game chat v roosters

[pinkmoon]

Everyone keeps waffling on about needing two more big forwards, but where are we going to get them from? Who is on the market?
I think we need to look in our own backyard first and give a few fowards in the cutters a go.
Just seems to be a reluctance with saints giving young players a go, although Mary seems to be more willing than price ever was.

We don't need to sign players to get us out of our current predicament....we need a good coach. There is enough talent in this squad to win a premiership, but they need a good mentor.

 

[Get2dachopper!]

We don't need to sign players to get us out of our current predicament....we need a good coach. There is enough talent in this squad to win a premiership, but they need a good mentor.

Like you mentioned earlier, I also agree that Benji and Widdop are similar type of running players. We really need a no. 7 who can simply kick and pass. Maybe Marshall should have been the right centre instead of Dugan? He certainly has the step and his passing game is okay enough to set up his winger. Defence? He'd be okay if we had a more mobile right edge second rower instead of Ah Mau.

But back to the point of addressing the forwards, why isn't a player like Rory O'Brien given a shot? His got the size. Have a look at our forwards, they are all similar type of vanilla players. They need to try something different.

BTW, I still don't think Mary has the top job yet........

 

[watatank]

I've got to be honest, as much as it's water under the bridge and a case of "nothing we can do about it now", I really believe that Soward at 7 and Widdop at 6 would have been perfect. Soward is a little sook, but geez he has a handy kicking game, and is a genuine competitor; the perfect foil for Widdop, who is a great runner of the ball. I don't really think Benji (as much as I am not blaming him for our current predicament) compliments Gareth, as both play an off the cuff style of football. Widdop spend 5 years in Melbourne playing second fiddle to Cronk, and old habits die hard; he is not an organiser.

I disagree with this. Soward is a strong kicker but he doesn't engage the defensive line and he lacks the all round ability that we need from our halves. He's a good fit at Penrith because they have a well balanced squad and all he needs to do is concentrate on his kicking game, it will be interesting to see how he goes without Wallace. I don't believe that our squad is well balanced and a player like Soward would struggle. Marshall has many mistakes in his game but he has more all round skill IMO and as such a better fit.

 

[jenninga]

We don't need to sign players to get us out of our current predicament....we need a good coach. There is enough talent in this squad to win a premiership, but they need a good mentor.

Agree about a coach,also we need a stronger bench.We start off quite well but go off the boil when we make changes.
Need more impact off the bench I feel.

 

[jenninga]

We miss sowie who could control the tempo of the game with his kicking. And if sowie was caught short, then fein would kick from dummy half.
Marshall and widdop aren't natural long range kickers. Ideally we should have a hooker that can kick, but rein can't kick either.
Plenty of suggestions of how we can jig the team around, but at round 21, it's far too late to be making changes now.

Can we move on from Soward,get what you mean with the kicking game which is why Penriff got him.
And Rein's kick from dummy half was our best kick in the game.

 

[Cagey Mac]

We have lost recently to Manly and the Roosters who may well play the Grand Final.
I don’t think that Marshall has settled in yet and our right side defence surely need some work
I can’t see how we can complain about the coach based on Saturday’s game
The Roosters we Premiers last year and we came 14th with just 7 wins from 24 games
They beat us 5 tries to 4
Our forwards won the metres 1512 metres to 1329
We completed more sets 87% to 70%
Were more disciplined 3 penalties to 7
Made more line breaks 8 to 4
Missed fewer tackles 32 to 23
Made more offloads 9 to 6
Made fewer errors 7 to 10

Their finishing was better for sure but it takes time to develop that kind of cohesiveness and trust in your team mates both in defence and attack.

Stats aren’t everything but if they stack up like this lot. You can’t blame the coach.
When your forwards make more metres than the opposition you can’t blame them either
Anyone who ran a rule over our chances a month ago pencilled in losses to Manly and the Roosters
We’re still a chance of making the 8 and Mary, IMO keeps ticking the boxes on quantifiable KPI’s except victories against premiership favourites.

