Game vs Parra

[blacksafake]

This will be a test to see where they are at.The eels will not be ambushed unlike penrith & their forwards will no doubt be looking forward to the clash as they like to play an aggressive style.They'll also be well prepared by Arthur.Possession like always will play a big part in the result.

 

[Slackboy72]

Lets be honest here.
We relied greatly on defensive softness and missed tackles from Penrith.
They had 47 in all.
Good news is we had only 13.

But lets analyse our tries:

• Try 1 Flat footed Moylan not coming up in defence attempted 1 on 1 on the tryline
• Try 2 Well constructed with support players forcing outside defence to make wrong decision allowing Thomson an opportunity to hit a gap. No shoulders put on him.
• Try 3 Sloppy tackling up the middle. Another bad effort from Moylan.
• Try 4 Well constructed opportunity (inb4 kicks-don't-count)
• Try 5 This is what happens when Dugan passes the ball. Good backing up.
• Try 6 Bad mistake from Penrith.
• Try 7 Another good constructed play where support caused a bad misread from the defence.

So 4 good tries and 3 from bad play by Penrith.
I'm okay with that.
My main concern is what happens if the Widdop->Thomson plan doesn't work next week (because Parra would be mad not to put Beau Scott out there to defend him) and we need to spread it wider to Lafai?

Parra bombed a few tries yesterday so you would expect some more game time will sharpen them up.

 

[St Georgio]

Many ex players and Journos had great expectation for Parra, If we beat them then I will be confident for a decent year ahead, they may even extend Mary's contract until 2019.

 

[Coppo_ForeverYOUNG]

If we play the way we played on saturday regardless of what Parra side rocks up we will be well in the contest. Forwards did a great job laying the platform for the backs to play off. If this continues all year we will win more than we lose and definitely have a solid base to build from going forward.
Still a lot of work to be done and by no means getting carried away, however we were a different side to the one that played souths in the charity shield and regardless of the score against an average Penrith outfit, there were some good signs

 

[Blood Shot Eyes]

For obvious reasons its imperative we back up against the Eels.....imo anything less will put a huge dent in our confidence .....Norman holds the key for them but it would be a mistake to just concentrate on him alone....he does possess a great kicking game but if we tame their forwards and dont give them easy metres it makes life difficult for their halves

 

[Jubileeboy]

Good lord...Sunday is so far away and I'm really looking forward to this match up.
- Thommo. Hit man on Scott. Just be relentless, hit him hard, constantly and wear him out. Opens up options for Frizz and JDB to hit the gaps. Scott has a tendency to let the niggle into his game and get the better of him. That's what we want. Put him off.
- Widdop. Shut down Norman with the help of JDB in the middle. Again, hit him hard and often.
- McDonald. Stick like glue to Radrada. Follow him all over the field. If he goes for a run through the middle from dummy half or is backing up, McDonald has to be there. Aiken has to slide to the wing to cover.
- Vaughan. Has to make a statement and back up last weeks performance over the young bull, Takairangi (sp?)
- Run at their little men and a strong kicking game (McCrone) will be important to keep turning them around. Keep it down their end.
If our fitness is as good as everyone makes out, they should open up after 20 mins but will be a close game.

 

[Alec's-saints]

If we play the way we played on saturday regardless of what Parra side rocks up we will be well in the contest. Forwards did a great job laying the platform for the backs to play off. If this continues all year we will win more than we lose and definitely have a solid base to build from going forward.
Still a lot of work to be done and by no means getting carried away, however we were a different side to the one that played souths in the charity shield and regardless of the score against an average Penrith outfit, there were some good signs

well said mate. it's definitely an attitude thing, our fowards certainly laid the platform on the weekend, panthers looked distracted big time maybe has something to do with cartwright.. if we shut down drugo norman we should win.

 

[mickeylane]

This will be a 2 point game either way.. Can't see us getting hammered - will come down to penalties and goal kicks

 

[Dragonscales]

It will be a cracking contest. Dragons are high on confidence and Parramatta will be up for the challenge.

I back our forward pack over Parramatta's. Remember, forwards win games, backs decide by how much.

 

[2010]

Our players will go into the match confident after Penrith game, but hope they are not to confident. They just got to keep from getting overconfident

 

[St Georgio]

IMO if Brian Smith can take the 1992 squad into the GF , any half decent coach can do the same with this roster.
But we have Mc Gregor as head coach, if we had someone like Bennett in charge I would predict a 10 point win to our Dragons, but all Parra have to do is watch last week's game against the pennies, Mary is so predictable that Arthurs will come up with a game to shut down anything the dragons did last week.
Parra 18
Saints 10

 

[dragon-83]

Parramatta Eels


Tue 7th March, 04:01PM


St George Illawarra coach Paul McGregor has named his mandatory 21-man squad for the Dragons' Round 2 clash against the Parramatta Eels at WIN Stadium, Wollongong this Sunday, March 12.

