A corner turned? Is it onwards and upwards from here?

[hazzbeen]

Yeah well, I think Mann may have run over McGragors dog at some stage, he hates him for some reason.

Mate Mann needs to be at 7 , but I think Mary will go with McCrone ..... As for our winger Nene a big unit that has no oomph about him the way he got pushed back in goal on Sunday was pathetic . My concern again on Sunday was we had a few shots at them but could not score . Hope it changes this week against the dogs ....

 

[slippery5]

Like I said the bus leaves for the first semi final next Friday week .. Both teams had a lot to play for and under pressure we beat the form team in the com (barring Storm) on their home ground without DUGAN and Packer.

Next week both players are available.. Dogs won't survive with anything less than a 30 point drubbing then it's a tough first semi.. We are primed and focused but need MANN at half because he's useless in the centres!

It's not that Mann is useless in the centres, it's because McCrone plays on the right side & is incapable of giving any good ball to his outside runners.

 

[dragonssamy61]

Hey, it ain't so bad, let me tell you.
I had my last birthday party in the red phone across the road.
The place was rocking !

OKB
so if the phone booth rocking don't bother knocking

 

[jeffdragon]

Mann was good in the centres , running and defensively.

 

[SEAT 1A]

McInnes has, 55 tackles with 20 minutes to go. What an effort.

 

[Belta]

A gutsy win or a lucky win. I thought we got plenty of help from the referee. I could barely watch the last 20 minutes where it looked more likely then not we would get run down again. Simms effort was amazing but also fortuitous. Yeah I didn't feel we had turned any corner. I'm not as confident as Mickeylane with a 30 point drubbing of the dogs a sure thing. I am predicting we win but only if only if we better their forwards, which won't be easy. I'm hoping Packer contributes, Frizzell is 100 percent and charges at them and we have 4 willing forwards (Sele, Host, Lawrie, Simms) used wisely on the bench. If we dominates field position we will have too many points in us.

 

[blacksafake]

Read somewhere where McCrone has been struggling with hamstring problems & now a sore hand. If this is true surely you wouldn't be picking him. I just hope we have 4 forwards on the bench.

 

[blacksafake]

Like I said the bus leaves for the first semi final next Friday week .. Both teams had a lot to play for and under pressure we beat the form team in the com (barring Storm) on their home ground without DUGAN and Packer.

Next week both players are available.. Dogs won't survive with anything less than a 30 point drubbing then it's a tough first semi.. We are primed and focused but need MANN at half because he's useless in the centres!

Love your posts & optimism Mickey but Jesus you can be the kiss of death at times with your pick the scores.

 

[Crush]

Based on the way the Dugan omission occurred, it was the leadership group that made the call - not McGregor.
That translated into a backs to the wall performance against a form team on their home turf.
If that is the catalyst for a change in our fortunes then it would be fantastic.
Unfortunately McGregor has made a cynic out of me.
E.g. We flogged Manly 52-22 in round 20 which many heralded as "turning the corner", "onwards and upwards" etc.
Then the following week we get rolled by Newcastle and the week after that got overrun by a Souths team out of contention and nothing to play for.
In my opinion, we lost both those games because we were poorly prepared and coached on game day.
Win those games and we are comfortably into the 8.
I hope we smash the Dogs and charge into the finals BUT I have no confidence in McGregor to deliver results in crunch games.

Wow Dennis you have become a one track record. Every comment comes back to your disapproval of the coach.
You obviously feel very strongly about it and I respect your opinion but I think you look for any reason to bag McGregor of late.
McGregor made the call to drop Dugan.
Did he get input from widdop and nightingale? Yes. But it was still he who made the decision.
Most of my friends who support other clubs are praising the decision to drop dugan given the circumstances but you still find reason to bag mcgregor.
It was one of the best decisions he has made all year.
Bag McGregor on his bench rotation, player selections and game tactics if you like but to say mcgregor had nothing to do with making the correct call to drop Dugan is just making you look foolish. Mary made the call. The correct call. He made a statement about the culture at dragons. And they responded.
Mary has made many mistakes but for this one surely he can be praised?
Anyway, sunday was a good win. Here's hoping we are still in the hunt next this time next week!

 

[Life's Good]

No corner turned as far as I am concerned. All they did was get serious about needing to win and went out with the intent to do so.
I think it's more a lesson in stamping out complacency which was evident in so many games over the last 8 weeks. We have a good side.

 

[st shaneoh]

No corner turned as far as I am concerned. All they did was get serious about needing to win and went out with the intent to do so.
I think it's more a lesson in stamping out complacency which was evident in so many games over the last 8 weeks. We have a good side.

Maybe we have been tapering for the last 3 months

 

[Life's Good]

Maybe we have been tapering for the last 3 months

So deliberately playing poorly, making no effort???

