Premiership this year ....

[Wittenberg]

Unlike many I find the amount of cover and various combinations possible in our spine a concern. Yeah we have great depth at 5/8’ fullback, hooker and halfback if needed, but consistency versus confusion could be the issue. Our wingers are iffy and our centres are problematic. In short I don’t think we can win. The Roosters, Cronulla, the Broncos, Souths and Melbourne are all strong sides, so to me while I think we will make the top 4, that is by no means certain.Essentially with AhMau, Nene Nightingale and JDB (at least for 5 weeks) gone I don’t think our side is stronger in 2019.

 

[possm]

I think we can, if things go our way.

It’s a worry having an ex player as coach, our 5/8 shoved back to FB and a new halves combination going into the season proper.

We have plenty of youth coming through, but not tested in tfe big dance.


Oh sorry, wrong forum

After giving this some thought, I've come around to the idea of letting Mary stuff things up until round 3. In round 3 I would make changes that should be clear to all by then. If Dufty has improved his defence and has gained confidence taking the high ball during the off-season, I would be happy to see the following line-up for round 3:

1. Dufty
2. Pearson
3. Lomax
4. Widdop
5. Ravalawa
6. Norman
7. Hunt
8. Graham
9. McInnes
10. Vaughan
11. T Sims
12. Frizell
13. K Sims

14. Robson
15. Kerr
16. Timm
17. Leilua

This completely replaces our centre combination, includes Dufty at fullback and includes Norman at 6. Best of all, this does not require the wholesale change to our spine just to let Dufty be involved. The changes also give Robson the opportunity at 14 and presents two new props the opportunity to be included in our prop rotation - Kerr and Timm. Overall, I'd say that if the above players played at their best, this would be the strongest team we could field in 2019.

I'd say that this team can win the competition providing Mary does not go off-track.

 

[Dragonsamy]

Top 5 otherwise the season is a fail.
Then we must play like we did against the Broncos in the semi and go deep into the finals

 

[LINESPEED]

After giving this some thought, I've come around to the idea of letting Mary stuff things up until round 3. In round 3 I would make changes that should be clear to all by then. If Dufty has improved his defence and has gained confidence taking the high ball during the off-season, I would be happy to see the following line-up for round 3:

1. Dufty
2. Pearson
3. Lomax
4. Widdop
5. Ravalawa
6. Norman
7. Hunt
8. Graham
9. McInnes
10. Vaughan
11. T Sims
12. Frizell
13. K Sims

14. Robson
15. Kerr
16. Timm
17. Leilua

This completely replaces our centre combination, includes Dufty at fullback and includes Norman at 6. Best of all, this does not require the wholesale change to our spine just to let Dufty be involved. The changes also give Robson the opportunity at 14 and presents two new props the opportunity to be included in our prop rotation - Kerr and Timm. Overall, I'd say that if the above players played at their best, this would be the strongest team we could field in 2019.

I'd say that this team can win the competition providing Mary does not go off-track.

Possm in my humble opinion that is the best combo atm if you really had to bet your house on it.
No ifs or buts or favourites - that’s a good side.

No muckin with spine.

Gives Robson a crack & McInnes a spell

No right side turnstile

You’ve nailed it!

 

[Dragonsamy]

does that statement include JDB or not?

JDB
Will be missed .
We need a lot of players such as Lucky and K Sims and host to step up big time.
If they don't we could have a very long year.

 

[Crush]

I think realistically there are 6-8 teams that could win the comp this year, the NRL is so tight and competitive. Dragons are one of those teams this year IMO.
Having said that, are they the most likely to win it? No way, there are a few ahead of them.
Will they win it? They'll need a fair amount of luck and by luck I mean injuries to certain players that will allow our best 17 to be selected.

 

[41yearsaint]

No..we cant. WHY

We dont have a strong No 2-5.
We are too conservative in our team selections and playbook
Stats and previous wins are the only thing Mary looks at going forward.
Dufty as a bench player is a disaster waiting to unfold, not because of Dufty, because it is a waste of time and potentially upsetting our backs spine during a game.
Widdop is not a fullback and slow to cover and does not have speed anyway for that position. He will be stuffed by the time he slots back to No 6..if that is what they do during a game.

Aitken or Norman should be 14 if you going to carry a back on the bench.
Aitken could cover in the forwards if injury as a bash / barge merchant.
Norman can cover anywhere in the backs

That will do for now without a ball being kicked. I'll add to that or delete as the season unfolds!

Aitken can go and Norman can earn his place in the side.
The rest is a no brainer.

 

[rednwhites]

Every year throws up surprises, twists and turns

- new gun players
- injuries to key players
- mid year signings
- effective coaching that wins a team over
- new combinations that gel or don't
- general form and confidence slumps

None of us can see into the future and tell who will be dealt what. Our 2-5 really worries me and JDB's absence has me concerned. Can we possibly overcome this? Yes. I think we've got a competitive team will be surprised if we miss the 8 but 5th-8th is where I think we'll end up and that's probably not ideal for winning the comp.

