Dragons Vs Parramatta

[brokendigit]

Alright...
Is anyone else slightly pumped up for this one?!

Lets hear some early predictions as to how this one will unfold...

 

[Godz Illa]

I have a statute of limitations which directs me to celebrate a victory for no less than 24 hours before looking toward the next game. I'm still within that period dude. Sorry.

 

[Wobbygong]

I don't know about the result, but I tell you P.J Marsh better watch his back while on the field. He's been nominated as the "spot" in defence.

I hope Baz put's a couple of (legal) beauties on the little whinger.

 

[Freak]

Should be a Corker!!

Especially if both teams play as well as they did last week

Eels 56 Dragons 24

Reality being Dragons will be favorites and and on form should win, but hopefully The Eels can cause an upset!!

 

[Slippery Morris]

If they keep an eye on Widders, Dragons will be fine. He destroyed us last time we played them before the PJ Marsh incident.

They should put Cayless' article from last week on the wall so all Dragons players can read it before the game.

Brian Smith will have something up his sleeve this weekend.

If anyone is to be pumped I am sure Baz will be. We may see another 65 meter runaway try from the big fella. Suprised me as well as Karmichael how fast he is.

 

[Willow]

Wouldn't surprise me if Smith names a killer pack - ie three props in the front row backed up by a big bench.

I agree about Widders, hopefully Saints have done their homework there.

I don't think we'll be seeing little PJ trying to fly.

 

[borat]

A win this weekend would set us up with a huge chance of a top 2 finish. But a loss won't be all that bad either providning we bounce back strongly against the Knights. This premiership favourites tag doesn't sit well with me and a loss to parra would hand that tag over to parra and they can have all the pressure. It would give us a wake up call and provide the added motivation to play strongly in the last round before the semis against what will be very tough competition.

 

[Willow]

This premiership favourites tag doesn't sit well with me

I have a problem with it. IMO, it's a real bogey at the moment. But we want them to keep winning and if that continues, we'll be stuck with it.

 

[eloquentEEL]

If they keep an eye on Widders, Dragons will be fine. He destroyed us last time we played them before the PJ Marsh incident.

They should put Cayless' article from last week on the wall so all Dragons players can read it before the game.

Brian Smith will have something up his sleeve this weekend.

If anyone is to be pumped I am sure Baz will be. We may see another 65 meter runaway try from the big fella. Suprised me as well as Karmichael how fast he is.

Brian won't be pulling anything out of his sleeves this weekend. He'll go one of two ways:

* let them loose and see what they can do with some improvisation;
* keep them tight and see if they can grind out a win.

Either way, he'll be saving his magic tricks for the finals.

 

[brokendigit]

What was Smith's last 'magic trick' in a Final?

 

[HevyDevy]

It's ironic that Brisbane v Dragons was billed as the game of the year because the Broncos have been struggling for a month now. This game I see as being the game of the year. Two quality attacking side, both coming off good wins but with different styles. Should be a classic.

I'll tell you one thing though, if the Dragons go out to get revenge on PJ or spend too much time worrying about the last encounter they'll lose. Both sides will need to be focused. I don't think getting up for the game will be a problem for anyone.

It really could go either way but it will be a cracker whatever happens

 

[Wobbygong]

We Dragons all know about Smithy's magic tricks in finals, especially the GF.......................... he loses them with monotonous regularity.

Smith 92 LOSS 93 LOSS, 2001 LOSS!

 

[Eel#1]

It's ironic that Brisbane v Dragons was billed as the game of the year because the Broncos have been struggling for a month now. This game I see as being the game of the year. Two quality attacking side, both coming off good wins but with different styles. Should be a classic.

I'll tell you one thing though, if the Dragons go out to get revenge on PJ or spend too much time worrying about the last encounter they'll lose. Both sides will need to be focused. I don't think getting up for the game will be a problem for anyone.

It really could go either way but it will be a cracker whatever happens

too right! broncos have lost 3 from 4 the last month and they only just got up against the raiders, i felt a dragons win yesterday was a forgone conclusion. parra on the other hand has performed awesome all year and the dragons last few months have been great too. this weekends game looks more like a GF preview than yesterdays game. should be a hell of a game.

 

[koslecki]

They are not actually thinking about that game. They are so focussed on the the job at hand, they have placed emphasis on the future, not on the past. We are a totally different team then what we were when we played last. Baz has a nuber of games under his belt, not coming back from injury. The SOO are getting stronger each week........

 

[brokendigit]

OK - at the risk of being too pumped, too early - here's how I think it'll go:

Saints will need to improve on yesterday's performance significantly if they're going to take the points from Parramatta.

They shouldn't come up & in when the ball gets wide: Best & Wes need to trust their centres & come in less often. Otherwise, a pass will stick, & they’ll burn us down the flanks.

They need to be more patient: I lost count how many 'soft' turnovers there were yesterday - luckily, the Broncos had more.

Marker defence: too many gaps either side of the ruck. Brian Smith coached teams will always take advantage - especially on an exposed short side.

Penalties: Parramatta will be doing everything possible to draw play-the-ball penalties from the bigger guys. We'll be better off allowing a fast play the ball, because our line should hold. Lets hope the ref doesn't get sucked in by Riddell's squeeling...

Saints to win in a low-scoring one: 16-8.

 

[Willow]

Maybe Smithy will do what he did in 2001 and put 12 blokes on the field just before the semis... and tell them have some fun.

 

[attamarrap]

OK - at the risk of being too pumped, too early - here's how I think it'll go:

Saints will need to improve on yesterday's performance significantly if they're going to take the points from Parramatta.

They shouldn't come up & in when the ball gets wide: Best & Wes need to trust their centres & come in less often. Otherwise, a pass will stick, & they’ll burn us down the flanks.

They need to be more patient: I lost count how many 'soft' turnovers there were yesterday - luckily, the Broncos had more.

Marker defence: too many gaps either side of the ruck. Brian Smith coached teams will always take advantage - especially on an exposed short side.

Penalties: Parramatta will be doing everything possible to draw play-the-ball penalties from the bigger guys. We'll be better off allowing a fast play the ball, because our line should hold. Lets hope the ref doesn't get sucked in by Riddell's squeeling...

Saints to win in a low-scoring one: 16-8.

I dont think thats a good idea as parra have some of the best dummy half runners in the comp burt,tahu,marsh riddell and grothe i think marker defense will be one of the keys you guys will have to work on because that is parras main strength

 

[scottyeel]

I heard on the radio before that Matt Cooper will have an MRI scan tomorrow and at this stage will most likely not be fit enough to play.

 

[borat]

I heard on the radio before that Matt Cooper will have an MRI scan tomorrow and at this stage will most likely not be fit enough to play.

As we have the bye the next round I reckon you can put your house on that he won't play. This is no GF, its just another round of football.

 

[yy_cheng]

Smithy's last trick - Let the knights rack up a huge score in the first half and then make a comeback.

Nearly worked. If there was 5 more minutes, the eels would've probably won.

This game will be close.

Both teams attack well, both teams defend and scramble well.

I reckon it will be a high scoring game with little difference in the score. I reckon it will be a try one way then try the other team and so on. Goal Kicking could well and determine this game.

However, if one teams has the Dropseys, then they are gorrrrrnn as both teams will make them pay.