Parramatta and The Cowboys may keep us out but that won’t be Mary’s fault
Any fair judge would have us at least three games better off if Mary had been coach for a full season.

There are five games left and if we win all of them, IMO Mary deserves the gig for a couple of years

 

[st.phil]

I think we have a top 8 potentially squad with Mary and potentially a top 4 squad with a more experienced coach...but still need two gun forwards and another hooker to support rein. Would also love to see a explosive hurrell / BJ leilua style centre - but a luxury after the forwards and hooker

 

[pinkmoon]

We have lost recently to Manly and the Roosters who may well play the Grand Final.
I don?t think that Marshall has settled in yet and our right side defence surely need some work
I can?t see how we can complain about the coach based on Saturday?s game
The Roosters we Premiers last year and we came 14th with just 7 wins from 24 games
They beat us 5 tries to 4
Our forwards won the metres 1512 metres to 1329
We completed more sets 87% to 70%
Were more disciplined 3 penalties to 7
Made more line breaks 8 to 4
Missed fewer tackles 32 to 23
Made more offloads 9 to 6
Made fewer errors 7 to 10

Their finishing was better for sure but it takes time to develop that kind of cohesiveness and trust in your team mates both in defence and attack.

Stats aren?t everything but if they stack up like this lot. You can?t blame the coach.
When your forwards make more metres than the opposition you can?t blame them either
Anyone who ran a rule over our chances a month ago pencilled in losses to Manly and the Roosters
We?re still a chance of making the 8 and Mary, IMO keeps ticking the boxes on quantifiable KPI?s except victories against premiership favourites.

Parramatta and The Cowboys may keep us out but that won?t be Mary?s fault
Any fair judge would have us at least three games better off if Mary had been coach for a full season.

There are five games left and if we win all of them, IMO Mary deserves the gig for a couple of years

You sound like Price, and McGregor is starting to sound like him too...

http://www.nrl.com/mcgregor-upset-with-last-play-options/tabid/10874/newsid/80726/default.aspx
McGregor said despite the final score, there were positives the Dragons could take out of their performance in preparation for what looms as a crucial clash with the Panthers next Sunday in Wollongong.

"It was five tries to four so there wasn't much in it," McGregor said.

"They were hurting from last week, they were the premiers last year so a lot of positives came out of the game. We were a little bit inconsistent in some of the stuff we did tonight but we're a much-improved football team."

 

[possm]

We lost the game against the Roosters because problems that have been there for the past few weeks have not been rectified. That is the coach's fault.

Fix the right side defensive problem by swapping Mashall and Widdop and by replacing Ah Mau with Mathews.

Move Dugan back to fullback where he belongs.

Move Beale to right centre and Runciman to left centre or move Mata' Utia to right centre.

With a good right side defensive plan, these changes should address the teams problems on the right and give Dugan more opportunity to do what he does best - 'Star for the Dragons'.

 

[Cagey Mac]

Everyone sounds the same if you aren't listening to what they are saying because you're predisposed to your own opinion. (or you're a poor listener)

Price didn't have the numbers to back him up and his results were much worse than McGregor's. Apart from him saying that there were mitigating factors in his series of defeats there is nothing in common with what I put forward.

McGregor, had he had access to game stats would have been even more buoyed by the team's performance on Saturday night.

Everyone thinks that they can coach Poss but I agree that we need to find somewhere to hid Marshall in defence and the right side is perhaps the worse place to place your weakest link.

What I'm saying is that the numbers apart from the scoreboard say that most of what McGregor is doing is in the right direction.

 

[pinkmoon]

Everyone sounds the same if you aren't listening to what they are saying because you're predisposed to your own opinion. (or you're a poor listener)

Price didn't have the numbers to back him up and his results were much worse than McGregor's. Apart from him saying that there were mitigating factors in his series of defeats there is nothing in common with what I put forward.

