Dragons v Titans Round 2, 2023

[Dragon David]

Well I'm going to be the bunny to start the thread for our first game in 2023.

The game against the Titans will be bloody hard in my opinion. I'm leaning to us just winning on the basis that it is a home ground game at Netstrata Jubilee.

Our defence has to improve 110%.

Quick play the balls and relentless on line defence will be the key to a successful day - do you reckon we have it in ourselves to do these things?

 

[Illusion]

Well I'm going to be the bunny to start the thread for our first game in 2023.

The game against the Titans will be bloody hard in my opinion. I'm leaning to us just winning on the basis that it is a home ground game at Netstrata Jubilee.

Our defence has to improve 110%.

Quick play the balls and relentless on line defence will be the key to a successful day - do you reckon we have it in ourselves to do these things?

Yep for about 20min a game , until the opposition get into their groove , then it's all over ..... Looooooooooooong season ahead .......

 

[hewi]

The team selection will show us poor suffering supporters what happening. If Rav is on the wing and Lomax and Suli are still on their wrong sides plus Woods is on the bench then we will know that there is truly no hope. The last idiot that swapped sides in defence was Price in his first year when he swapped Hornsby and Soward around , need I say anymore.

 

[Gippsy]

From the trials, if I was coach I'd be going with:

1. Sloan (yeah I know, but we have to stick with him and somehow give him some confidence)
2. Feagai
3. Suli
4. Lomax
5. Feagai
6. Sullivan
7. Hunt
8. Lawrie
9. Liddle
10. Musgrove
11. Bird
12. Sua
13. JDB

14. BMM
15. F Molo
16. D Russell
17. M Molo/J Kerr

Most importantly, no Woods, Mbye, Moga, Rava, Fuimaona.

 

[Saints Forever]

From the trials, if I was coach I'd be going with:

1. Sloan (yeah I know, but we have to stick with him and somehow give him some confidence)
2. Feagai
3. Suli
4. Lomax
5. Feagai
6. Sullivan
7. Hunt
8. Lawrie
9. Liddle
10. Musgrove
11. Bird
12. Sua
13. JDB

14. BMM
15. F Molo
16. D Russell
17. M Molo/J Kerr

Most importantly, no Woods, Mbye, Moga, Rava, Fuimaona.

Love the team

Unsure I would give Kerr a spot even at 18.

Doubt super coach would select such a team.

 

[matPORTS]

From the trials, if I was coach I'd be going with:

1. Sloan (yeah I know, but we have to stick with him and somehow give him some confidence)
2. Feagai
3. Suli
4. Lomax
5. Feagai
6. Sullivan
7. Hunt
8. Lawrie
9. Liddle
10. Musgrove
11. Bird
12. Sua
13. JDB

14. BMM
15. F Molo
16. D Russell
17. M Molo/J Kerr

Most importantly, no Woods, Mbye, Moga, Rava, Fuimaona.

Love the team.

However Liddle isn't ready for 80mins. Therefore, the coach will definitely carry Mbye in the team somewhere (unfortunately - and our conservative coach will also be thinking of potential coverage for Sloan as well)...

... further to this, we need to focus on Sullivan & Hunt being the halves combination for the full game. No utility on the bench will force a re-shuffle during the game. Sullivan, especially, should not be forced out of position and nor should he be forced, at this stage, to be the dominant play maker (if say we moved Hunt to 9 while Liddle has a spell - and shuffled Bird to help out in the halves).

Dan Russell - as much as he has impressed us in the trials, he will be biding his time in reserve grade and knocking on the door.

M Molo vs J Kerr - Mick gets it for me.

Rava will still get the nodd over Max Feagai - but I get your selection.

Big call - but this is a bloody important game in the whole context of our season. We get another team under just as much pressure and microscope to perform in 2023, at home. If we don't get off to a good start I have grave concerns for where our season might head.

 

[hewi]

Rava will be the new Nory Corman. He is a liability and will be targeted week in week out till he is either suspended or dropped.

 

[Illusion]

Rava will be the new Nory Corman. He is a liability and will be targeted week in week out till he is either suspended or dropped.

Need speed on the wing , wingers that can go 100m by beating a player ..... game has changed ....

 

[Number of the Beath]

I don't think we can afford the luxury of Sloan at FB. He has pace, but is sus under the high ball and couldn't tackle a beanbag. And standing at the back of a dispirited team with a leaky defence is no way for a fullback to gain confidence.
With no Ramsey alternative - and after a bit of soul-searching - I'd pick a backline of 1 Lomax 2 Matt Feagai 3 Max Feagai 4 Suli 5 Sloan 6 Sullivan 7 Hunt and a starting pack of 8 Lawrie 9 Liddle 10 Musgrove 11 BMM 12 Su'a 13 JdB with a bench of 14 F Molo 15 Russell 16 Lui-Toso 17 Bird 18 M Molo 19 J Hunt
It's probably wrong, and most of you won't like it, but it's still better than what Hook will dish up cos I don't want to see Mbye, Fui or Woods in a Saints jersey numbered 1 to 18 ever again.

 

[hewi]

Need speed on the wing , wingers that can go 100m by beating a player ..... game has changed ....

