Biggest changes needed in 2022

[Dragon David]

It all comes down to the forwards.If they are punching through the lines the attack will take care of itself. defence is an attitude & confidence and if we start well next season the confidence will come ( "they can't break our wall" ). Cant understand two posters in particular continually bagging Hook when it's his first year FFS. Club is in a win-win situation. If he stuffs up next year ( and that will be only based on ladder position ) then we don't have a payout issue to get rid of him.If we succeeds then happy days !

I know that all clubs go through dramas in every NRL season like with injuries, suspensions, off field dramas etc., some more than others. We copped heaps this year and even without them our coaches in their first year would have been lucky to get us near the top 8 anyway imo.

Next year is the time to either praise them or to put shit on them.

Dragonslayer's post above shows which coaches had their first year at their respective clubs, let's see how they fare as well. We will be improvers.

 

[Draginzaaar]

The best thing we have going for us is Ryan Webb. I think he has vision. But is the board going to chain him and allow him to only open the door and then the board make the decision to walk through the door. We as supporters want success and deservedly so. My mates laugh when looking at our club saying you should be top 6 every year with he base of St George and the money Of Win. The problem is, does the BOD demand and command the success we want cause as I see from an outsider they are the anchors holding us down like the titanic. Let’s be real bennet when he arrived told the BOD. Stay out of my way and let me do my job. Premiership then arrived. I can see it now. Favourite son returns to coach dragons ie Dean Young. I believe hook knows what he is doing. But 8 weeks next year is plenty for all to realize if he is the right man. If not get Jason Ryles. He has been away from our systems.

Ryles just signed to be assistant at the Roosters

 

[Dragon David]

Ryles just signed to be assistant at the Roosters

Yes, so the Roosters lose Fitzgibbon to the Sharks but gain another great assistant defensive coach in Ryles who has previously served well under Bellamy. These guys appear to not want anything to do with the Dragons now but boy, one of them would have been handy for us this year and future years.

 

[Mjab]

I reckon if Hook doesnt perform well next year that may be the end of him with the club holding the 3rd year option
Nonetheless Ryles may well have a useful skill set by then and might be worth looking at
Doing his best to get great experience under great coaches , a smart move
I dont think there is animosity there from his playing days from what I remember

The other coach worth looking at down the track IMO is Ciraldo , another good defensive coach

 

[mbk78]

We have a craft dummy half in Sullivan, he was an attacking threat whenever he came on. Another off-season development in the hooking role will do wonders for his footy. McCullough can do the defensive stuff for the first 20mins and then bring on Sullivan to create havoc. Having a threat from dummy half is vital in modern footy as it helps with winning the ruck & creates variations in attack.

This. We have Sloan, Armone & Sullivan. 3 spine positions for only 2 spots. Sullivan showed great versatility in his time at 9 in the last couple of games this year. Very good defence and enterprising in attack. A good training ground if ever there was one. Remember Joey Johns had success out of dummy half for the Blues early in his representative career. So there is some solid precedence there.

 

[TruSaint]

Yes, so the Roosters lose Fitzgibbon to the Sharks but gain another great assistant defensive coach in Ryles who has previously served well under Bellamy. These guys appear to not want anything to do with the Dragons now but boy, one of them would have been handy for us this year and future years.

Yep...
Dragons logic " he had brain snaps as a player ".
Chooks and Storm, " he has a brain ".

 

[Bring back John Fifita]

This was posted in the main NRL forum. After 5 rounds these were the stats for each team in Win/Loss/% etc.

Before this we'd beaten an awful Sea Eagles, equally awful Cowboys, decimated Knights and a quality win against the Eels.

Not rubbing anything in - I've admittedly bagged the club a lot. But sweet Jesus this is horrifying, and in my opinion absolutely no excuses for anyone in the club - top to bottom. In anyone's language these figures are completely unacceptable.

There's a bit of a clean up going on but how will the club turn this around - everyone from board to coach to the playing group?

Who are the leaders in our club, and will they stand up?

That's the biggest change I see that we need.

