Articles

[getsmarty]

Graham's statement a potential game-changer for players
Author
Alicia Newton NRL.com Reporter
Timestamp
Tue 26 Mar 2019, 05:01 PM

RLPA director Jeremy Latimore has thrown his support behind Dragons teammate James Graham's statement of defence and described his method of response as a potential game-changer within the media.

Graham released a statement via the Dragons website on Monday to clarify his position on concussion after Sydney Morning Herald columnist Peter FitzSimons took aim at the English international over comments he made last week.

Latimore believes the Dragons' willingness to allow Graham to publish his thoughts on the club's official website could see other players try to follow suit on other topics in the game.

"Honestly I think so, because some of the reaction to it has been really positive and it gives a bit of an insight into how us players think and feel," Latimore said.

"James is obviously known for being a brute and tough man on the football field but he's actually a very intelligent and articulate man.

"I don't think he was happy with how he thought his character was assassinated and come out and made points. He wasn't rude to Peter, he just said how he felt as well as offering some solutions on a sensitive issue in the game.

Dragons prop James Graham. Robb Cox/NRL Photos
"We are passionate about a number of things that go on in our game and in the world so you know, it could be the start of something … James could be the leader in a new wave of journalism."

Latimore believes the fact Graham didn't engage FitzSimons in a messy public debate and backed up his arguments with insight added credibility to his response.

He also shared his thoughts on Graham's intelligence.

Dragons prop Jeremy Latimore. Robb Cox/NRL Photos
"James has always got his headphones in listening to podcasts and I think you could sort of see in the way he spoke, he knows what he's talking about," Latimore said.

"He's offered some solutions which is a good thing as well because sometimes in the media there's people quick to criticise without offering solutions for things.

"James did do that. I know fans would love it if players come out and said how they were feeling."

Latimore joked he had a different opinion of Graham prior to meeting him.

"You form opinions of people with what you see on the football field or in the media," he said.

"We used to get each other in the game but that's opposition. I used to think it would be interesting to meet him and then you do.

"He's a character and a rollercoaster but a passionate man and someone that I look to for motivation and who I love playing with.

"He's someone I enjoy having a coffee with because you learn a lot."


https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2019/03/26/grahams-statement-a-potential-game-changer-for-players/

 

[getsmarty]

Latimore backs Graham as Dragons prepare for Broncos clash

• Cameron Mee

Dragons Den

Vocal: James Graham. Picture: NRL Photos.

St George Illawarra forward Jeremy Latimore has spoken out in support of teammate James Graham after the recent controversy over Graham's comments on concussions.

Graham penned an article that was published on the Dragons website on Monday in response to heavy criticism from Peter FitzSimons over comments the Englishman made last week.

In his response, Graham detailed his research into head injuries & Latimore said he hopes rugby league players would speak up on important topics more often.

"Honestly, I think players should speak up more," Latimore said. "I know some of the reaction from it's been really positive and really good.

"It gives you a bit of an insight into how some of us as players think and feel.

"James is obviously known for being a brute and a tough man on the field, but he's actually a very intelligent and articulate man.

"I don't think he was happy with how he felt his character was assassinated. He's come out, made his points, he wasn't rude to Peter, he just said how he felt as well as offering solutions for a sensitive issue in the game."

To many outside observers, Graham can seem like a hard-headed Englishman. Latimore understands this perception, because he admits he also held those beliefs prior to joining the Dragons.

But as the article showed, Graham is a deep thinker on the game's biggest issues and Latimore said this is reflective of the wider rugby league playing community.

A director of the Rugby League Players Association, Latimore has first-hand experience of the many passions players pursue outside of rugby league.


"Rugby league's a small part of our life. A lot of us do study and do other things.

"I know fans would love it if more players were able to come out and speak what they're feeling. We are passionate about a number of things that go on in our game and in the world.

"It could be the start of something, James could be the leader in a new wave of journalism."

Latimore's comments came as the Dragons flew to Brisbane on Tuesday ahead of their Thursday night clash with the Broncos.

Facing an 0-3 start to the season, St George Illawarra will welcome reinforcements in the form of Korbin Sims, who has finished his two-game suspension.

Coach Paul McGregor has opted to use Sims off the bench, with Blake Lawrie retaining the starting lock position. Josh Kerr has made way for Sims, just a week after making his NRL debut.

Sims inclusion is the only change McGregor made to the side, with the coach standing by his embattled spine.

Sims' older brother and Dragons teammate Tariq said the team must tighten up their defence if they are to defeat Brisbane.

"We're zero from two at the moment and our backs are against the wall," Sims said. "We've got to make sure we're on our toes.

"We need to fix our defence. We're leaking way too many points. Everyone's goal is to defend their goal line and unfortunately we've been dripping a few too many points."

"It's no secret we're down on troops, Korb's injection with his experience in the game will definitely help. I think when he comes on the field, he's going to be really excited."


https://www.illawarramercury.com.au...players-to-follow-james-grahams-lead/?cs=3713

 

[getsmarty]

The numbers behind the Dragons late season fades
The big question finally answered for Red V fans.

Matthew Fairhall
CONTRIBUTOR
March 26, 2019 - 2:27 pm
Share


https://static.nospam21.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/GettyImages-1133146242-696x464.jpg?x66010
MUDGEE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 02: Gareth Widdop of the Dragons speaks to his team after a Rabbitohs try during the NRL Trial match, which is the Charity Shield match between the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the St George Illawarra Dragons at Glen Willow Stadium on March 02, 2019 in Mudgee, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

For St George Illawarra fans, the late-season fade has become the norm.

Seeing promising campaigns derailed in 2016 where they lost 7 of their last 9, 2017 where the Red V was Top Four midway through the year only to crash out and miss the finals by a single win and 2018, where they fell from the top of the ladder in Round 17 to seventh by season’s end, has crushed the hearts of the faithful.


Surely the Dragons are doomed to repeat this pattern in 2019, right? Not if Scoop gets his way.

If Coach Paul McGregor can learn the error of his ways by fixing the Dragons rotations, the Dragons could have the firepower to finish top four.

2019 Average Substitution times
How do the Dragons fare with their in-game substitutions? Is this where they are going wrong? The table below compares the Dragons against last season’s top sides in terms of which minute they made their substitutions on average.


Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th
Dragons 21 26 35 49 55 60 69 74
Roosters 25 28 36 53 59 63 68 75
Storm 20 26 33 50 56 62 68 74
Rabbitohs 17 25 38 51 56 63 69 73
Sharks 21 28 38 50 55 61 67 73
Cowboys 22 26 33 45 54 58 61 67



The data shows the Dragons right there with the best teams in the timing of their substitutions, which can always be affected by injuries but over the course of the season shows a very accurate reflection of the rotation plan. This is not causing the Red V’s late-season fades. What about the number of minutes they are riding their forwards then? Read on to find out.

Want to know how the rest of the teams fare with their substitutions? Check out this article by Alicia Newton over at NRL.com for more: https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/01/25/stat-attack-how-your-club-uses-the-interchange/

Workhorse forwards
Minutes played by the forwards in 2018
Let’s look at the split of minutes across the forwards and see if this is where it all went wrong.

Player Games Minutes Minutes Per Game (MPG) % of possible game time
T. Sims 23 1,770 76.95 96.19%
C. McInnes 24 1,779 74.12 92.65%
T. Frizell 21 1,480 70.47 88.09%
J. De Belin 23 1,330 57.82 72.28%
J. Graham 24 1,166 48.58 60.72%
P. Vaughn 19 921 48.47 60.59%
L. Leuilua 15 609 40.60 50.75%
L. Ah Mau 23 906 39.39 49.23%
J. Latimore 23 678 29.47 36.84%
J. Host 6 124 20.66 25.83%
B. Lawrie 8 155 19.37 24.21%
H. Sele 4 76 19.0 23.75%
Note: McInnes had an outlier 57-minute game in round 24. Vaughn played just 11 minutes in round 21 (inj.).

The issue here is the spread of minutes among the forwards. Sele (23.75%), Lawrie (24.21%), Host (25.83%) and Latimore (36.84%) appear underused. Let’s compare this with the regular bench forwards for the Storm.

Player Games Minutes Average minutes % of possible game time
F. Kaufusi 18 1,421 78.94 98.68%
C. Smith 23 1,763 76.65 95.81%
R. Hoffman 20 1,347 67.35 84.18%
D. Finucane 15 816 54.40 68.00%
J. Stimson 21 1,104 52.57 65.71%
J.Bromwich 17 800 47.05 58.82%
N. Asofa-Solomona 22 929 42.22 52.78%
T. Glasby 21 880 41.90 52.38%
K. Bromwich 22 853 38.77 48.46%
C. Welch 23 816 35.47 44.34%
B.Smith 15 416 27.73 34.66%
S. Kasiano 13 318 24.46 30.57%
H. Grant 1 23 23.00 28.75%
T.Kamikamica 5 90 18.00 22.50%
P. Kaufusi 2 31 15.50 19.37%
A.Vete 1 15 15.00 18.75%
SEE ALSO: Why as a Rooster, I want the club to relocate


In stark contrast to the Dragons interchange forwards, the Storm show plenty of faith in their regular bench players. Kenny Bromwich (48.46%), Welch (35.47%), Asofa-Solomona (42.22%) and even noted short burst weapon Sam Kasiano (30.57%) played extensive minutes in 2018. The Dragons also used 4 fewer forwards than Storm on the season. This is where the Dragons must improve in 2019 to match it with NRL’s top tier sides, spreading the minutes across their depth.

Minute allocation
First 12 games vs. last 12 games
Let’s split the season in half using the Dragons round 13 bye as the divider and see if there is a change in the minutes for the pack from the first half to the second half.

Player 1st 12 Games Last 12 games Difference
J. Stimson 44.66 58.50 +13.84
T. Glasby 37.70 45.72 +8.02
B.Smith 24.66 32.33 +7.67
J.Bromwich 45.87 48.11 +2.24
K. Bromwich 37.80 39.58 +1.78
N. Asofa-Solomona 41.58 43.00 +1.42
F. Kaufusi 78.33 79.55 +1.22
C. Welch 36.36 34.66 -1.70
C. Smith 78.54 74.91 -3.63
D. Finucane 56.25 52.28 -3.97
S. Kasiano 25.09 21.00 -4.09
R. Hoffman 76.63 56.00 -20.63
T.Kamikamica N/A 18.00 N/A
P. Kaufusi N/A 15.50 N/A
A.Vete 0.00 15.00 N/A
H. Grant 23.00 N/A N/A
Note: Harry Grant played in Rd.11 as a backup Hooker in Cam Smith’s absence. Hoffman’s 2nd half was marred by 3 games with shorter minutes due to injury or return from injury (Rd. 25).

Player 1st 12 Games MPG Last 12 games MPG Difference
L. Leuilua 18.00 51.90 +33.90
H. Sele 14.66 32.00 +17.34
J. Host 6.00 20.66 +14.66
B. Lawrie 10.50 22.33 +11.83
L. Ah Mau 36.25 42.81 +6.56
J. Latimore 27.81 31.00 +3.19
T. Sims 75.75 78.27 +2.52
J. De Belin 56.83 58.90 +2.07
J. Graham 48.33 48.83 +0.50
C. McInnes 77.66 77.25 -0.41
P. Vaughn 51.08 44.00 -7.08
T. Frizell 74.41 65.22 -9.19


As we see Leilua, Lawrie, Host Ah Mau and Sele (1 2nd half game) increased their minutes significantly, while Vaughn (before injury) and Frizell saw significant decreases in their minutes. Rather than increasing the minutes of their key forwards in the key games before the finals, the Dragons were reducing them likely due to the fatigue from the heavy workload in the early season (We will ignore the ridiculous experiment with Jason Nightingale in the forwards, emergency or not).

