Back 3 issues

[possm]

The only thing is wrong with our back 3 is inexperience. So unless you have and unlimited cheque book or huge TPA,'s there is nothing you can do about it. Give them until the end of next season. I guarantee you will see an improvement

It's not since Bennett was at the Dragons that we have got the squad right. We are always looking to next season to be in a position to win a grand final.

Don't any of the Board members know that tomorrow never comes.

 

[Saints Forever]

The wingers and Dufty appeared nervous at various times during the game.

The three of them should be having intensive training under the high ball.

Ravalawa is a bulldozer, not a speedster. Still very raw. Not sure Mary should persevere with him. He may benefit from a few games in CC.

The wingers are average at best.

We need to upgrade our squad in this position pronto.

 

[muzby]

ive said this for a long time now, as have many others. We have a quality forward pack and quality halves, suspect centres but nene was the only quality in our back 3 and now we have none. Where do we start to recruit a 1,2,5? Or do we have them already in our ranks and just haven’t used them? I think it’s the final peice to give us a shot at a premiership, thoughts

So what, you’d have preferred dufty scored from 76m out instead of 75m?

You muppet..

 

[blacksafake]

Dufty is a keeper at the back imo.
I’m on record saying I’m ok with the odd mistakes just as long as they make up for it & today’s try did just that. There are not too many players who could have scored that. Some on here have been calling for Lomax to play in the 1 but he looks no more confident under the high ball. Of the wingers Rava is the one who’s in the spotlight. Has potential but not ready yet.

 

[j0nesy]

ive said this for a long time now, as have many others. We have a quality forward pack and quality halves, suspect centres but nene was the only quality in our back 3 and now we have none. Where do we start to recruit a 1,2,5? Or do we have them already in our ranks and just haven’t used them? I think it’s the final peice to give us a shot at a premiership, thoughts

It’s been our obvious weakness for a while. Geez the three we’ve got are raw aren’t they? All (Duft, Rav , Pereira) have so much potential but they’re all either rocks or diamonds. I don’t think we can carry the 3, while they develop, maybe one or two of them. I’d be persisting with Dufty, give him the season, he’s definitely improving. Pereira is great, love him but he feet for hands. I’d hang on to him and probably leave him in the team for the season. Rav is the rawest of the lot and again has so
much talent. I’d be looking to replace him next season with a quality winger. Would have preferred Morris this season. But next season any quality winger will do. Let Rav ply his trade in reserves for a couple of seasons. Reassess where Duft and Pereira are at the end of the season. Marsters, Lomax and even Norman are options at fullback.

 

[Carlton]

Dufty is fine. He's getting better under the high ball slowly (the drop today was far more to do with the freak curve on it) and having a playmaker as our fullback is extremely valuable.

He's only been at the back for 3 games this year but he's owning it

He played games at fullback in first grade in 2017 and all of 2018 plus the games this year. He is the weak link in the spine and its the main position we should be looking to improve through recruitment.

 

[SaintPauli]

The wingers and Dufty appeared nervous at various times during the game.

The three of them should be having intensive training under the high ball.

Ravalawa is a bulldozer, not a speedster. Still very raw. Not sure Mary should persevere with him. He may benefit from a few games in CC.

The wingers are average at best.

We need to upgrade our squad in this position pronto.

Correct 100%

 

[possm]

1 to 5 is my concern in our squad. I have said it before that our Club goes the wrong way about when recruiting to replace players in our top 17.

Fullback
When Widdop requested a release Millward must have identified Hayne and then Norman. Widdop should then have been given an immediately release siting that the club could not carry him and Norman at the same time. This together with the salary saved with the departure of Nightingale and Macdonald, would have left enough funds in the kitty to buy a first grade standard back 3.

Wingers
Our replacement for Nightingale should have been identified in early 2018 mainly because we knew then that Nightingale was retiring at the end of the season. The replacement should have been like for like. In the same way, prior to releasing Macdonald, Millward should have identified a like for like replacement. Macdonald was under contract and should not have been released until we had a like for like replacement. The purchase of the first grade players should have been done prior to the purchase of potential first graders who will sit in CC until they force their way into first grade.

Centres
Our centres have not been rotated for a few years. We do have a junior ready for promotion to first grade so only need to purchase on other with first grade potential. We needed to buy this player prior to backfilling with second rate players.

So in my opinion Dufty, Rava, Pearson and Lomax should have been our CC players being groomed for first grade. Some may want to add Saab into that group and I would not have a problem with that.

My problem is that there was no need to buy Maranta or Runciman or keep Widdop. Instead we should have purchased a fullback, two wingers and a backup centre (for Lafai) first.

 

[st.phil]

only dragons fans could witness a try like duff scored yesterday yet still maintain he is a weak link in the back three - he is the stand out of the back three. We had a goodun in Nene but released him. Periera is first winger picked at present - wholehearted but pretty average. Looks like lomax will get the nod but he is a centre, you can see that. Rava raw, powerful but slow and stupid (sorry) What's pearson like? Marsters even worth a shot? Shocked Millward did not pull in a quality winger when we have nene and nighty headed off...

 

[utility dragon]

So what, you’d have preferred dufty scored from 76m out instead of 75m?

You muppet..

Great try but can’t catch muppet!

 

[Brutalitops]

Great try but can’t catch muppet!

He did several great catches under pressure yesterday. He has been slowly gaining confidence with the high ball, and you can see he is going on his knees for the harder bombs which makes him more stable.

