Dragons Post Mortem

[Haynzy]

I can't really find a way to knock the Drags over that game. They were effective. Whether we like their style or not is irrelevant, it worked.

They frustrated us into mistakes and we couldn't match their discipline. Congrats on the win.

Both teams will improve in attack and both teams have good attacking players... There really do seem to be some sore losers among our lot.
Our improvement will probably be more marked but that's just because our attack was so ordinary.

Good luck to the Drags but I hope next time our boys are on their game and tear them a new one.

 

[Firey_Dragon]

What part do you disagree with? The fact that the Dragons play boring, predictable football or that Sowards kicking game is the basis of the Dragon attack?

Nothing sore about what he says. It is the same predictable style that won you the minor premiership last year.

I don't see how that's any different to your play. If teams shut down Hayne, your attack is pretty poor itself, as clearly demonstrated on Friday.

To be honest, I thought both teams were pretty good for a round 1 hitout, and only the Roosters performed as well as either of them from other teams in the round. Both teams will make the 8. I thought from a dragons perspective, our attack was solid in the first half, we asked plenty of questions but the Eels defended incredibly well. We then lost our hooker and the whole gameplan changed. We backed our defence against a team which according to you lot their attack is bucketloads better than ours and came up trumps. You can criticize the Dragons all you want, but you were largely ineffective and predictable in attack for most of the game.

We looked alot better in attack in the Charity Shield, and we are far more crisp with our passing than we were at this stage last year. We'll continue to improve, as will the Eels, some fans in here should just learn to be graceful in defeat, both teams put on a great show.

 

[Suitman]

I don't see how that's any different to your play. If teams shut down Hayne, your attack is pretty poor itself, as clearly demonstrated on Friday.

To be honest, I thought both teams were pretty good for a round 1 hitout, and only the Roosters performed as well as either of them from other teams in the round. Both teams will make the 8. I thought from a dragons perspective, our attack was solid in the first half, we asked plenty of questions but the Eels defended incredibly well. We then lost our hooker and the whole gameplan changed. We backed our defence against a team which according to you lot their attack is bucketloads better than ours and came up trumps. You can criticize the Dragons all you want, but you were largely ineffective and predictable in attack for most of the game.

We looked alot better in attack in the Charity Shield, and we are far more crisp with our passing than we were at this stage last year. We'll continue to improve, as will the Eels, some fans in here should just learn to be graceful in defeat, both teams put on a great show.

Best post so far.

Suity

 

[The Colonel]

I don't see how that's any different to your play. If teams shut down Hayne, your attack is pretty poor itself, as clearly demonstrated on Friday.

To be honest, I thought both teams were pretty good for a round 1 hitout, and only the Roosters performed as well as either of them from other teams in the round. Both teams will make the 8. I thought from a dragons perspective, our attack was solid in the first half, we asked plenty of questions but the Eels defended incredibly well. We then lost our hooker and the whole gameplan changed. We backed our defence against a team which according to you lot their attack is bucketloads better than ours and came up trumps. You can criticize the Dragons all you want, but you were largely ineffective and predictable in attack for most of the game.

We looked alot better in attack in the Charity Shield, and we are far more crisp with our passing than we were at this stage last year. We'll continue to improve, as will the Eels, some fans in here should just learn to be graceful in defeat, both teams put on a great show.

Overall you probably are right but the question was made about the Dragon rather than the Eels. There are certainly limitations to both teams however we thankfully didn't lose a playmaker on the weekend. Given Stanley, King, Ryan and Fien are injured and out for a few weeks at the least and your backup, though experienced, is Luke Priddis then there must be some questions over how your attack will function as the weeks progress. I'm not trying to be a smartarse but some on the Dragons forum are worried enough to suggest Nightingale as an option first.

Our issues will come about more to do with the pack then anything else given our lack of depth in the backrow.

Sore loser!
Our "crap" tactics won us the game you merkin.
go f**k yourself you silly prick.

At least you took the time to debate it rather than carry on.

 

[Firey_Dragon]

Overall you probably are right but the question was made about the Dragon rather than the Eels. There are certainly limitations to both teams however we thankfully didn't lose a playmaker on the weekend. Given Stanley, King, Ryan and Fien are injured and out for a few weeks at the least and your backup, though experienced, is Luke Priddis then there must be some questions over how your attack will function as the weeks progress. I'm not trying to be a smartarse but some on the Dragons forum are worried enough to suggest Nightingale as an option first.

