Rd5: 3pm Parra v Dragons GAME DAY THREAD @ Commbank 5/4/25

[Jake the snake]

Haha. Whose idea was that?
I want to find out and bitch slap em. Idiots.

It was probably our CEO Jim. He’d be dumb enough to organise something like that.

 

[T-Boon]

Junior Paulo has had his best half since 2022. Absolute beast

Agreed. Looked good to me. Where has this been?

 

[84 Baby]

I don't really know what the difference is between the two second efforts on the Dragons into touch. One was fine, the other a penalty, for what appeared to be the exact same action.

The first one was a knock on?

 

[Eelementary]

Junior Paulo has had his best half since 2022. Absolute beast

Best I've seen him play in years. He was a beast.

 

[DaveMc]

I don’t think Ryles will be coach by the end of next year. This has been the most abysmal start to a season for a very long time (regardless of what the result ends up being today), and if you take off the rose coloured glasses, it’s starting to become apparent that none of his calls to date have worked.

Arthur had to go, and I thought Ryles was a good option for coach. I don’t think that anymore. Results are everything, and ours are absolutely diabolical. I also don’t think we can console ourselves on the basis that this is a Ciraldo-like rebuild year - our squad for next year isn’t nearly good enough at this stage to make me think that things will improve to an acceptable level.

Weirdly, I think the Arthur experience will actually push the board to be more ruthless next time around rather than letting a failing coach drift for too long.

Anyway, I really hope I’m wrong, but I can’t see where the improvement comes from at this stage other than Moses coming back, and that’s just not a viable way to run a football team. And frankly, some of Ryles’ selections are at the point of being so bizarre that I’m pretty off him already - Kautoga should f**k off never to see first grade again, and starting Hopgood at hooker isn’t far off starting Peni Terepo at hooker, which was one of BA’s most braindead ideas.

 

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

Our best half of the year… we are still super dumb but at least we are having a crack and looking somewhat threatening with the ball

Yeh, it at least looks like we are playing in the same grade as the opposition.

 

[Wally21]

Wou

How was that a try anyone?

Wouldnt have been a try two years ago. Dubious at best

 

[Pazza]

been saying it for weeks, play players where they're comfortable

with the exception of Hopgood, the rearrangement of the back line looks far better

 

[eels_fan]

Seen enough in that half to see the boys have filling gelled in what Ryles is trying to do. Lots of young guys means we’re gonna get errors - but finally that was an actually a half where we competed the entire time

I think the back line composition is finally correct.

play with the same effort and fluency, cut out a couple of errors and we win this

 

[JokerEel]

Wou

Wouldnt have been a try two years ago. Dubious at best

Wasn't a try last weekend

 

[PARRA_FAN]

I don't know what the bunker sees, didn't have control of that.

Need to offload a bit more I reckon

 

[The Predictor]

KAUTONGA…….once again he is dogshit…..this club has finally hit the bottom of the barrel!!!!ab

We certainly appeared a lot more up for this from the outset. Experienced players at least having a crack this week.

Brown and Lane both plenty of runs is a good sign.

We just have to stick for the 80 minutes and hopefully get 2 points. There's not a lot between both sides.

I don't really know what the difference is between the two second efforts on the Dragons into touch. One was fine, the other a penalty, for what appeared to be the exact same action.

Paulo on the field the entire half? I don't think this will auger well for us late in the game.

Walker will add a lot once he gets used to being here.

absolutely none, the first was more suss

 

[Wally21]

Ryley Smith offers so much more than any other option at hooker. He is a great kid. So much energy.

 

[hineyrulz]

Will Penisii is f**king dreadful. He needs to be dropped.

 

[T-Boon]

My bad with mistaking Moretti and Hopgood fella's.

I've got Hopgood in reserve grade next week along with Penisini (Walker and Simonson replacing him).
I like ilongi, Lomax, Paulo and Smith (hope Im pronouncing that correctly).

I'd be going with cross field kicks (even from our own half) for Lomax a bit.

 

[Pazza]

That hawkins - Katonga combo needs work, they dont know how to space themselves in defense

 

[Noise]

f**k we r terrible. Dragons are putrid and we still look off the pace. Prob because Ryles loves picking reserve graders.

 

[the phantom menace]

Paulo's have a crack, which is the type of leadership we've been wanting to see consistently from him for... 18months. Means he probably only has a good 15mins left in him for teh second half though.

I'm liking our general shape with Addo-Carr and Lomax on the wings a bit more, just need a little bit more from our spine and centres to make it work - and Moses will add that later in the season. I like what Walker brings to the mix too, and that will gel better as weeks go by.

Brown and Lane are trying a little more/better than previous games. Kautoga is again only a 20min bench impact player at best - how much proof does Ryles need? Hopefully when match fit Moretti takes an edge starting role, though we always seem to have two or more forwards turning in a stinker in any one game - which is a problem.

We're behind by a try but they look like they believe they're in this one and a win is possible... though I would be confident if I was a Dragon too. It's St George's game to lose from here, but we'll see what the halftime talk and next 40mins bring.

 

[Pazza]

Hopgood has become lazy off the ball, no wonder JR hooked him for Guymer

atleast charlies always moving

 

[The Predictor]

I don’t think Ryles will be coach by the end of next year. This has been the most abysmal start to a season for a very long time (regardless of what the result ends up being today), and if you take off the rose coloured glasses, it’s starting to become apparent that none of his calls to date have worked.

Arthur had to go, and I thought Ryles was a good option for coach. I don’t think that anymore. Results are everything, and ours are absolutely diabolical. I also don’t think we can console ourselves on the basis that this is a Ciraldo-like rebuild year - our squad for next year isn’t nearly good enough at this stage to make me think that things will improve to an acceptable level.

Weirdly, I think the Arthur experience will actually push the board to be more ruthless next time around rather than letting a failing coach drift for too long.

Anyway, I really hope I’m wrong, but I can’t see where the improvement comes from at this stage other than Moses coming back, and that’s just not a viable way to run a football team. And frankly, some of Ryles’ selections are at the point of being so bizarre that I’m pretty off him already - Kautoga should f**k off never to see first grade again, and starting Hopgood at hooker isn’t far off starting Peni Terepo at hooker, which was one of BA’s most braindead ideas.

Selections have been woeful…..ryles should be sacked for his continual shit choices….biggest being Katounga !!!!!