De Belin Named In NRL Nines Squad

[Divine]

Kyogle Turkeys....lol

 

[Mr Red]

Lafai's ok isn't he?
And Mose ran down Ben Barba.:sarcasm:

i think Lafai is ok over 30 meters, i wouldn't bet my house on him having the ability to go the full 100...

 

[The Nick]

i think Lafai is ok over 30 meters, i wouldn't bet my house on him having the ability to go the full 100...

Well hopefully we're not banking on him scoring too many tries from his own tryline.... Speed over 30m is plenty. There's a reason why these blokes are timed over 40m and not 100m.

 

[getsmarty]

Dugan To Lead NRL Nines Squad

Fri 29th January, 03:00PM A A

St George Illawarra Dragons Australian and Blues representative Josh Dugan has been named captain of the Club’s NRL Auckland Nines squad competing at Eden Park, Auckland on February 6-7.
The first time Captain will lead an 18-man travelling squad named by Head Coach Paul McGregor for the two-day tournament which will see six new signings make their first respective appearances for the Club.
New recruits Tim Lafai, Dunamis Lui, Josh McCrone, Mose Masoe, Kurt Mann and Sebastine Ikahihifo have all been named as has returning former player, Kalifa Faifai Loa.
McGregor has chosen to provide young Dragons Matt Dufty, Jacob Host with the opportunity to play against NRL players as well as NYC Graduate from 2015, Jay Gallagher.
“The Nines is an uncharacteristic style of footy due to the nine minute halves and the overall speed of the game which that everyone enjoys and likes being a part of,” said McGregor.
“We’ve done a lot of game-simulated conditioning this pre-season and it’ll be a good opportunity for the quicker guys and more mobile forwards to present themselves in this environment”.
“It is a great opportunity for these players to show the coaching staff who is ready for the Charity Shield and our upcoming trial against the New Zealand Warriors in Nelson.
“Josh has been named captain for the squad, he is a leader at our Club and I know that this is an environment in which he will thrive,” added McGregor.
Dugan is honoured to have been named captain of the squad and is looking forward to the two-day tournament.
“It is a privilege to be named captain of the Club and I am really looking forward to the opportunity,” said Dugan.
“I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and atmosphere of the Nines last year and I am excited for the event and to lead the boys in the games.
“We have a mixture of youth and experience in our squad and we are all keen to get out and play, it has been a long pre-season”.
NRL Nines Squad:
Euan Aitken, 
Jack de Belin, 
Matt Dufty, 
Josh Dugan (c), 
Kalifa Faifai Loa, 
Yaw Kiti Glymin, 
Jacob Host, 
Drew Hutchison, Sebastine Ikahihifo, 
Tim Lafai
, Dunamis Lui
, Kurt Mann
, Jake Marketo
, Josh McCrone
, Mose Masoe, 
Peter Mata’utia, 
Mitch Rein

http://www.dragons.com.au/news/2016/..._nrl_ni_0.html

 

[Vasilevsky]

Dugan To Lead NRL Nines Squad

Fri 29th January, 03:00PM A A

St George Illawarra Dragons Australian and Blues representative Josh Dugan has been named captain of the Club?s NRL Auckland Nines squad competing at Eden Park, Auckland on February 6-7.
The first time Captain will lead an 18-man travelling squad named by Head Coach Paul McGregor for the two-day tournament which will see six new signings make their first respective appearances for the Club.
New recruits Tim Lafai, Dunamis Lui, Josh McCrone, Mose Masoe, Kurt Mann and Sebastine Ikahihifo have all been named as has returning former player, Kalifa Faifai Loa.
McGregor has chosen to provide young Dragons Matt Dufty, Jacob Host with the opportunity to play against NRL players as well as NYC Graduate from 2015, Jay Gallagher.
?The Nines is an uncharacteristic style of footy due to the nine minute halves and the overall speed of the game which that everyone enjoys and likes being a part of,? said McGregor.
?We?ve done a lot of game-simulated conditioning this pre-season and it?ll be a good opportunity for the quicker guys and more mobile forwards to present themselves in this environment?.
?It is a great opportunity for these players to show the coaching staff who is ready for the Charity Shield and our upcoming trial against the New Zealand Warriors in Nelson.
?Josh has been named captain for the squad, he is a leader at our Club and I know that this is an environment in which he will thrive,? added McGregor.
Dugan is honoured to have been named captain of the squad and is looking forward to the two-day tournament.
?It is a privilege to be named captain of the Club and I am really looking forward to the opportunity,? said Dugan.
?I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and atmosphere of the Nines last year and I am excited for the event and to lead the boys in the games.
?We have a mixture of youth and experience in our squad and we are all keen to get out and play, it has been a long pre-season?.
NRL Nines Squad:
Euan Aitken, 
Jack de Belin, 
Matt Dufty, 
Josh Dugan (c), 
Kalifa Faifai Loa, 
Yaw Kiti Glymin, 
Jacob Host, 
Drew Hutchison, Sebastine Ikahihifo, 
Tim Lafai
, Dunamis Lui
, Kurt Mann
, Jake Marketo
, Josh McCrone
, Mose Masoe, 
Peter Mata?utia, 
Mitch Rein

