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Charity Shield 2023 vs Souths

BLM01

BLM01

First Grade
Messages
9,918
matPORTS said:
Our biggest problem certainly came to roost yesterday - and that was not persisting with Sloan in 2022. He'd surely be a lot more progressed in his development and not making as many fundamental errors by now. We can no longer panic and must persist with him now. He has potential to be something pretty special. He looked very emotional after the game yesterday - jeez if only the rest of them could take that same look in the mirror knowing they had average performances !

The backs don't look too bad - we've got to early ball to the centres. My goodness haven't we been saying that since the Gasnier/Cooper days, yet the ball struggles to get out there early most weeks?

Mbye - he is the utility off the bench (he'll need to be because Liddle isn't ready for a full 80mins yet) and Sullivan must be starting in the six.

Hunt, solid as always and was dusting off his cobwebs for the most part.

Musgrove, BMM, Liddle look to be handy buys.

Woods - you should have retired mate! See out the year in reserve grade please (you might get a run in the event of an injury crisis.

Everything and everyone else - feeling very underwhelmed. Lawrie went okay but can't do it all on his own. How much will having JDB & Bird back for round 2 help? The other forwards (namely the Molo brothers + Su'a + Kerr + etc) really need to step up!

I think we'll win enough games to avoid the wooden spoon (we always seem to) but it will be an underwhelming season floating somewhere in the middle of the bottom half of the table.
Click to expand...
I thought Sua did step up yesterday in a losing team. he looked good on that right edge, Suli needs to get used to playing with him and sniffing around him.

People whingeing about the Lomax / Suli switch need to give that time before throwing it out
Least Lomax did not overplay his hand and was controlled, but he also got little room most of the time
Yes he mucked up that pass to Feagai as his body / balance was in the wrong position
Same with Suli and his defence, but he also was dragged in by what was inside, so least they were working together :p

Mybe was my biggest disappointment yesterday especially in attack and defence.
Woods I am used to it.
Rava yes had a shocker 2nd half but he will be OK..he too is a confidence player but least he is there trying and is full of effort.
Sloany has just got to keep working hard and practice, practice, practice. he too will be OK but it is up to him now to improve his own game, not to sulk but change.
The rest had up and down games. Lawrie still tried hard all hit ups. Musgrove improved on All Stars especially 2nd half.
Molo's (both) down on form but first hit out for a while. That goes for most.
Billy Burns / Dan Russell toss a coin but BB did run good lines and set up a try through reserve grade defence and likely wont be in starting side,
Lets see what R2 brings after we sit in the Top 8 from R1. :)
 
J

jodragon40

Juniors
Messages
425
As a coach, albeit I never reached the dizzying heights of a head coach at NRL level, what gives you pleasure is being able to build a successful or at the very least a competitive group of players and mould them into a team. As a coach you are measured by your success and very few of us walk into a ready made competitive team or club. This is what separates the genuine people from the superficial, qualifications V real life experiences. As a coach you have many responsibilities non more important than being able to identify and nurture young kids coming through. Patience is a virtue especially with young rising talent it doesn't always get through to them initially what you are trying to do to make them the best player they can be. What Griffin has done to Sloan, Sullivan and a few others is in my view misguided. You have to be disciplined and you must be a good communicator and listener. If you fall down in the basic principles of coaching then you can easily alienate those players, cause confusion and most importantly lose the confidence of your players. Once that level has been reached it is then incumbent on the coach to walk away. In my experience there is no coming back once you have lost the change shed. It has happened to me, it hurts but it is life. The Board, the coach need to realise that this is the reality of our current team and club something that never comes easy especially for an old school coach. Just my views.
 
Willow

Willow

Assistant Moderator
Messages
109,957
twinkletoes said:
Reports that Sloan was crying at full time and was being consoled by Mitchell. Cooper Cronk als saying his confidence is shot. I hope this ends better than last year and that we give him a decent shot over a reasonable period of time to settle in… accept the short term mistakes for longer term gain
Click to expand...
Which reports were those?
 