Comparison of the predominately interchange Forward playing time
Dragons Percentage of possible game time Storm Percentage of possible game time
Ah Mau 49.23% Asofa-Solomona 52.78%
Host 25.80% K. Bromwich 48.46%
Latimore 36.84% Welch 44.34%
Lawrie 24.21% Kasiano 30.57%
Average 34.02% Average 44.03%

The Dragons often carried a utility, such as Kurt Mann, as their 4th interchange player in 2018 which along with putting more minutes on the forwards also makes comparison a somewhat inexact science. But in the instances where the Dragons would carry four forwards, as the Storm typically do, we see they occupy 9.99% less playing time that their Storm counterparts (worse when Kasiano is replaced by a more traditional forward like Stimson). This is yet more wear and tear being placed on the Dragons forwards and another contributing factor to their late-season fades.





https://www.nospam21.com/the-numbers-behind-the-dragons-late-season-fades-41983/

 

[getsmarty]

Part 2

Left on the bench…
Depth in the forwards was a key factor for each of the Top Four teams of 2018. Faith in the interchange forwards proved to be just as important and exactly where the Red-V went wrong. The Dragons had a staggering 4 instances where a Forward never left the bench (Leilua Rd.2, Sele Rd.7, Lawrie Rd.11, Host Rd.14). In addition, there were four instances where a Forward played less than 10 minutes. The chart below shows the comparison with 2018’s Top Four. These additional minutes, tackles, hit-ups and more took a toll on the Dragons forwards and this, Scoop believes, is the primary reason for the Dragons late-season fades.

Team Games with a player who played Zero Minutes Games with a player who played less than 10 minutes
Dragons 4 4
Sharks 1 1
Rabbitohs
4
Storm
5
Roosters

Note: Kurt Baptiste had one zero minute and three less than 10 minutes games as the reserve Hooker for the Tri-Colours, but this is not included as we are looking at the forward rotations. Jai Field had one for the Dragons in Rd. 25 too, but also not relevant to our focus.

Can the Dragons address this glaring issue? Time will tell. With Ah Mau now a Warrior, Sele projected to start for Kikau at the Panthers and De Belin stood down (for now), it will take a massive leap of faith by Coach McGregor to trust in his interchange forwards. The Top Four have provided the template and it’s time for the Dragons to turn to newcomer Korbin Sims along with holdovers Blake Lawrie, Jacob Host and the enigmatic Luciano Leilua to deliver quality minutes from the bench and preserve their lethal starting pack for late in the season and end the run of late-season slides.

To experiment with building your own perfect Dragons side check out Zero Tackle’s excellent team builder at: https://www.nospam21.com/rugby-league/pick-your-team/

So get busy Dragons fans! Let Coach McGregor know that Scoop has figured it out and now he can finally take the Red V to the promised land. Well, that and sorting out the whole Hunt / Norman / Widdop troika, but let’s just fix the late-season fades first.

Agree or Disagree? Got another theory? Let’s hear it in the comments. Got a theory on another team you want to be tested? Drop me a line and don’t forget to check out more of Scoop’s in-depth analysis of the numbers at: https://fairhallmatt.wixsite.com/scoop-sportsanalysis

Trust in the data!

 

[BLM01]

Part 2

Left on the bench…
Depth in the forwards was a key factor for each of the Top Four teams of 2018. Faith in the interchange forwards proved to be just as important and exactly where the Red-V went wrong. The Dragons had a staggering 4 instances where a Forward never left the bench (Leilua Rd.2, Sele Rd.7, Lawrie Rd.11, Host Rd.14). In addition, there were four instances where a Forward played less than 10 minutes. The chart below shows the comparison with 2018’s Top Four. These additional minutes, tackles, hit-ups and more took a toll on the Dragons forwards and this, Scoop believes, is the primary reason for the Dragons late-season fades.

Team Games with a player who played Zero Minutes Games with a player who played less than 10 minutes
Dragons 4 4
Sharks 1 1
Rabbitohs
4
Storm
5
Roosters

Note: Kurt Baptiste had one zero minute and three less than 10 minutes games as the reserve Hooker for the Tri-Colours, but this is not included as we are looking at the forward rotations. Jai Field had one for the Dragons in Rd. 25 too, but also not relevant to our focus.

Can the Dragons address this glaring issue? Time will tell. With Ah Mau now a Warrior, Sele projected to start for Kikau at the Panthers and De Belin stood down (for now), it will take a massive leap of faith by Coach McGregor to trust in his interchange forwards. The Top Four have provided the template and it’s time for the Dragons to turn to newcomer Korbin Sims along with holdovers Blake Lawrie, Jacob Host and the enigmatic Luciano Leilua to deliver quality minutes from the bench and preserve their lethal starting pack for late in the season and end the run of late-season slides.

To experiment with building your own perfect Dragons side check out Zero Tackle’s excellent team builder at: https://www.nospam21.com/rugby-league/pick-your-team/

So get busy Dragons fans! Let Coach McGregor know that Scoop has figured it out and now he can finally take the Red V to the promised land. Well, that and sorting out the whole Hunt / Norman / Widdop troika, but let’s just fix the late-season fades first.

Agree or Disagree? Got another theory? Let’s hear it in the comments. Got a theory on another team you want to be tested? Drop me a line and don’t forget to check out more of Scoop’s in-depth analysis of the numbers at: https://fairhallmatt.wixsite.com/scoop-sportsanalysis

Trust in the data!

No..it wall fall on deaf ears. And the fact that we could lose early games is another reason he wont trust fringies or lower grade forwards as he will need wins.
Okay that is 1 good stat but again their are other reasons that we all know that are not addressed in relation to both attack and defense.
Our forwards were still one of our stronger performers through the late season fade outs

 

[getsmarty]

Tariq warns little bro' Korbin to stay cool against ex-teammates
Author
Alicia Newton NRL.com Reporter
Timestamp
Tue 26 Mar 2019, 08:01 PM

St George Illawarra enforcer Tariq Sims knows first-hand the painful wait of serving a suspension to start the season but has warned younger brother Korbin not to get ahead of himself in his first game back against his old club Brisbane on Thursday night.

Tariq served two separate five-game suspensions to start the 2015 and 2016 seasons for shoulder charges during his stint at Newcastle but has enjoyed a cleaner record in recent years.

Korbin's lifting tackle on Blake Lawrie in last year's finals clash when he was playing for the Broncos against his new club cost him two weeks on the sidelines, with the suspension rolling over to the 2019 season.

Sims played 44 games in two season with the Broncos and ironically his return will be against his former teammates.

"He played all the trial matches, played strong and then had to cool his heels for two weeks," Tariq said of Korbin.

"Unfortunately I had two years in a row where I was suspended and it wasn't a great time for me. It's how you treat that time off. It can either be a punishment or a blessing.