 

[Saint_JimmyG]

Has McGregor left his post? Has Millward finally attracted some decent wingers? Will the likes of Lomax, Lawrie and Kerr be allowed to fulfill their potential? Is JDB back? Will SGI be able to handle a captain who clearly has his mind elsewhere? Will the club appropriately game manage an aging Graham, who besides his undoubted leadership, provides minimal impact?

My thoughts are pretty clear on the Dragons’ chances.

 

[dragonreddy]

We are still a couple of players short in the backs ,but some of the young guys may surprise us,but JDB will be a big blow to our chances.

The other impediment is our illustrious coach , Trent Robinson he aint,in 5years he has shown no ability to adapt game plans , he has absolutely no skills at bringing younger players on, I would go as far as saying he actually contributes to destabilising their confidence as discussed on here ad nauseum.

His biggest fault though is that he refuses to take any responsibilty for any of the above issues as we have witnessed many times , including earlier in the off season he was carping o about being one win short of minor premiers.
So he will start the season with the same old bash and barge gameplan hopefully the boys will throw the ball around a bit like last year, and we will win a few early ,as I believe they did this last year on their own backs and when results came our way Mary was happy with it as it made him look good for a bit.
The only way they could win the premiership would be in spite of him not because of him.

I reckon 7th or 8th , hoping to be proved wrong.

 

[Lovemedragons]

After giving this some thought, I've come around to the idea of letting Mary stuff things up until round 3. In round 3 I would make changes that should be clear to all by then. If Dufty has improved his defence and has gained confidence taking the high ball during the off-season, I would be happy to see the following line-up for round 3:

1. Dufty
2. Pearson
3. Lomax
4. Widdop
5. Ravalawa
6. Norman
7. Hunt
8. Graham
9. McInnes
10. Vaughan
11. T Sims
12. Frizell
13. K Sims

14. Robson
15. Kerr
16. Timm
17. Leilua

This completely replaces our centre combination, includes Dufty at fullback and includes Norman at 6. Best of all, this does not require the wholesale change to our spine just to let Dufty be involved. The changes also give Robson the opportunity at 14 and presents two new props the opportunity to be included in our prop rotation - Kerr and Timm. Overall, I'd say that if the above players played at their best, this would be the strongest team we could field in 2019.

I'd say that this team can win the competition providing Mary does not go off-track.

Mary takes way more than 3 weeks to make a change, even in the face of glaring problems. Your team is close to mine, I would have Widdop at 6 and Norman in the centres as its less disruption and gives time for Norman to fit into the team in a less critical role before he eventually takes 6 in 2020. I think ultimately losing JDB will hurt us a lot more than what others on here seem to think, this was to be his best year yet, it's so sad.

 

[RedVDave]

Not very nice RedVDave, even if I thought the same about a forum member, I would not come out and be so rude.

My thoughts are that we are stuck in a situation where we are going to be lumped with Mary for another 2-3 years. If he was replaced by Barrett for the remainder of this year, it will give the Board enough time to hire a real coach.

Possm I love your passion and enthusiasm but you have tendency to get a little to carried away. Anyway whether you or anyone else thinks Mary is a good coach or not is totally up to their on discretion but signing every coach that comes available is not the answer, just like signing every player that comes available is not the answer (salary cap aside) what we need is quality not quantity.
Furthermore Barrett was made lifetime member by our club and in return he came out and said it's not fun playing footy for us and signed with Cronulla then went on to a lacklustre coaching career at Penrith and Manly (which included 1 finals appearance and coming in at 2nd last) so this is NO upgrade on what we have now, not to mention now Barrett is jobless and wants to come here with his tail in-between his legs as far as I am concerned he can look elsewhere.

 

[SnowDragon]

Can we do it! YES WE CAN!

 

[possm]

Possm I love your passion and enthusiasm but you have tendency to get a little to carried away. Anyway whether you or anyone else thinks Mary is a good coach or not is totally up to their on discretion but signing every coach that comes available is not the answer, just like signing every player that comes available is not the answer (salary cap aside) what we need is quality not quantity.
Furthermore Barrett was made lifetime member by our club and in return he came out and said it's not fun playing footy for us and signed with Cronulla then went on to a lacklustre coaching career at Penrith and Manly (which included 1 finals appearance and coming in at 2nd last) so this is NO upgrade on what we have now, not to mention now Barrett is jobless and wants to come here with his tail in-between his legs as far as I am concerned he can look elsewhere.

I can see your point however, it seems to me the coaching problem could have been sorted last season when there were about 4 top line coaches unemployed. the SGI Board decided not to act and has now indicated the job is Mary's to lose.

When it comes to our squad, there is one thing we can both agree on, we will badly miss the services of JDB. I like to think that this can be turned into a positive by adding a keen young player to our forward pack - not necessarily to replace JDB - and give this young player every chance and means of support to take the opportunity to realise his full potential. With this in mind, I will be very interested in following the progress of Kerr and Timm.

With regards to our backline, my view is Norman at 6 makes more sense mainly because he is our long term five-eighth and so, every game he plays in partnership with Hunt will only serve the halves combination the opportunity to form a good partnership in the quickest time.

