Charity Shield 2017

[gonz]

It is just a trial however because we hav been very poor for many yrs now & our players hav no confidence at all trial games for our club r actually a critical component to our season.

 

[JohnnoMcJohnno]

One thing was different - Dugan passed!

 

[John moz]

Coach of the century the person that appointed him the position has to be sacked.

 

[John moz]

One thing was different - Dugan passed!

And yep it was the last we saw of dugan in a back line move shit structure .

 

[BlackDuckSaint]

There is a Presser on the NRL website

http://www.nrl.com/charity-shield-dragons-press-conference/tabid/10959/contentid/893817/default.aspx

 

[Crush]

OK, thats enough for me. I can't take anymore. I'm out.

 

[BennyV]

I wrote a scathing post after last years CS and got howled down by a few posters last year for being negative and was told why get so carried away it was only a trial. By the way I was by no means the only one to suffer this.
I could almost cut and paste it this year.
If todays game plan is what is ahead we will get the spoon with ease.
A few points
1. Our defence coaches have got no idea how to set the backline as the number of overlaps the opposition get is ridiculous. So sick of seeing Nighty coming in off his wing and seeing the opposition score easy tries out wide. The basic positioning and set up is incredibly poor. Again we shifted Nighty to the LW which is exactly what we did last year and it failed miserably. Obviously our coach is worried about a small centre and a small winger side by side (Aitken and Nighty on the RHS). Well pick one and drop the other, but what do we do, we move RHS players to the left hand side which is always thwart with danger and not content to do it with just the winger then we do it with the centre. Square pegs in round holes.
2. People are going to say how great our pack is this year and how other teams will not dominate us. We had 54% of the ball today and yet the Bunnies, who many in here are saying will not be top 8 and maybe even a bottom 4 team, rolled down the field with ease just like teams did last year. The opposition get into attacking positions way too quickly and often with little stress put on them and thats why we are easy to score against.
3. Our forwards when they do make a bust very rarely have someone on their tail to support them. This is just plain poor coaching and shows a lack of positional play. At least Quinlan used to trail Merrin and how we all loved it when it came off.
4. Our coaching staff have got NFI idea where some players best positions are e.g. Simms is not a prop and is a back row impact player, Vaughan is also an impact player but some how we started these blokes in our final trial just crazy.
5. We have trouble working out which is our best combination in the centres and while we do that some people keep paying out on Dugan. For gods sake our coach is an ex international centre and yet our centres are almost as benign as our halves. It is simple if Dugan is at FB you need to have ball playing centres of which we have 2 Mann and Milne.
6. Our halves are diabolical and we don't have a specialist halves coach nor do we bring an expert in to help remedy it. We keep sticking with a failed game plan (if there is such a thing). We can't win games with the current set up or style of play and today was the day to see something new and we got last years blue print.

After all the hype about what we were going to get, if people aren't concerned after todays game then IMO you have rocks in your head.
There is absolutely no hope for us as a club unless they announce the 2018 coach before the season starts and get a recognised interim coach by round 4 regardless of the cost.

Disagree with number 2 OT, I think our forwards, individually at least, are strong and any decent coach would love that pack. The use of interchanges and fact that they run 1 out (something advised against in u12s) is shocking. Packer is our strongest prop, why is he starting off the bench? Vaughn and Sims are great impact players who lift the team with presence, why are they starting? Host is one of the most exciting edge forwards come through our system since Creagh, why I'd've being used as a battering ram?!?!

McInnes will help, but if there's only 1 option for running the ball, and he has no support, he will get whacked.

 

[John moz]

Check out the body language on the press conference with widdop had his body turned away from mary.

 

[ricky_and_martin]

There is a Presser on the NRL website

http://www.nrl.com/charity-shield-dragons-press-conference/tabid/10959/contentid/893817/default.aspx

Unbelievable!!!!!!! This guy is dead set CLUELESS.

 

[John moz]

What a shocker of a jersey the design of the Dragon was like it was drawn on by a 5 year old .

