Round 12 v Tigers

[matPORTS]

You simply can't sugar coat that one:

We were what? 15/21 sets completed and 20 odd missed tackles in the first half. Stats like that immediately point to you not winning the game. Is anyone coaching junior footy this weekend? Would that be acceptable for say an under-10s side?

It's been a while since I've seen us so out-enthused in the middle of the park. Oh boy, what has happened to Paul Vaughan? He is a shadow of his 2017/2018 self, which elevated him to Origin stardom. Not even an injury or suspension crisis will see him selected for the Blues at the moment.

The thing that is most disappointing is that we seemingly have no one who can, or should that be wants to, take the bull by the horns and get us out of a rut when things aren't going our way. Heads go down and everyone in the squad simply becomes disinterested and can't wait for full time. Last night I was hoping that might have been Jack Bird but even he was missing for parts of the game (and even still he can't do it all on his own).

While I am most certainly not writing Hook off yet, lets just say there is a reason why he's only on an initial two year contract. But it's going to take much longer than two years to totally get rid of the Price/McGregor era stench. Bottom line his, Hook and his staff need to both get active in the player market and be sure they are identifying the right talent to keep (both in the current Top 30 and Junior System). Really, I can't see any other coach doing better (not even Bellamy) if we are hamstrung in terms of how much 'premium' we are willing to pay at the market to both attract & keep the talent we need.

My squad for Thursday against the Broncos:

1. Bird (he needs his hands on the ball double the time he currently does)
2. Ramsay
3. Williame
4. Feagai
5. Ravalawa

6. Clune (ffs get rid of Norman)
7. B Hunt

8. Lawrie
9. McCullough
10. Vaughan
11. Kerr
12. Sims
13. Fuimaono

14. Amone
15. de Belin (hope he carves up in NSW Cup today and sends a message)
16. Alvaro
17. J Hunt

*I'm willing to stick it out with Amone & J Hunt for now (youth factor). Alvaro stays purely for experience. JP, Burns, Ford, Faamausili, Ellis need to go back and get some miles in reserve grade - likewise Jayden Sullivan also needs a few under his belt back in reserve grade on the back of injury (Norman shouldn't be holding anyone back in reserve grade either - he can spend the rest of the year in the dugout or find a Super League club).

 

[Illusion]

I cant wait to see when we play the Panthers , Not sure is over the SOO period ? Doesn't matter for them they will most likely rest players against us as the Storm did and still belt us ..... At full strength at this stage the way they are playing and how we are playing it will be a massacre .....

 

[blacksafake]

Jack Bird has been the only player week in and week out to have a go. If he was playing in a Storm or Roosters jumper he’d be unstoppable.

I’m a fan Love his passion & toughness but he’s got a few mistakes in him & doesn’t seem to threaten the defence. Probably needs early ball in order to get one on one as he’s not fast enough to get outside the defence.
He’s probably better suited to the back row now.

 

[Inisai Toga]

I’m a fan Love his passion & toughness but he’s got a few mistakes in him & doesn’t seem to threaten the defence. Probably needs early ball in order to get one on one as he’s not fast enough to get outside the defence.
He’s probably better suited to the back row now.

100% agree with your thoughts blacksafake here; De Belin, Simms and Bird looks like a better structure to me.

 

[boardlumps62]

Not enough Polynesian forwards. I know why. We all know why but it’s a major reason why we have no go forward

Am I missing something what's with the Polynesian forwards.

 

[Old Timer]

I’m a fan Love his passion & toughness but he’s got a few mistakes in him & doesn’t seem to threaten the defence. Probably needs early ball in order to get one on one as he’s not fast enough to get outside the defence.
He’s probably better suited to the back row now.

In agreeing with you re Bird I also see Burns getting much better if he gets to play back row consistently and even yesterday you could see he was running good lines and I would keep him there with Bird and force Sims into the FR rotation and definitely start the game with Tariq in that position.

 

[getsmarty]

Under-manned Dragons lashed by Tigers
play
10:41 PM AEST

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A battered St George Illawarra side will be sweating on a smooth return for Jack de Belin in reserve grade on Saturday after they were beaten up 34-18 by Wests Tigers.

The under-manned Dragons never looked a chance at Bankwest Stadium on Friday night as they slumped to their third straight loss, and sixth from their past seven NRL games.

Should de Belin make a strong return in NSW Cup, it will be almost impossible to resist elevating the former Origin forward into the top grade next week.

Alex Twal is tackled during the Wests Tigers' NRL clash with St George Illawarra Dragons Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
The Dragons are expected to be without Zac Lomax (thumb) and Matt Dufty (shoulder) again in round 13, while Josh McGuire and Tyrell Fuimaono are suspended until round 16.

