Round 16 Game vs Newcastle

[RedV Resurgence]

No accountability in this side whatsoever. Play crap but don't worry we'll pick you next week.
Nice one Mary!

I can only image he is using the QLD SOO selection logic. Pick the same guts that have done it before. Only problem is that we haven't had any success like QLD has.

Wake-up Mary! Get rid of McCrone from the 7 role.

 

[Old Timer]

Does Hornby & Young have any input to selections ? WTF do they do ? Did they get extended till 2019 ? They either cop the flack that Mary is getting & going to get or f**k off to save their careers and presumably 150 to 200k a year jobs.

Can you please get back to us when you get the answers as I think we are all intrigued by what they actually do.
Duges said Hornby was helping him with the passing aspect of his game so that is self evident and Young was giving guidance re defence so our RHS is testimony to that.
I think the real answer is they are having a very very long lunch and we're all paying the bill.

 

[MilanDragon]

Can you please get back to us when you get the answers as I think we are all intrigued by what they actually do.
Duges said Hornby was helping him with the passing aspect of his game so that is self evident and Young was giving guidance re defence so our RHS is testimony to that.
I think the real answer is they are having a very very long lunch and we're all paying the bill.

Probably a bit harsh on young, our defence generally has been very solid this year. Sure the RHS needs work.

As for the Hornby teaching Dugan to pass... well LOL. The fact our international standard fullback needs help on the (non existent) passing aspect of his game is very telling. His strengths lie elsewhere and he should play to those and be used in that manner. No point using Dugan as a ball playing FB.

The big thing for Hornby and young is they could be very well be telling Mary to change the side but ultimately it's his decision and rightfully so as it's his job that goes first. Problem for the other two is are they tarnished by the same brush??

 

[Old Timer]

Probably a bit harsh on young, our defence generally has been very solid this year. Sure the RHS needs work.

As for the Hornby teaching Dugan to pass... well LOL. The fact our international standard fullback needs help on the (non existent) passing aspect of his game is very telling. His strengths lie elsewhere and he should play to those and be used in that manner. No point using Dugan as a ball playing FB.

The big thing for Hornby and young is they could be very well be telling Mary to change the side but ultimately it's his decision and rightfully so as it's his job that goes first. Problem for the other two is are they tarnished by the same brush??

The truth is the other 2 never flew the coup and ended up in a cuckoos nest just like Mc Fookknuckle.
They are ordinary at coaching and the results indicate it.
impotent attack and suspect defence and will get worse as other teams work out our deficiencies.

 

[j0nesy]

ISP Team: Round 16 v Newcastle Knights
Tue 20th June, 04:00PM
A A

Illawarra coach Mat Head has named his team to play in Round 16 of the Intrust Super Premiership against the Newcastle Knights.

The game is set to commence at 11:45am on Sunday, June 25 at UOW Jubilee Oval, Kogarah as part of the triple-header there that day.

Illawarra currently sit at seventh on the Intrust Super Premiership ladder following their loss to the Wyong Roos last week.

ISP Team for Round 16 v Newcastle Knights:

1. Matthew Dufty
2. Kalifa Faifai Loa
3. Reuben Garrick
4. Patrick Herbert
5. Izaac Thompson
6. Jai Field
7. Shaun Nona
8. Josh Kerr
9. Jake Marketo
10. Blake Lawrie
11. Will Matthews
12. Luciano Leilua
13. Tyrone McCarthy
Interchange:
14. Reece Robson
16. Jacob Hind
17. Rhys Kennedy
18. Jesse Dee
19. Mose Masoe
20. Sam Clune
21. John Tohi

http://www.dragons.com.au/news/2017/06/20/isp_team_round_16_v_.af_news.html

Pretty uninspiring and unimaginative team selection but not at all surprising.

 

[getsmarty]

St George Illawarra coach Paul McGregor says changes unlikely for Newcastle Knights clash
Andrew Parkinson
20 Jun 2017, 7 a.m.