McGregor, had he had access to game stats would have been even more buoyed by the team's performance on Saturday night.

If you think it's positive that we dominated in so many statistics, but still lost the game, you're kidding yourself. It's the wrong culture and the wrong message to send after a loss of any kind. The Dragons brand has become about simply competing, and everyone within the organisation attempts to play down our losses for a myriad of reasons; in McGregor's case, it's to land a job for next season, and in Price's case, it was about keep his job.

I don't care about last weeks statistics, because they didn't win us the game, and they won't win us the game this week. If I was in the press conference, I would have said our execution was poor, and we need to be much better if we expect to compete in this competition. Not typical crap about how we are building, and it was close.

McGregor was terrible coaching the Cutters, he was an awful strength and conditioning coach under Brown (we had more soft tissue injuries than you could poke a stick at), and he plied his trade as an NRL assistant, under none other than Steve Price. I don't need to see more of McGregor before I shift my opinion on another member of the boys club.

 

[jenninga]

If you think it's positive that we dominated in so many statistics, but still lost the game, you're kidding yourself. It's the wrong culture and the wrong message to send after a loss of any kind. The Dragons brand has become about simply competing, and everyone within the organisation attempts to play down our losses for a myriad of reasons; in McGregor's case, it's to land a job for next season, and in Price's case, it was about keep his job.

I don't care about last weeks statistics, because they didn't win us the game, and they won't win us the game this week. If I was in the press conference, I would have said our execution was poor, and we need to be much better if we expect to compete in this competition. Not typical crap about how we are building, and it was close.

McGregor was terrible coaching the Cutters, he was an awful strength and conditioning coach under Brown (we had more soft tissue injuries than you could poke a stick at), and he plied his trade as an NRL assistant, under none other than Steve Price. I don't need to see more of McGregor before I shift my opinion on another member of the boys club.

Agree,sick of the bullsh*t excuses after a loss.
Best thing I have heard in the last 5 years was Bennetts words about our soft underbelly,how they won't call us soft anymore and he was true to his word.
Don't want to hear about stats and sugar coating the fact that we are amongst the also rans of the comp atm and need a coach to get us to a level of competing for top 4 spots.

 

[Dezziedc]

Have you guys watched the press conference?

 

[Cagey Mac]

Oh please!

McGregor, for whom I have no particular affection, has out-performed most other coaches since taking over (Green and Toovey have done better).

All players have improved under McGregor IMO and they know it.

To blame McGregor for injuries prior to Jeremy Hickmans regime with Bennett is lame and frankly shows a lack of knowledge of who was involved in what roles during the period and the impact that they had on individual injuries etc. It isn’t Salem in the 1690’s mate.

If any of us were seconded to a role; we would do our best to achieve and expect a little qualified support until we were proven to be less than adequate. We’d expect consideration of the facts and to be judged on our merits.

McGregor is improving the performance of the team and has the courage to make changes in order to realise his vision.

Over the next month and a bit, we have the opportunity to judge for ourselves. I’ll be disappointed if we don’t, barring unforeseen injuries, etc. win the remaining five games ‘til the semis.

As Sting wrote “To search for perfection is all very well but to look for heaven is to live here in hell”. Nothing this year has prior to McGregor’s stint has entitled us to unrealistic expectations. Give the bloke a chance and if he fails, consider him gone.

 

[Weipa Dragon]

If we win against Canberra and brisbane in Canberra in brisbane respectively we have achieved beyond our means. If we make the 8 after being tipped for the spoon then Mary has done extremely well and I can't think of anyone who would blow his coaching out if the water. If that's what people are looking for in a coach, I can't see anyone currently not signed. Henry, folkes, sheen etc, have had their struggles. Mary has been beaten but has not those same struggles due to limited time. Broncos and raiders for me and beating Melbourne and cowboys is better than what we have had for a while. Keep going Mary, and show them what you are made of.

