Articles

[getsmarty]

Red-hot Sims the Dragons saviour

Mitch Jennings@@Mitch_Jenno

31 Aug 2017, 1:48 p.m.

ON FIRE: Tariq Sims was a standout for the Dragons last week. Picture: AAP


IT may well prove the moment that rescued the Dragons finals hopes.

With their season on the line and trailing by two, Tariq Sims’ outstanding 40-metre individual effort against Penrith on Sunday ultimately proved the match-winner in a two-point victory.

Sims also threw himself into huge collisions with cousin Reagan Campbell-Gillard in what was arguably his best performance since joining the club.

That was certainly the opinion of veteran winger Jason Nightingale who said he could sense Sims was “on” in pre-game.

“Tariq was very vocal before the game and again at halftime and you could just tell he was on,’ Nightingale said.

“There’s times, if you’ve been around high performing athletes, some days you just know they’re on. Tariq’s day was Sunday, you could see it in his eyes.

“It wasn’t just that play that he was on for, he was on for the whole game and when people are on fire they’re on fire.”

http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/4893192/red-hot-sims-the-dragons-saviour/?cs=3713

 

[getsmarty]

Illawarra's season comes to a Head
Simon Masterton

Fri 1st September, 10:00AM
A A

The man in charge of Illawarra’s title defence didn’t take long to find his feet in a new role this year, but he knows drastic changes are needed if the side is to go on a run in the Intrust Super Premiership finals.

Mat Head, formerly the mentor of the Dragons' successful Holden Cup outfit, was appointed successor to 2016 Coach of the Year Jason Demetriou this season, taking charge of the side which tasted grand final success over Mounties.

The transition between the two competitions was a straightforward one.

"It’s been pretty easy, to be honest," Head told NSWRL.com.au. "It has its hard moments with not knowing who you've got playing for you that week or who you’re playing against, but there’s been up to 10 (players) that have played in my 20s side last year that have played with me at any one time.

"When you’ve got familiar faces out there you know what their good and bad traits are, they know what my good and bad traits are so you sort of know what’s going to happen week-to-week.

"It’s a really exciting time for the club, exciting time for myself and all these young players to play a finals series in the Intrust Super Premiership."

http://www.dragons.com.au/news/2017/09/01/illawarra_s_season_c.html

 

[getsmarty]

NRL finals where Dragons belong: McGregor

Mitch Jennings@@Mitch_Jenno

2 Sep 2017, 2:09 p.m.

CRUNCH TIME: St George Illawarra Dragons coach Paul McGregor at training. Picture: Sylvia Liber


ST GEORGE Illawarra coach Paul McGregor believes his side deserves to play finals football, but he’s aware that fact alone won’t get the Dragons there.

The Dragons performed CPR on their finals hopes with a gritty two-point win over Penrith last week, making their final-round play-offs equation a simple one.

A win over Canterbury on Sunday would see the Dragons finish the regular season on 30 competition points, with a healthy differential enough to secure a top-eight berth.

Having set the early season pace, McGregor said a finals berth would be fitting, but that remains in his side’s hands.

“I do [think we deserve to be there], but in saying that, every team’s got their different stories to tell,’ McGregor said.

“Our for and against is exceptional, it shows where we’ve improved as a football team.

“You look at the first third of the year we were outstanding, the second third we were disrupted by injury and Origin, and then the third bit we’ve been inconsistent.

“It’s been a journey. We’ve lost some games we needed to win but now it’s time to forget about all that and go out there and win a game of footy.

“We’re where we need to be, which is the key to finals footy in our hands, we’ve just got to go out there and win. We’ve known that for a while to.

“Obviously each game you lose, you’ve got to win the next one but we knew that our for and against was that good that if we got into a position where we could get to 30 points we’d play finals footy.

“That has to happen tomorrow.”

Last week’s victory came without star centre Josh Dugan, who was dropped from the clash after missing the team bus.

It’s dominated the discussion in the lead-up to Sunday’s game, but McGregor said he and Dugan had quickly put a line under it in preparation for the Dogs clash.

“It’s important that discipline, on and off the field, is at it’s best at this time of year going into finals footy,” McGregor said.

“The most disciplined sides win close games of footy and, right now, our discipline needs to be at it’s best. It was game-day someone overstepped the mark and was stood down.

“The [ill]discipline was that he missed the bus and from that we’ve moved forward. It’s been forgotten.

“[Dugan’s] really focused and determined and that’s dangerous for the opposition.”

The Dragons recent record against Canterbury doesn’t make for comfortable reading for the red v faithful, with the Bulldogs having won 10 of the last 11 games between the two sides.

That includes a 16-2 win at ANZ Stadium in round 14 this season, but McGregor said his side isn’t fazed by the recent history.

“Every game different players play, every year you have different squads so tomorrow will be different again,” McGregor said.

“They’re an opposition we need to beat to make finals footy. We’ve just got to worry about what we need to do and get out there and play our best brand.