The one "drop" yesterday was a freak kick that curved away like crazy, to be honest he did good to even get near it. There's barely a fullback in a game who'd have caught that one

 

[Dragonsteve2]

I joined this Forum back in July 2016 looking for answers to why we were going backwards so fast that season after the promising and courageous finals appearance in 2015. Have gained a lot from reading the views of others here but get very frustrated at the negativity directed at individual players. To criticise Dufty after yesterday and his past couple of performances is just so misguided. Widdop didn't look that great under the high ball in the first couple of games but no criticism. Rather than roast Matt why not ask why our kickers and chasers don't put such pressure on our opponents as is put on our back 3. That is what let's us down.

Dufty was mauled in this Forum for allowing the Bulldogs'winger to score at Kogarah last year but no praise for rounding up Tedesco against the Roosters yesterday. The backline looks so much more threatening with Dufty sniffing around. Unless you critics can find another Changa running around the Illawarra Dufty will do me for the next 10 years.

 

[Brutalitops]

I joined this Forum back in July 2016 looking for answers to why we were going backwards so fast that season after the promising and courageous finals appearance in 2015. Have gained a lot from reading the views of others here but get very frustrated at the negativity directed at individual players. To criticise Dufty after yesterday and his past couple of performances is just so misguided. Widdop didn't look that great under the high ball in the first couple of games but no criticism. Rather than roast Matt why not ask why our kickers and chasers don't put such pressure on our opponents as is put on our back 3. That is what let's us down.

Dufty was mauled in this Forum for allowing the Bulldogs'winger to score at Kogarah last year but no praise for rounding up Tedesco against the Roosters yesterday. The backline looks so much more threatening with Dufty sniffing around. Unless you critics can find another Changa running around the Illawarra Dufty will do me for the next 10 years.

Negative plays receive more criticism around here than positive plays receive praise. And that's a real shame

 

[Warabrook saint]

I’ve never been a fan of Mary. I think he is not a good coach. But it was good to see that whatever he said at half time worked because they stood up in the second half and probably should’ve won. Had it not been for some poor last play options we should’ve won that. Pereira and Ravalawa wear the dunce hat this week for that play. Hope they learn from that f**k up.

Bbq and pissup at my joint if we win ?

 

[Warabrook saint]

Negative plays receive more criticism around here than positive plays receive praise. And that's a real shame

Too many negative plays will get us nowhere.....other teams have positive plays too

 

[Carlton]

I joined this Forum back in July 2016 looking for answers to why we were going backwards so fast that season after the promising and courageous finals appearance in 2015. Have gained a lot from reading the views of others here but get very frustrated at the negativity directed at individual players. To criticise Dufty after yesterday and his past couple of performances is just so misguided. Widdop didn't look that great under the high ball in the first couple of games but no criticism. Rather than roast Matt why not ask why our kickers and chasers don't put such pressure on our opponents as is put on our back 3. That is what let's us down.

Dufty was mauled in this Forum for allowing the Bulldogs'winger to score at Kogarah last year but no praise for rounding up Tedesco against the Roosters yesterday. The backline looks so much more threatening with Dufty sniffing around. Unless you critics can find another Changa running around the Illawarra Dufty will do me for the next 10 years.

He doesn't look good taking any kick that is going to be contested and as for rounding up Tedesco it was Lomax who got to him first and impeded him. Why didnt Dufty help Lomax initially instead of running past the tackle?

I'd love to have Changa running around, he was an x factor who was a complete footballer.

 

[Saint_JimmyG]

Duftys form has been right up there

He’s not elite level yet like Tedesco, RTS and TommyT but Dufty has been playing great and like last year gives us hope that we can come back from behind.

we all knew were always going to be slightly behind a lot of the teams in wing department. Having said that Pierra has been really good in some games and no wingers have blinders all the time. Rav shows promise but to me he needs a little work before being a regular first grader.

Only slightly behind? The club’s most experienced winger is a bloke who went on a rugby union jaunt over the past few years. Not attempting to recruit an experienced winger (i.e. Morris) is nothing short of diabolical.

 

[Saint_JimmyG]

I’ve never been a fan of Mary. I think he is not a good coach. But it was good to see that whatever he said at half time worked because they stood up in the second half and probably should’ve won. Had it not been for some poor last play options we should’ve won that. Pereira and Ravalawa wear the dunce hat this week for that play. Hope they learn from that f**k up.

I’m more cranky with Aitken not showing any urgency in picking up THAT loose ball at such a crucial time than the stuff up between the wingers. Ravalawa shouldn’t have been on the bench anyway.

 

[Saint_JimmyG]

Dufty is fine. He's getting better under the high ball slowly (the drop today was far more to do with the freak curve on it) and having a playmaker as our fullback is extremely valuable.

He's only been at the back for 3 games this year but he's owning it

Although far from perfect, the change in the side with Dufty at fullback is obvious. Saints are a far more dangerous outfit as a result. Sure, he’s got flaws but until a better option comes along, Dufty must remain in his current position.

 

[R&WTILLIDIE]

I’m more cranky with Aitken not showing any urgency in picking up THAT loose ball at such a crucial time than the stuff up between the wingers. Ravalawa shouldn’t have been on the bench anyway.

Forgot about him. Not sure what he was thinking. Maybe he thought Roosters had already knocked the ball on?