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R14 v Dolphins 06/06 Friday @ Suncorp

Messages
2,576
Up until this game we were an average side but at least playing consistent footy and (mostly) making the opposition earn their wins. Now it looks like we're a mediocre side who give up when things get tough. So what happened? Over-trained too close to the game? Players looking forward to the long weekend? Afflicted by a mystery virus just before kick-off? Old Flanno is making promises but I can't see how he turns this around. We'll lose the next game by thirty and management will be guzzling crownies while congratulating themselves on the improvement.
 

Illusion

Bench
Messages
3,482
Up until this game we were an average side but at least playing consistent footy and (mostly) making the opposition earn their wins. Now it looks like we're a mediocre side who give up when things get tough. So what happened? Over-trained too close to the game? Players looking forward to the long weekend? Afflicted by a mystery virus just before kick-off? Old Flanno is making promises but I can't see how he turns this around. We'll lose the next game by thirty and management will be guzzling crownies while congratulating themselves on the improvement.
There lays the problem ......... Management ........ Leeches sucking the life out of the joint then some say we are negative ....... Same crap since 2010 , enough is enough ........
 

jeffdragon

Bench
Messages
4,108
We
Last night was an A grade debacle, the problem as I see it now is trying to clean up the roster. We have Rava and Lawrie remaining from Griffin but now add in Gutho, Holmes, Cook and Flanno junior signEd by the present coach. Another rebuild coming , I’m 68 il be lucky to see us in the finals in my lifetime. Thank goodness I was at the 2010 grand final.
I knew our forwards were a worry before r1 and halves too.
But did the club do anything about it?
Passed on some forwards.
Now coming to fruition big time.
 

Sloan Ranger

Juniors
Messages
203
Up until this game we were an average side but at least playing consistent footy and (mostly) making the opposition earn their wins. Now it looks like we're a mediocre side who give up when things get tough. So what happened? Over-trained too close to the game? Players looking forward to the long weekend? Afflicted by a mystery virus just before kick-off? Old Flanno is making promises but I can't see how he turns this around. We'll lose the next game by thirty and management will be guzzling crownies while congratulating themselves on the improvement.
They're as out of touch as the beer they drink.
 
Messages
2,052
There has been no-one driving this club since Frank Facer passed.
Late '70s - 2 premierships in 3 years. We could have been dominant for years but faltered. I still don't think Roy Masters was right for us. We lost in ''85 after being kings all year, then failed to keep O'Connor and then started recruiting people like Steve Robinson, Clinton Mohr and Garry Longhurst. Fkn Wow! Fast forward to 2009-11 and we do the same again. This time we lose Gaz over TPAs, lowball B Moz, lost Sowy, Saffy, Scott etc etc and our big signings were Daniel Vidot and a washed-up, pea-hearted turnip like Josh Dugan.
Fast forward 15 more years and we have a coach coming off a 5 year ban that no other club wanted and was a Fox pundit in the interim. His big signings to date are the usual OAPs looking to give their super funds a boost and injury-prone fringe first-graders. While we hang on to nuffies like Sloan who never develops and let Tamale, Finau Latu etc etc go. Isn't it amazing how Jackson Ford has kicked on since he left this bog hole of a football club? And our big signings this year, that we're all excited about, is a reserve grade 5/8 from the Scum who is SO GOOD that he can't unseat a clueless woebegone like Trindall. FFS!!
I feel like such a fool for spending decades of my life caring about the fortunes of this club when, seemingly, no-one working in it does.
 
Last edited:
Messages
2,052
Up until this game we were an average side but at least playing consistent footy and (mostly) making the opposition earn their wins. Now it looks like we're a mediocre side who give up when things get tough. So what happened? Over-trained too close to the game? Players looking forward to the long weekend? Afflicted by a mystery virus just before kick-off? Old Flanno is making promises but I can't see how he turns this around. We'll lose the next game by thirty and management will be guzzling crownies while congratulating themselves on the improvement.
Flanno's mouth is writing cheques that his brain can't cash.
He has improved NOTHING. He never will.
Remember "This won't happen again"? And yet it does. Usually on ANZAC Day but also against footballing powerhouses like the fkn Redcliffe Dolphins.
 