Dragons backrower Tariq Sims. Grant Trouville/NRL Photos
"It's not ideal but you can look at it two ways. You can look at it as a punishment or you can look at it as a bit of motivation to change your ways, change your techniques. It's an extended pre-season."

Korbin has been named on the bench for Thursday's rematch at Suncorp Stadium.

The 27-year-old is a timely addition to the squad with Jack de Belin (stood down) and Tyson Frizell (testicle) missing in the forward pack.

"It's no secret we are down on troops and Korbs' injection with his experience will definitely help," Tariq said.

"When he comes on the field he will be really, really excited but after the warm-up he will have to cool his heels for a bit longer until he gets a call up."

Tariq warned his younger sibling about being too hyped for the occasion.

"The way we are playing we can't afford to give away silly penalties at the moment," he said.

"In this day and age with the calibre of players playing, they will make you pay. Korbin knows that and we don't go out there to give penalties away. We love the way he plays, we love his aggression, Mary wouldn't have brought him here if he didn't think that."

Dragons forward Korbin Sims. NRL Photos
The Dragons are looking to replicate a repeat performance of last year's finals result with a backs against the wall mentality after consecutive losses to start the season.

"It's a new year, different circumstances and they're at home," Tariq said.

"We have to go up there and beat them at their own home ground with their crowd behind them. It's not going to be easy and we need to make sure we execute a lot of things as well."


https://www.dragons.com.au/news/201...bro-korbin-to-stay-cool-against-ex-teammates/

 

[getsmarty]

No..it wall fall on deaf ears. And the fact that we could lose early games is another reason he wont trust fringies or lower grade forwards as he will need wins.
Okay that is 1 good stat but again their are other reasons that we all know that are not addressed in relation to both attack and defense.
Our forwards were still one of our stronger performers through the late season fade outs

It's a step in the right direction...we lose again..more pressure on the Board and McGregor.

 

[Dracarys]

Tyson's testicle is coming along nicely. May even return next week. High level medical care makes a vas deferens.

 

[getsmarty]

Fans encouraged to name new women’s medal
The NRL is calling on fans to help name the women’s equivalent of the Ken Stephen Medal!

https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2019/03/27/fans-encouraged-to-name-new-womens-medal/

 

[getsmarty]

Tickets on sale for Holden Women’s State of Origin
Author
NRL Media Release NRL Media
Timestamp
Tue 26 Mar 2019, 10:01 PM

The second Holden Women’s State of Origin will kick off the NRL’s representative weekend of rugby league, with tickets on sale today for the match at North Sydney Oval on Friday 21 June.

After a successful inaugural stand-alone match, anticipation is building for the next instalment of women’s Origin history, with NRL General Manager of the Women’s Elite Program, Tiffany Slater predicting another fantastic occasion.

“Close to 750,000 viewers watched the women’s Origin on television last year, with 7,000 fans flocking through the gates to take in all the action live,” Ms Slater said.

“The match was played at an incredibly high pace and standard and preparations are well under way across both teams to ensure that the 2019 encounter will be just as enthralling.

“There’s nothing quite like Origin – it’s a rivalry without rival and it’s fantastic for our women’s Origin teams to be opening the representative weekend of rugby league.”

Destination NSW Chief Executive Officer, Sandra Chipchase said this event was a significant event for Sydney.

“The 2018 women’s Origin match was a huge success with fans near and far enjoying the game at one of Sydney’s most iconic sporting grounds, North Sydney Oval,” Ms Chipchase said.

“The NSW Government, through its tourism and major events arm Destination NSW, is proud to support women’s rugby league and this event will showcase great athleticism, teamwork and leadership here in the Harbour City which will entertain all attendees.”

Pre-purchased tickets will remain in line with 2018 prices, at $10 for adults and those under 15 years of age, free.

The 2019 Holden Women’s State of Origin is proudly supported by naming sponsor, Holden, together with the New South Wales Government, via its tourism and major events arm, Destination NSW.

To purchase tickets to the Holden Women’s State of Origin, head to www.nrl.com/tickets.


https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2019/03/27/tickets-on-sale-for-holden-womens-state-of-origin/

 

[getsmarty]

DRAGONS


Dragons rookie Ravalawa's sorrow for Christchurch
Author
Brad Walter NRL.com Senior Reporter
Timestamp
Thu 28 Mar 2019, 09:01 AM

Rookie St George Illawarra winger Mikaele Ravalawa has expressed his sorrow over the Christchurch terrorist attack as he prepares to line up against another former schoolboy star from the New Zealand city in Brisbane’s Jamayne Isaako.

Ravalawa, who will make his third NRL appearance in Thursday night’s clash with the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium, attended school in Christchurch and maintains regular contact with the family he lived with while on a rugby union scholarship.

The 22-year-old Fijian said they had messaged him after the shootings at two mosques in Christchurch, which occurred just kilometres from Burnside High where he had gone to school before being recruited by Canberra in 2017.

“I was a bit sad the first time I heard of it,” Ravalawa said of the massacre. “I keep in touch with my home-stay mum and my home-stay brother and sister. They were telling me about what was happening. They just messaged me and were telling me there had been the shooting. It was very sad.”

Ravalawa's comments come as Manly and Warriors players travel to Christchurch to take part in a series of community events aimed at raising morale ahead of Saturday night's match in the South Island city, which will be attended by NRL CEO Todd Greenberg.



Broncos v Dragons - Round 3

Isaako, the 2018 NRL rookie of the year, also played schoolboy rugby union in Christchurch for St Bede’s College and told the Broncos website that he used to play in the park opposite the Al Noor Mosque, where most of the 50 victims were killed.

The pair will play on opposite sides of the field as they have each been selected on the right wing for their respective teams.

“I was aiming to come to the Dragons and play first grade and my dream has come true,” Ravalawa said. “It was too hard down there [in Canberra] with Jordan Rapana and Nick Cotric, they are good players. I came to the Dragons and I was lucky enough to get picked for the first round.”

Ravalawa had never watched an NRL match before he was scouted by Raiders recruitment manager Peter Mulholland after a representative rugby union match in Wellington.

The Fiji Under-18s Rugby Sevens captain was a star of the Crusaders regional schools competition and one of its leading try-scorers.