Pos​	Team	P​	W​	L​	W%​
1​	Storm	20​	19​	1​	95%​
2​	Rabbitohs	20​	17​	3​	85%​
3​	Panthers	20​	16​	4​	80%​
4​	Sea Eagles	20​	15​	5​	75%​
5​	Roosters	20​	13​	7​	65%​
6​	Eels	20​	12​	8​	60%​
7​	Knights	20​	10​	10​	50%​
8​	Sharks	19​	8​	11​	42%​
9​	Raiders	19​	7​	12​	37%​
10​	Tigers	19​	7​	12​	37%​
11​	Titans	20​	7​	13​	35%​
12​	Warriors	19​	6​	13​	32%​
13​	Cowboys	19​	6​	13​	32%​
14​	Broncos	19​	6​	13​	32%​
15​	Dragons	19​	4​	15​	21%​
16​	Bulldogs	19​	3​	16​	16%​

 

[baggygreen man]

Not like lawrie standing like a statue.

One of only three forwards to average 100m a game. Dont call that standing like a statue. For Lawrie to take the next step he does need to develop an offload.

 

[Mojo]

This was posted in the main NRL forum. After 5 rounds these were the stats for each team in Win/Loss/% etc.

Before this we'd beaten an awful Sea Eagles, equally awful Cowboys, decimated Knights and a quality win against the Eels.

Not rubbing anything in - I've admittedly bagged the club a lot. But sweet Jesus this is horrifying, and in my opinion absolutely no excuses for anyone in the club - top to bottom. In anyone's language these figures are completely unacceptable.

There's a bit of a clean up going on but how will the club turn this around - everyone from board to coach to the playing group?

Who are the leaders in our club, and will they stand up?

That's the biggest change I see that we need.

Pos​	Team	P​	W​	L​	W%​
1​	Storm	20​	19​	1​	95%​
2​	Rabbitohs	20​	17​	3​	85%​
3​	Panthers	20​	16​	4​	80%​
4​	Sea Eagles	20​	15​	5​	75%​
5​	Roosters	20​	13​	7​	65%​
6​	Eels	20​	12​	8​	60%​
7​	Knights	20​	10​	10​	50%​
8​	Sharks	19​	8​	11​	42%​
9​	Raiders	19​	7​	12​	37%​
10​	Tigers	19​	7​	12​	37%​
11​	Titans	20​	7​	13​	35%​
12​	Warriors	19​	6​	13​	32%​
13​	Cowboys	19​	6​	13​	32%​
14​	Broncos	19​	6​	13​	32%​
15​	Dragons	19​	4​	15​	21%​
16​	Bulldogs	19​	3​	16​	16%​

The win against the Eels early in the season was the only respectable game I can recall from 2021. Why was it so different to all of our other performances?

 

[baggygreen man]

Since the JV we have produced very few genuine gun spine players
from my memory.

the best one we’ve had is Boyd, obviously brought over with his dad in 2009. Converted from a winger though during his time.

5/8: You could put Mundine and Barrett in the locally produced product and they are touching on great but not quite up with the Fitlers or Daley’s of the time, and both before the JV started.

Halfback: Probably one of our consistently weakest positions, Hornby a utility turned fullback turned halfback was probably the best but I’d put him more in the well coached did a job for us type player than a complete player who regularly toyed with defences.

Hooker: Browny was the best locally produced hooker but he was prior to the JV. Since then we’ve had local players like Gorrell who did a job, Dean Young who was a great utility but not an out and out hooker in the mould of Buderus.

I’m not saying all our players need to be juniors but it’s surprising how few spine players we seem to produce and even that we have had in general at the same time when you think about it. In terms of forwards and especially wingers/centres we’ve regularly pumped out greats even all time greats. Ryles, Bailey, Cooper, Gasnier, Morris x2. Garrick and Saab aren’t going too bad either much to my deep pain.

Do Brad McKay, Lance Thompson and Wayne Bartrim make the cut.

Fullback: I don’t think we’ve produced one,

Luke Patten.

 

[baggygreen man]

Win more games.

Have more creativity in the halves.
Dont play blokes out of position..
Improve our defense. Sack the defensive coach.

