What's new
By:
Advanced search…
The Front Row Forums

Register a free account today to become a member of the world's largest Rugby League discussion forum! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Finals Week 2 vs Souths

G

getsmarty

Immortal
Messages
34,503
Monday Bunker: Paul McGregor faces tough Dragons selection call
The Daily Telegraph
an hour ago
HE’S lost skipper Gareth Widdop, has doubts over gun forward Jack De Belin and now coach Paul McGregor must make another big decision for the Dragons’ clash with South Sydney.

Does he stick with “superstar in the making” Zac Lomax or rush one-time Blues contender Euan Aitken back from injury for one of the toughest jobs in the NRL?

The Dragons face the Rabbitohs in Saturday night’s semi-final clash at ANZ Stadium and either Lomax or Aitken will be given the almighty challenge of defending superstar centre Greg Inglis.

WATCH THE VIDEO IN THE PLAYER ABOVE

After a stint on the sidelines with a broken thumb, Inglis has returned in top form and looks primed to light up the NRL finals.

Who he’ll line up against looms as one of the talking points for week two of the NRL finals and was debated on the Monday Bunker.

Young gun Lomax has played just three NRL games but impressed in attack during Sunday’s big win over the Broncos after replacing the injured Aitken in Round 25.

37e5705ef17a181c71c72d6dec3bd8b1

Euan Aitken is due back from injury for the Dragons/ Picture: Getty Images
Aitken, touted as a NSW State of Origin contender after a hot start to 2018, is ready to return from his hamstring complaint.

So does McGregor rush back Aitken or stick with 18-year-old Lomax?

“I don’t think you can drop Zac Lomax,” The Daily Telegraph’s Tom Sangster said on the Monday Bunker.

Host Paul Crawley agreed.

“The way young Lomax is going, you would have to be reluctant to change it,” Crawley said.

WATCH THE VIDEO IN THE PLAYER ABOVE

“This young guy is an absolute superstar in the making.”

418ed678f4f513e265d019663b3585da

Dragons young gun Zac Lomax is a “superstar in the making”. Picture: AAP
Whoever gets the nod, they face a tough ask stopping a fresh and fire-up Inglis, according to Fatima Kdouh.

“Whether it’s Euan Aitken or Zac Lomax ... I’m not sure anybody’s going to stop GI at the moment,” she said.

“He’s just playing with so much confidence at the moment. He’s big, he’s strong, he’s backing himself, he’s relishing that role as leader. I’m not sure, regardless of who they put in from of him, if they have a chance of stopping GI.”

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...l/news-story/e4d5b7450a916842e7bb7d4dffc873aa
 
G

getsmarty

Immortal
Messages
34,503
Photos | Depleted St George Illawarra Dragons show heart in 48-18 win over Brisbane Broncos as South Sydney Rabbitohs await
  • Local Sport
    Photos | 2018 NRL finals Dragons vs Broncos
    Pictures: AAP Image
    Paul McGregor believes all the pressure of expectation will be on South Sydney in St George Illawarra’s elimination semi-final on Saturday night.

    The Dragons kept their season alive with a 48-18 thrashing of the Broncos in Brisbane on Sunday to set up their clash with the Rabbitohs.

    A large crowd is expected at ANZ Stadium, Sydney Olympic Park with two of the larger fan bases in the NRL keen to see their sides advance to a preliminary final against the Sydney Roosters.

    Many experts had written off the Dragons after their late-season fade out. If they are to reach week three of the finals they will need to do it the hard way, with captain Gareth Widdop ruled out for the season with a recurrence of his dislocated shoulder suffered in the second half against Brisbane.

    But if St George Illawarra’s win against the Broncos counts for anything, it showed the team that dominated the competition for the first half of the season is still alive. And after a third-placed finish, the highly-fancied Rabbitohs will be desperate to avoid straight sets losses to confirm their elimination.

    “They’re all big at this time of year. Again expectations will be on the opposition so we’ll enjoy that,” McGregor said.

    “This time of year every game is at it’s most important isn’t it because it’s knockout stage. It doesn’t matter if we're playing Souths or anyone else it’s a big one.

    “Jack [de Belin] looks like he’ll be ok. He’s in a better position than he was this time last week. Gareth definitely not. His shoulder went [back] in after the siren. So when I went downstairs after the bell had gone he’d been off the field for a very long time and his shoulder was still out. So he’s no chance next week.