http://www.dragons.com.au/news/2016/..._nrl_ni_0.html

Interesting. The selection of Dufty, Kiti Glymn, Host and Hutchinson shows the playbook of supercoach Price has been burned and the ashed buried. This can only be a good thing.

 

[Sheridan Stand]

Fairly obvious what Mary is up to.

Largely a very talented group of 'fringe' players on the cusp are going to 9s to see if they can step up and impress against fast paced rivals. Obviously we must take a few core players who will lead and also give opinions on the fringe.

Pleased for Duges to lead the mighties - great choice and what a turnaround this club has been for such a brilliant raw talent. He seems really happy in the RED V.

Real prize is what WE all care about.

 

[The Nick]

Fairly obvious what Mary is up to.

Largely a very talented group of 'fringe' players on the cusp are going to 9s to see if they can step up and impress against fast paced rivals. Obviously we must take a few core players who will lead and also give opinions on the fringe.

Pleased for Duges to lead the mighties - great choice and what a turnaround this club has been for such a brilliant raw talent. He seems really happy in the RED V.

Real prize is what WE all care about.

I just assumed the club didn't really give a shit about the 9's (and rightly so) and therefore were sending the bare minimum stars they have to in order to comply.

 

[Sheridan Stand]

I think there is more to it than that.

We all know, if we played, that any game time is valuable - it does not hurt to test our fringe in live action. Especially for speed, initiative, ball skills and ad hoc playmaking.

But yes, as I said, WE all know the real goal

 

[Slippery Morris]

Demitriou is taking the boys up and Mary has the team in QLD. Surprised by that but shows that Demitriou is gonna have a bigger say in selections than I first thought.

 

[getsmarty]

Nines a good introduction to the season: McGregor

By MITCH JENNINGS
Feb. 2, 2016, 11:06 a.m.

HIS rare combination of size and speed would have made Paul McGregor close to unstoppable in Nines rugby league but the Dragons coach says the format has little correlation with the 13-a-side game.
The tournament at Eden Park attracts sell-out crowds and plenty of attention from fans but the potential for injury to star players has led people to question its place on the NRL calendar.
McGregor will take a predominantly young side across the Tasman for the tournament and said it will provide little insight into any team’s potential fortunes come the season-proper.
‘‘I’d have liked to play in the Nines when I was coming through,’’ McGregor said.
‘‘It’s an enjoyable weekend but you take it for what it is.
‘‘It’s an open brand of footy but doesn’t relate too much to the 13-man game.
‘‘It’s a great concept and all the players and community in New Zealand get involved in it which is important for our game. It’s a good induction into the season.
‘‘If I get out of it without any injuries and we win a few games I’ll be happy.”
McGregor has named his biggest player Mose Masoe in his squad and said the game does have room for big men.
“I think that [2015 champions] Souths showed last year that you need big men,” McGregor said.
“They had [George] Burgess playing and I think there’s definitely a space for them.
“If you’ve got a guy like [Masoe] 10 metres out good luck stopping him one-on-one. He’s mobile and he gets good speed up over a short distance and that’s what you need in Nines.”


http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/s...nines/?cs=2382

 

[getsmarty]