H

hewi

Bench
Messages
4,191
St George Illawarra coach Anthony Griffin says he can fix his side before their first clash of the season despite a horror Charity Shield performance.


The Dragons were left red-faced when South Sydney raced to a 26-0 halftime lead and were tracking for a record breaking win. Griffin challenged his side at halftime where he questioned their desire.


The poor showing has not deterred Griffin despite pressure already building on the club. Their Round 1 bye means they have three weeks to prepare for their second round clash against Gold Coast.


"A lot of the stuff we did to ourselves with field
"Mainly they were just playing at a higher intensity to us in the first 40 minutes. We don't like having to fix it but it is stuff you can fix. We will fix it and be ready to go."


The Dragons had a match to forget against Souths.


THE PERFORMANCE


The Dragons won the corresponding match last year. This time they were no match for a red-hot Rabbitohs.


"It was disappointing," Griffin said. "We thought we were in a better spot than that. We got a lesson and we have to learn those lessons in a few weeks.


"We got blown away a bit early. The scoreboard got into their heads. We went away from a lot of the stuff we know we can do well. We have got to have a look at that.


"The season hasn't started yet."


SLOAN PROBLEM


Tyrell Sloan was reduced to tears after the game.


South Sydney opposite Latrell Mitchell leant a sympathetic ear after Sloan broke down.


He fumbled two first half bombs, kicked out of the full and was caught short defensively off a scrum which led to a South Sydney try. Griffin has guaranteed Sloan the fullback spot.
"He is going to be our No.1, Griffin said.


"It's just a development thing. Getting him to learn about the mental aspects of the game.


Griffin has backed Tyrell Sloan to bounce back after a tough day at the office against the Rabbitohs. Picture: Getty
Jayden Sullivan performed strongly off the bench as he continues to make his return from a hamstring injury. Sullivan is now pushing to partner Ben Hunt in the halves if the Dragons opt to keep Jack Bird at lock. Bird and Jack de Belin will come back into the team after missing Saturday's clash.


"Jayden did a good job," Griffin said. "The first touch after halftime he got his timing wrong with Sloan. They are lessons we need to go through. He added something and he is a chance of starting. I thought his performance was a positive.


"Mat Feagai was good. Blake Lawrie was great. Our spine was a bit rusty but it gives us time to get that right”
PRESSURE BUILDING


The Dragons will enter the season under the most microscope as Griffin heads into the final year of his contract.


"You don't want that performance," Griffin said.


"But the season starts in three weeks. It's an opportunity to have a look at that performance and get things right.


"I can understand why people will be disappointed.


We are really disappointed. You don't want to play like that. That's what trial games are for. We
will give us an opportunity to look at ourselves."


The Dragons were the unlucky team when the draw was announced given they were handed an opening week bye. The extended preparation for their first game may now be the perfect outcome given their winless pre-season.


"I would prefer to be playing but everything happens for a reason," Griffin said. "We don't have control over that. We have our next three weeks mapped out. That won't change. Our faith in the players won't change."

"He got a bit better as the game went on. He could've folded. He played out the eighty minutes.


It's time and coaching and helping him get through that.


"When you have young players with a lot of talent, those are the things that are going to do at times."

FROM THE AUSTRALIAN

LINK REQUIRED Please include links to articles.
- Moderator has put it in this time.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
P

Parko1310

Juniors
Messages
1,455
redVinme said:
BMM played good minutes for longer than I thought. Honestly I'd rather keep him on the edge and have bird as 14 and mbye left right out. Bird can cover injury plus edge and lock. No need for both in the 17 imo.
Click to expand...
I agree there's no need for both of them in the 17, but Bird isn't the answer as 14. He should be the lock, our front row is so weak, De Belin needs to be there. Look, we can all see it coming now. Bird will be five-eighth in round 2, Mbye will be 14 and Sullivan left right out. But, in my view, Sullivan needs to have that first crack at 6, we are a much stronger team with Bird at 13 and De Belin at prop too. Bring another hooker onto the bench at 14 (CM, Finau, or stop gap).