He had been in the sights of the Crusaders but moved to Canberra in 2017 and was the Raiders under 20s player of the year.

“In Christchurch, I was playing for Burnside High School and I was playing for the Crusaders junior team, the Knights,” Ravalawa said.

“I was just there for a year and I was going to go back to Christchurch but the contract from the Raiders came in so I went to Canberra.

“All of my life I had never watched rugby league, I only watched rugby union, but league just came up and now I am starting to watch rugby league. It is more fun.”

After joining the Dragons this season, Ravalawa forced his way into NRL contention with a two-try haul in a trial against Newcastle and edged out Junior Kangaroos representative Zac Lomax for the right wing spot in the Round 1 clash with North Queensland.

Ravalawa carried the ball a team-high 151 metres from 16 runs and made 10 tackle breaks in his NRL debut against the Cowboys. He ran 95 metres from 10 carries in last Thursday night’s 34-18 loss to South Sydney.

“I am still getting there, I’ve got lots to learn,” he said. “The first game I did well in that round and in the second round, in the first half we did good but in the second half we were going down.”


https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2019/03/28/dragons-rookie-ravalawas-sorrow-for-christchurch/

 

[getsmarty]

Has Widdop played his last Dragons game? English star does shoulder AGAIN
Dragons

• March 29, 2019 6:58am
• by George Clarke
• Source: FOX SPORTS

Gareth Widdop of the Dragons is taken from the field injured during the Round 3 NRL match between the Brisbane Broncos and St George Illawarra DragonsSource: AAP
Gareth Widdop could possibly have played his last game for the Dragons after dislocating his shoulder in Thursday night’s victory over the Brisbane Broncos.

Late into the second half, Darius Boyd hacked the ball towards the St George Illawarra tryline.

As he rolled to pick up the ball, the Englishman dislocated his shoulder.

Widdop dislocates shoulder

0:47
Round 3
Live stream the 2019 NRL Telstra Premiership on KAYO SPORTS. Every game of every round live & anytime on your TV or favourite device. Get your 14 day free trial >

He was in such agony that he dropped the ball, which Brisbane’s Jack Bird picked up instantly.

Bird dotted down, while Widdop winced in agony.

That made it 24-24.

The pivot was helped from the field by a trainer, and is likely to spend a long time on the sidelines.


“It’s bad,” Dragons coach Paul McGregor said of Widdop’s injury.

“I’m not a doctor, but he’s uncomfortable. It’s dislocated.

“We’ve got a ready-made replacement in (Matt) Dufty.”

McInnes says see you later!

0:34
The 30-year-old injured the same right shoulder on his last trip to face the Broncos at Suncorp in last year’s NRL finals.

He required surgery during the off-season and missed England’s series win over New Zealand.

Widdop is leaving the Dragons after this season, to return to his native England with Warrington.


https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...n/news-story/ef9a305e6d5a28a5af374f41030ccef2

 

[getsmarty]

St George Illawarra players remain hopeful Gareth Widdop will return this season

• Cameron Mee

Dragons Den

Pain barrier: Gareth Widdop. Picture: AAP Image/Dave Hunt
St George Illawarra remain hopeful Gareth Widdop will feature again for the Dragons in 2019 despite the shoulder injury he suffered in Thursday night's victory over the Broncos.

After losing their first two games, the side kick-started their season with a one-point win thanks to a Corey Norman field goal at the death.

The victory came at a cost, however, with the Dragons skipper dislocating his right shoulder late in the piece. It was the same shoulder he dislocated twice in 2018.

Given Widdop is returning to England at the end of the season, there were immediate fears he will not play for the club again.

Widdop is due for scans which will reveal the full extent of the damage, with hopes high a shoulder reconstruction will not be required.

Speaking on Friday after the win, prop Paul Vaughan was hopeful he would line up alongside his captain later in the season.

"I hope I haven't payed my last game with him," Vaughan said. "I love the bloke and it's obviously not what you want. They're getting scans and they'll probably find out from there.

"It's a terrible thing to happen, especially to our skipper. He wants to go off on a real high note and I'm sure he will do that, it's just a bit of a roadblock at the moment."

Depending on the result of scans, Widdop could be forced to undergo a shoulder reconstruction immediately, which would rule him out for six months and leave him in a race to be fit for the finals.

The best-case scenario for Widdop would be three to six weeks on the sidelines with rehab and no surgery.

This is the route Widdop took in 2018 after his first dislocation, suffered against the Eels in round 22. After three weeks out, he returned for the Dragons elimination final against the Broncos.

That return turned sour in the second half, when Widdop dislocated the same shoulder, and he went on to undergo a reconstruction.

Vaughan acknowledged Widdop is a key figure in the team, however he's confident the Dragons can overcome his absence.

"Personally for myself, when I first moved up here, he had a big impact. He's obviously a great club skipper and gets the boys together, all that kind of stuff.

"He's just a class player, on the field he's got that X-factor and off the field he's a great bloke, got a great family, he's such an influential part of the club. It's disappointing, but he'll still be around the boys, getting us fired up every week."

Read more: Latimore backs players to follow Graham's lead

Whereas the Dragons were without a readymade replacement in 2018, that will not be the case this season.

The arrival of Corey Norman in the off-season and retention of Matt Dufty will see Dufty slot straight into the fullback position. Hooker Cameron McInnes has full confidence Dufty will pick up where he left off last season.

"He's our captain and one of the best players in the world," McInnes said of Widdop. "So obviously there's an impact, but having Corey and Matt Dufty come into the side, it's a great luxury to have.

"We'll miss our skipper for sure, but until he's back, and I don't know what the time frame is, we'll just have to keep competing and doing our best.

"Matt was our fullback all last year, so I'm very comfortable with him in the side, as we all are, and Corey, he's one of the best halves in the game, so I feel very comfortable playing with all of them."


https://www.illawarramercury.com.au...-widdops-future-hangs-in-the-balance/?cs=3713

 

[getsmarty]

Norman ready to be 'the man' in big moments
Author
Joel Gould NRL.com Reporter
Timestamp
Fri 29 Mar 2019, 05:01 PM

It took less than seven minutes of life without Gareth Widdop for Dragons five-eighth Corey Norman to showcase he is ready to step up in the clutch moments in the absence of his inspirational skipper.

