Round 1 v Sharks

[muzby]

Dufty is always going to be polarising.
He is just so extreme.
One minute he is scoring the individual try of the season the next he is getting repeatedly ragdolled back on our goal line.
One minute he is throwing a crisp cutout pass to an unmarked winger the next he is dropping anything that is kicked more than 10 meters in the air.
He’s so good at some aspects and so poor at others.
But the way I see it we are screwed anyway so we may as well persist with him and hope he learns along the way.

I feel like he’s being punished for the sins of 2018..

His catching improved out of sight last year - I used to be nervous as tofu at a vegan convention when he’d get under a high ball, but not anymore..

He was one of our best on Saturday. Low bar to leap over, I know, but he brings much more to the team than he gets credit for on here..

 

[Dragsters]

I feel like he’s being punished for the sins of 2018..

His catching improved out of sight last year - I used to be nervous as tofu at a vegan convention when he’d get under a high ball, but not anymore..

He was one of our best on Saturday. Low bar to leap over, I know, but he brings much more to the team than he gets credit for on here..

I agree.

Especially that cutout pass he has unleashed...

 

[Forbes Creek Dragons]

I actually forgot about Merrin , however at this point in time it’s not only size that the Dragons pack lacks , but also experience and Merlin certainly fits the bill there , plus he also knows how to step and off-load the ball .

He actually looked reasonable in the trial I thought.

 

[Dragonslayer]

I feel like he’s being punished for the sins of 2018..

His catching improved out of sight last year - I used to be nervous as tofu at a vegan convention when he’d get under a high ball, but not anymore..

He was one of our best on Saturday. Low bar to leap over, I know, but he brings much more to the team than he gets credit for on here..

I think his catching has improved and positional play for kicks has also.
There will be dropped balls for sure but even the best drop a few. Even Ramsey dropped one last weekend.
There was also some improved vigour on his return runs, by no means fixed but improved.

Big year for Dufty and wether he stays or is unsigned he needs this year to show his worth to another club

 

[Tiger Shark]

I heard a report on the 2SM sports show that the tactic adopted by the Sharks during a trial against the Bulldogs was for Wade Graham to rough up the Bulldogs halfback at every opportunity. Apparently the tactic worked and significantly impacted young Flannigan’s game. If this cowardly tactic is used against the Dragons' half, I hope that one of our forwards such as Paul Vaughn or Daniel Alvaro sorts Wade Graham out (legally) early in the game.

I'd hardly call this a tactic, pretty much every team does it. The Dogs did it to Chad in the exact same trial.

Only reason it even got a mention was because Flanno Jr had a whinge about it and Adam I can't keep my dick in my pants Elliot harped on about being their job to protect him blah blah

 

[Tiger Shark]

The Sharks have some weird hoodoo where they lose round 1 every season. The opposite of the Storm who win every round 1.
SJ out, surely we turn up and compete in this game? Surely!!!

Can confirm ...it's f**ked. 2013 was the last time we won Rd 1.

You won't or shouldn't see many cocky Sharks fans around.

So.. Dragons to win

 

[Dragon David]

Can confirm ...it's f**ked. 2013 was the last time we won Rd 1.

You won't or shouldn't see many cocky Sharks fans around.

So.. Dragons to win

Could be their first since 2013. I don't want to put the mockers on the Dragons. Most times when we play a team which we have beaten over and over again, like say the Warriors, for years, they come out and do us and we cannot beat them again.

 

[Miller was a legend]

I'd hardly call this a tactic, pretty much every team does it. The Dogs did it to Chad in the exact same trial.

Only reason it even got a mention was because Flanno Jr had a whinge about it and Adam I can't keep my dick in my pants Elliot harped on about being their job to protect him blah blah

I couldn’t just like it, I had to hahahahagahaha as well

 

[possm]

I reckon due to our forward pack lacking punch we can’t afford to move rava away from the wing

While Dufty is at fullback, JP or Matt Feagai to left wing.
While Bird is at left centre, Ramsey or Max Feagai on right wing.
Ravalawa and Ford to right edge.

 

[possm]

I still can’t work out the Dufty beef with people.

He put in every week last year post season resumption, and he was literally our best attacking weapon last year.

Positional play,
Confidence under high ball,
Defensive skills,
Instructions to his players regarding positioning in defence.

 

[VodkaSaint]

I tip us to win the first 3 games

 

[Mjab]

I actually forgot about Merrin , however at this point in time it’s not only size that the Dragons pack lacks , but also experience and Merlin certainly fits the bill there , plus he also knows how to step and off-load the ball .

Old Merrin was a quality player
Those days are passed I m afraid
Didn’t do anything last year and I’m not convinced he will do better this one
Terrible signing and I think time to move on

id like to be wrong and we are desperately short of performing forwards
Happy to give him a go if he pulls his finger out and works hard

 

[Mjab]

Positional play,
Confidence under high ball,
Defensive skills,
Instructions to his players regarding positioning in defence.

the other thing that annoys me about him is the good fullbacks are backing up when a break is made , but he is often missing

 

[blacksafake]

Can confirm ...it's f**ked. 2013 was the last time we won Rd 1.

You won't or shouldn't see many cocky Sharks fans around.

So.. Dragons to win

Reverse psychology won’t work in here

 

[slippery5]

I still can’t work out the Dufty beef with people.

He put in every week last year post season resumption, and he was literally our best attacking weapon last year.

Maybe but you also want your last line of defence as reliable, did you not see his two pathetic attempts to go for the intercept in last weeks trial instead of lining up the ball carrier? He was guilty of this last year also. A good fullback will say "at least I'm taking out someone" but he seems to not want to throw his body into it.
Ramsay FB now.

 

[Spazer]

the other thing that annoys me about him is the good fullbacks are backing up when a break is made , but he is often missing

I'm pretty sure that's how he scored most of his tries last year though.

 

[muzby]

Maybe but you also want your last line of defence as reliable, did you not see his two pathetic attempts to go for the intercept in last weeks trial instead of lining up the ball carrier? He was guilty of this last year also. A good fullback will say "at least I'm taking out someone" but he seems to not want to throw his body into it.
Ramsay FB now.

I find it a bit rough when the fullback is the one being blamed for being put in a 2-on-1 situation..

There’s a whole line of defence that has been broken to put them in that situation..

 

[dungay dragon]

Maybe but you also want your last line of defence as reliable, did you not see his two pathetic attempts to go for the intercept in last weeks trial instead of lining up the ball carrier? He was guilty of this last year also. A good fullback will say "at least I'm taking out someone" but he seems to not want to throw his body into it.
Ramsay FB now.

FFS what about our fearsome forwards line of defence that has been paper thin and limp for years , yet we want to hang the FB
Sure hes not perfect but he certainly isn't the worst

 

[Dragon David]

Dufty will kill it in the game against the Sharks. Mark my word!

 

[denis preston]

the other thing that annoys me about him is the good fullbacks are backing up when a break is made , but he is often missing

I see the opposite , he always backs up but Marys plan of "no offloads or anything with risk ( like a pass ! ) and our lack of breaking the line didn't show off these efforts.