“They’ve got a couple of players leaving the club, so they’ll go out to play a tough brand of footy and send them off in a good way, but they’re just someone in the road.

“We just have to worry about ourselves and get a result, which is a win, and we play finals footy.”

http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/4896714/finals-where-dragons-belong-mcgregor/?cs=3713

 

[getsmarty]

Dragons NYC draw seals top four finish
Sun 3rd September, 04:00PM
A A



St George Illawarra have sealed their place in the top four on the NYC competition ladder with a 34-all draw with the Bulldogs at ANZ Stadium.

The Dragons started off the game fast through Jackson Ford when he finished off an unreal try that started when Zac Lomax regathered a towering bomb, before multiple passes allowed the centre to score in the corner after two minutes.

Dragons back-rower Jayden Morgan had a double within 15 minutes before Michael Doolan pegged one back for the Bulldogs 10 minutes later.

TJ Uele's dive over from dummy-half put the Dragons even further ahead with three minutes left in the first half but that would be cancelled out 60 seconds later when Zac Hetherington scored for the Bulldogs.

Down 22-10 at half-time, Hetherington had his double for the Bulldogs just two minutes into the second stanza.

Two tries in the space of three minutes for Bulldog Joseph Tramontana helped push the away side into the lead for the first time come the 50th minute.

Dragons fullback Lomax scored midway through the second half to level the scoreline at 28-all deadlock.

The Dragons reclaimed the lead in the 64th minute when Jackson Willis finished off a long-range movement.

Doolan had his second in the final seven minutes to help level the scores up again for the Bulldogs.

Although Lomax had an opportunity to kick a penalty goal in the final two minutes to win the game but it was waved away, and the Red V finished all tied up with the Bulldogs.

The Dragons finished third on the NYC competition ladder as a result and will play the Penrith Panthers next weekend in a qualifying final.

St George Illawarra 34 (Jayden Morgan 2, Jackson Ford, TJ Uele, Zac Lomax, Jackson Willis tries; Zac Lomax 5 goals) drew with Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 34 (Joseph Tramontana 2, Zac Hetherington 2, Michael Doolan 2 tries; Adam Keighran 5 goals) at ANZ Stadium, Olympic Park. Half-time: Dragons 22-10.

http://www.dragons.com.au/news/2017/09/03/dragons_nyc_draw_sea.html

 

[getsmarty]

Illawarra escape with thrilling late victory
BLAKE EDWARDS
3 Sep 2017, 4:29 p.m.

JUBILATION: Illawarra celebrate Jai Field's match-winner in their 30-26 elimination semi-final win over Mounties on Sunday. Picture: Blake Edwards


A JAI Field-inspired Illawarra kept their premiership title defence alive with a thrilling 30-26 win over the Mounties in Sunday’s elimination showdown at UOW Jubilee Oval.

Field scored a try and laid on another to peg back a 12-0 deficit inthe first half, but it was his 60-metre effort with just over a minute on the clock – with his side trailing by two – that proved the match-winner.

Illawarra have kept their Intrust Super Premeirship title defence alive with a thrilling 30-26 win over the Mounties at the death, in their elimination showdown at UOW Jubilee Oval, Kogarah on Sunday.

It was a shaky start for Illawarra, who put themselves under imMense pressure, allowing Mounties to cross for the first try of the afternoon through Will Cullen.

Mounties struck again with another try to Michael Oldfield after forcing a error from the scumbase, racing to a 12-point lead.

Illawarra quickly turned their fortunes, running in three quick tries in seven minutes through Jai Field, Sam Clune and Taane Milne to steal a 16-12 lead at the break. Field kicked a penalty goal moments after the break before Josh Kerr dived on a Jack Payne kick to extend the margin to 12.

Mounties hit back with quick tries to Yileen Gordon and Scott Sorosen to narrow the gap to two points before re-taking the lead 26-24 via Oldfield’s second try.

For the second week in a row, Illawarra delivered a clutch play in the dying stages, with the man of the afternoon, Field racing away to score underneath the posts, securing a 30-26 victory.

http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/4897728/field-magic-seals-finals-win/?cs=3713

 

[getsmarty]

Dragons’ heartbreak a little bit of NRL history repeating

Tim Barrow@@TheBarrow

4 Sep 2017, 9:36 a.m.

Down and out: Deject St George Illawarra players. Picture: AAP Image/Daniel Munoz

The old wounds, re-opened.

All the feelings and demons which comes with decades of anxiety and heartbreak.

The 2010 premiership was supposed to cast St George Illawarra’s past aside and usher in a new era of success.

And yet here we are, the bitter taste of disappointment left in the mouths of Dragons fans after a shock 26-20 loss to struggling Canterbury which excluded them from finals action.

It’s the latest chapter in a long tale of near-misses and failure.

Not that the Dragons were expected to sweep to the premiership this year, but they were leading the competition after seven rounds.

But, at their best, they could match it with the top teams, and perhaps losses like against premiership hopefuls the Roosters on Anzac Day put them on a darker path.

They become just the second team to have a 6-1 record – after the Gold Coast in 2008 – and miss the finals.