Dragons Make Changes To NRL Nines Squad

Tue 2nd February, 05:00PM A A

The St George Illawarra Dragons have made two changes to their NRL Auckland Nines squad named to compete at Eden Park, Auckland this weekend.
Toa Samoa international Mose Masoe has been forced out of the two-day tournament with a minor side strain and has been replaced by fellow new recruit and Ireland international Tyrone McCarthy.
Dragons National Youth Competition team centre Reuben Garrick has also been added to the Nines Squad following strong performances with the first-grade full-time squad in the pre-season.
Garrick replaces Peter Mata’utai who will instead travel to Queensland with the non-Nines playing squad for the trial against the Wynnum-Manly Seagulls at Pinklands Oval, Redlands on Saturday.
Dragons NRL Nines captain Josh Dugan said that the entire squad is looking forward to this weekend's Nines.
“It is definitely an honour for me to captain such a great club and I am really looking forward to the Nines this weekend,” said Dugan.
“We haven’t done too much specific training for the Nines as yet, but it is definitely fun to play and there is a big prize at the end which we will be aiming for.
"I know that all the boys who are heading to the Nines are really looking forward to the weekend."
The Dragons Nines Squad is as follows:
1. Josh Dugan (c)
2. Reuben Garrick
3. Euan Aitken
4. Tim Lafai
5. Kurt Mann
6. Drew Hutchison
7. Josh McCrone
8. Dunamis Lui
9. Mitch Rein
11. Jacob Host
12. Jake Marketo
13. Jack De Belin
14. Yaw Kiti Glymin
15. Kalifa Faifai Loa
16. Matt Dufty (NYC)
17. Sebastine Ikahihifo
18. Jay Gallagher (Illawarra Cutters)
19. Tyrone McCarthy


http://www.dragons.com.au/news/2016/02/02/dragons_make_changes.html

 

[getsmarty]

Euan Aitken ready to lead St George Illawarra's 2016 Auckland Nines charge

By Paul Haigh
Feb. 3, 2016, 6 a.m.

Euan Aitken had a debut season to remember last year and is looking to build on his impressive rookie campaign at the Auckland Nines this weekend.
The 20-year-old centre earned positive reviews mixing it in the big time against seasoned professionals.
He played 23 NRL games for St George Illawarra, scoring six tries after making his debut in round three against Canberra.
Aitken also broke into representative football, playing for the Prime Minister’s XIII against Papua New Guinea.
He said last year was a learning curve and wanted to play consistently again.

Aitken was one of the first players named in the Dragons’ Nines squad by coach Paul McGregor for the tournament to be played on Saturday and Sunday at Eden Park, Auckland.

‘‘I’m looking forward to playing in the Nines again,” Aitken said.
‘‘It’s a fast-paced game.
‘‘The good thing is you have unlimited interchange.”

The Dragons are taking 18 players to the third annual event.

The Dragons are in the Piha pool along with local rivals Cronulla, Canberra and the Gold Coast.
While the upcoming Charity Shield game against South Sydney and the NRL kick-off against Melbourne are in the forefront of the players’ minds, Aitken said it would be good to get out on the field after three months training.

http://www.theleader.com.au/story/3694496/aitken-ready-to-lead-the-dragons-nines-charge/?cs=1633

 

[getsmarty]

Dragons TV: NRL Auckland Nines 1

Fri 5th February, 07:00AM A A

St George Illawarra Dragons halfback Benji Marshall caught-up with several teammates ahead of the annual NRL Auckland Nines tournament at Eden Park, Auckland this weekend.
The pivot spoke to new recruits Tim Lafai, Sebastine Ikahihifo and Kurt Mann to see how their respective preparations are coming along ahead of the two-day tournament.

http://www.dragons.com.au/news/2016/02/05/dragons_tv_nrl_auckl.html

 

[getsmarty]

Dugan: We're Ready For NRL Nines

Fri 5th February, 02:00PM A A


St George Illawarra Dragons fullback Josh Dugan discusses the upcoming NRL Auckland Nines tournament being held at Eden Park, Auckland on the weekend.
The Dragons captain for the two-day event provides insight into the team's preparation as well as how the team has been training this pre-season.


http://www.dragons.com.au/news/2016/02/05/auckland_nines_fandaydugan.html