 

[Glenn01]

He is making excuses already. But I very much doubt Widdop is angry with McGregor. Any half competent coach would have sent him back to the Cutters by now but McGregor has him captain of the NRL side. Widdop must think very well of McGregor.

 

[HenryTatana]

There is a Presser on the NRL website

http://www.nrl.com/charity-shield-dragons-press-conference/tabid/10959/contentid/893817/default.aspx

That'll do me as well. Thinks everything will come together in Round 1. Must know something we don't. ... Jake in the 17.

 

[Glenn01]

Absolutely. Duges is like a button. Good playmakers know when and where to press it. This is why NSW and the Kangaroos use him at centre. Running off Cronk in the 4 nations he was devastating.

But in our dogshit attack, we'd be better served with a 2nd 5/8 like Boyd or Moylan to make up for Widdop being so hopeless.

Again its the combinations that are all wrong, and something we need to get right before Hunt comes.

That is all true and all well and good but it comes across like you are blaming Duges for Widdop. Duges does his job. He isn't good enough to make up for utterly useless halves but he is a good player.

 

[Dragon66]

Only one word to describe that game - depressing.

Hard to know where to start. The most glaring problem was the way the team stands and waits for the opposition to come to them. So they are continually back-pedalling if the opposing side moves the ball around, which Souths did on a lot of occasions. On the whole our defence was soft. The forwards look clueless and leaderless, and lack enthusiasm. McGregor spoke about playing a "forward power game" this year, it hasn't worked the past few years and nothing in that game gives me any reason to think this year will be any different. Our problems start in the forwards, and because they are so containable the backline struggles to be able to get set and they find they have to run one out to and try and find some composure and structure. All in all - they have no idea what to do when they have the ball except take constant settlers. McGregor presser was a disgrace. The high points and positives he pointed out related to an under 16's schoolboy side, not experienced NRL players, which the vast number of our team are.

I am not blaming any one individual for that woeful showing. They all played like an ill disciplined rabble.

The Bad - Widdop's shocking kicking game. Once more very little second phase play from the forwards , just bash and barge. Lack of commitment in defence. Dugan only passed the ball once that helped realise a try, but did it playing like a centre. His fullback days should be over as far as I'm concerned. Mann and Field looked clueless, but it was not their fault. McCrone is not up to scratch except in a team that might end up coming about 14th in the comp. I'm sick of the wingers being more interested in taking the ball up from dummy half to make a settler,than staying in position to follow up a break if our clueless backline can make one. I consider it a waste of a tackle when Nighty and MCDonald do it so often. JDB plays like a cream puff, but I'm sure his stats look good. Ahmau never creates any second phase, and doesn't ever really bother the defence. There is a bit more but I couldn't be bothered. But finally why was KFL in the team?

The good. - I liked McInnes, thought his service was good and impressed with his defence, Packer really played like he cared and wanted to win. Host is getting better is should be in the 17. Vaughan was strong and could make inroads with the ball. Frizell gave 100%. Individually the backs tried hard, but seemed like they had just met each other.

Once again the main problem is MCGregor. Clueless.

 

[Old Timer]

Benny V
Don't get me wrong I don't think our pack is bad but i do believe it is very poorly managed and utilised.
It is looking much angrier in attack which is good but I am concerned at the easy meterage the opposition get against us in the middle.
Our entire defensive structures are poor and unless they fix it, our pack will get dominated yet again, when in fact it should finish on top more times than not.
There doesn't appear to be any structures at all anywhere it is all 1 out in attack and something similar in defence.
I agree on paper 1 on 1 we look great but nothing seems to gel in respect of cooperation or team work and any personal deficiencies are sorely highlighted.
We had 54% ball today scored 3 tries (1 at the death) and leaked 6 tries not so good if we have dominant forwards.
Simple answer is Des would get this team top 8 if not top 6 if he was to walk in the door tomorrow and start afresh.

 

[giboz71]

That is all true and all well and good but it comes across like you are blaming Duges for Widdop. Duges does his job. He isn't good enough to make up for utterly useless halves but he is a good player.