Suddenly, the Dragons squad is sinking schooners on Monday, instead of looking ahead to a sudden-death showdown with Manly. The Dogs loss now etched into the history pages, alongside chapters like St George’s 1992 and 1993 grand final losses and the Steelers preliminary final loss in ‘92 to the Dragons. It will be remembered with the 1999 penalty try grand final loss to Melbourne and 2005 and 2006 preliminary final defeats.

Next to the 2009 slide as the Dragons were mesmerised by Jarryd Hayne in an elimination semi-final.

But it's also a reflection of the extraordinary pressure and expectation which comes with playing for the Dragons and just how phenomenal the 2010 title triumph was. Perhaps the arrival of James Graham and Ben Hunt is just the tonic.

Dragons fans have an obsession with outsiders breaking the mould, as Bennett did, when their own products, like Nathan Brown, Steve Price and now Paul McGregor have struggled to emulate him.

It would have been against one of their own, now Manly coach Trent Barrett, that the Dragons would have launched their finals campaign this week.

Now they’ll barely be able to turn on the television on a weekend in September.

http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/...-little-bit-of-nrl-history-repeating/?cs=3713

 

[getsmarty]

St George Illawarra Dragons captain Gareth Widdop labels 2017 season a "failure"
Andrew Parkinson
4 Sep 2017, 1:30 p.m.

Devastated: St George Illawarra centre Josh Dugan has played his final game for the Dragons after they failed to reach the NRL finals. Picture: Daniel Munoz/AAP Image


St George Illawarra captain Gareth Widdop has labelled his side’s season a failure after the Dragons blew their chance to play finals football with a 26-20 loss to Canterbury on Sunday.

The equation was simple for the Dragons at ANZ Stadium – win their final game of the regular season against a side whose campaign was over weeks ago and finish seventh or lose and undo so much of their hard work and improvement from last year.

The red V led 20-14 with 15 minutes to go only to concede two late tries to have their season ended. It was a bitter way to end the season for the Dragons who led the competition after seven rounds and looked primed for an assault on the top four.

“We play this game to play finals and effectively the year is a failure,” Widdop said.

“We started out to do that and we had a great opportunity [against Canterbury] to do that and in the end we weren’t good enough. We need to learn from this for sure.”

The Dragons are just the third team since the top-eight system was introduced to miss the finals after leading at the end of the seventh round. They also had the highest for-and-against (+83) of any team to miss the finals in the 2000s.

We play this game to play finals and effectively the year is a failure. - Gareth Widdop

Coach Paul McGregor said his side were gutted but offered no excuses.

“There’s six games this year that come to mind that could have gone [either] way and we didn’t win any of them. The competition is that tight, when you don’t win the close ones continually you don’t play finals footy,” he said.

“If you look at the first third of the year we were dominant. Our position was first on the ladder, we were inspiring, we had the best attitude.

Picture: Daniel Munoz/AAP Image

“Second third of the year we [had] representative honours, got a few injuries through that. Lost a couple of close games. Then our [last part] of the year was just inconsistent. So if you look at the whole year we’re disappointed not to play finals footy. We’re actually more than disappointed, we’re shattered.

“We all start pre-season in October to play finals footy. That’s why you like to be involved in the game, to play at the best time of the year which starts next week and unfortunately we’re not there.”

McGregor did not confirm speculation linking Bulldogs captain James Graham to the red V for next season.

“I’ll wait until it’s done. If it’s done he’s a current international. He’s inspirational the way he plays and he’s very passionate in what he does. But at the moment it’s only speculation.”

http://www.theleader.com.au/story/4...-a-failure-after-dragons-miss-finals/?cs=3833

 

[getsmarty]

Illawarra eliminate Mounties in ISP thriller
Blake Edwards

Mon 4th September, 09:00AM
A A

Illawarra have kept their Intrust Super Premiership title defence alive with a thrilling 30-26 elimination final win over the Mounties at UOW Jubilee Oval, Kogarah on Sunday.

It was a shaky start for Illawarra who put themselves under immense pressure due to ill-discipline; it allowed the Mounties to cross for the first try of the afternoon in the third minute through William Cullen.

The Mounties struck again in the 25th minute through Michael Oldfield who forced an error from the scrum to go ahead 12-0.

Illawarra quickly turned their first half fortunes around by running in three tries in five minutes via Jai Field, Sam Clune and Taane Milne. As a result Illawarra were ahead 16-12 at half-time.

Illawarra started the second half in better stead when Field kicked a penalty goal to extend his side's lead to a converted try.

A short while later, interchange forward Josh Kerr dived on a Jack Payne kick to extend Illawarra's lead to 12 points.

However, it wasn't long until the defending premiers reverted back to their earlier ill-discipline ways.

The Mounties were able to capitalise with two quick tries to Yileen Gordon and Scott Sorensen as a result – Illawarra's lead was narrowed to two points in the meantime.

Mounties mounted further pressure before crossing for their fifth four-pointer of the afternoon thanks to Oldfield as they regained a two-point lead.