If Dufty has resolved his defence issues and gained confidence in taking the high ball, then I see no reason why he should not be selected at fullback. I believe Mary wanted Norman early because he wanted to play Widdop at fullback mainly because he was not completely happy with Dufty at fullback. So if Dufty has resolved his problems, Widdop becomes the obvious solution this season to one half of our centre combination. I do believe he and Norman could switch from time to time to execute particular plays and that our left side winger - Pereira or Pearson - would greatly benefit from Widdop's ability to provide an accurate pass and Widdop's ability to defend well.

Replacing Aitken at right centre with Lomax and addressing the right edge defensive structure - which may or may not include the scrapping of our compressed defensive structure for some games - should plug some of the holes we currently have to deal with on the right edge.

Finally, selecting Robson on the bench in the 14 jumper will give SGI a new dynamic at times when the opposition are either tired or dealing with their second string combinations when fielding their bench forwards. Robson is a dynamic hooker who will provide a significant change in style when brought onto the field.

We do have the squad to win this seasons competition. The question we need to ask ourselves is, can our coaching staff make the right decisions to unleash the full potential of our squad.

 

[Drakon]

Wasn't convinced where to post this but as it's about the 2019 season:-

The 2019 NRL season on ER according to Sportsbet. Some good laughs in here:-

http://dc.sportsbet.com.au/p/ap/57a4d351ef8798cc/landing.html?mi_u=2035284

 

[This Year?]

Wasn't convinced where to post this but as it's about the 2019 season:-

The 2019 NRL season on ER according to Sportsbet. Some good laughs in here:-

http://dc.sportsbet.com.au/p/ap/57a4d351ef8798cc/landing.html?mi_u=2035284

Brilliant!

 

[Forster Dragon]

Whilst that clown McGregor is in charge the only thing we will win is a wooden spoon.
No hope in hell of winning a premiership this year,in fact we will regress.

 

[RedVDave]

I can see your point however, it seems to me the coaching problem could have been sorted last season when there were about 4 top line coaches unemployed. the SGI Board decided not to act and has now indicated the job is Mary's to lose.

When it comes to our squad, there is one thing we can both agree on, we will badly miss the services of JDB. I like to think that this can be turned into a positive by adding a keen young player to our forward pack - not necessarily to replace JDB - and give this young player every chance and means of support to take the opportunity to realise his full potential. With this in mind, I will be very interested in following the progress of Kerr and Timm.

With regards to our backline, my view is Norman at 6 makes more sense mainly because he is our long term five-eighth and so, every game he plays in partnership with Hunt will only serve the halves combination the opportunity to form a good partnership in the quickest time.

If Dufty has resolved his defence issues and gained confidence in taking the high ball, then I see no reason why he should not be selected at fullback. I believe Mary wanted Norman early because he wanted to play Widdop at fullback mainly because he was not completely happy with Dufty at fullback. So if Dufty has resolved his problems, Widdop becomes the obvious solution this season to one half of our centre combination. I do believe he and Norman could switch from time to time to execute particular plays and that our left side winger - Pereira or Pearson - would greatly benefit from Widdop's ability to provide an accurate pass and Widdop's ability to defend well.

Replacing Aitken at right centre with Lomax and addressing the right edge defensive structure - which may or may not include the scrapping of our compressed defensive structure for some games - should plug some of the holes we currently have to deal with on the right edge.

Finally, selecting Robson on the bench in the 14 jumper will give SGI a new dynamic at times when the opposition are either tired or dealing with their second string combinations when fielding their bench forwards. Robson is a dynamic hooker who will provide a significant change in style when brought onto the field.

We do have the squad to win this seasons competition. The question we need to ask ourselves is, can our coaching staff make the right decisions to unleash the full potential of our squad.

Yep totally agree no argument here Hasler, McGuire, Clearly, Toovey, Bennett would have all be significant upgrades however signing a more inexperienced coach (with a worse record than Mary I might add) is not the answer that's the main point I was trying to earlier.

Like your team line-up to mate although I like Aitken's work don't get all the hate on here anyway it's a long season ahead who knows what will happen.

 

[Crush]

Yep totally agree no argument here Hasler, McGuire, Clearly, Toovey, Bennett would have all be significant upgrades however signing a more inexperienced coach (with a worse record than Mary I might add) is not the answer that's the main point I was trying to earlier.

Like your team line-up to mate although I like Aitken's work don't get all the hate on here anyway it's a long season ahead who knows what will happen.

Some of those coaches mentioned may arguably be an upgrade on Mary but I think it would be overly harsh to sack a coach after a year in which the team is a whisker away from a Preliminary final.
That being said, they should not rush into extending his contract this year, I'd wait until the season is complete and see where we finished.

 

[RedVDave]

Some of those coaches mentioned may arguably be an upgrade on Mary but I think it would be overly harsh to sack a coach after a year in which the team is a whisker away from a Preliminary final.
That being said, they should not rush into extending his contract this year, I'd wait until the season is complete and see where we finished.

I agree with that so long as his contract isn't extended 10 rounds into the comp again. He deserves to see out this year (extenuating circumstances obviously)