TruSaint
Referee
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If those are my options I'll take Sims and Lawrie, with Kerr waiting in the wings and Latimore and Allgood providing reserve grade with the most experienced prop combination in the NSW Cup.
He will. No doubt.
Look at all the Sims siblings. Can you you see any underachievers there. I can't
Look at all the Sims siblings. Can you you see any underachievers there. I can't
I think Simms may have lost a bit of his lateral movement when he broke his leg numerous times. But then I think back to the game against Cronulla last year. If he could reproduce that kind of performance week in week out, he would be one of the best forwards in the game. I think since he broke his leg numerous times that he is best suited to the middle. I think lock would be Simms best position. I also think lock is Frizzell's best position, but I am very happy with Debelin as our lock. I am hoping that DeBelin can play origin this year. I think DeBelin will also perform very well at origin, if he gets the opportunity.
James Graham shows new Dragons teammates how its done during preseason training
MATT LOGUE, The Daily Telegraph
JAMES Graham only needed one session to stamp his presence as the man to take St George Illawarra to the next level following a season of missed chances.
Remarkably for the Dragons, Graham’s impact came on his first day at the club during team’s pre-season beep test.
Every forward was at breaking point, including the star Englishman, who easily could have quit out of sheer exhaustion.
But as veteran winger Jason Nightingale recalls, Graham kept pushing — barking orders at himself and his teammates to finish the drill.
James Graham is already having an effect at St George Illawarra. (Dylan Robinson)
According to Nightingale, it was a moment of determination the Dragons can use as motivation to overcome a string of close losses in 2017.
The Red V lost seven of their final 10 games, including a last round defeat to archrivals Canterbury, to miss out on the finals.
Nightingale, though, is confident the Dragons won’t collapse in 2018, thanks largely to Graham’s pre-season heroics to defy the pain barrier.
“James was gone, but he kept screaming at himself and the boys to keep going,” Nightingale recalled.
“It was him, Tariq Sims and Blake Laurie as the last three forwards to finish.
“James was doing his first session after a World Cup campaign, he was buggered, but he found something when he shouldn’t have been able to.
“He had already beaten most of the group, but he kept going to push Sims and Laurie to personal best times.
“James got them further than they were prepared to go — it was great to watch”
New Dragons Graham and Ben Hunt. (Richard Dobson)
Nightingale says Graham’s pre-season dedication has rubbed off on the entire club.
Whether it’s turning up to training early or staying late for video or kicking sessions, Dragons players are following the ex-Canterbury skipper’s lead in the extra effort stakes.
“James’ experience just adds so much confidence,” Nightingale said.
“It helps in those situations where you are under pressure and rattled.
“We had some bad experiences last year where things didn’t go our way, but I think our young players will learn from that.
“Also adding James and people like Ben Hunt who have been there and done it will be awesome for us.”
Star Kangaroos lock Tyson Frizell is another Dragon rapt to see Graham donning the famous Red V.
Frizell played against him the World Cup, but he says there is another side to the veteran England prop.
“You see the way James plays on the field, but people don’t really see what he does off the field,” he said.
“He trains the way he plays and he is 100 miles an hour. He is such a competitor and it’s good for the young guys coming through seeing the effort he puts into his training.
“Hopefully with Ben (Hunt) here as well, we can win those close games this year. I think there were five games where we lost by less than five points.
“That is what is so disappointing — we gave ourselves every opportunity to make the eight and just couldn’t come away with it.”
Fuelled by the arrival of recruits like Graham and Hunt, Frizell believes the Dragons are primed to achieve their potential this season.
“We put a lot of expectation on ourselves and we haven’t lived up to our expectations or standards in the past,” he said.
“But I hope we can create a dominate team and be successful for years to come. It all starts this year and hopefully we can be more consistent in our performances.”
Yes that part struck a chord with me.....imo thats the last thing we wont him to do tuck it up his jumper and barge upfield...that might have been ok when he was 25 but hes a lot slower now......for mine I would like to see him using all his skills and experience to put some of our younger quicker blokes through gaps.....stuff McGregor he doesnt have the mind set and temperament to visualse whats required in tbe forwards...come to think of it that applies to our backline as well
I couldnt agree more mate
Why ? Didn’t Simms step up the last 8 games last year ? He was by far our best forward during July - August. He’s stepped up already he just needs to continue that form into 2018..