For the second week in a row, Illawarra delivered a clutch play in the dying stages when Field raced 80-metres downfield to score underneath the posts, securing a 30-26 victory.

The magic offload from Luciano Leilua to set Field's match-winner up secured Illawarra's finals berth in week two. They will play the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs this Sunday afternoon at UOW Jubilee Oval, Kogarah.

Illawarra 30 (Jai Field 2, Taane Milne, Sam Clune, Josh Kerr; Jai Field 5 goals) defeated Mounties 26 (Michael Oldfield 2, William Cullen, Yileen Gordon, Scott Sorensen tries; Maurice Kennedy 3 goals) at UOW Jubilee Oval, Kogarah. Half-time: Illawarra 16-12.

http://www.dragons.com.au/news/2017/09/04/illawarra_eliminate_.html

 

[getsmarty]

NYC, ISP Finals Draw Confirmed
Mon 4th September, 11:00AM
A A

The St George Illawarra Dragons' Under-20s side will play the Penrith Panthers at Allianz Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The young Dragons finished third on the NYC competition ladder and will play for a place in the preliminary finals against the Panthers at 5pm.

Illawarra's season is still alive and running too following their thrilling 30-26 win over the Mounties in week one of the Intrust Super Premiership finals.

The ISP defending premiers will continue to run the gauntlet in week two of the finals against the Bulldogs – who lost in extra time to minor premiers Wyong last weekend.

Illawarra will kick-off at 5pm on Sunday afternoon at UOW Jubilee Oval, Kogarah.

NRL Telstra Premiership Finals Series – Week 1

Qualifying Final: Friday, September 8, 7.55pm, Allianz Stadium
NRL: Sydney Roosters (2) v Brisbane Broncos (3)
Holden Cup: Brisbane Broncos (6) v Newcastle Knights (7); 5.15pm

Qualifying Final: Saturday, September 9, 4.10pm, AAMI Park
NRL: Melbourne Storm (1) v Parramatta Eels (4)

Elimination Final: Saturday, September 9, 7.40pm, Allianz Stadium
NRL: Manly Warringah Sea Eagles (6) v Penrith Panthers (7)
Holden Cup: Penrith Panthers (2) v St George Illawarra Dragons (3); 5.00pm

Elimination Final: Sunday, September 10, 4.10pm, Allianz Stadium
NRL: Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks (5) v North Queensland Cowboys (8)
Holden Cup: Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks (1) v Parramatta Eels (4); 1.30pm
Holden Cup: Nth Qld Cowboys (5) V Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles (8); 11.15am

Intrust Super Premiership Finals Series – Week 2

Semi-finals: Sunday, September 10, UOW Jubilee Oval, Kogarah

5pm: Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs (4) v Illawarra (8)
7pm: New Zealand Warriors (2) v Newcastle Knights (7)

http://www.dragons.com.au/news/2017/09/04/nyc_isp_finals_draw_.html

 

[getsmarty]

Thank You Red V Members
Tue 5th September, 12:00PM
A A

Photo 18 of 18

Photo 1 of 18


The Dragons finished the season with a special thank you to the Red V Members who supported us throughout the 2017 season.

The final game of the season was dedicated to our 19,181 members to show the club’s appreciation – with a variety of special members-only activities taking place.

Thanks to all the members who participated and congratulations to all the lucky members who took place in our members guard of honour for the NRL run-on:

· Darren Clift

· Aaron Carra

· Andrew Murray

· Andrew Clifford

· Paige Haines

· Alexandra Crook

· Donna Rawson

· Natalina Cheatham

· David and Vesna Felice

The following members won a 2018 Membership voucher in our social media promotions leading into Members Appreciation Round.

· Courtney McShane

· John Bourd, and;

· Jim Katsiouras

The following members won a Red V Members backpack in our members' social media promotion:

· Melissa Morris

· Mathew Rolet

· Kellie Bell

· Michael Mansell, and;

· Natalina Cheatham

The following members were selected from our list of members with perfect attendance to hold the run-on banner:

· Barbara Davids

· George Stewart

· Daniel Thompson

· Angela Ashfield

· Joanne McGoldrick

· Phillip Musso

· Robert Egan

· Caroline O'Sullivan

· Fabian Amuso, and;

· Dannielle Burns

Long-term member Carolyn Simms was also selected to toss the coin while Jayden Rawson's grandmother won him the chance to deliver the match ball.

Ty Rash, Geoff Burgers, Sunil Gopinath Rachel Moncrieff and Roger Seeto were upgraded to halfway line seats in another one of our pre-match social media promotions.

Elva Campbell and Ruby Kelly won prizes at our banner making station on the members terrace while Angelo D'Angelo and John Legge won our special Dragons-oriented Father's Day trivia.

Nathan Maxworthy went closest to guessing how many red and white jellybeans in the jar there were (there were 539 – Nathan guessed 530).

