Nathan Brown guides St Helens to GF

[Highland Saint]

Damn it sounds good hearing When the Saints Go Marching sung by the St Helens fans during the game. That English stadium atmosphere is really something else

 

[Evil Homer]

Isn't that part of the game? And aren't they also minor premiers?

Yeah, it's their reward for finishing minor premiers, just pointing out that their finals matches were pretty much walkovers against two physically and emotionally shot teams (Castleford after losing the Challenge Cup final and blowing their shot at the minor premiership and Catalans after pulling out huge efforts to beat Huddersfield and Leeds and traveling backwards and forwards from France 3 times in 12 days). If Castleford hadn't choked on the last day of the season when they had the chance to win the minor premiership then St Helens would've had a much tougher route, it is what it is, still a good achievement.

 

[Mr Red]

Yeah, it's their reward for finishing minor premiers, just pointing out that their finals matches were pretty much walkovers against two physically and emotionally shot teams (Castleford after losing the Challenge Cup final and blowing their shot at the minor premiership and Catalans after pulling out huge efforts to beat Huddersfield and Leeds and traveling backwards and forwards from France 3 times in 12 days). If Castleford hadn't choked on the last day of the season when they had the chance to win the minor premiership then St Helens would've had a much tougher route, it is what it is, still a good achievement.

Who cares how they got there..
You can only beat what's put in front of you ...and that's what they have done .
To make a grand final can be years in the making with lots of hard work and planning in between.
I'm not a Brown fan, but give credit where credit is due. Good luck in the big one Browny.

 

[64 Dragon]

I just saw this on the news.

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-sport/brown-leaving-english-rugby-league-20141004-3h9jx.html

 

[Minh]

Nathan Brown would have been a great choice as coach, he'll get a job here in the NRL soon I reckon.

 

[64 Dragon]

We have plenty of "jobs for the boys". He'll find something here. Assistant coach to Mary?

 

[TruSaint]

Congrats to Browny, great effort.
Wigan tried hard but down to 12 men from 2nd minute.

 

[God-King Dean]

Yet another coach we have potentially got if we didn't sign McGregor to 3 years....

Congratulations Browny. You deserve it.

 

[TheRev]

double post

 

[Coffs dragon]

Congratulations Browny and some NRL club will get themselves a experienced & successful coach. Unfortunately it won't be the Dragons, but someone like the Sharks or Roosters will pounce & benefit.

 

[TheRev]

This is the incident that led to Wigan having 12 men for the whole game!
http://rugbyleagueweek.com.au/wigan-player-sent-off-two-minutes-into-grand-final/

 

[TruSaint]

Sick.

 

[gregstar]

punching someone already prone on the ground.

what a tough guy.

 

[TheRev]

but it ruins the grandfinal too, you cant play a man down for 78 minutes, game over for Wigan.

 

[TruSaint]

Agree Rev,

It was a dog act and I am surprised how Wigan hung in there for so long. Good effort to remain competitive.

 

[Get2dachopper!]

Congratulations Browny and some NRL club will get themselves a experienced & successful coach. Unfortunately it won't be the Dragons, but someone like the Sharks or Roosters will pounce & benefit.

There is no law saying it can't be the dragons, so why can't we sign him? Pay out Mary his wage, which can't be that much. Everybody including the media will be up in arms, a coach gets the sack without even coaching a game. But eventually, they'll get over it.

 

[saint.nick]

That just never happens, G2DC.

 

[The_Team_Won]

Get him signed up now, he has proved beyond doubt he is the man that can Take the Dragons to their next NRL premiership.

 

[possm]

Tell Mary he will be a co-coach with Brown. If he jumps up and down, offer him the assistant coaching job on the same money. If he says no, pay him out and send him on his way. Bring in Brown and Moz, Merrin and Flo will stay. Hunt, Beale and Farrell are the ones we need to off-load. Our backline is too expensive but we need to keep our good players in the backline and off-load the non-performers.

To make way for a couple of new props, some forwards will need to take a pay cut or be off-loaded. Our highest paid are Merrin, Creagh and Rein.

Merrin we need to keep but it may not be the money that is the problem. I may be the coach.

I don't know if Creagh is playing to instructions however, I am sure he is able to do more than just run hard up the middle. He needs to step and off-load as well. Being Club Captain he holds a special place in the team however, he may be coming to the end of his football career (Hornby stayed on a year too long).

Rein is not our ideal hooker. His best play is a try from dummy half but most teams are a wake up to this these days. He needs to improve his dummy half service and give our forwards the opportunity to produce a roll-on in attack. He makes a lot of takles per game, but our middle area is still very soft in defence.

Our middle forwards Creagh, Cooper, Rein and Merrin are either following a poor game plan or not maning up in defence as a unit.

My suggestions are:

• To hire Brown as head coach.
• To off-load Beale, Farrell and Hunt.
• To move Merrin to prop or let him go.
• To move De Belin or Creagh to lock.
• To move Dugan back to Fullback.
• To move Mata Utai to right centre.
• To move Morris to left centre
• To promote Runciman to left wing.
• To move Frizell to right edge forward.
• To buy at least one more good prop.
• To maybe move Benji to 6 on the left and Widdop to 7 on the right in order to sure up the right side defence.

Thompson, Benji and Morris would be a more balanced defensive unit and a very exciting attacking unit on the left. Just imagine the Benji to Morris combination in attack. Just imagine Morris receiving 60% more ball each game without being banged up against the sideline with no room to move.

While the Frizell, Widdop Mata Utai combination would seem to be a more solid and balanced unit in defence (than the current combo of Ah Mau, Benji and Dugan) and a very good attacking unit on the right. I'm sure Flo would really appreciate the accurate Widdop passing game and the way Widdop can go direct to the line and leave plenty of room for his outside backs to do their stuff.

So, for 2015 we won't be able to do all we want in rebuilding our squad however, the above simple adjustments may make our team more competitive and so, have a better chance of making the eight.

In my opinion, the appointment of Brown as head coach is the key to bringing about any significant change to the Dragons fortunes for 2015.

 

[gregstar]

downie #1 to left centre?

LOL!