Return: Josh Dugan will have to get through State of Origin II on Wednesday night to play against the Knights at Kogarah on Sunday. Picture: John Veage

Paul McGregor believes a change in personnel is not the answer to St George Illawarra’s struggles as they prepare to host Newcastle on Sunday.

The Dragons have lost five of their last seven games to slip out of the top four as injury and representative selection has started to take its toll.

St George Illawarra will hope to welcome back NSW stars Tyson Frizell and Josh Dugan to the team that was comprehensively beaten by Parramatta on Sunday though star centre Euan Aitken is expected to be another fortnight away from a return from a hamstring injury.

McGregor opted to replace halfback Josh McCrone with 13 minutes remaining against the Eels as the Dragons looked for answers to their problems in attack. At the end of round 11 St George Illawarra had the best attack statistically in the competition but have only scored 28 points in their three games since.

Despite having other options, including shifting Kurt Mann to five-eighth as he did on Sunday, the Dragons coach said he would likely stick solid with his squad for the clash with the Knights at UOW Jubilee Oval, Kogarah.

“When you’re not winning games you’ve got to look at a few things… changing players, is that the answer? Possibly not,” McGregor said.

“But certainly working hard is one [way] to fix the problem. It’s a pretty basic game and [Parramatta] beat us in those areas.

“As a group we’ve gone away from completing high and working hard for one another to just trying to score and put ourselves under pressure.

“It’s a combination of a few things but I think putting ourselves under fatigue certainly doesn’t help. We’ve had a bit of a distraction with players in and out and the bye. But there’s no excuses there, we’ve got to be better.

“And there’s a lot of blokes that care in that shed. And sometimes when you put yourself under too much pressure you freeze a little bit.”

http://www.theleader.com.au/story/4737922/dragons-changes-unlikely-for-knights/?cs=3833

 

[getsmarty]

St George Illawarra Dragons captain Gareth Widdop calls for fast start against Newcastle Knights
Andrew Parkinson
22 Jun 2017, 7 a.m.

Happier times: Dragons captain Gareth Widdop celebrates a try with Josh Dugan against the Warriors. Picture: Chris Lane

Gareth Widdop says his side must improve their starts to games ahead of an important clash against struggling Newcastle on Sunday.

St George Illawarra have slipped out of the top four after a string of poor results and could slide as low as seventh by the end of the weekend should the Knights score an upset at UOW Jubilee Oval, Kogarah.

Poor starts have hurt the Dragons in their last two games as they were forced to defend for long periods in the opening quarter of their losses to Canterbury and Parramatta. That extra workload in defence left St George Illawarra with little petrol in the tank late in those matches and – along with the absence of key players through injury and representative selection – made it harder in the back end of games.

Widdop identified the Dragons’ starts and a return to doing the simple things well as areas they needed to improve against the Knights.

“A few errors, not finishing in good field position. That’s what is putting us on the back foot and defending for the first 20 minutes is going to take its toll at some point,” he said.

“The biggest thing for us I think is we’ve completed under 70 per cent. If you’re doing that in the NRL it’s going to be tough to get the win.

“It’s a simple game and if we can hold the ball we’ve got plenty of people in the team shape to score points. We’re forcing the ball when we don’t need to and that’s just hurting us at the moment. But nothing’s changed for us, we’re just not executing as well as we need to be.”

The Knights lifted themselves off the bottom of the table last weekend thanks to their second bye, climbing above the Wests Tigers on for and against.

The Dragons will need to be wary of Newcastle who have gone close in a number of recent games including tight losses to Manly and Penrith.

Dragons stalwart Nathan Brown, who played 172 matches for St George and St George Illawarra and coached the club for 151 games, will return to Kogarah as coach of the Knights.

http://www.theleader.com.au/story/4738288/widdop-wants-fast-start-against-knights/?cs=3833

 

[jeffdragon]

There was already a thread first this game.
I thought if there was a previous thread for the same subject they would get rid of one of the threads.
Does anyone know more about this.