Three father son teams competed in the half-time member relay:

· Craig and Vincent Sadler

· Paul and Aiden Clarke, and;

· Chris and Mitchell Forrester

Roger Wills was selected on game day to be upgraded to a corporate facility while Stephen Cavallaro was the winner from our Dragons Merchandise Promotion to win a signed jersey.

2018 Membership will be available soon and we hope to have you all march with us again.


http://www.dragons.com.au/news/2017/09/05/thank_you_red_v_memb.html

 

[getsmarty]

Dufty and Field re-unite for Illawarra ahead of crunch clash

Mitch Jennings@@Mitch_Jenno

7 Sep 2017, 1:30 p.m.

SPEED TO BURN: Jai Field scored a double, including the late match-winner, in Illawarra's thrilling victory over Mounties in last weekend's elimination final. The Steelers take on Canterbury this Sunday. Picture: Brendon Esposito


IT’S an old adage that you can’t coach speed, and Illawarra will have it in spades when livewire pair Matt Dufty and Jai Field re-unite for the Steelers semi-final clash with Canterbury on Sunday.

Dufty will return in the No. 1 jumper after a seven-game stint in the top grade with Field shifting to five-eighth a week after proving the match-winner against Mounties.

The 19-year-old scored a try and laid on another in the first half but it was his 79th minute long-range effort, with his side trailing by two, that sealed victory.

It’s not the only clutch play he’s produced over the latter half of the season as Illawarra scraped into the top-eight before stunning Mounties.

Having coached Field in the NYC last season, it came as no surprise to Illawarra coach Mat Head.

“You can’t teach speed, you can’t coach it, you can’t just find it, players have it or they don’t,” Head said.

“Fieldy’s certainly one of those players. He’s got a really bright future at the club and he’s been sensational for us this year.

“He’s had his ups and downs. He’s been put back down to the 20s, but he’s fought his way back to reserve grade and he’s become one of those clutch players.

“This week’s another challenge for him now that Duft’s come back to play fullback so Fieldy will go back to five-eighth which he played all last season with me.”

That Dufty-Field one-two punch worked well for Head in the NYC last season, with the pair combining for 37 tries as the young Dragons reached the prelim final.

That side also included Patrick Herbert – who scored 20 tries – Izaac Thompson, Luciano Leilua, Jack Payne and Blake Lawrie who will all line up against the Bulldogs.

“It’s going to be another step in Duft’s development, how he comes back and performs in this grade after he’s been outstanding in the seven games he got in first grade,” Head said.

“It’s going to be exciting for us to see how he faces that challenge.

“We’ve also got Blake Lawrie coming back from NRL level so we’re starting to put together a good team together that all played in the 20s last year.

“They’re still learning that it’s not all just about attack, there’s a lot of defence involved at this level and if you keep teams out for a longer period of time that’s when you have success.

“We’ve been learning through the year and I’ve always said, once we got to the finals, we were going to be an exciting footy team to watch and to have to play against.

“If we can keep our concentration in our defence, our attack speaks for itself. If we can fix our defensive lapses and concentration errors up hopefully we can earn ourselves another week.”

“It was a strange type of game, we were down by 12, then up 24-12 and it looked like it was all over and then a little bit of brilliance from Luch and Fieldy sealed the deal for us.

“It was a game I thought we weren’t really in and then one I thought we should’ve won convincingly and we got put under pressure a little bit. It was good to get the win anyway.

“Certainly. I coached the 20s last year and a lot of the boys I coached are in this team.

“It’s another learning thing for these kids. You want to win games and now that we’re in the finals we want to win [the comp] but the big picture is developing these players.

“Making sure they can play at the right times and Fieldy’s certainly showing he’s a clutch footy player.

It's pretty exciting for myself to watch these kids develop and hopefully if we can perform on Sunday we might get another victory.

“I think we match up pretty well against the Bulldogs.

“They are a strong team and they well try and out-muscle us and make our young fellas make some tackles but we also know they do tire at different stages.

“Any team can beat anyone. On the weekend seventh and eighth beat fifth and sixth so there’s no concerns that we can’t do it. We’ve just got to concentrate for the 80 minutes and give ourselves a chance because we’ve got some real strike weapons out there that can win us a game of footy.”

http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/4906204/speed-demons-unleashed/?cs=3713

 

[getsmarty]

Young Dragons hoping history doesn't repeat
Fri 8th September, 11:00AM
A A



The young Dragons will be hoping history doesn't repeat itself when they come up against the Penrith Panthers at Allianz Stadium this Saturday afternoon.

13 players named in coach Wayne Collins's squad for the upcoming qualifying final have already had a taste of playing the Panthers in finals football.

The 2016 SG Ball Grand Final saw the Panthers beat Illawarra 25-10, a team that included the likes of Matheson Johns, Jason Gillard, Tristan Sailor and Jackson Ford.