Duges is a great player, but my point is he can't play fullback in our backline. NSW and Aust have already accepted this and slotted him at centre where he can run off decent halves. Not at the Dragons where our halves are Widdop and McCrone. Might be a different story with Hunt, but I still wouldn't put him at FB.

I have no problem with Duges playing centre for decent coin. But fullbacks these days have to be multi dimensional. Unless you're the most devastating runner in the game (which Duges is not any more) you need to bring other skills to the table like passing, kicking, support play etc. Think Boyd, Moylan, Tedesco, Barba, RTS who bring many dimensions to an attack.

Like it or not, Duges doesn't bring this to the table so we'd be crazy to pay him anywhere near $1m a year to be our FB.

 

[Dragsters]

There is a Presser on the NRL website

http://www.nrl.com/charity-shield-dragons-press-conference/tabid/10959/contentid/893817/default.aspx

Widdop...

"whatever decision the coach makes (about the halves selections) will be great!"

Not for you if he makes the right decision mate.

 

[Old Timer]

OK, thats enough for me. I can't take anymore. I'm out.

Come on Crush, you cant sign out that easily, be part of it for a couple of years and then you can vacate the place.

 

[Glenn01]

Duges is a great player, but my point is he can't play fullback in our backline. NSW and Aust have already accepted this and slotted him at centre where he can run off decent halves. Not at the Dragons where our halves are Widdop and McCrone. Might be a different story with Hunt, but I still wouldn't put him at FB.

I have no problem with Duges playing centre for decent coin. But fullbacks these days have to be multi dimensional. Unless you're the most devastating runner in the game (which Duges is not any more) you need to bring other skills to the table like passing, kicking, support play etc. Think Boyd, Moylan, Tedesco, Barba, RTS who bring many dimensions to an attack.

Like it or not, Duges doesn't bring this to the table so we'd be crazy to pay him anywhere near $1m a year to be our FB.

I agree with your conclusion but I would like to add he is a very good fullback. I think even a ball-playing fullback like Moylan would be rubbish if he was playing behind our halves.

 

[St Georgio]

Well

Only one word to describe that game - depressing.

Hard to know where to start. The most glaring problem was the way the team stands and waits for the opposition to come to them. So they are continually back-pedalling if the opposing side moves the ball around, which Souths did on a lot of occasions. On the whole our defence was soft. The forwards look clueless and leaderless, and lack enthusiasm. McGregor spoke about playing a "forward power game" this year, it hasn't worked the past few years and nothing in that game gives me any reason to think this year will be any different. Our problems start in the forwards, and because they are so containable the backline struggles to be able to get set and they find they have to run one out to and try and find some composure and structure. All in all - they have no idea what to do when they have the ball except take constant settlers. McGregor presser was a disgrace. The high points and positives he pointed out related to an under 16's schoolboy side, not experienced NRL players, which the vast number of our team are.

I am not blaming any one individual for that woeful showing. They all played like an ill disciplined rabble.

The Bad - Widdop's shocking kicking game. Once more very little second phase play from the forwards , just bash and barge. Lack of commitment in defence. Dugan only passed the ball once that helped realise a try, but did it playing like a centre. His fullback days should be over as far as I'm concerned. Mann and Field looked clueless, but it was not their fault. McCrone is not up to scratch except in a team that might end up coming about 14th in the comp. I'm sick of the wingers being more interested in taking the ball up from dummy half to make a settler,than staying in position to follow up a break if our clueless backline can make one. I consider it a waste of a tackle when Nighty and MCDonald do it so often. JDB plays like a cream puff, but I'm sure his stats look good. Ahmau never creates any second phase, and doesn't ever really bother the defence. There is a bit more but I couldn't be bothered. But finally why was KFL in the team?

The good. - I liked McInnes, thought his service was good and impressed with his defence, Packer really played like he cared and wanted to win. Host is getting better is should be in the 17. Vaughan was strong and could make inroads with the ball. Frizell gave 100%. Individually the backs tried hard, but seemed like they had just met each other.

Once again the main problem is MCGregor. Clueless.

Well spoken mate, just add it to the sack Mary thread!