Round 1 v Sharks

[Dragons154]

Personally, I want to see if Griffins confidence in Hunt as our halfback and captain is justified. So I will be holding off judging this call until round 5. In any case, we have good depth in the halves and indeed our whole backline so, should any player in the backline fail to produce the goods, they will surely be replaced.

My concern has always been about a suitable replacement for Frizell and Graham. In my opinion we have fallen short replacing Frizell with a first class edge forward and Graham with a first class prop. I only hope we have the space and salary cap to snap up such replacements if they become available.

The only other position I'm concerned about is lock. We will know more after the De Belin trial is completed.

I still see the Dufty at fullback being a problem and will be happy to be wrong on this one if Dufty comes out and surprises us with some stout defence and determined returns after taking a high ball. At least we have a ready replacement in Ramsey, followed in the not distance future by Sloan and Schiller to fill the fullback position if Ramsey fails.

I would dearly love for Norman to be snapped up by another club in the early rounds of 2021. This would give us the opportunity to secure a top flight forward for the current season at least.

comparing Graham’s form last season to a world class prop is a stretch at best.... Dufty would of made as much impact IMO. Dude was an absolute plod.

Frizell for the most part also looked disinterested, Kerr has the ability to be as good, if not better than Frizell if given the time and opportunity.

anyhow.

I don’t see much of a change happening from the run on side that we saw in the CS.

however I’d like to see.
Rava replace JP
Clune for Norman “suspension of course”
And Jayden hunt included on the bench.

Feagai was very underwhelming for mine and looked like he hadn’t played in a year “which is pretty much true”. He will have to work his way up from 2nd grade.

 

[denis preston]

This is not a simple game and will be close:-

1 Will Kennedy 2 Sione Katoa 3 Jesse Ramien 4 Josh Dugan 5 Ronaldo Mulitalo 6 Matt Moylan 7 Chad Townsend 8 Braden Hamlin-Uele 9 Blayke Brailey 10 Aaron Woods 11 Briton Nikora 12 Wade Graham 13 Toby Rudolf 14 Connor Tracey 15 Aiden Tolman 16 Andrew Fifita 17 Jack Williams

Fifita is looking VERY fit
Wade Graham trialled well and hit hard (ask Flannagan)
Moylan is fresh and if he can stay fit will give Norman a headache
Townsend has a point to prove after a disaster end to last season
Nikora and Rudolf are definitely improving players
Brailey has worked hard to recover from his syndesmosis injury
Backs all look good as well

As I said this game is no walk in the park

I am a dead set Dragons fanatic - St George 42 Cronulla Sutherland 6

You got only 3 fingers Banjo ?

 

[getsmarty]

"I'm in a good headspace" - Bird on past injuries
Jack Bird's confidence is sky high ahead of the season opener against his former club on Sunday, saying his knee is back to full strength.

https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2021/03/08/im-in-a-good-headspace---bird-on-past-injuries/

 

[Wittenberg]

I agree TruSaint it has happened in the past and will continue to happen into the future. However, if a couple of forwards who are the same size as Graham respond in kind, it may take the sting out of Graham's approach.

Given our trial performances most of our forwards, except one or two, would be intimidated by Graham.....if not intimidated then too slow to catch him. I am so concerned about our forwards - we have lost Frizz, Host, Graham, Luc and McInness, not to mention JDB from our squad of two years ago. Look at the quality of the replacements and that underlines the dark clouds around us in 2021. If Hook can get us anywhere near the 8 he will be a miracle worker.

 

[isaiah]

Given our trial performances most of our forwards, except one or two, would be intimidated by Graham.....if not intimidated then too slow to catch him. I am so concerned about our forwards - we have lost Frizz, Host, Graham, Luc and McInness, not to mention JDB from our squad of two years ago. Look at the quality of the replacements and that underlines the dark clouds around us in 2021. If Hook can get us anywhere near the 8 he will be a miracle worker.

Hook a miracle worker? Couldn’t even work out the best way to use Kikau.

 

[Maddragon99]

Hook a miracle worker? Couldn’t even work out the best way to use Kikau.

Sullivan out with a hamstring injury. Clune apparently coming in.

Personally I’d prefer to see Bird at 6 & Feagai at left Centre

this time tomorrow we’ll know

 

[George Sancti]

Given our trial performances most of our forwards, except one or two, would be intimidated by Graham.....if not intimidated then too slow to catch him. I am so concerned about our forwards - we have lost Frizz, Host, Graham, Luc and McInness, not to mention JDB from our squad of two years ago. Look at the quality of the replacements and that underlines the dark clouds around us in 2021. If Hook can get us anywhere near the 8 he will be a miracle worker.