While the Dragons have beaten the Panthers in both of their 2017 meetings, it will account for nothing in the NYC finals series. Especially since Illawarra beat Penrith in both of their earlier SG Ball encounters last year too.

http://www.dragons.com.au/news/2017/09/08/young_dragons_hoping.html

 

[getsmarty]

Apps named for Jillaroos' historic PNG test
Mon 11th September, 10:00AM
A A

St George Illawarra Ambassador Kezie Apps has been named in Jillaroos coach Brad Donald's history making squad ahead of the first ever match against the Papua New Guinea Orchids in Port Moresby.

Six women have been named to make their Jillaroo debuts, including representatives from the Northern Territory, Western Australia and the Australian Defence Force teams.

The new faces will join a host of regulars from New South Wales and Queensland on the Gold Coast for a training camp next week, where they will kick off their World Cup preparations before flying out to Papua New Guinea to tackle the Orchids.

With the World Cup just around the corner, Donald said he was glad to be getting the team together and to be able to test them against another World Cup nation away from home.

"This match is a fantastic opportunity to showcase the female game on the international stage. I’m really happy with the group we’ve selected to head across to Papua New Guinea and create a bit of history," Donald said.

"It’s a really good mix of players from right across the country, so to have them come together for a week so close to the World Cup is great for our preparations for later in the year.

"A fair few from this squad have probably yet to experience playing in front of a packed crowd, let alone away from home and against a tough opponent like the PNG Orchids, so I’m eager to see how everyone handles themselves on the day."

The Jillaroos will take on the PNG national women’s side in the penultimate match of an exciting triple-header on Saturday, 23rd September that will open with an Under 16s match between a Rugby League Young Achievers side and a PNG select side, before culminating with the annual Kumuls and Prime Minister’s XIII clash.

The Harvey Norman Jillaroos and Prime Minister’s XIII squads will also be involved in a series of events, community visits and coaching clinics while on the ground in Papua New Guinea and are supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

Harvey Norman Jillaroos PNG squad:

Kezie Apps

NSW

Chelsea Baker

QLD

Maddison Bennett*

WA

Annette Brander

QLD

Ali Brigginshaw

QLD

Vanessa Foliaki

NSW

Steph Hancock

QLD

Jenni-Sue Hoepper

QLD

Kody House

QLD

Amelia Kuk

QLD

Renae Kunst

QLD

Lucy Lockhart*

ADF

Corban McGregor

NSW

Talesha Quinn*

NSW

Jessica Sergis*

NSW

Ruan Sims

NSW

Zahara Temara

QLD

Sarah Walker*

QLD

Elianna Walton

NSW

Med Warg*

NT


* Denotes Jillaroos debut


http://www.dragons.com.au/news/2017/09/11/apps_named_for_jilla.html

 

[getsmarty]

Lomax wins NSW Under 18s POTY
Blake Edwards

Tue 12th September, 11:00AM
A A

Young Dragons fullback Zac Lomax has taken home the Under 18s NSW State Player of the Year award at the Brad Fittler Medal on Monday night.

Lomax - who played in the centres in New South Wales's 35-28 win over Queensland prior to State of Origin II - was chuffed to be honoured with the award.

"I'm pretty happy with the award. The coaches such as Brad Fittler, Danny Buderus and Paul Sironen were very good for the culture in the NSW camp and it brought out the best in us," Lomax said.

Lomax was also confident the young Dragons could go all the way in the Holden Cup this season following their 18-14 win over the Penrith Panthers last weekend at Allianz Stadium.

The young Dragons will play the winner of this weekend's clash between the Sharks and Sea Eagles in the preliminary finals.

"We can go all the way 100 per cent. We have the week off now and being such a young team that will prove valuable," he said. "We have a lot of talent in our team."

http://www.dragons.com.au/news/2017/09/12/lomax_wins_nsw_under.html

 

[getsmarty]

Lomax named young Blues best player

Mitch Jennings@@Mitch_Jenno

12 Sep 2017, 11:20 a.m.

NSW under 18s player of the year Zac Lomax. Picture: NRL photos


DRAGONS NYC star Zac Lomax has received a boost ahead of his side’s preliminary final in two weeks’ time after picking up the NSW under 18s player of the year award at Monday’s Brad Fittler Medal night.

Lomax booted two clutch conversions in Saturday’s 18-14 win over Penrith to advance to week three of the finals. It’s not the first time he’s delivered in the clutch this season having landed a crucial field goal in the young Blues 35-28 win over Queensland in June.

It played no small part in picking up the coveted award on Monday night.

“It’s a good feeling but I think it was just capped off by a good performance from the boys that helped me perform a little bit better,” Lomax told NSWRL.com.

“Being around great coaches and players helped my game. [The game] really see-sawed a little bit but I was lucky to kick a field goal and then we scored in the corner right at the end. To win in such a tight game was a great feeling.”

http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/4918209/lomax-named-blues-best/?cs=3713

 

[dragonssamy61]

Well done zac a great year.
Well deserved.
Keep up the hard work.

 

[getsmarty]

Dragons trio selected in PM’s XIII
Wed 13th September, 07:00AM
A A

St George Illawarra Dragons trio Josh Dugan, Tyson Frizell and Paul Vaughan have been named as part of the Australian Prime Minister’s XIII to take on Papua New Guinea Prime Minister’s XIII in Port Moresby on Saturday, 23 September.