 

[pinkmoon]

Oh please!

McGregor, for whom I have no particular affection, has out-performed most other coaches since taking over (Green and Toovey have done better).

All players have improved under McGregor IMO and they know it.

To blame McGregor for injuries prior to Jeremy Hickmans regime with Bennett is lame and frankly shows a lack of knowledge of who was involved in what roles during the period and the impact that they had on individual injuries etc. It isn?t Salem in the 1690?s mate.

If any of us were seconded to a role; we would do our best to achieve and expect a little qualified support until we were proven to be less than adequate. We?d expect consideration of the facts and to be judged on our merits.

McGregor is improving the performance of the team and has the courage to make changes in order to realise his vision.

Over the next month and a bit, we have the opportunity to judge for ourselves. I?ll be disappointed if we don?t, barring unforeseen injuries, etc. win the remaining five games ?til the semis.

As Sting wrote ?To search for perfection is all very well but to look for heaven is to live here in hell?. Nothing this year has prior to McGregor?s stint has entitled us to unrealistic expectations. Give the bloke a chance and if he fails, consider him gone.

Screw McGregor and screw Sting; I can't stand em' both. :lol:

 

[pinkmoon]

To blame McGregor for injuries prior to Jeremy Hickmans regime with Bennett is lame and frankly shows a lack of knowledge of who was involved in what roles during the period and the impact that they had on individual injuries etc. It isn’t Salem in the 1690’s mate.

You have a short memory Cagey. This is from Mary himself;

"I was doing the role of performance co-ordinator at the Dragons, which I think helped give me a real good insight into player management."

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...int-venture-20140721-zv8cz.html#ixzz39PGzFB8X

His insight into player management was up the shit, because none of them could get on the field. Hickmans turned that around very quickly.

 

[Callahan]

Screw mcgregor x 2. I don't think he's given any real structure to attack or defence I think its a lot of add lib footy give me browny anyway.

 

[rasaint]

Amazing all the Mary and Benji dislike here.
Who would we sign other than Benji the moment. Two top half backs are Cherry Evans on a reputed $1 million and Cronk on $800 k We picked up Benji for $500k. Sure past best but playing well, scoring some great individuals try's and throwing nice silky balls regularly. Tell me the next Dragons half to sign if we could.
Who is the great coach going to turn it all around? Mythical creature. Henry, Browny or Sheens. All coaches have their ups and downs. The great Bennett himself has given up on Knights and got beaten 50 to something on the weekend.
Mary is probably no better or worse than any and at least has the team in the game these past few weeks. No doubt he has their respect. A little tip. Good players make or break most coaches.

 

[pinkmoon]

Amazing all the Mary and Benji dislike here.
Who would we sign other than Benji the moment. Two top half backs are Cherry Evans on a reputed $1 million and Cronk on $800 k We picked up Benji for $500k. Sure past best but playing well, scoring some great individuals try's and throwing nice silky balls regularly. Tell me the next Dragons half to sign if we could.
Who is the great coach going to turn it all around? Mythical creature. Henry, Browny or Sheens. All coaches have their ups and downs. The great Bennett himself has given up on Knights and got beaten 50 to something on the weekend.
Mary is probably no better or worse than any and at least has the team in the game these past few weeks. No doubt he has their respect. A little tip. Good players make or break most coaches.

It's not that I expect miracles from Mary, nor do I think he is satan, but he is Mary, and i've never rated the guy. I see a spike in our enthusiasm, but we still play the same stupid game that we played under Price.

I don't think Marshall is the answer because although he does some good things, we need a player who does all the basics; kicks smart, directs the team around the park, and plays a supporting role for Widdop. Instead, we've got a flash in the pan type, who struggles to play to a game plan. He has also proven himself to be a pretty average defender over the last month or two.

It's pretty simple; some of us like McGregor and Benji, and some of us don't. I won't be losing any sleep over it.