 

[hazzbeen]

No corner turned as far as I am concerned. All they did was get serious about needing to win and went out with the intent to do so.
I think it's more a lesson in stamping out complacency which was evident in so many games over the last 8 weeks. We have a good side.

Can't believe that they are fighting for survival , should never have been . If we get beaten on the weekend which is a big chance Mary should be sacked no next year . Really what has changed from the years of Mary coaching ? Not much ...

 

[Old Timer]

No corner turned as far as I am concerned. All they did was get serious about needing to win and went out with the intent to do so.
I think it's more a lesson in stamping out complacency which was evident in so many games over the last 8 weeks. We have a good side.

We have turned 3 left corners from where we started so hopefully somebody pulls the right reins and changes direction (Mann must play in the 7 jumper and stay there all game) otherwise we will only end up where we were at the start of the season namely not playing semis.
Have we played more attractive yes indeed but not worth a squirt of duck shit if you don't contend at season end.

 

[Dennis Papaioannou]

Wow Dennis you have become a one track record. Every comment comes back to your disapproval of the coach.
You obviously feel very strongly about it and I respect your opinion but I think you look for any reason to bag McGregor of late.
McGregor made the call to drop Dugan.
Did he get input from widdop and nightingale? Yes. But it was still he who made the decision.
Most of my friends who support other clubs are praising the decision to drop dugan given the circumstances but you still find reason to bag mcgregor.
It was one of the best decisions he has made all year.
Bag McGregor on his bench rotation, player selections and game tactics if you like but to say mcgregor had nothing to do with making the correct call to drop Dugan is just making you look foolish. Mary made the call. The correct call. He made a statement about the culture at dragons. And they responded.
Mary has made many mistakes but for this one surely he can be praised?
Anyway, sunday was a good win. Here's hoping we are still in the hunt next this time next week!

Crush thanks for putting me in my place and pointing out that I am not a McGregor fan.
Only problem is that while you and your pals are praising McGregor for his "tough stance" regarding Dugan, there are still a lot of unanswered questions.
Without boring you, the main issue is that Dugan missing the bus was not an isolated incident.
He also didn't travel with the team back from Brisbane for example.
So why has McGregor not been more proactive? Why didn't he take action earlier?
Why did he wait until game day (and being prompted by a fed up leadership group) at Penrith to stand Dugan down?
Then the cherry on top was the very recent revelations about SOO behaviour in cohoots with his Easts drinking buddy.
Now let me qualify and say that even if we discount these issues for media belligerence, it doesn't look good does it?
In conclusion, I am happy for you to call me out on my views regarding McGregor but I prefer my brand of foolishness to yours.
You may be able to sweep 3 years on ineptitude under the carpet but I cannot.
You on the other hand are clutching at straws searching high and low for something positive about McGregor to hang your hat on.
Instead of patronizing me, maybe you should try being more realistic.

 

[denis preston]

Crush thanks for putting me in my place and pointing out that I am not a McGregor fan.
Only problem is that while you and your pals are praising McGregor for his "tough stance" regarding Dugan, there are still a lot of unanswered questions.
Without boring you, the main issue is that Dugan missing the bus was not an isolated incident.
He also didn't travel with the team back from Brisbane for example.
So why has McGregor not been more proactive? Why didn't he take action earlier?
Why did he wait until game day (and being prompted by a fed up leadership group) at Penrith to stand Dugan down?
Then the cherry on top was the very recent revelations about SOO behaviour in cohoots with his Easts drinking buddy.
Now let me qualify and say that even if we discount these issues for media belligerence, it doesn't look good does it?
In conclusion, I am happy for you to call me out on my views regarding McGregor but I prefer my brand of foolishness to yours.
You may be able to sweep 3 years on ineptitude under the carpet but I cannot.
You on the other hand are clutching at straws searching high and low for something positive about McGregor to hang your hat on.
Instead of patronizing me, maybe you should try being more realistic.

You are kidding surely ? Crush has not swept 3 years under the carpet but just highlighting this one issue and giving a objective opinion on it. This borders on Possm's obsession with Millward. Mate we all want him & his two mates gone but you damage your arguments when you don't give any credit and find the other side to any of McGregors decision making.

 

[SBD82]

We have turned 3 left corners from where we started

I was taught that two wrongs don't make a right.

...I later discovered that three lefts do.