Debutants Valentine Holmes, Andrew Fifita, Api Koroisau, Dylan Walker, Jack Bird and Paul Vaughan will take their place in the team travelling to PNG next week, with the match to be played at the National Football Stadium in the nation’s capital.

A further six players in the squad represented the Kangaroos in the ANZAC Test match earlier this year, with Tom Trbojevic the only player yet to have played a representative match at senior level.

With a little more than a month to go until the Rugby League World Cup, Meninga said the annual invitational match would be used as a genuine selection trial for players pushing for spots in the Kangaroos’ World Cup squad.

“I’m absolutely delighted with this team. We’ve chosen the best available players in each position with fifteen of the eighteen players having represented their State already,” Meninga said.

“To get these guys together so close to the Rugby League World Cup is a real coup for our preparations, which will really kick into gear following the NRL Grand Final.

“Some of them have been fortunate enough to have already experienced playing in PNG, but for the new guys, it really is something to cherish. There’s nothing else quite like it.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how everyone gels together in a short timeframe and handles the occasion.”

Meninga also confirmed Wests Tigers captain Aaron Woods would skipper the Prime Minister’s XIII.

“Aaron has been a fantastic leader at Club and State level for a number of years now and has fully earned this honour,” Meninga said.

“I’m looking forward to seeing him lead from the front on Saturday week against an always tough, physical and entertaining Papua New Guinea Prime Minister’s XIII team.”

The Prime Minister’s XIII will also be involved in a series of events alongside the Harvey Norman Jillaroos including community visits and coaching clinics while on the ground in Papua New Guinea and are supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

Australian Prime Minister’s XIII squad:

Jack Bird (Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks)*
Josh Dugan (St George Illawarra Dragons)
Andrew Fifita (Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks)*
Tyson Frizell (St George Illawarra Dragons)
Dane Gagai (Newcastle Knights)
Wade Graham (Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks)
Valentine Holmes (Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks)*
Josh Jackson (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs)
David Klemmer (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs)
Api Koroisau (Manly Warringah Sea Eagles)*
James Maloney (Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks)
Josh Papalii (Canberra Raiders)
James Tedesco (Wests Tigers)
Jake Trbojevic (Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles)
Tom Trbojevic (Manly Warringah Sea Eagles)
Paul Vaughan (St George Illawarra Dragons)*
Dylan Walker (Manly Warringah Sea Eagles)*
Aaron Woods (Wests Tigers)

*Denotes PMXIII debut



Coach: Mal Meninga


http://www.dragons.com.au/news/2017/09/13/dragons_trio_selecte.html

 

[getsmarty]

Dugan in World Cup frame

Mitch Jennings@@Mitch_Jenno

13 Sep 2017, 5:30 p.m.

IN THE FRAME: Josh Dugan. Picture: NRL Photos


DEPARTING Dragons centre Josh Dugan remains in the World Cup selection frame after being named in Mal Meninga’s Prime Minister’s XIII squad on Wednesday.

Dugan, who will link with Cronulla on a four-year deal from 2018, endured a tumultuous second half of the season with dramas arising both in camp with NSW and with the Dragons.

The 28-year-old attracted criticism for a drinking session with NSW teammate Blake Ferguson prior to the Blues Origin III flogging while he was also stood down from the Dragons round 25 victory over Penrith after missing the team bus.

It was thought the lapses in discipline may count against him at the World Cup selection table but Meninga has maintained faith in his incumbent Test right centre.

“He’s remorseful, there’s no doubt about that,” Meninga said when asked about the fallout from Blues camp.

“He put his hand up and admitted he was wrong in this instance, which is worthy. He’s done nothing wrong by the Kangaroos and our ethos.

“That’s why he’s here. He’s been a very valuable player in the green and gold jersey and I expect him to be in the future as well.”

Dugan played that position at last year’s Four Nations and in May’s mid-season Test, in which he scored a try before suffering a broken cheekbone.

Dugan’s ability to play fullback would also boost his selection chances as Meninga considers a host of quality No. 1s for the end of season tournament.

"I always learned off Bob Fulton, just pick your best players and fit them in,” Meninga told Fairfax Media.

“It's a difficult one, we've got so many great fullbacks in the competition. Tom Trbojevic is another good example, Josh Dugan’s best position is probably fullback as well. Val Holmes plays fullback for Cronulla.

“We'll find a place for some of them, we can't find a place for all of them, that's the unfortunate nature of the beast. We can only pick 24 players. It's a bit of a dilemma but they say it's a good dilemma."

Dragons prop Paul Vaughan was also rewarded for a stellar 2017 campaign with selection for the trip to Papua New Guinea where he’ll be one of six debutants.

http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/4920912/dugan-in-world-cup-frame/?cs=302

 

[getsmarty]

I haven’t gone back to my wild ways: Josh Dugan
Adrin Prozenko
13 Sep 2017, 7:15 p.m.