Dragon David

First Grade
Messages
9,403
Look, our squad is like a light switch - turn it on and you have power, turn it off and there is no power. We are like that but we have been more turned off and last night was a complete blackout.

The comparison from last week to this week is like chalk and stinky cheese. We had plenty of zest and enthusiasm last week while this week we were insipid and impotent. We are familiar with this trend. I cannot recall the last time that we had won more than two games in a row and definitely cannot remember the longest stretch of wins in a row we have had in the NRL as a joint venture club without looking through the data on the internet.

It appears to me that ever since we lost Bennett to Newcastle in 2012, our coaches just really haven't been able to cut the Keens mustard some much worse than others. 13 long bloody, miserable years of waiting for some semblance of dominance, not even for one year - just zilch. Making one qualifying final in 2015 and one semi final in 2018 - whoopee! What an astounding achievement. Just so, so poor. This clearly shows that the joint venture arrangement has been a dismal failure for us and the same with the Wests Tigers and the ages ago Northern Eagles.

The Dolphins have only been established in the NRL for two and a half years (starting in 2023) and under Bennett came 13th in 2023, then 10th in 2024. Under Woolf they are currently sitting in 7th spot and the last two games have beaten the Bulldogs and the Dragons for a combined wins of 100 points for and 14 points against. Pretty good results. So much for the Dolphins.

The Dragons just need to now dig higher from the bottom of the pit to try and reach the surface and put in better efforts for the remaining games.
 

KingFlanno7

Juniors
Messages
1,144
Sharks into our last BYE. Then the Eels, Raiders, Roosters, Bulldogs, Cowboys, Raiders, Sharks, Warriors, Rabbitohs, Manly and Penrith. 11 straight games without a break and against some quality teams. If Dolphins can put nearly 60 points on us it's scary to think what the Raiders x2, Dogs and even Sharks x2 will do to us. Season is done and dusted a few more bad results and Flanno will be gone by the start of next preseason, the new CEO has to come in and clear everything. The people who hired Flanno and Flanno himself need to go. We need to get it right over the next few years for our club and our juniors who deserve the best from grassroots all the way up. Drums will start beating soon the media can't protect Flanno much longer.
 

I'm Hornby

Juniors
Messages
959
There has been no-one driving this club since Frank Facer passed.
Late '70s - 2 premierships in 3 years. We could have been dominant for years but faltered. I still don't think Roy Masters was right for us. We lost in ''85 after being kings all year, then failed to keep O'Connor and the started recruiting people like Steve Robinson, Clinton Mohr and Garry Longhurst. Fkn Wow! Fast forward to 2009-11 and we do the same again. This time we lose Gaz over TPAs, lowball B Moz, lost Sowy, Saffy, Scott etc etc and our big signings were Daniel Vidot and a washed-up, pea-hearted turnip like Josh Dugan.
Fast forward 15 more years and we have a coach coming off a 5 year ban that no other club wanted and was a Fox pundit in the interim. His big signings to date are the usual OAPs looking to give their super funds a boost and injury-prone fringe first-graders. While we hang on to nuffies like Sloan who never develops and let Tamale, Finau Latu etc etc go. Isn't it amazing how Jackson Ford has kicked on since he left this bog hole of a football club? And our big signings this year, that we're all excited about, is a reserve grade 5/8 from the Scum who is SO GOOD that he can't unseat a clueless woebegone like Trindall. FFS!!
I feel like such a fool for spending decades of my life caring about the fortunes of this club when, seemingly, no-one working in it does.
Great post and well said.
 

I'm Hornby

Juniors
Messages
959
Sharks into our last BYE. Then the Eels, Raiders, Roosters, Bulldogs, Cowboys, Raiders, Sharks, Warriors, Rabbitohs, Manly and Penrith. 11 straight games without a break and against some quality teams. If Dolphins can put nearly 60 points on us it's scary to think what the Raiders x2, Dogs and even Sharks x2 will do to us. Season is done and dusted a few more bad results and Flanno will be gone by the start of next preseason, the new CEO has to come in and clear everything. The people who hired Flanno and Flanno himself need to go. We need to get it right over the next few years for our club and our juniors who deserve the best from grassroots all the way up. Drums will start beating soon the media can't protect Flanno much longer.
Hope you're right mate, that would be a great outcome for Fraudagan to be turfed this year.

