from last year apart from a backward step of losing Widdop.
 

Dragonslayer

First Grade
Messages
7,815
We should never find ourselves in the position of having such an ordinary backline and yet no cap to sign one marque player for the back 5. As good backline players departed our ranks, who were on good coin, they were not replaced 'like for like or better' and for about the same coin as the depating player.

The standout errors are signing Aitken and Lafai long term and not replacing Dugan with a marquee fullback.

Norman and Hunt need professional one on one coaching support by someone like Cronk or Johns. To spend big bucks on our halves tand then see them fail game after game is stupid.

Who were these "good backline players" you mention here?
 

getsmarty

Immortal
Messages
34,334
The old Maryisms.....this season and the 2020 story has not been written yet...OPINOF..our past is not our future...he makes you laugh with his rehearsed lines from the psycho coaching babble of today.
I must say though..Mary has been in a good pasture in the off season and looks well fed.
How is Dean Young a "very good coach" especially for the defence....he was forwards and attack defensive? coach last year and we were letting teams roll us down the park and made minimal metres in attack. Mary just sticking up for a mate...what happened to your mate Ben Hornby.

Mary Comfortable convincing us all how we are new team, new players in new positions..WTF. What has really changed personnel wise from last year apart from a backward step of losing Widdop.

Yep....I felt sick to the stomach....you actually forget how much spin comes out of his mouth....as I stated earlier, if he is still here after 10 rounds, I think that will be enough for me....I'll come back when we get a Real coach.
 
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Dragonsamy

Bench
Messages
2,882
Paul McGregor provides pre-season
St George Illawarra Dragons coach Paul McGregor provides a pre-season update and looks ahead to season 2020.

https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2020/01/11/paul-mcgregor-provides-pre-season-update/

P.S Listen @ your own discretion. Full of the same old cliches and nonsense. even states that Shane has come 1st and also won a Spoon....Who is he kidding....


Thanks for the warning smarty I should have listened to you that's 4 minutes and 16 seconds of my life I can never get back again. What a load of BS
 
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Old Timer

Coach
Messages
17,994
Can't wait for a season of Mc Fookknuckle pressers.
Mc Fookknuckle says Flanno will be working on D and other administrative things so what do see in the video Flanno, intently talking to Cam whilst he is practising passing from dummy half.
Must have been telling him what to do in D if his pass is intercepted.
Dean Young this Dean Young that FMD what a brown nose.
New backs and people in positions WTF is that rubbish?
He needs to answer in strictly yes or no terms.
 

Old Timer

Coach
Messages
17,994
Thanks for the warning smarty I should have listened to you that's 4 minutes and 16 seconds of my life I can never get back again. What a load of BS
TBH my friend we have waisted much more time than that on a bigger idiot so don't feel to bad.
At least in the end we know Mc Fookknuckle will be gone forever more than we can say about the other bloke.
 

Dragon Revival

Juniors
Messages
1,603
Mc Gregor stressed that Flanagan and Young were now responsible for defence. The culture is being driven hard. In 2018 the team did so well. In 2020 there are changes on positions. The Club now has 7 new staff. It is a shame they are not playing staff. So if the defence is poor Mary is not to blame. If the attack is poor who is to blame. Mary acts like the CEO and does a Pontius Pilate when the losses pile up again.
 

Saint_JimmyG

First Grade
Messages
5,067
Small fisted jersey grabber with ball skills let go for a large fisted jersey grabber with hole running skills. Tick

Junior rep hooker with smarts let go for ageing plodder with attitude. Tick

Former rep player from our club that left for greener pastures including ESL, no longer rep quality and returning to where he didn’t want to be. Tick

Hot on the trail of a player who previously broke his contract with us, has many off field issues, is a winger with ankle injuries and has piss poor attitude. Tick

Being coached by a complete gronk with a < 50% win rate, can’t coach youth, no idea how to use the bench, coming of our worst year ever and he has 2 full years to go on his contract. Tick

Can’t wait.

Correct assessment regarding the acceptance of mediocrity at the club, however, your remarks re: Merrin are a bit harsh. As stated by myself many times over, his career was stymied as soon as the decision to turn him into a lock was revealed.