When Widdop left the field clutching a dislocated right shoulder in the 73rd minute against the Broncos, and with the scores level at 24-24, the Dragons had lost their chief field goal exponent.

Norman, who had landed one field goal in his previous 172 NRL games, demanded the ball with seconds remaining and calmly potted a left-footer from 32m out to clinch the team's first win of the season.

St George Illawarra coach Paul McGregor praised Norman after the match for the way he "goes to the game" in the big moments.

Norman said Widdop would have been the go-to man for the field goal.

"Gaz probably would have taken it. When we practise them Gaz has taken them but obviously he wasn’t there so I said 'sweet, give it here'," Norman said.



Match Highlights: Broncos v Dragons

"My strike rate with field goals in the NRL ain’t that good. That was my second one but I am more than willing to step up and have a crack at it.

"It did feel good. It was one of those ones where you hit it and you can see it going over."

With the Dragons set to be without Widdop for an extended period, half Ben Hunt said Norman was a player the side could count on to step up.

"Corey is the kind of guy where things don’t really faze him out there on the field. He always comes up with those sort of plays because he wants the ball in his hands when it counts," Hunt said.

"He has a silky pass and a good kicking game and we saw that, and he finished off with a field goal which shows he has the clutch plays in him as well."

Hunt and Norman played together at the Broncos in the halves in under 20s but only on several occasions in the NRL.

Norman was aware of the criticism coming his way in the opening two rounds after his switch from the Eels but said he never lost faith in his combination with Hunt.

"Everyone on the outside thought it was going to happen straight away … but with time together it naturally gets better," he said.

"The spine was getting a bit of heat but I thought our defence wasn't up to scratch the first two weeks. As a spine we just wanted to fix our defence and we scrapped away a good win."

Hunt’s running and passing game was on song against Brisbane and his last-gasp tackle on Alex Glenn on the try line was crucial to the result, but said his kicking still needed work.

"I’ve worked really hard on my running game and defending well and they are two things I thought I did pretty good, but one thing that let us down was our kicking …definitely in the first half anyway,” Hunt said.

“That is something we need to improve. Any halves combination is going to take a bit of time and I think we are going in the right direction.



Dragons rally around Widdop

"We are communicating. working out what each other wants to do and what sort of plays work for each other and what doesn’t."

Hunt was crestfallen for Widdop but said Matt Dufty would not let the side down at fullback.

"It is devastating for Gaz. It is pretty much the exact same thing he did last year up here [in the elimination semi-final]. It is definitely going to hurt us. He is our inspiration,” Hunt said.

"Obviously Duft is different to Gareth at the back but he is a little jack rabbit who brings speed and energy. He is going to do a good job … similar to what Duft brought last year."


https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2019/03/29/norman-ready-to-be-the-man-in-big-moments/

 

[getsmarty]

MENINGA ON SATURDAY


Women's game is growing fast but we still need patience
Author
Mal Meninga NRL.com Columnist
Timestamp
Sat 30 Mar 2019, 12:01 PM

I had a conversation recently with one of the coaches who conducted a camp on the Gold Coast for under-16 women.

The question was asked 'Who has been playing rugby league since Under 6s'?

For the first time ever, 15 of the girls in a squad put their hands up! There’s no better example of the growing force of girls and women playing our great game.

This generational swing has well and truly arrived. The introduction of the NRLW competition and the inaugural Holden State of Origin game at North Sydney alongside the Jillaroos success, has meant more young girls want to play our game.

One of the great memories for me from last June’s Origin game was the number of young girls in the crowd, there with their mothers and fathers and yelling for their heroes.

It shows rugby league is part of this revolution in women’s sport globally, that we already see in Australia sport like cricket with the Southern Stars and the Matildas in soccer.

The Blues celebrate with fans at North Sydney Oval last year. Grant Trouville/NRL Photos
It was a highly entertaining game last year and a credit not only to the players but to the Queensland and NSW coaching staff led by Jason Hetherington and Ben Cross.

Jason is part of the Queensland men’s set-up and now Ben is the current assistant coach at the Broncos with Anthony Seibold, which demonstrates the women’s game is a genuine alternative in creating pathways into our elite areas.

Obviously among all this excitement and enthusiasm, the game has also had to demonstrate a lot of patience.

The quality and depth of players is an area that needs considered and intelligent planning. That’s why the NRL made a decision to have just four teams, when there were other clubs putting up their hands for NRLW.



Maroons now united under one banner

The four clubs entering the women’s competition knew the level of commitment required to meet the criteria both financially and structurally.

With the growing space of women’s sport around the world, and certainly in Australia, I see that as an astute investment by those four clubs: Dragons, Broncos, Roosters and Warriors.

At the international level we’ve been playing Jillaroos and Kangaroos matches together at the same venues.

We’ve been doing double-headers for a couple of years now – it happened at the last Anzac Test in May 2017, then again at the World Cup, and we’re booked in again at WIN Stadium in Wollongong on October 25 this year.

Indigenous All Stars players celebrate a try. Robb Cox/NRL Photos
There was the Indigenous and Maori All Stars in Melbourne, both men and women, in February and the inaugural World Nines at Parramatta’s Bankwest Stadium in mid-October will have men’s and women’s team intermingled.

So women’s games are no longer considered trial matches, or preliminaries to a men’s game. They are now double-headers of equal standing – on the same pedestal together.

We play representative matches like U18s and U20s on the same night as State of Origin, so I can see it a real possibility that the women’s Origin could be part of that night on the big stage in front of a huge viewing audience.

The reason why it hasn’t been placed there yet I’m sure is because it’s a stand-alone game that is commercially viable on its own. It doesn’t need to be attached to any other event – the women’s Origin is its own drawcard.

But we still need patience with all this. The women’s game is growing organically, however we need more players to broaden the base. We need all the education and coaching pillars in place so that we develop women and girls getting to coach and play at the top level.

At the moment there isn’t the numbers, so the smart thing was to hold the NRLW at four again this year. The planning now is to increase that number but the commercial investment needs to go hand-in-hand with that.


https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2019/03/30/womens-game-is-growing-fast-but-we-still-need-patience/

 

[getsmarty]

DRAGONS


Vaughan ups Origin ante by taking down Pangai
Author
Joel Gould NRL.com Reporter
Timestamp
Sun 31 Mar 2019, 09:58 AM

Dragons prop Paul Vaughan had a personal mission to get one over the young Brisbane forwards and make a compelling case to retain his hard-earned NSW Blues jersey.