This nightmare would finally be over and we could use it as an opportunity to get a much better coach and some structural changes around them (ie a coaching director, a recruitment manager, a pathways manager) with real ability to bring about change and improve the long term prospects of this once great club.
 

Dragonslayer

First Grade
Messages
7,871
I'm usually quite the defender of the team and their performance, however, that was just an insipid effort, with only less than a handful actually putting in any sort of reasonable showing. Once the rot started, it was impossible to hold back. Yes, there were incidents that my (or may not) have thrown the game plan out, but good teams adjust, we just continued down the abyss.

What's becoming plainly clear is firstly, we are in desperate need of an Alpha prop and given factors already discussed ad-nauseum on these forums, getting one (at any price ie: blank cheque) is becoming harder and harder to almost improbable.

Secondly, a tall and agile winger (no advocation for Sloan here). Look at how they exploited Lawson with Bostock. In saying that, I thought Lawson had a reasonable game, got caught out in defense a few times, but at least he was 100% effort.

Thirdly, KFlan is not our answer to half back, however, neither is Glover, Ilias or even LKT for that matter. I doubt that we would/could sign someone (ie: Sexton) just for 3 months, as we wait for Atkinson's arrival. KFlan's effort last night bordered on being fictitious in nature (and he wasn't alone but stood out more imo).

There has to be accountability for the Shark's game. Obviously, a winger and an edge forward have to come in, but who? Do we roll the dice with the NRL and seek exemption for Cody? Do we play JH or NS or JL? or will their inexperience be exposed?

So many questions now, so few answers.
 
Messages
2,052
People calling for coach sackings after a pretty good first half of a season and then a very poor performance are over reacting. The current coach has fxck all to do with the previous 12 seasons before he got here
I'm not calling for Flanno to be sacked. He's got a contract. We honour it.
I never wanted him in the first place, don't like his style and reckon that he has not improved the culture or the results in any appreciable way.
Maybe we can get an AI to coach the team. Preferably using an avatar that looks like Norm Provan or Killer Kearney.
Haha
 

Dragon David

First Grade
Messages
9,403
I'm usually quite the defender of the team and their performance, however, that was just an insipid effort, with only less than a handful actually putting in any sort of reasonable showing. Once the rot started, it was impossible to hold back. Yes, there were incidents that my (or may not) have thrown the game plan out, but good teams adjust, we just continued down the abyss.

What's becoming plainly clear is firstly, we are in desperate need of an Alpha prop and given factors already discussed ad-nauseum on these forums, getting one (at any price ie: blank cheque) is becoming harder and harder to almost improbable.

Secondly, a tall and agile winger (no advocation for Sloan here). Look at how they exploited Lawson with Bostock. In saying that, I thought Lawson had a reasonable game, got caught out in defense a few times, but at least he was 100% effort.

Thirdly, KFlan is not our answer to half back, however, neither is Glover, Ilias or even LKT for that matter. I doubt that we would/could sign someone (ie: Sexton) just for 3 months, as we wait for Atkinson's arrival. KFlan's effort last night bordered on being fictitious in nature (and he wasn't alone but stood out more imo).

There has to be accountability for the Shark's game. Obviously, a winger and an edge forward have to come in, but who? Do we roll the dice with the NRL and seek exemption for Cody? Do we play JH or NS or JL? or will their inexperience be exposed?

So many questions now, so few answers.
The game plan that Woolf used against us was much, much better than what Flanno devised for the Dragons against the Dolphins and he played to our weaknesses all afternoon. In saying that though, they do have a better roster than ours particularly in the halves and backs.
Their forwards were stronger and even Kerr showed more get go than what he has in the past to outshine against our pack to a degree.

I wholeheartedly agree that we need a special tall winger in our team. Bostock had that height to out jump Lawson and other teams have them as well and they compete and are hard to contain.

Lots of stuff to still work on and players to recruit, retain and say goodbye to.
 
Messages
1,096
Being teased by my mates about the score was no fun at 'Pool' last night. I basically refused to engage in the TV or all the comments like "Another Phins try". Was undefeated all night and bloody walked 2 km home - very cut!

Just logged in and read all the game comments.

How depressing, but I have always been and, will always be a Dragons man!

When will the tide turn?
 

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