That may be the case, but it's hardly our fault that we've lost up to 5 players at the start of the season. Most in here were criticizing our performance in attack for the game, well I challenge any team to perform as well as we did with a front-rower playing in the centers and losing our hooker in the 35th minute. Anyone expecting us to put on a brilliant attacking display is delusional, but we still outscored the "alleged" best attacking team in the comp, and our play is questioned?

Our issues will come about more to do with the pack then anything else given our lack of depth in the backrow.

That's always been the issue with Parramatta, every team has it's flaws. Your depth in the pack is pretty poor, our depth in our pack is impressive. The inverse can be said about backlines, but I'm not concerned at this point, I'd rather have injuries now and have players coming back at the business end of the season instead of the other way around.

Both teams will be in the running come the business end of the season, and our clubs (more than most unfortunately) know that anything can happen. It's been too long between drinks for both clubs.

 

[JessEel]

over it - moving along - bring on Manly !!

 

[BIKER_DRAGON]

Plain and simple the Eels were just not good enough on the day...But what i'm seeing is it wont be the same next week. Eels are still in for a big season in 2010.

 

[Eels Dude]

That may be the case, but it's hardly our fault that we've lost up to 5 players at the start of the season. Most in here were criticizing our performance in attack for the game, well I challenge any team to perform as well as we did with a front-rower playing in the centers and losing our hooker in the 35th minute. Anyone expecting us to put on a brilliant attacking display is delusional, but we still outscored the "alleged" best attacking team in the comp, and our play is questioned?

To be fair, we also lost one player during the warm up just before kickoff.... and another 2 minutes into the second half.

 

[The Colonel]

Safety-first Saints query

• By Andrew Johns From: The Daily Telegraph
• March 15, 2010 12:00AM

Source: The Daily Telegraph



ST GEORGE Illawarra will win plenty of games playing the way they did on Friday night. Enough, I reckon, to confidently predict they will make the top four again this season.

The big question, though, is whether their no-frills, high percentage game can win them a premiership. It couldn't last season.
The Saints' possession stats were extraordinary against the Eels, completing a near-faultless 95 per cent and finishing the game with almost 60 per cent of the ball.
You don't lose with those sorts of numbers.
But countering that is the fact the Dragons came up with only two tries in 80 minutes and went the final 58 minutes without getting over the Eels' tryline to finish up winning by just six off the boot of Jamie Soward.
Give credit to Parramatta's defence.
But the question mark surrounding the Dragons and whether they can find an extra attacking gear when it counts remains unanswered.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/nrl/safety-first-saints-query/story-e6frfgh6-1225840664026

 

[Parra Steve]

Nice new threads by Sparky too btw.

 

[The Engineers Room]

Not enough offloads and second phase!!

The Dragons play percentage football they get up in numbers. If you play before the line or through the line they will either open up or it will stop them getting up in numbers and the go forward will increase.

 

[Cayless Hindmarsh]

Dragons showed why they can't win the comp. We showed why we can

Just wondering if you still stand by this statement?

 

[The Engineers Room]

See my post above. Once teams work them out they will struggle. Also, they play for penalties. Just watch how often they whinge at the ref and it gets them results.

Plus in the opp. 20 they have bodies in motion which we do not.

 

[strider]

Just wondering if you still stand by this statement?

see st george v melbourne ..... when the dragons come up against a truely committed defense, they struggle

 

[Avenger]

The Dragons will not win the comp. Date: 17 April 2010.

 

[Someone]

Only team in there way is Melbourne. Eels atm have 15 teams in our way.

 

[1 Eyed TEZZA]

Only team in there way is Melbourne. Eels atm have 15 teams in our way.

Wrong, we have one team in our way and its us.

 

[junior009]

Just wondering if you still stand by this statement?

Absolutely. Although on current form we'll run just about last but in relation to the dragons I definitely stand by it

 

[Someone]

Wrong, we have one team in our way and its us.

And thats the sort of ignorance that will help the Eels win f**k all. There are 16 teams in the comp, we are only one of them.

 

[Joshuatheeel]

Our attack has be sh*t, our ball handling has been sh8t, our attitude has been sh*t, yet in all the games we lost if we had scored 2 extra converted tries in each game, which is bugger all in todays game, we are undefeated.

I am confident we will get there