Poor coaching has a lot to do with.

Sound familiar.
 

Smurf

Juniors
Messages
1,544
McGregor makes it hard for us fans to be positive doesn't he?
Who else felt a bit more upbeat after the Flanno interview?
Agree
Felt a wave of excitement listening to Flanno
Then lasted 56 seconds listening to that flog Mary - he just floored me
 

Belta

Juniors
Messages
1,129
Yep....I felt sick to the stomach....you actually forget how much spin comes out of his mouth....as I stated earlier, if he is still here after 10 rounds, I think that will be enough for me....I'll come back when we get a Real coach.[/QUOTE

Sick to the core. I shoulda known better. I’ve been trying really hard not to be negative and I knew listening to Mary would dishearten me. Boy Flanagan must be desperate.
 

Dragonsamy

Bench
Messages
2,882
McGregor makes it hard for us fans to be positive doesn't he?
Who else felt a bit more upbeat after the Flanno interview?

I'm guilty after hearing flanno speak I thought this might be better year than I first expected also having met him I thought exactly the same he's very impressive. But then Mary comes with that bs,yes and all the air come out of the balloon and we're crashing towards the ground heavily
 

BLM01

First Grade
Messages
9,977
Who were these "good backline players" you mention here?
No-one except Widdop. People will say Garrick but he would not have been that good in our team with our crap attack and short kicking game.
He was at the end of good back line and Suli / DCE set him up for a few..but showed got athleticism, speed and ability to get the ball over the line. So you can call that one more that got away.
People will say Nene and Flo...but I was cheering when Nene left and Flo played a season too long but still was safe as houses on the wing.
 

Old Timer

Coach
Messages
17,994
Correct assessment regarding the acceptance of mediocrity at the club, however, your remarks re: Merrin are a bit harsh. As stated by myself many times over, his career was stymied as soon as the decision to turn him into a lock was revealed.

Poor coaching has a lot to do with.

Sound familiar.
Indeed it does snd guess what position he is currently training in?
If JDB isn’t playing he will be the lock.
 

BLM01

First Grade
Messages
9,977
Mc Gregor stressed that Flanagan and Young were now responsible for defence. The culture is being driven hard. In 2018 the team did so well. In 2020 there are changes on positions. The Club now has 7 new staff. It is a shame they are not playing staff. So if the defence is poor Mary is not to blame. If the attack is poor who is to blame. Mary acts like the CEO and does a Pontius Pilate when the losses pile up again.
Mary eluded to 2019 they llet things slip..and discipline at training and other areas was one...FACT.
Still had to hide to blame distractions but the fact is Mc85 thought coaching was so easy after his successful 2018 in his mind (forgetting the last 15 rounds of the normal premierrship) and with Norman added and to his wealth of halves...as usual he put his feet up...and thought he had mastered coaching and the team as per the media were Top 4 bound. He out coached and confused himself showing how the 1st 10 rounds of 2018 were not all that he and the media made them out to be.
 

SnowDragon

Juniors
Messages
929
Paul McGregor provides pre-season update
St George Illawarra Dragons coach Paul McGregor provides a pre-season update and looks ahead to season 2020.

https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2020/01/11/paul-mcgregor-provides-pre-season-update/

P.S Listen @ your own discretion. Full of the same old cliches and nonsense. even states that Shane has come 1st and also won a Spoon....Who is he kidding....

well I see it as a positive that the coach can’t help but take a dig at Flanno!
(Defence with Dean Young :joy:, wooden spoon :rofl:)
- it means he isn’t happy with the appointment, or at least sees it as a threat!
 
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possm

Coach
Messages
15,966
Who were these "good backline players" you mention here?
Dugan, Nightingale and MacDonald even in their last season with us were better than Dufty, Ravalawa and Pearson. Where is our 750k fullback, and two wingers at approximately 350k each? It looks like saved coin was spent in the halves and in the forwards causing the imbalance to our run on side.

Saab, Lomax and maybe one of our young outside backs may in time rise to the occasion however, our centres are a big concern and there are no ready replacements for 2020.
 

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