There is so much dead wood to clean up it is ridiculous. The fact that the likes of Billy Burns, Fui, Kerr, Woods are still here and actually get a good look in to the best 17 is farcical. The reality with guys like this, especially the first three named is that people see one good run, one good tackle or one quick play the ball and think they've got the potential to start in the 17, but they don't. They are not players worth the time. Thankfully, they're all off contract, so for mine they can all piss off. Couchman's, Egan looked really really good for mine against St.Helens, and maybe they're not ready yet but they aren't a mile off. It's amazing how our "best 17" don't seem to get the basics of footy, yet these guys turn up and do them. I was watching the charity shield yesterday with someone who doesn't even watch footy, who said "aren't they supposed to press in defence?", basically saying, "why don't they move up?". I just laughed and said they're supposed to, but they never do. You learn to do this shit in under 6's and they still won't do it. Yet, these young kids when they played actually gave us some line speed. There's no way they don't know they're supposed to move up, so that tells me they're deliberately not doing it.

How disconnected the team look also concerns me. No one smiling, everyone looking pissed off at each other, bewilderment by some at how bad their teammates actually are. Imagine you're an NRL player of the calibre of Hunt or Su'a and you look around and see Billy Burns or Josh Kerr who look like they could trip over their own feet any second. You'd have to shake your head.

Depending on how severed the relationship between Hook and the overall squad is, we may just see the performances get more and more amateurish until they get their way and he's gone. How slow the board are to react to everything could honestly see us picking up the spoon. If we play anything like we did for an extended period during the season, I don't see any team being worse than us come the year's end.

More on our squad, I'm sorry, but Ravalawa is horrible. Same mistakes, same lack of basic footy IQ. He's big and strong, that's it. He's not quick, has little to no athletic ability, and never cuts back in when he's no chance of scoring. He's not even running as hard as he used to and he's not as effective. Showed improvement in one season when he cut out errors under the high ball, but he still can't pick the ball up off the ground, and still looks like he's out there for one of his first ever games. Dan Rusell, people are calling for him to start the season in firsts. This is exactly the type of signing that has crucified our club since 2012. He can stay on as a train and trialist, fine, but we don't need him in the top 30. It's just such a Dragons singing if that were to happen. Our standards need to be set higher now, signings like that should not be seen as acceptable. Our focus should be on players like Dom Young, Heilum Luki, Leniu, f**k even David Fifita for the right price. I understand you have to have a squad of 30, but there are good players getting around that you can sign just as cheap as the Dan Russell's of the world, who are younger and more promising. The junior nursery is a decent place to start looking. Then there's the country, and even rugby union. I congratulate the club for the signing of Tamale, but that sort of thing is what we need more of.

Don't even get me started on the St George/Illawarra divide which from the outside looking in is obviously one of the main issues cruelling the club. These idiots need to realise they're one identity and not two, and move forward. If they can't stop acting like spoilt toddlers and get over it, the club will remain stagnant. So either get over it or piss off and get someone in who can. Rant over.
 
kit66

kit66

Bench
Messages
4,004
Draginzaaar said:
I have never watched a game we lost on replay....ever. I'm 62.
Click to expand...

I'm older and wiser....63 ;)

I don't do it very often but I didn't see this one live and I want to see why our stats are so different from the reality.
I'm also desperate for some footy. I want to see how our new blokes went as well as Bud and Sloan so I'll suffer for a cause - probably fast forward most of the first half but.
 
redVinme

redVinme

Bench
Messages
2,793
Parko1310 said:
I agree there's no need for both of them in the 17, but Bird isn't the answer as 14. He should be the lock, our front row is so weak, De Belin needs to be there. Look, we can all see it coming now. Bird will be five-eighth in round 2, Mbye will be 14 and Sullivan left right out. But, in my view, Sullivan needs to have that first crack at 6, we are a much stronger team with Bird at 13 and De Belin at prop too. Bring another hooker onto the bench at 14 (CM, Finau, or stop gap).