Depending on how he plays in his rugby league return at Lidcombe Oval on Saturday, de Belin could slip straight back into the NRL pack to face Brisbane on Thursday night.

"Jack de Belin's playing for the first time tomorrow in two-and-a-half years, so that's the furthest things from our minds at the moment," said Dragons coach Anthony Griffin.

"We're bitterly disappointed with what we did tonight."

In an anomaly for Michael Maguire's men, all four of the Tigers' wins this season have come against either Newcastle or the Dragons.

Earlier this month the Tigers grinded out a 16-8 victory at WIN Stadium in Wollongong, but on Friday night it was the exact opposite when they started fast out of the blocks and only eased up when the game was gone.

The Dragons were thoroughly beaten up by the Tigers pack who had Luciano Leilua punching his way through the line with Adam Doueihi and Luke Brooks ruthless in attack.

The duo led a backline that thrived in the action, with James Roberts scoring a double to go with tries for Daine Laurie, David Nofoaluma and Tommy Talau.

Laurie also finished with 152 running metres and two try-assists to put the Dragons to the sword.


"He's really coming along," Maguire said of the 21-year-old fullback.

"He's played a couple of games (for Penrith) before he got here and the more experience he has the better his connections with our spine and you can start seeing him chime in out the back.

"He's continually growing."

A late rally got the visitors on the board after trailing 18-0 at halftime, but second-half tries to Brayden Wiliame, Ben Hunt and Talatau Amone couldn't pull the game back.

It's a far cry from where the Dragons started the season after winning four straight between rounds two and five, beating just last-place Canterbury in the seven weeks since.

https://www.espn.com/nrl/story/_/id...-george-illawarra-dragons-lashed-wests-tigers

 

[slippery5]

In agreeing with you re Bird I also see Burns getting much better if he gets to play back row consistently and even yesterday you could see he was running good lines and I would keep him there with Bird and force Sims into the FR rotation and definitely start the game with Tariq in that position.

I don't get Burns, he wouldn't bust a grape & you need 2 hands to count his missed tackles. I can't think of the player who I saw in the Reggies ( I think) who reminded me like Brown from Parra

 

[OneEyedDragon]

Having sobbed my way through last night's game, there are a few observations that I would like to make:
1. Of the players that represented the Dragons last night, not one would be picked to play in the Panters team at the moment.
2. Corey Norman was not our worst player, but his main goal at the moment seems to be to see how many weeks he can go without needing to get his jumper washed. I have never heard a commentator accuse him of "putting his body on the line".
3. Matt Duffy is unwanted by the club, but without him, there was just nothing in attack.
4. At least Hook didn't say he was happy with the effort.
Oh well, I am calm now. I will play a bit of golf next week and get ready for the Donkeys. Welcome back Rav4, not sure about Kerr.

 

[Crush]

In agreeing with you re Bird I also see Burns getting much better if he gets to play back row consistently and even yesterday you could see he was running good lines and I would keep him there with Bird and force Sims into the FR rotation and definitely start the game with Tariq in that position.

It’s all going a bit pear shaped for dragons now isn’t it? The mid season signings like McCulloch, Burns, McGuire, Beale no longer looking like handy pick ups, they are being seen for what they are, the scrap heap signings.
I’m confident once we can get our full strength team back we will beat a few stronger teams in the run home and maybe sneak into the 8.
We will need Dufty at fullback, without him we have zero attacking options.
Lomax needs to lift and Rava needs to learn how to tackle again.
Geez life’s tough when you have Beale and Williame in your team.

 

[getsmarty]

Griffin is aware that a massive rebuild is needed....he is no fool....it will take a number of years to fix the damage done by others....winning our 1st 4 or so games ( Excluding Sharks Round 1 ) was a false dawn...add to that the Fact that with so many players out we have not fielded a consistent side for weeks ..apart from those opening games.

We are in the market....It is tough to watch @ the moment , but I would rather have guys like Griffin/Gentle/Elliot/nighty/soward involved in the rebuild....

Hopefully when we start to get a few bodies back...we will start to be competitive again....This year is basically a right off.

Let's all hang in there....

 

[thebigredv]

Griffin is aware that a massive rebuild is needed....he is no fool....it will take a number of years to fix the damage done by others....winning our 1st 4 or so games ( Excluding Sharks Round 1 ) was a false dawn...add to that the Fact that with so many players out we have not fielded a consistent side for weeks ..apart from those opening games.