 

[possm]

Yep McGregor will probably think Toronto....thats only a suburb on the Central Coast

Probably a bit harsh on young, our defence generally has been very solid this year. Sure the RHS needs work.

As for the Hornby teaching Dugan to pass... well LOL. The fact our international standard fullback needs help on the (non existent) passing aspect of his game is very telling. His strengths lie elsewhere and he should play to those and be used in that manner. No point using Dugan as a ball playing FB.

The big thing for Hornby and young is they could be very well be telling Mary to change the side but ultimately it's his decision and rightfully so as it's his job that goes first. Problem for the other two is are they tarnished by the same brush??

Mary's job has never gone. He is there and signed for another two years no matter how much he stuffs up. Young will be the next coach when Mary is sacked. Who know what Hornby will do. For as long as both of these men take the easy road on the end of Mary's apron strings, they will never have a legitimate coaching career.

My advice for what it's worth is:
Both Hornby and Young take the challenge and go and coach in the ESL as did Brown.
The Club hire a couple of really good assistant coaches who can make a difference to what is going on at the moment.

 

[isaiah]

If NSW had a late withdrawal and Merrin played, would jdb be free to play this game?

 

[Bests Golden Boots]

Mary's job has never gone. He is there and signed for another two years no matter how much he stuffs up. Young will be the next coach when Mary is sacked. Who know what Hornby will do. For as long as both of these men take the easy road on the end of Mary's apron strings, they will never have a legitimate coaching career.

My advice for what it's worth is:
Both Hornby and Young take the challenge and go and coach in the ESL as did Brown.
The Club hire a couple of really good assistant coaches who can make a difference to what is going on at the moment.

We had a good assistant coach, but he kept making Mary look bad so we let him go.

 

[dragonssamy61]

If NSW had a late withdrawal and Merrin played, would jdb be free to play this game?

No he is suspended for one week.
So i dont think so

 

[FlameThrower]

Nothing short of a dominant display by our team will be acceptable. We need a win and a big one at that..
Injury / suspension should not be an excuse, otherwise it's a self destructive mode we will fall into and struggle to regain confidence.

 

[possm]

We had a good assistant coach, but he kept making Mary look bad so we let him go.

Who is we? The Board, Doust, The Football Committee.

 

[Bests Golden Boots]

Who is we? The Board, Doust, The Football Committee.

Society in general.

 

[getsmarty]

There was already a thread first this game.
I thought if there was a previous thread for the same subject they would get rid of one of the threads.
Does anyone know more about this.

Sorry I didn't see your thread previous to starting this one.You can ask the Mods to merge the Thread. Not a big deal.

 

[mobels]

Hopefully with JDB out Mary puts Sims as starting lock and Host starting at second row. Matthews will most likely get the nod on the bench but it'd be nice to see Lawrie get handed a debut up against the Knights.

 

[Old Timer]

Hopefully with JDB out Mary puts Sims as starting lock and Host starting at second row. Matthews will most likely get the nod on the bench but it'd be nice to see Lawrie get handed a debut up against the Knights.

Would love to see Sele start at lock, Host at right edge (if no Frizz) and Simms on the bench because that's his best position.
Having Sele start and do some ball playing early would be great.
If Matthews gets a gig we are doomed for the rest of the season let alone the next 2 years.

 

[coast_dragons]

leilua should have been considered before Mathews.

 

[Zucchini]

I am just as frustrated as everyone else with McCrone's kicking game but I find it interesting how few people are prepared to criticise Widdop kicking game. Widdop was woeful last year, had a few good games this year and got injured and since coming back has been completely underwhelming. McCrone's kicking game is crap - but so is Widdop's. At least McCrone punches above his weight defensively. I'm horrified at the thought of two more years of Widdop AND McGregor. The pair are equally inept, in my opinion. We've not had a decent kicking game since Jamie Soward. And until we find someone with a decent kicking game, we will just be making up the numbers. But it shouldn't all fall on McCrone's shoulders. It's Widdop's job too.