 

[Forbes Creek Dragons]

Do Brad McKay, Lance Thompson and Wayne Bartrim make the cut.

Fullback: I don’t think we’ve produced one,

Luke Patten.

Luke Patten is not a great imo. He’s a steady player but I could name 100 better fullback. None of the others are spine players.

 

[Inisai Toga]

Luke Patten is not a great imo. He’s a steady player but I could name 100 better fullback. None of the others are spine players.

Agree with your thoughts about the JV spine FCD. Having said that, i actually rated Mark Piggy Riddell as a good one at Hooker. Couldn’t give a rats about his so called (lack of) fitness; he’d win you a game of football! Tough, clever and competitive; I wish he’d stayed longer in the Red V.

 

[Forbes Creek Dragons]

Agree with your thoughts about the JV spine FCD. Having said that, i actually rated Mark Piggy Riddell as a good one at Hooker. Couldn’t give a rats about his so called (lack of) fitness; he’d win you a game of football! Tough, clever and competitive; I wish he’d stayed longer in the Red V.

Yeah I agree, loved him. I think we signed him from the Rorters but he definitely was one of our better halves. Basically my thoughts were around the fact that this could with the right amount of work, good planning and luck be our best ever spine, JV spine of course.

 

[possm]

Why not get rid of Horan and Millward and bring in Bennett and a recruitment officer he suggests. The get rid of Griffin's asstants and hir some smart young coaches. So, two old heads and two young ones. That should be a great coaching combo.

Bennett knows how to strengthen our forwards and install a good defensive system.

 

[Bring back John Fifita]

Do Brad McKay, Lance Thompson and Wayne Bartrim make the cut.

Fullback: I don’t think we’ve produced one,

Luke Patten.

Dean Raper?

best i can think of right now..

 

[Bring back John Fifita]

Yeah I agree, loved him. I think we signed him from the Rorters but he definitely was one of our better halves. Basically my thoughts were around the fact that this could with the right amount of work, good planning and luck be our best ever spine, JV spine of course.

Piggy was awesome - like a big rubber brick that would buffet his way through the defence and bounce people off him.

As for other genuine spine players, but products of the Dragons..

Hornby - was a genuine fullback who made good at 7. Won us a comp. Love the bloke
Mundine - best 6 we've had in club history i've seen IMO.
Young was a 9 for a while, but more known as a 13 in his later years..
Barrett - if you count the steelers, he was a gun and played his guts out every game - even though results may not have reflected it

But yeah - it's slim pickings overall for these spots we've produced. Geez..

 

[OneEyedDragon]

Comparing Storm to Dragons' golden era not too big a stretch

Likening the Melbourne Storm to the great St George sides that won 11 straight premierships between 1956 and 1966 may seem premature, but the comparison is not as far off the mark as it may appear, writes Paul Kennedy.

www.abc.net.au

Great story about the training methods used during the glory days of the Dragons and comparing it to the modern day Storm.

Hook should read it and take a LOT of notes.

 

[blacksafake]

Go

Comparing Storm to Dragons' golden era not too big a stretch

Likening the Melbourne Storm to the great St George sides that won 11 straight premierships between 1956 and 1966 may seem premature, but the comparison is not as far off the mark as it may appear, writes Paul Kennedy.

www.abc.net.au

Great story about the training methods used during the glory days of the Dragons and comparing it to the modern day Storm.

Hook should read it and take a LOT of notes.

Good read, thanks OED.

 

[denis preston]

Comparing Storm to Dragons' golden era not too big a stretch

Likening the Melbourne Storm to the great St George sides that won 11 straight premierships between 1956 and 1966 may seem premature, but the comparison is not as far off the mark as it may appear, writes Paul Kennedy.

www.abc.net.au

Great story about the training methods used during the glory days of the Dragons and comparing it to the modern day Storm.

Hook should read it and take a LOT of notes.

Hook said one of his first main foundations was defence so he should be very disappointed with the players and the defence coach.Perhaps the defence coach gets a reprieve due to the worst defensive players getting flicked ?