We are in the market....It is tough to watch @ the moment , but I would rather have guys like Griffin/Gentle/Elliot/nighty/soward involved in the rebuild....

We may be in the market but we are doing our shopping on Gumtree when we should be at the Porsche dealership.

 

[Dragon David]

I’m struggling to find 1 positive from that game last night. We looked like a team of B grade plodders with no direction, except sideways.
Apart from Dufty, we have zero speed and stand flat devoid of options.
Hook talks about our young players coming thru & giving them opportunities, yet aren’t our Reserve Grade NSW cup running last.
FMD the cupboard appears dry & the club is stacked with bargain buy plodders and off cuts. This rebuild since Bennett left, will take longer than the Afghanistan war.

My thoughts are that we have been rebuilding for many, many years but a rebuild for the club would not be successful unless top players are signed up. Over the years, we have signed up B grade players who have clearly been rejected from other clubs and that they are knee jerk reactions to get any player to fill the void.

I know that our coaching and recruiting staff have the salary cap to consider when investigating who to get rid of but in the same breath, if they are to rid someone, surely they would go for top players. Well this is the chance to do this. Don't just go and buy rubbish, get the best for 2022 and beyond.

They have really got to know the product they have and the product they need and go to the market to get. Where are weaknesses, where are our strengths? Don't say oh he is available, lets get him without doing detailed homework on the person. It's like going out to buy a car. Should you buy a used one or a super duper new one? What can I get for the money? Will it perform well for the budget I have for that car? Or this is what money I have, what is the best I can buy with it? Plainly obvious isn't it. You don't buy rejects. I repeat, you DON'T BUY REJECTS.

We have so many rejects and over the hill players it's not funny and our recruitment/retention has been diabolical. We just always hope that whomever we get will be the one but as always and alas, we end up with the dregs. a couple of good games here and then that's it. No long term commitment to the club and just going through the motions. They all need a kick up the backside every one of them.

I know Hook and his offsiders have only been with the club since last November and I know that Hook is trying his best with what he has inherited. Hook needs to go to the Board and tell them straight that if they want a great team we need to be hard and throw out the rubbish and get the best - no mucking around please - we have all suffered for too long.

The Tigers have been up and down and they, being a two club entity like us, have won a grand final since the start of their bonding like us. Since our respective grand final wins, we have been in the doldrums and both clubs have tried desperately to be on top and I mean top 4 for so long now, more so the Tigers.
Even though the Tigers beat us, we were vastly understrength and so their win is not really something to be carried on about. However, they still keep trying and have been looking at other players that might get them up there like Oliver Gildart from the Wigan Super League Club. He is fast and can score tries. Are we trying to do the same? I rest my case.

 

[getsmarty]

We may be in the market but we are doing our shopping on Gumtree when we should be at the Porsche dealership.

With all due respect I don't agree.......Guys like alvaro/Beale/Burns are filler until the young guys are ready....Molo will add starch to our pack and we are currently looking a very good forward for next year....

Griffin is more astute than our former coach...currently our squad is decimated and we never had the depth to begin with. They are addressing this ....I will leave it at that....

This year was always a rebuild....

 

[getsmarty]

My thoughts are that we have been rebuilding for many, many years but a rebuild for the club would not be successful unless top players are signed up. Over the years, we have signed up B grade players who have clearly been rejected from other clubs and that they are knee jerk reactions to get any player to fill the void.

I know that our coaching and recruiting staff have the salary cap to consider when investigating who to get rid of but in the same breath, if they are to rid someone, surely they would go for top players. Well this is the chance to do this. Don't just go and buy rubbish, get the best for 2022 and beyond.

They have really got to know the product they have and the product they need and go to the market to get. Where are weaknesses, where are our strengths? Don't say oh he is available, lets get him without doing detailed homework on the person. It's like going out to buy a car. Should you buy a used one or a super duper new one? What can I get for the money? Will it perform well for the budget I have for that car? Or this is what money I have, what is the best I can buy with it? Plainly obvious isn't it. You don't buy rejects. I repeat, you DON'T BUY REJECTS.

We have so many rejects and over the hill players it's not funny and our recruitment/retention has been diabolical. We just always hope that whomever we get will be the one but as always and alas, we end up with the dregs. a couple of good games here and then that's it. No long term commitment to the club and just going through the motions. They all need a kick up the backside every one of them.

I know Hook and his offsiders have only been with the club since last November and I know that Hook is trying his best with what he has inherited. Hook needs to go to the Board and tell them straight that if they want a great team we need to be hard and throw out the rubbish and get the best - no mucking around please - we have all suffered for too long.

