no lack of talent

[pinkmoon]

When I look at the current squad we have at the Dragons I see a lot of talent.

Dugan, Morris, Nightingale, and Widdop are as good as anyone on their day, and generally Brett Morris has that day every time he walks on the field; an absolute champion.

Beale has been strong this season, and shown some nice touches, but like the halves, is playing behind a badly beaten pack. His shortcomings in defence are as much about him, as they are about our structures, and the fatigue coming from the players inside him; he is forced into error a lot of the time.

Guys like Runcimen, Mata'utai, and Farrell do not lack size or speed.

Benji has all the skills, he just needs structure around him. He didn't have that for most of his time at the Tigers (the most ad lib club in the competition under Sheens), and he certainly won't find it under Price or McGregor.

De Belin, Stockwell, Thompson, and Frizzel, are all fine, athletic, strong, fit, mobile, and fast young forwards; the sky is the limit under the proper mentoring.

Merrin is a representative level footballer with a fine offload and high work rate. Ah Mau (although despised on this forum) is far from the worst budget back rower (of which every club has two or three with today's salary cap).

Creagh is Creagh; not what he used to be, but a senior player who very obviously wants success for the club, and puts in every week.

In my opinion, there is no lack of talent in this squad. I don't see players past their prime, I don't see a list of injury prone, frail, no frills, reserve grade level footballers. We have athleticism to burn in this unit, but they are playing the way they are being coached; like dog shit.

A new coach, a new hooker, and the impending exit of Dan Hunt, and we solve our problem!

 

[tezza1961]

Amen to that

 

[Weipa Dragon]

Good post mate. You are not wrong with the talent. Probably as good as 2009. Will something click in 2014? Not sure.

 

[Highland Saint]

Can't argue with any of that. Throw in a good wrestling coach and we're away

 

[smi962]

The sum of the parts does not always equal the whole. The 2014 team is such an example.

There are talented players that have been put together without thinking about how they will compliment one another as a team.

 

[TruSaint]

I do like this post for a couple of reasons...

1. It dismisses the fact that we are a piss weak team on an individual level.
2. It highlights the fact that we cannot take advantage of what we have.

What the old adage? Team of champions or champion team.

Nice positive post.

remove the decision makers, engage an astute coach, stop f...g with what works and fix what doesn't.

 

[pinkmoon]

I look at a club like Parramatta, who's fortunes have turned around considerably under good coaching. All of the sudden Chris Sandow and Jarryd Hayne look like world beaters again because the pack is going forward, and the structures are there.

 

[Godz Illa]

My thoughts exactly. pinkmoon, you seem to be inside my own brain. During your stay, I ask you to respectfully avoid the sexual fantasies section. For your own benefit really. It's scary down there.

 

[pinkmoon]

My thoughts exactly. pinkmoon, you seem to be inside my own brain. During your stay, I ask you to respectfully avoid the sexual fantasies section. For your own benefit really. It's scary down there.

I will try! :lol: It can't be any scarier than our current form.

We are not far off with this squad, we just need a coach. In saying that, I don't envy Doust and the board, because the correct decision on who that coach should be is certainly not staring us right back in the face at the moment :? Who would you have?

 

[TruSaint]

I look at a club like Parramatta, who's fortunes have turned around considerably under good coaching. All of the sudden Chris Sandow and Jarryd Hayne look like world beaters again because the pack is going forward, and the structures are there.

Parramatta have gone through major overhauls.
Their pack is NO better than ours.

There back 3 ( until last week ), are NO better than ours.

Sandow was at his end. Hayne ( we all know how good he is ), was average for 2 years.

What changed ? The squad . No. Management and coach.
Im so over the fact that we have a "soft" pack. We have soft admin and coaching.
Yes there are 2-3 players whom should be shown the door.

Frizell, Creagh, JDB, Cooper, Thompson.. etc dont go soft overnight.
On paper this is a top 4 squad.
On the field we are competing for the spoon.

Go ahead (those who wish), and blame Marshall and co. for our predicament.
Keep playing a world class fullback at centre.
Delusional.