There is so much dead wood to clean up it is ridiculous. The fact that the likes of Billy Burns, Fui, Kerr, Woods are still here and actually get a good look in to the best 17 is farcical. The reality with guys like this, especially the first three named is that people see one good run, one good tackle or one quick play the ball and think they've got the potential to start in the 17, but they don't. They are not players worth the time. Thankfully, they're all off contract, so for mine they can all piss off. Couchman's, Egan looked really really good for mine against St.Helens, and maybe they're not ready yet but they aren't a mile off. It's amazing how our "best 17" don't seem to get the basics of footy, yet these guys turn up and do them. I was watching the charity shield yesterday with someone who doesn't even watch footy, who said "aren't they supposed to press in defence?", basically saying, "why don't they move up?". I just laughed and said they're supposed to, but they never do. You learn to do this shit in under 6's and they still won't do it. Yet, these young kids when they played actually gave us some line speed. There's no way they don't know they're supposed to move up, so that tells me they're deliberately not doing it.

How disconnected the team look also concerns me. No one smiling, everyone looking pissed off at each other, bewilderment by some at how bad their teammates actually are. Imagine you're an NRL player of the calibre of Hunt or Su'a and you look around and see Billy Burns or Josh Kerr who look like they could trip over their own feet any second. You'd have to shake your head.

Depending on how severed the relationship between Hook and the overall squad is, we may just see the performances get more and more amateurish until they get their way and he's gone. How slow the board are to react to everything could honestly see us picking up the spoon. If we play anything like we did for an extended period during the season, I don't see any team being worse than us come the year's end.

More on our squad, I'm sorry, but Ravalawa is horrible. Same mistakes, same lack of basic footy IQ. He's big and strong, that's it. He's not quick, has little to no athletic ability, and never cuts back in when he's no chance of scoring. He's not even running as hard as he used to and he's not as effective. Showed improvement in one season when he cut out errors under the high ball, but he still can't pick the ball up off the ground, and still looks like he's out there for one of his first ever games. Dan Rusell, people are calling for him to start the season in firsts. This is exactly the type of signing that has crucified our club since 2012. He can stay on as a train and trialist, fine, but we don't need him in the top 30. It's just such a Dragons singing if that were to happen. Our standards need to be set higher now, signings like that should not be seen as acceptable. Our focus should be on players like Dom Young, Heilum Luki, Leniu, f**k even David Fifita for the right price. I understand you have to have a squad of 30, but there are good players getting around that you can sign just as cheap as the Dan Russell's of the world, who are younger and more promising. The junior nursery is a decent place to start looking. Then there's the country, and even rugby union. I congratulate the club for the signing of Tamale, but that sort of thing is what we need more of.

Don't even get me started on the St George/Illawarra divide which from the outside looking in is obviously one of the main issues cruelling the club. These idiots need to realise they're one identity and not two, and move forward. If they can't stop acting like spoilt toddlers and get over it, the club will remain stagnant. So either get over it or piss off and get someone in who can. Rant over.
Click to expand...
To be clear I'd still want bird at lock I'd just have him on after 20mins to finish the game.

Everything else I absolutely agree with. For me still and as has been over the last 10 years the coach is the biggest hand break. People wonder why we can't sign any high quality players, it's not just that we have had shit coaches it's that the coaches we have signed dont show the kind of ambition required to be a top 8 team. Every player in the league knows that. Until that changes I don't expect any meaningful change or signing unless we pay well overs.

That and having a dipshit like harran publicly saying "I think he (nanai) wants to stay in nqld but if he changes his mind we'd be interested"

C'mon that's sales 101 and you are failing miserably.
 
Number of the Beath

Number of the Beath

Juniors
Messages
1,871
Miller was a legend said:
Don’t beat up on Sloan guys. The kid is going to be real good. He needs time and support especially through these rough patches.
Gonna be special that kid
Click to expand...
No he ain't - not if his response to having a shit game is to go and have a sook to the opposition fullback.
Jesus wept - grow a spine and do some work at training instead of just listening to people who tell you ÿou're gonna be special".
FMS
 
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