Vaughan was dominant in the 25-24 win over Brisbane with his 189 running metres and 38 tackles. It was his powerhouse starts to both halves that gave his pack the ascendancy over NSW Blues hopeful Tevita Pangai jnr and young Maroons contenders Joe Ofahengaue, Jaydn Su'A and David Fifita.

The 27-year-old former Raider was aware of the hype around his rival pack during the week and challenged himself to get one up on them.

"It is one of those things that keeps you honest as a footballer. Each week that is what I love about rugby league: the challenge with yourself and against other teams," Vaughan told NRL.com.

"Football can be a pretty humbling thing at times. One week you can have a great game and the next week you can get humbled, but because of the competitive nature that I have I want to be the best forward and the best player out there.

“We knew we had a tough job ahead of us against Brisbane after their forwards got massive wraps last week.



McGregor: Dufty can step up for Widdop

"It was a big match-up for me personally because a couple of their young fellas coming through have got intentions of playing rep football. I got my first taste last year, so I wanted to play well and set a good platform for the team."

Vaughan grinned when it was put to him that Pangai was one of the forwards in contention for a Blues middle forward gig. He admires the progress made by the Broncos wrecking ball, but has no intention of letting his former Raiders teammate take his jersey.

"It is a credit to Tevita. I was down at Canberra with him and I have known for a long time that as soon as he got his crack he was going to be a great player," Vaughan said.

"He has come a long way. I have a lot of respect for Tevita … but I am pretty passionate about getting an Origin jersey again. It is a long way away, so first and foremost it is about getting Saints off to go a good start."

Vaughan said he relished the way coach Paul McGregor used him against Brisbane.

"I was going for the first 20 minutes and last 10 of each half and that suits me," he said.

"I knew there was a great challenge for me and I’m pretty happy with my performance. I got through a lot of minutes and a lot of work.

"Our forwards for the last three weeks have done a pretty good job starting and setting the platform, but for the first two games we fell apart in the second half.



Match Highlights: Broncos v Dragons

"This week we hung strong and it was a great team effort against a young and powerful pack."

The Dragons will be without Test forward Tyson Frizell indefinitely with a lacerated testicle and Vaughan said it was vital to continue to win without him, starting with the trip to Newcastle next Sunday.

"Tyson is a huge loss for us. He’s been playing representative football for a long time and is a freak…so when he comes back it is going to help us massively," Vaughan said.

"The important thing now is that we can get some more wins and put ourselves in a good position because when he comes back we will be a better team."


https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2019/03/31/vaughan-ups-origin-ante-by-taking-down-pangai/

 

[getsmarty]

Gareth Widdop injury: St George Illawarra Dragons star set for surgery

Written By Tom Naghten
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St George Illawarra have confirmed that captain Gareth Widdop will undergo surgery on his injured right shoulder on Monday night.

Widdop dislocated his shoulder for the third time in 12 months late in the Dragons' one-point win over the Broncos on Thursday.

It's not yet known if the Englishman's season is over, though that was coach Paul McGregor's immediate fear following the match.

MORE: The NRL Lurker: Is Payne Haas the NRL's newest bad boy?

"Widdop's shoulder will be operated on later this evening," a Dragons statement on Monday read.

"The Dragons will provide further information on the status of the England international in the coming days."

McGregor said it was a sad way for Widdop's NRL career to end if the injury was season-ending - the 30-year-old has agreed a contract with the Super League's Warrington following this season.

"It brings a tear to your eye," McGregor told Channel 9 from the Saints' dressing room moments after full-time.

"He's my captain, he's a person who's had everything to do about our success the last few years when we've been playing well.

"And unfortunately he's done his shoulder as bad as he did last year and it's not a good way to finish your career at a club you love."

If he required another shoulder reconstruction he will be sidelined for three-to-six months, meaning it is highly likely Widdop's 118th appearance for the Red V was his last.

The injury soured the Saints' first win of the 2019 campaign as off-season recruit Corey Norman slotted a field goal in the 80th minute to snatch a vital victory.

McGregor has been under fire over his controversial decision to pick Widdop at full-back for the opening three games of the season, with Norman preferred at five-eighth.

The coach confirmed livewire Matt Dufty, who was dropped from the 17-man squad to face the Broncos after coming off the bench in the first two games of the season, will slot straight into the No.1 jersey next Sunday against the Newcastle Knights.


https://www.nospam47.com/au/league/...e-illawarra-dragons/qnbymoqya57410p9ugjv54lyx

 

[getsmarty]

Dragons sweat on Gareth Widdop surgery

Matt Encarnacion
Australian Associated Press1 Apr 2019, 6:39 pm

A shoulder surgery will determine skipper Gareth Widdop's future at the Dragons
St George Illawarra will discover the full extent of skipper Gareth Widdop's shoulder dislocation after he undergoes surgery on Monday night.

It is the second time Widdop will go under the knife for his right shoulder, leading to fears that he may have played his final game in the NRL.

Widdop is in his final year with the Dragons after walking away from the final two years of his current contract to take up a three-year deal in the Super League.

The Dragons confirmed Widdop had seen a specialist on Monday, however it is unclear whether he has been ruled out for the rest of the season.

"Widdop's shoulder will be operated on later this evening," the Dragons revealed in a statement.

"The Dragons will provide further information on the status of the England international in the coming days."

Widdop dislocated the same shoulder against Parramatta in round 22 last year, but delayed surgery in an attempt to play in the finals.

However the 30-year-old lasted an hour before it was again knocked out of place in their shock qualifying final win over Brisbane.

Widdop's position in the Dragons side had come under heavy scrutiny this season following his maligned move to fullback.

His decision to sign with Warrington prompted the club to lure Corey Norman on a three-year deal, but created a playmaking headache for coach Paul McGregor.

The Dragons are now likely to recall Matt Dufty to fullback for Sunday's round-four clash with Newcastle, leaving Norman and Ben Hunt in the halves.

Knights' captain Mitchell Pearce regarded Widdop as one of the most influential players in the Dragons line-up.