 

[denis preston]

I just wonder if we use our red & white glasses in highlighting the "potential " of the younger players just like we did with King & Stanley.Perhaps they are just first graders at best but as bad as the coaching has been I'd want to see some blood out there because they are still collecting a bloody good wage.

 

[Coffs dragon]

Yes we are blessed with talent but fail miserably to develop and convert this talent due to non talented coaching staff and a complete lack to inspire and unify a team.

 

[Get2dachopper!]

I agree, our squad is as probably as good as it was at the start of the 2009 season. Do you remember everyone bagging us for our boring defensive style of play? We need to get back to that. Sort out the defence, attack will take care of itself.
I just think that some of our forwards are playing out of position.
Frizell and Thompson are both right edge players. Creagh should have been prop from round 1, not chopped and changed to backrow. All they need is a large, stocky dominant front rower (ie Weyman) who can consistently get over the advantage line, land on his stomach, and play the ball quickly. Creagh can then follow through with the next hit up.
I'd be putting Hunt in the second row, perhaps on the left edge in Creagh's old position. We can artificially increase the size of our pack by playing some of our smallish props in the second row. We already have Merrin at Lock. I know Hunt is not popular on this forum, but I think his defence is okay.
P.S. Harrison and Ah Mau should never be allowed to play NRL again, they are not up to first grade standard, shocking defence.

 

[pinkmoon]

I just wonder if we use our red & white glasses in highlighting the "potential " of the younger players just like we did with King & Stanley.Perhaps they are just first graders at best but as bad as the coaching has been I'd want to see some blood out there because they are still collecting a bloody good wage.

You can tell they a good enough because they occasionally show what they have; De Belin will put on a hit, Friz will charge through a hole, or Beale will bamboozle...the problem is these moments of potential are too few and far between because they happen without foundation. They are individual expressions of skill that occasionally shine through the shortcomings of a poorly coached side with little confidence.

 

[Minh]

Yes good post, definately the talent is there. The forwards need to take Barrocca or Viagra or something, they are lacking at the moment in all depatments.........Just not getting up for the big games.

 

[Twenty10]

Sure there is talent. But it's the players in between that talent that's our problem. Too many over rated players we put too much faith in to.

De belin.
Hunt.
Rein.
Matthews.
Harrison.
Ah Mau.
Thompson.

All the above players should be shed. Purchase players to replace them. Get a new coach. Problem solved.

 

[rasaint]

Pink Moon love your passion for Dragons. Have to disagree. Runicman I doubt will ever be anything/ Matautia will try but not a genuine 1st grader/ Farrell is ok. None have real speed.

The Elephant in room is Duges going OK but not at the level when with Canberra or even last year for us. Seems a bit slow to me.

Never from word go understood the JDB talk up.

Heaven help us when Morris retires( of course still has 3 to 4 good years left)

 

[coast_dragons]

Dugan has talent yet at times looks lazy and disinterested you can say the same for alot of players this year the moral is the lowest its been for years.

Runciman and Mata Utia getting called out on what a few games sure you can have your own take on things but to say they aren't good enough I remember the same words uttered about Cooper and Morris and well all now how that turned out.

 

[FlameThrower]

Ok, I like to be positive, but on paper and in theory are one thing, but if that was the case the Warriors would have won 3 premierships by now.
Where are our leaders on the field? Where is the pride in the jersey team spirit, belief in the player next to you on goal line defense won't shirt grab or give up a massive hole.
A tight and professional front office would not allow this to happen, so it rolls down hill from the boardroom to the coaching sheds and out into the field. One word 'rabble'....
Players no longer care or believe so don't play as a team, I can't see this team changing much, less a few flakey wins, and not even half way thru season and we are already talking about next year = another lost season. Nothing positive about that!

 

[Minh]

A proper coach who won't tolerate mediocrity would help too. Steve Price destroyed this team's morale selecting players who did not deserve to be in the team and leaving out or stuffing about with the real good players, Soward punctuates that point. I know he was not popular but Prior at least busted his arse and could actually defend. With a proper coach he's fifty times better than Hunt.