The only change to last weekend's initial 21-man squad is that back-rower Luciano Leilua replaces Jake Marketo in the Dragons' named reserves.

Following the Dragons' big 42-10 win over the Penrith Panthers last weekend, hat-trick hero Joel Thompson has urged his teammates to stay focused ahead of the Eels clash.

"We have plenty of belief here," Thompson said.

"Everyone was writing us off everywhere we looked. We need to put in performances like that week-in, week-out as well as build on last week."

NRL Squad for Round 1 v Penrith Panthers:

1. Josh Dugan

2. Nene Macdonald

3. Euan Aitken

4. Tim Lafai

5. Jason Nightingale

6. Gareth Widdop (c)

7. Josh McCrone

8. Russell Packer

9. Cameron McInnes

10. Paul Vaughan

11. Tyson Frizell

12. Joel Thompson

13. Jack de Belin

Interchange:

14. Tariq Sims

15. Leeson Ah Mau

16. Jacob Host

17. Jai Field

18. Kurt Mann

19. Taane Milne

20. Luciano Leilua

21. Hame Sele

Players unavailable:

Will Matthews (hip) – indefinite

Kiti Glymin (shoulder) – indefinite

Drew Hutchison (knee) – season.

 

[Smurf]

Maketo can't even make to squad .

Is Mary really picking this team ?

 

[Old Kogarah Boy 1]

This will be a test to see where they are at.The eels will not be ambushed unlike penrith & their forwards will no doubt be looking forward to the clash as they like to play an aggressive style.They'll also be well prepared by Arthur.Possession like always will play a big part in the result.

Hopefully, we can up the pace from the get go, and get 'in their face' early on, catch them off guard ( as like Penrith ) and go on the win the game!

Why change a winning formula?

 

[Old Timer]

Hopefully, we can up the pace from the get go, and get 'in their face' early on, catch them off guard ( as like Penrith ) and go on the win the game!

Why change a winning formula?

Because every team presents different challenges.
The Eels pack will present a very different set of challenges and their bullocking running stylee will ask a lot more of our defence and fitness levels than Penrith ever did.
Amongst all the euphoria of round 1, we need to tale a step back and ask this question:
If we are held in the forwards where will the tries come from in the backs?
Our backs and especially the halves are very much a work in progress and if the forward packs finished even, I suspect the Eels backs have a lot more natural creativity than we do.
So hopefully Mc Fookknuckle will have a positive and creative style of play to implement if the forwards are held.

 

[Old Kogarah Boy 1]

Because every team presents different challenges.
The Eels pack will present a very different set of challenges and their bullocking running stylee will ask a lot more of our defence and fitness levels than Penrith ever did.
Amongst all the euphoria of round 1, we need to tale a step back and ask this question:
If we are held in the forwards where will the tries come from in the backs?
Our backs and especially the halves are very much a work in progress and if the forward packs finished even, I suspect the Eels backs have a lot more natural creativity than we do.
So hopefully Mc Fookknuckle will have a positive and creative style of play to implement if the forwards are held.

Yes mate, I hear what your saying but rightly or wrongly, I work on the theory that we ( the NRL ) are not at the gridiron stage where we play a set team depending on the opposition.

I'd like to think instead of us having to adapt to the Eels, they will hopefully need to adapt to our way of playing.
We nee to play 'our' game ........... bugger it, let the others chase us.
Just saying.

 

[dragonssamy61]

Maketo can't even make to squad .

Is Mary really picking this team ?

Marketo on the bench for illawarra.
So I dout mary is picking team

 

[Rocket Rod]

Maybe Mary is finally starting to see the light ?
His job is on the line, not only next year but this one as well.
I don't think any coach likes to be sacked mid year.

Marketo on the bench for illawarra.
So I dout mary is picking team

 

[TruSaint]

Marketo on the bench for illawarra.
So I dout mary is picking team

Mary is picking the team mate...

 

[Old Timer]

Yes mate, I hear what your saying but rightly or wrongly, I work on the theory that we ( the NRL ) are not at the gridiron stage where we play a set team depending on the opposition.

I'd like to think instead of us having to adapt to the Eels, they will hopefully need to adapt to our way of playing.
We nee to play 'our' game ........... bugger it, let the others chase us.
Just saying.

I agree OKB1 it cuts both ways and the Eels will need to adjust to accommodate us as well
I just hope we don't restrict ourselves to one particular game plan and continue to prosecute regardless if it is not working in a particular game.