"I don't understand how they approach their footy (now), but without him playing certainly may hurt you a bit," Pearce said.

"But they've got two other guys there.

"I thought Ben Hunt was really good last week (against Brisbane) and Corey Norman obviously iced the cake with the field goal."


https://au.sports.yahoo.com/dragons-sweat-gareth-widdop-surgery-073904733--spt.html

 

[getsmarty]

Pregnant Bremner among 19 players awarded NRL contracts
Author
Brad Walter NRL.com Senior Reporter
Timestamp
Mon 1 Apr 2019, 10:01 PM

Sam Bremner might not play this season but the pregnant Jillaroos captain is one of 19 players awarded increased central contracts as part of a revamped elite women’s program for 2019.

After considering feedback from the game's female stars, the NRL has reduced the number of players in the elite squad from 40 to 19, who stand to earn a bigger slice of the $750,000 allocated to the women's game each year under the collective bargaining agreement.

The NRL's contracting model, which was developed in conjunction with the RLPA, is similar to that adopted by Cricket Australia and is intended to provide incentives for players to remain in the game and increase their commitment.

The NRL does not yet have a detailed pregnancy policy but players were awarded central contracts based on their work on and off the field over the past year, and Bremner is one of the biggest names in the sport.

With a number of mothers playing in last season's Holden Women's Premiership, including five of Bremner's Dragons team-mates, the NRL and RLPA are expected to work towards formulating a maternity policy in coming seasons.

Bremner announced her pregnancy in February and will miss the Harvey Norman National Championships and Holden State of Origin, while a second season with St George Illawarra's NRLW team also appears unlikely.

Dragons fullback Sam Bremner. Jason O'Brien/NRL Photos
She hopes to be available for the Downer World Cup Nines at Bankwest Stadium on October 18 and 19 but the new contract is not dependant on Bremner playing as it is based on training commitments and marketing requirements.

The 27-year-old, who was named as Jillaroos captain for last year's trans-Tasman Test against New Zealand but did not play due to injury, will also maintain a leadership role with the elite playing group.

Other players awarded central contracts for 2019 include inaugural Golden Boot recipient Isabelle Kelly, 2018 Dally M player of the year Brittany Breayley, NRLW premiership winning captain Ali Brigginshaw and Queensland Origin skipper Karina Brown.

Rookie Dragons trio Keeley Davis, Hannah Southwell and Holli Wheeler, who forced their way into the Jillaroos squad at the end of last season, each won NRL contracts for the first time, along with Broncos winger Julia Robinson.

Among the big names to miss out in the changing of the guard were 2017 World Cup winning captain Ruan Sims and last season's NSW Origin skipper Maddie Studdon.

NRL General Manager of the Women’s Elite Program, Tiffany Slater said players had been identified and offered contracts, based on their commitment and effort .

"This is year two of a long-term, year-long calendar of women's rugby league and we're really pleased with the level of skill and commitment that our elite female athletes continue to demonstrate – particularly the 19 that have been rewarded with central contracts," Slater said.

Broncos player Brittany Breayley. Gregg Porteous/NRL Photos
"As our game continues to attract new levels of fans, coverage and commercial backing, I have no doubt that we will see a greater number of elite female athletes receiving increased levels of support and contracts."

Contract benefits include individual and team coaching, wellbeing and education services and leadership and development training camps.

The full list of players awarded 2019 NRL contracts is:

Kezie Apps, Chelsea Baker, Annette Brander, Brittany Breayley, Sam Bremner, Ali Brigginshaw, Karina Brown, Keeley Davis, Vanessa Foliaki, Tazmin Gray, Isabelle Kelly, Corban McGregor, Julia Robinson, Jessica Sergis, Hannah Southwell, Simaima Taufa, Zahara Temara, Meg Ward, Holli Wheeler.


https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2019/04/02/pregnant-bremner-among-19-players-awarded-nrl-contracts/

 

[getsmarty]

St George Illawarra captain Gareth Widdop undergoes successful surgery

• Cameron Mee

Dragons Den

Season in doubt: Gareth Widdop is hopeful to return for the Dragons after undergoing a shoulder reconstruction. Picture: AAP Image/Dave Hunt.
St George Illawarra remain upbeat that Gareth Widdop will return for the Dragons this season after the injured skipper underwent a shoulder reconstruction on Monday night.

Widdop dislocated his right shoulder for the third time in eight months in St George Illawarra's one-point victory over the Broncos last Thursday night, with scans on Monday confirming he would need a second shoulder reconstruction.

Widdop underwent a latarjet procedure on Monday night and St George Illawarra head of athletic performance Nathan Pickworth said the expected recovery time is four to five months.

"Typically the recovery from these is about four to five months," Pickworth said. "From this stage, I think it's a bit too early to give a specific return to play time frame for Gareth, but I'm pretty optimistic that Gareth hasn't played the last game for the Dragons."

Coach Paul McGregor has made just one change to the team that beat Brisbane, with Matt Dufty replacing Widdop as fullback for Sunday night's clash with Newcastle.

With doctors previously carrying out an open reconstruction on Widdop last September, it was determined the more intensive latarjet would be carried out this time.

With a failure rate of about two per cent, it is hoped this is the last of Widdop's shoulder injuries.

Read more: Dragons building towards Newcastle clash

"He had a procedure that's called a latarjet reconstruction, so what happens there, they take a piece of bone from elsewhere in his body and they move it into his shoulder to make the socket deeper in the ball and socket joint.

"This is a really stable shoulder reconstruction, they only have about a two per cent failure rate. He's pulled up really well from that, we spoke to the surgeon late last night and the surgeon's really happy with how the procedure went."

Pickworth also provided an update on Tyson Frizell, who suffered a lacerated testicle in the Dragons round one loss to North Queensland.

Frizell remains an outside chance of featuring for St George Illawarra this weekend after he was named 18th man on Tuesday afternoon.

"Friz is coming along really well, he trained really good last week, he had his first team session today, he's bouncing off walls, he's really happy, he's lifting big weights, which is really good for Tys.

"We'll see how he goes the rest of this week and we'll make a more specific determination on his return to play at the end of the week."


https://www.illawarramercury.com.au...ve-gareth-widdop-will-return-in-2019/?cs=3713