    “It was a pretty brave effort from Jack to start with considering he was in a boot all week. He had a light run on Friday. Then Gareth after dislocating his shoulder three weeks ago to get back on the field and play like he did. He’s in a lot of pain there but he’ll do everything he possibly can to help the team win next week even though he won’t be on the footy field.”

    McGregor indicated James Graham would be ok to back up despite failing a head-injury assessment in the first half after a sickening collision with Korbin Sims.

    St George Illawarra have never met South Sydney in a finals match. The last time St George took on the Rabbitohs in the finals was at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 1984.

    The Dragons won 24-6 that day, with Steve Morris scoring twice.

    Representative back-rower Tyson Frizell said the Dragons would take plenty from the win over Brisbane but also that it would count for little if they didn’t back up that performance against Souths.

    “That’s the style of footy we built our year on from the start,” he said.

    “If we can play like that we give ourselves every opportunity against any team.

    “It’s only week one [of the finals] and we’ve got next week to perform well again. So this means nothing if we don’t show that next week.”
https://www.theleader.com.au/story/...as-depleted-dragons-show-their-heart/?cs=1633
 
Life's Good

Life's Good

Coach
Messages
13,971
Same team vs. Souths except the shift for Widdop.
Any talk of Aitken coming in for Lomax is ludicrous. The kid is a genuine footballer who can also kick goals.
With the recent performances of Lomax, Luc, Lawrie & Pereira(admittedly forced in some cases)maybe just maybe Mary is realising the way to freshen a squad is to bring in some hungry, nothing to fear, new players.
 
J

jeffdragon

Bench
Messages
3,927
Souths players arent 100% either . It was a physical game v storm.
Having a shorter turnaround might be an advantage.
Nobody gave us a hope, v broncs, finals are a different beast.,confidence is higher.
Lets bump sammy so his hands let him down.
 
since77

since77

Bench
Messages
2,503
Life's Good said:
Same team vs. Souths except the shift for Widdop.
Any talk of Aitken coming in for Lomax is ludicrous. The kid is a genuine footballer who can also kick goals.
.
Click to expand...

Agree but McGregor is extremely capable of ludicrous selection decisions.
 
Crush

Crush

Coach
Messages
11,549
since77 said:
Agree but McGregor is extremely capable of ludicrous selection decisions.
Click to expand...
I'll be surprised if he doesn't slot Aitken straight back into the number 3 Jersey. Only thing that may save Lomax is he is a goal kicker.
 
S

SBD82

Coach
Messages
17,857
Crush said:
I'll be surprised if he doesn't slot Aitken straight back into the number 3 Jersey. Only thing that may save Lomax is he is a goal kicker.
Click to expand...
I hope that's enough to keep lomax in the team.

Watching leilua, lomax and dufty celebrate the last try gave me tingles. This is the future. They're ready. They've proven themselves on a huge stage in a sudden death final. The youthful exuberance is much more likely to get us a win than the "safe" option.
 
mickeylane

mickeylane

Bench
Messages
4,992
Life's Good said:
Same team vs. Souths except the shift for Widdop.
Any talk of Aitken coming in for Lomax is ludicrous. The kid is a genuine footballer who can also kick goals.
With the recent performances of Lomax, Luc, Lawrie & Pereira(admittedly forced in some cases)maybe just maybe Mary is realising the way to freshen a squad is to bring in some hungry, nothing to fear, new players.
Click to expand...
If he drops Lomax we wont have a recognised kicker in the team and that wont happen in a semi where points may prove hard to come by..Lomax is a better kicker than Widdop which is crazy to think.
Aitken to the bench for certain - you couldnt drop no one from the team on the weekend...
 
mickeylane

mickeylane

Bench
Messages
4,992
MilanDragon said:
Seibold only used 15 players against Storm.

And he is the favourite to win Coach if the year.

I think one of the Dragons or Panthers wins this week - every year a team makes a run. Let’s just hope it’s us!
Click to expand...
Souths are rattled under the blanket of expectation now.
Reynolds
GI all playing busted plus the Burgess boys making plenty of handling errors...just need to do 2 things and game is over.
Rush Reynolds
Rush Walker so he doesnt feed ball out the back to GI, Johnston and its all over...
I would have Mann rushing Walker and Sims smashing Reynolds all night...as long as JDB can play 50-60 minutes and the back row has the intensity of the 1st half,,we could do a similar job on them and put points on them early...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Top