Speed and the ability to catch a bomb. He has become a liability.

 

[Iron Mike]

Need speed on the wing , wingers that can go 100m by beating a player ..... game has changed ....

I agree Illusion
In fact our whole back five is lacking speed , especially now that Ramsay is out long term. The hottest young talent in the club is Savelio Tamale , who does add much needed pace. Tamale’s preferred position is left centre , but might be preferred on the wing initially.
Hook doesn’t have the foresight to make such a decision unfortunately!

 

[Dragon David]

Rava will be the new Nory Corman. He is a liability and will be targeted week in week out till he is either suspended or dropped.

Rava will be picked by Hook but I cringe with him playing for us now. He has really limited skills and is mistake ridden. He isn't fast and seems to only be able to run in a straight line. No swerve or step. We need fast wingers who can either intercept or back up and score length of field tries and of course defend well.

Rava has just lost it since his long suspensions and now getting over his injuries. But, Hook will keep picking him until he gets suspended again or injured.

 

[Number of the Beath]

I have grave concerns for where our season might head.

Here is a visual representation of where our season is most likely heading :

 

[Old Timer]

There are 2 elements of the game namely attack and defence

If we pick our best attacking side it would get lapped due to its inability to defend and I’m not so sure it would scare to many too 6 teams anyway.

If we pick our best defensive side it would get lapped due to its inability to get out of its own half let alone score and in fact wouldn’t defend that well anyway

The saddest part is few players are capable of holding their current position in both sides and tgat us due to lack of depth and ability.

My all out attacking team where it’s all about offloads, cut outs, chip kicks, eyes up footy and risk taking and mistakes are just part of the natural order of things

Stewart
Rava / Feagai
Lomax / Suli
Sloan
Sullivan
Bird
BMM /Sua
Woods / Kerr
Hunt
Liddle, JDB, Russell, Musgrove

My all out defensive team
Lomax
Rava / Feagai
Feagai / Suli
Bird (a real risk but few choices)
Sullivan
JDB
BMM / Sua
Musgrove / Lawrie
Liddle
Russell, NLT, T Couchman, F Molo

Very sad that that many players are iffy in 1 key respect or the other and that very few if any of them would oust an incumbent in that position in any of the top 6 team.

 

[justadragon]

If we dont improve by 90% on yesterdays performance we will get smoked.

 

[BLM01]

From the trials, if I was coach I'd be going with:

1. Sloan (yeah I know, but we have to stick with him and somehow give him some confidence)
2. Feagai
3. Suli
4. Lomax
5. Feagai
6. Sullivan
7. Hunt
8. Lawrie
9. Liddle
10. Musgrove
11. Bird
12. Sua
13. JDB

14. BMM
15. F Molo
16. D Russell
17. M Molo/J Kerr

Most importantly, no Woods, Mbye, Moga, Rava, Fuimaona.

You need some sort of back up for hooker or the backs in case of injury especially if Bird or Hunt go down early

 

[BLM01]

There are 2 elements of the game namely attack and defence

If we pick our best attacking side it would get lapped due to its inability to defend and I’m not so sure it would scare to many too 6 teams anyway.

If we pick our best defensive side it would get lapped due to its inability to get out of its own half let alone score and in fact wouldn’t defend that well anyway

The saddest part is few players are capable of holding their current position in both sides and tgat us due to lack of depth and ability.

My all out attacking team where it’s all about offloads, cut outs, chip kicks, eyes up footy and risk taking and mistakes are just part of the natural order of things

Stewart
Rava / Feagai
Lomax / Suli
Sloan
Sullivan
Bird
BMM /Sua
Woods / Kerr
Hunt
Liddle, JDB, Russell, Musgrove

My all out defensive team
Lomax
Rava / Feagai
Feagai / Suli
Bird (a real risk but few choices)
Sullivan
JDB
BMM / Sua
Musgrove / Lawrie
Liddle
Russell, NLT, T Couchman, F Molo

Very sad that that many players are iffy in 1 key respect or the other and that very few if any of them would oust an incumbent in that position in any of the top 6 team.

Nice work pity we are not playing NFL

 

[BLM01]

I agree Illusion
In fact our whole back five is lacking speed , especially now that Ramsay is out long term. The hottest young talent in the club is Savelio Tamale , who does add much needed pace. Tamale’s preferred position is left centre , but might be preferred on the wing initially.
Hook doesn’t have the foresight to make such a decision unfortunately!

Sloan lacking speed?. He is part of the back 5

 

[Dragon David]

Well I know it is only a trial and they are playing the new club in town but they will be hard as nails when we play them - that is the Titans. Big and fast - hmmmmmm.

Methinks that this could be Wayne's worst year as a coach.

 

[justadragon]

Well I know it is only a trial and they are playing the new club in town but they will be hard as nails when we play them - that is the Titans. Big and fast - hmmmmmm.

Methinks that this could be Wayne's worst year as a coach.

I wouldn't underestimate the great man Dave I'm sure he will conjure something up to make his team competitive. I'm just worried that we maybe the Dolphins first win in the NRL Let me cast your mind back to the Western Reds, what a memorable moment that was for us.