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Round 16 vs Eels

redandwhite4evr

Juniors
Messages
1,948
Dragons at full strength for Eels clash despite heavy rep toll
Dragons Den News
r0_0_4105_2737_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg

CERTAINTY: Gareth Widdop will play against Parramatta on Thursday. Picture: Sylvia Liber

ST GEORGE Illawarra coach Paul McGregor will have all hands on deck for Thursday’s clash with Parramatta – bar star back-rower Tyson Frizell – after coming through the representative round unscathed.

The stand-alone rep weekend has loomed ominously on the horizon for its potential to derail the Dragons season, with eight top-liners playing over the weekend.

Jack de Belin, Paul Vaughan, Ben Hunt and Frizell all played in Origin II, Tim Lafai played for Samoa, while James Graham, Gareth Widdop and Leeson Ah Mau were part of the Denver Test.

The club went as far as sending head of performance Nathan Pickworth along for the ride with its Denver Test contingent, with Widdop and Graham certain to play against the Eels.

Ah Mau is also injury-free, though he only arrived back in Wollongong just on Wednesday after storms caused the cancellation of the Kiwis scheduled flight out of the U.S.

“The Denver guys, Gareth and James, have pulled up fine so they’ll definitely be playing,” McGregor said.

“Leeson’s only just walked through the gate so we’ll get a better feel on him once we get through training. With their commitment to one another and the team, I can’t talk any of them out of playing.

“We’ll just see how they come through training but they’re very confident about the position they’re in and that they want to play so at this stage we’re looking OK.

“Obviously we don’t just look at what they want to do, it’s about what the team needs. We did send our performance manager over to Denver so, collectively, it’s not just my decision.

“That’s how I like to make decisions. I’ve got trust in my staff and my players and I like to empower them when a decision like this needs to be made.

“We know the Origin guys have got 13 days between this game and they’re next game, because they don’t play for us against Melbourne [next week]. That’s a tidy recovery.”

Frizell shouldered a huge load at the corresponding stage of last season, carrying multiple rib cartilage tears as the Dragons fought to stay in the finals race.

He also played through Australia’s World Cup triumph and McGregor said his star back-rower has earned a spell.

“Tyson’s rested, not injured,” McGregor said.

“He’s carrying niggles and we’ve just got to manage a few alignments in him and this is one of the opportunities to do that.

“Last year was a horrendous year for him considering the injuries he carried through the back end of the year. We lost Russell Packer for the last six games and Tyson had to play busted with needles each week.

“He did that for us, and he would’ve done that this week, but we just thought, in consultation with staff and the player, it was best he not play.

“It gives him that extended break between now and the third Origin, which will be helpful for him at the back end of the year.”

Halfback Ben Hunt will also back up after wearing the brunt of criticism for Queensland’s loss in Origin II that saw them lose just their second series in 13 years.

There’s been no shortage of media and fan pile-on but McGregor hit back on Wednesday, saying the bulk of criticism has been unwarranted.

“I think [criticism] has been a bit heavy-handed,” McGregor said.

“I think he’s copped a lot of criticism around one kick but there were a lot of other opportunities for other players in the game.

“He’s only new to the [Origin] arena in that position. It’s a difficult position but there’s four people in a spine who can take some ownership and control around that.

“I think anyone who’s been involved in Origin as a player, when you lose, it hurts. Ben’s just got to move forward and the best way to do that’s to play footy.

“He’ll be right on [Thursday] night, don’t worry about that.”

https://www.illawarramercury.com.au...or-eels-clash-despite-heavy-rep-toll/?cs=3713
 

MilanDragon

Juniors
Messages
902
Milan.
I think most will play but not frizz.
There may be one more change.
I would have liked to see JDB rested as well.
Pickworth and his team will make recommendations.
But Mary has the final say on if players are rested on not.
I think we can get a win over parra rven if we rest players as our new game in the storm in melbourne.

We won’t have a lot of those guys against the storm anyway.

Yea it’s a short turn for us this week for most, but after this game the origin players essentially have a 2 week break. The others 8 days.

Even after the next origin we play on Sunday afternoon, giving us again the longer break. So guys like Widdop, Graham etc, play Thursday, don’t play until Friday next week then play again the Sunday a week later. Which would give them a reasonable amount of rest time.
 

redandwhite4evr

Juniors
Messages
1,948
The Eels played very well against Souths in the first half- if they repeat that form for the whole game, we will lose.