 

[Old Timer]

Crush thanks for putting me in my place and pointing out that I am not a McGregor fan.
Only problem is that while you and your pals are praising McGregor for his "tough stance" regarding Dugan, there are still a lot of unanswered questions.
Without boring you, the main issue is that Dugan missing the bus was not an isolated incident.
He also didn't travel with the team back from Brisbane for example.
So why has McGregor not been more proactive? Why didn't he take action earlier?
Why did he wait until game day (and being prompted by a fed up leadership group) at Penrith to stand Dugan down?
Then the cherry on top was the very recent revelations about SOO behaviour in cohoots with his Easts drinking buddy.
Now let me qualify and say that even if we discount these issues for media belligerence, it doesn't look good does it?
In conclusion, I am happy for you to call me out on my views regarding McGregor but I prefer my brand of foolishness to yours.
You may be able to sweep 3 years on ineptitude under the carpet but I cannot.
You on the other hand are clutching at straws searching high and low for something positive about McGregor to hang your hat on.
Instead of patronizing me, maybe you should try being more realistic.

Dennis
I have posted many thing re Dugan and the issue of the bus etc
The situation from a "fact" point of view is, there is only 1 proven incident according to the coach.
That incident was bad enough for him to stand Dugan down and take a tough stance and TBPH I agree with what he did.
I applaud him for doing it and if that is praise then so be it, however if there is shit that has happened and he covered it up / tolerated it then I will remove my support and be critical of Mc Fookknuckle.
One can only be guided by the proven facts and at this time there is only 1 incident and the rest is merely innuendo and should be ignored until proven correct.
I don't think Mc Fookknuckle is either a good coach or a good man manager but I am realistic enough to understand when he has made a good call.
He made another good one today and has Mann at half, now whether that is because Mc Crone is injured and won't be even on the bench we will never know but he gets a tick from me for making the call on Mann.

 

[SBD82]

Dennis
I have posted many thing re Dugan and the issue of the bus etc
The situation from a "fact" point of view is, there is only 1 proven incident according to the coach.
That incident was bad enough for him to stand Dugan down and take a tough stance and TBPH I agree with what he did.
I applaud him for doing it and if that is praise then so be it, however if there is shit that has happened and he covered it up / tolerated it then I will remove my support and be critical of Mc Fookknuckle.
One can only be guided by the proven facts and at this time there is only 1 incident and the rest is merely innuendo and should be ignored until proven correct.
I don't think Mc Fookknuckle is either a good coach or a good man manager but I am realistic enough to understand when he has made a good call.
He made another good one today and has Mann at half, now whether that is because Mc Crone is injured and won't be even on the bench we will never know but he gets a tick from me for making the call on Mann.

OT you are irrepressible.

Try this for a scenario:

Dugan shows up late for training once. No big deal, shit happens.

Dugan misses the flight home. The leadership group and Mary voice their displeasure about this and outline the expectations that the team has of all its players.

Dugan misses the bus to panthers game. Player group and Mary decide that he shouldn't play as he's had fair warning.

Players and Mary want to keep discipline in house, so Mary downplays it at press conference.

Dugan Mary and senior player group sort it out together. Dugan contrite. Named for this weekend.

Without knowing duges, Mary, nighty and widdop personally, I think that's as close to the real story as you are ever likely to get.

And in this scenario, duges f**ked up (but didn't murder anyone), and the coach dealt with it swiftly, then got the team back on track.

I'll be the first to condemn Mary for his poor tactical coaching, but I think he has an old school way about his relationship with his players, and he's shown it here.

 

[Old Timer]

OT you are irrepressible.

Try this for a scenario:

Dugan shows up late for training once. No big deal, shit happens.

Dugan misses the flight home. The leadership group and Mary voice their displeasure about this and outline the expectations that the team has of all its players.

Dugan misses the bus to panthers game. Player group and Mary decide that he shouldn't play as he's had fair warning.

Players and Mary want to keep discipline in house, so Mary downplays it at press conference.

Dugan Mary and senior player group sort it out together. Dugan contrite. Named for this weekend.

Without knowing duges, Mary, nighty and widdop personally, I think that's as close to the real story as you are ever likely to get.

And in this scenario, duges f**ked up (but didn't murder anyone), and the coach dealt with it swiftly, then got the team back on track.

I'll be the first to condemn Mary for his poor tactical coaching, but I think he has an old school way about his relationship with his players, and he's shown it here.

Nice scenario with only 1 fact.
The other may all well be true but nothing has been said by the coach so I therefore ignore it and make decisions based on what can be proven.
I complimented Mc Fookknuckle for his stance on Dugan missing the bus so what more can I do?
I just do not abide by people making statements about players that cannot be proven and then others claiming them as facts and subsequently condemning them.
FMD there are plenty in here I can have a real blue with but if someone then picks on them without proper cause then I get in their and defend them which is just my nature (I do love a good scrap though)
I learnt along time ago if you deal with facts you will get into far less trouble and won't get left out on a limb when the other information goes pear shape or turns out to be not quite as it seems.
PS: Make sure you realise that I agree with Dugan having been dropped for missing the bus in such an important game but as for punishing him for other unproven or unsubstantiated stuff sorry no can do.