The Tigers have been up and down and they, being a two club entity like us, have won a grand final since the start of their bonding like us. Since our respective grand final wins, we have been in the doldrums and both clubs have tried desperately to be on top and I mean top 4 for so long now, more so the Tigers.
Even though the Tigers beat us, we were vastly understrength and so their win is not really something to be carried on about. However, they still keep trying and have been looking at other players that might get them up there like Oliver Gildart from the Wigan Super League Club. He is fast and can score tries. Are we trying to do the same? I rest my case.

Understand your frustration....currently looking @ a quality player for next year....

Griffin knows what he is doing....I will leave it at that....

People just need to chill....Squad depth was never strong and currently depleted....

This year was always going to be a rebuild...

Who would you rather have in charge...1/.Griffin/Gentle/Elliott/ w.nighty and sowy

OR 2 /. Our former coach....

Things are happening....this year was always a rebuild....

 

[TruSaint]

Having sobbed my way through last night's game, there are a few observations that I would like to make:
1. Of the players that represented the Dragons last night, not one would be picked to play in the Panters team at the moment.
2. Corey Norman was not our worst player, but his main goal at the moment seems to be to see how many weeks he can go without needing to get his jumper washed. I have never heard a commentator accuse him of "putting his body on the line".
3. Matt Duffy is unwanted by the club, but without him, there was just nothing in attack.
4. At least Hook didn't say he was happy with the effort.
Oh well, I am calm now. I will play a bit of golf next week and get ready for the Donkeys. Welcome back Rav4, not sure about Kerr.

Welcome to the forum.

 

[thebigredv]

They are addressing this ....I will leave it at that....

This year was always a rebuild....

Yes, it is important to keep perspective I realise. Please, what light can you shed on recruitment. We are hanging out for some news.

 

[boardlumps62]

Should I expect someone to give me the answer to my mystery question. Why do we have a problem with signing Polynesians as one poster suggested.

 

[getsmarty]

Yes, it is important to keep perspective I realise. Please, what light can you shed on recruitment. We are hanging out for some news.

forward....that's it...confirmed by reputable poster in J.A...if is comes off we will all be happy...

You can only sign whats available...there is more to it....can't go into more detail....there is a plan....won't happen overnight....

Again....1/. Griffin/Gentle/Elliott vs 2/. former coach

Who would you prefer ??? add to that they are still cleaning up the mess...

 

[matPORTS]

My thoughts are that we have been rebuilding for many, many years but a rebuild for the club would not be successful unless top players are signed up. Over the years, we have signed up B grade players who have clearly been rejected from other clubs and that they are knee jerk reactions to get any player to fill the void.

I know that our coaching and recruiting staff have the salary cap to consider when investigating who to get rid of but in the same breath, if they are to rid someone, surely they would go for top players. Well this is the chance to do this. Don't just go and buy rubbish, get the best for 2022 and beyond.

They have really got to know the product they have and the product they need and go to the market to get. Where are weaknesses, where are our strengths? Don't say oh he is available, lets get him without doing detailed homework on the person. It's like going out to buy a car. Should you buy a used one or a super duper new one? What can I get for the money? Will it perform well for the budget I have for that car? Or this is what money I have, what is the best I can buy with it? Plainly obvious isn't it. You don't buy rejects. I repeat, you DON'T BUY REJECTS.

We have so many rejects and over the hill players it's not funny and our recruitment/retention has been diabolical. We just always hope that whomever we get will be the one but as always and alas, we end up with the dregs. a couple of good games here and then that's it. No long term commitment to the club and just going through the motions. They all need a kick up the backside every one of them.

I know Hook and his offsiders have only been with the club since last November and I know that Hook is trying his best with what he has inherited. Hook needs to go to the Board and tell them straight that if they want a great team we need to be hard and throw out the rubbish and get the best - no mucking around please - we have all suffered for too long.

The Tigers have been up and down and they, being a two club entity like us, have won a grand final since the start of their bonding like us. Since our respective grand final wins, we have been in the doldrums and both clubs have tried desperately to be on top and I mean top 4 for so long now, more so the Tigers.
Even though the Tigers beat us, we were vastly understrength and so their win is not really something to be carried on about. However, they still keep trying and have been looking at other players that might get them up there like Oliver Gildart from the Wigan Super League Club. He is fast and can score tries. Are we trying to do the same? I rest my case.

Yep !

Unless we are willing to clean house & subsequently pay the premium to keep the best we have currently on the books and attract the best we can get (to suit our needs) from outside the club, the status-quo will remain. It won't matter who our coach is.