You may be correct Wittenberg regarding the dark clouds, but at this stage of the season I prefer to remain optimistic.

 

[Dragons4me]

I posted last season that I thought five-eighth would be Dufty's best position howver, Griffin seems to have resisted trialling him there in the CS. I suppose this is because we have a wealth of depth in the 6 position.

So I am very much afraid that if Dufty does not improve, especially in defence, he will drop to reseve grade and be at another club in 2022. However, I am sure that Griffin will select him at fullback for round one with Ransey and Ravalawa as our wingers.

I too was pushing the Dufty to five-eighth line but there's no point now unless he was trailing that in the off-season. In any case, Sullivan and Armone are our halves moving forward. I like the confidence that they bring; the spark. They seem they bounce off each other and I like that in a halves combination. I don't see much happening before that combo is in place. I really hope I'm wrong but I think it's going to be a long season. I can live with that as there will be some bright moments along the way.

 

[thebigredv]

optimism?

normally at this time of the year i can swallow that but i think this time around we have had our already weak squad weakened further in the offseason and a captain who is already pre-empting a failed start. This on the back of a hapless show of defence in trials...how can one really have optimism?

The only light is in the form of some young talent that should have been blooded earlier last season so we could be capitalising now.

 

[muzby]

The only light is in the form of some young talent that should have been blooded earlier last season so we could be capitalising now.

Ah yes, those Illawarra juniors that you wouldn’t have if your demerger plan got up..

 

[Saints Forever]

Ah yes, those Illawarra juniors that you wouldn’t have if your demerger plan got up..

Hey Muz

As per usual you continue to spew crap Freon your mouth rather than from your ass.

Over the years, St George and many other clubs for that matter have signed Illawarra juniors.

The list of players is longer than your memory.

Since the merger the club has won 1 premiership.

How many players in the premiership winning side were Illawarra juniors and how many were blow ins from other clubs?

Roosters and Storm have dominated the league for the past 20 years and have arguably the smallest junior nurseries.

So, for the record I love it when the club plays its juniors. However our record over the past 20 years doesn’t support the theory that the junior nursery is important to our club.

 

[muzby]

Hey Muz

As per usual you continue to spew crap Freon your mouth rather than from your ass.

Over the years, St George and many other clubs for that matter have signed Illawarra juniors.

The list of players is longer than your memory.

Since the merger the club has won 1 premiership.

How many players in the premiership winning side were Illawarra juniors and how many were blow ins from other clubs?

Roosters and Storm have dominated the league for the past 20 years and have arguably the smallest junior nurseries.

So, for the record I love it when the club plays its juniors. However our record over the past 20 years doesn’t support the theory that the junior nursery is important to our club.

You should probably visit the demerger thread if you’re spouting separatist crap..

I’m highlighting how important the Union is.

 

[thebigredv]

Ah yes, those Illawarra juniors that you wouldn’t have if your demerger plan got up..

Yeah the ones the Illawarra coach couldn't manage to fit into his all star team.

 

[Old Timer]

Ah yes, those Illawarra juniors that you wouldn’t have if your demerger plan got up..

Purely an assumption on your part

If the demerger did happen there would be no Illawarra so the juniors would have to go somewhere and as the big clubs haven't seen fit to target them thus far then perhaps they end up at St George anyway.

 

[boardlumps62]

This thread is being derailed I nearly got into the argument myself.
Now Dragons should defeat the Sharks only if we match their forwards.

 

[Wittenberg]

You may be correct Wittenberg regarding the dark clouds, but at this stage of the season I prefer to remain optimistic.

I know we should be optimistic at the beginning of a season ........I know, and I want to be, but our forwards??? Ok I’ll try to ignore the clouds, take off the rain jacket and put on my Saints jersey.

 

[George Sancti]

I know we should be optimistic at the beginning of a season ........I know, and I want to be, but our forwards??? Ok I’ll try to ignore the clouds, take off the rain jacket and put on my Saints jersey.

Well said Wittenberg !!!

 

[Dragon David]

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...r/news-story/53f1e438a3dadc2439518cd9acddd8c7

What Duff the Magic Dragon has said I think we all knew.

I'm tipping him to be a winner in the game against the Sharks this weekend.

 

[possm]

This thread is being derailed I nearly got into the argument myself.
Now Dragons should defeat the Sharks only if we match their forwards.

We have the attacking skill, now the defence just needs to hold up.

 

[Slippery Morris]

Go the Duff, he confirmed what we could all see it plain as day, unfortunately not the people that make the big decisions.

Good to hear him speak well of the coaches as all this press about him having to play for a contract extension I thought may have put him off somehow.