Josh Dugan. Picture: AAP


Josh Dugan claims he's worked hard to clean up his image since leaving Canberra and is adamant he isn't reverting to his wild-child ways after his latest indiscretion.

Dugan is preparing to join Cronulla in the off-season after a five-year stint with St George Illawarra. His time in the Red V ended controversially after he missed the team bus for the crucial clash with Penrith.

Dragons coach Paul McGregor dropped him over the incident and the side won without him, but his return the following week wasn't enough to earn a win against the Bulldogs that would have clinched a play-off spot.

The Bulldogs buried the Dragons' season with a 26-20 win in their final round clash.

His tardiness followed revelations that he and former Raiders teammate Blake Ferguson had spent a day at the Lennox Point Hotel just days out from the State of Origin decider.

Dugan, who has been named in Mal Meninga's Prime Minister's XIII side, said he has come a long way since being sacked by Canberra for his off-field antics.

"That's not the sort of person I am," Dugan said.

"I've done a lot of hard work off the field to change that perception of me from when I was at Canberra. I've done a lot of off-field stuff in the community and I'm doing the NRL's State of Mind (Dugan is an ambassador for the program raising awareness around mental health), it's a big thing for me to make sure my off-field stuff stays as good as my on-field stuff.

"There will always be people who have the one opinion of me, but if I can change some opinions of me and make sure I'm doing the right things on and off the field, I'm happy.

"The people around me who are close to me and my teammates as well, and the staff members involved with me, they know who I am and what I'm about, and for me that's the main thing.

"But at the same time I also want to be able to walk [down the street] in public or put up a photo on Instagram and not get sprayed by everyone.

"It's a catch-22, I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't."

Dugan, who has become a mainstay in the NSW and Australian side in recent seasons, said he has avoided trouble since leaving the nation's capital.

"I haven't stuffed up for four or five years," he said.

"I missed the bus, it's a big thing on game day, a lot of people blew it out of proportion, saying I'm mucking up again and bringing up the Canberra days, when that happened five years ago and was 10 times worse than missing a bus.

"It will follow me around, but for me it's about trying to change that perception."

Dugan said it was "heartbreaking" to be dropped for a crucial game in which the Dragons' season was on the line.

"I was disappointed with myself with the way things panned out, missing the bus to the game.

"I was pretty emotional in the sheds after that happened, I spoke to Mary [McGregor] straight after it, I spoke to the boys as well and apologised.

"Other than that, I don't think I've had a slip-up in the five years I've been there.

"It's not a sign of anything to come or anything I'm doing differently.

"It was a lapse in concentration, I misread the memo and turned up at the time that wasn't right, and I paid the price.

"Moving on from that, it won't be an issue.

"In Aussie camps I've never been in trouble with Mal, I've always put my best foot forward and done everything right for him."

The fullback-centre, who infamously posted photos of himself and Ferguson drinking Bacardi Breezers on a Canberra rooftop, is hopeful he'll get another crack at a Blues jersey.

"I'm hoping the NSW board can see there was really nothing wrong that happened, it was an error in judgment and that's the way it will stay," he said of his day out at Lennox Head.

"As long as I'm playing good footy and putting my best foot forward, I'll leave it up to them."

Asked if he was an easy target, Dugan said: "There's no easy way to say it – if it was anyone but me or Fergo, it wouldn't have made the news."

http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/...gone-back-to-my-wild-ways-josh-dugan/?cs=3713

 

[getsmarty]

Packer urges NRL players to plan ahead

Mitch Jennings@@Mitch_Jenno

14 Sep 2017, 10:30 p.m.

PLAN AHEAD: recent uni graduate Russell Packer has urged NRL players to utilise educational opportunities. Picture: Sylvia Liber


NRL hardman Russell Packer has used his graduation from UOW this week to urge his fellow rugby league stars to utilise the support available to prepare for life after football.

Packer commenced his studies at UOW in 2015 by studying just one subject before progressing into a Bachelor of Commerce and onto a Graduate Certificate in Business.

Packer utilised the long-running Graduates of League program, the brainchild of former Dragons teammate Ben Creagh, in completing his studies.

“Having been out of academic work since I left school, it was pretty daunting, the support I’ve received has been phenomenal,” Packer said.

Packer’s experience on and off the field means he is regularly called upon to address young players, but he urged all NRL players to seek out similar opportunities in preparation for life after football.

“Every person is different in terms of ability and desire in their academic journey,” Packer said.

“What I can say personally, is that it’s really helped me channel some energy into something outside rugby league.

“Doing courses, whether it’s Tafe, university, apprenticeships… it’s a good way to transition out of the game because there’ll come a time for all of us when we have to do it.

“The biggest thing is realising that the help’s there. If you’ve got a keen interest in something, reach out to your welfare officer, to the NRL education officers.

“Seek out those people and ask for their help because they’re more than willing to give it to you.”

http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/4925184/packers-advice-to-fellow-nrl-stars/?cs=3713