I'm still coming to terms with Mary playing both Graham and Widdop after they played on Sunday morning in 30 degree plus heat at 5000 feet altitude and then flying home - if an ISP player doesn't get an NRL game when two senior players are flattened by a schedule like that, they must be wondering when they will get a game.
 

LINESPEED

Juniors
Messages
1,551
The Eels played very well against Souths in the first half- if they repeat that form for the whole game, we will lose.

I'm still coming to terms with Mary playing both Graham and Widdop after they played on Sunday morning in 30 degree plus heat at 5000 feet altitude and then flying home - if an ISP player doesn't get an NRL game when two senior players are flattened by a schedule like that, they must be wondering when they will get a game.

Simple answer is they leave the club - like Bird & Cook
 

LINESPEED

Juniors
Messages
1,551
Ok, l get it.....JDB hasn’t got enough injuries to warrant a rest.
Yeah, no problems.
Keep playing him till he breaks down completely..... makes sense, l now understand that our medical team at the Dragons are just puppets and carry no weight.
Full steam ahead for the SS McGregor flagship.

So it's all hands on deck?

.... full steam ahead into the darkness
& there r no icebergs ahead & those deck chairs r nailed down
& we have enough lifeboats ... but someone's on watch duty while Capt Mac sleeps zzzzz
Right?
Unsinkable right?
Rotten bad luck some said?
Circumstances contrived against us
Miscommunication....blah, blah, blah

The best of Scottish steel they said
- too brittle though ....
Broke under the pressure it seems

Contingencies?
Nah, she'll be right ... watertight

Nah full speed, the New York record & glory awaits me boys!
Aaarrrrggghhhhh!!

"Man the lifeboats!
Women & juniors first!"

As the music played
down to Davy Jones' Locker


And the Capt. went down with the ship Amen

..... and we all hold our collective breath as the whole NRL watches the gamble ....

........ cause hell, lightning never strikes twice does it??


As the top 4 limber & smile.
 

ALSGI

Bench
Messages
3,101
So it's all hands on deck?

.... full steam ahead into the darkness
& there r no icebergs ahead & those deck chairs r nailed down
& we have enough lifeboats ... but someone's on watch duty while Capt Mac sleeps zzzzz
Right?
Unsinkable right?
Rotten bad luck some said?
Circumstances contrived against us
Miscommunication....blah, blah, blah

The best of Scottish steel they said
- too brittle though ....
Broke under the pressure it seems

Contingencies?
Nah, she'll be right ... watertight

Nah full speed, the New York record & glory awaits me boys!
Aaarrrrggghhhhh!!

"Man the lifeboats!
Women & juniors first!"

As the music played
down to Davy Jones' Locker


And the Capt. went down with the ship Amen

..... and we all hold our collective breath as the whole NRL watches the gamble ....

........ cause hell, lightning never strikes twice does it??


As the top 4 limber & smile.
There’s no Icebergs in the Gong mate, we got this, Dragons by 19.
 

The Damo

Juniors
Messages
1,991
So it's all hands on deck?

.... full steam ahead into the darkness
& there r no icebergs ahead & those deck chairs r nailed down
& we have enough lifeboats ... but someone's on watch duty while Capt Mac sleeps zzzzz
Right?
Unsinkable right?
Rotten bad luck some said?
Circumstances contrived against us
Miscommunication....blah, blah, blah

The best of Scottish steel they said
- too brittle though ....
Broke under the pressure it seems

Contingencies?
Nah, she'll be right ... watertight

Nah full speed, the New York record & glory awaits me boys!
Aaarrrrggghhhhh!!

"Man the lifeboats!
Women & juniors first!"

As the music played
down to Davy Jones' Locker


And the Capt. went down with the ship Amen

..... and we all hold our collective breath as the whole NRL watches the gamble ....

........ cause hell, lightning never strikes twice does it??


As the top 4 limber & smile.
I appreciate the poetic touch here, it’s good stuff. Not sure Parra is an iceberg, though, and Jack’ll be fine he’s got two weeks off after this match. If he can play 60+ minutes of origin he can make 50 vs those clods.
Next time if you take requests - Moby Dick would work for inspiration, Mary as Ahab, graham as Quee queeg? Who or what is the whale though?
 

Eelementary

Post Whore
Messages
57,379
The Eels played very well against Souths in the first half- if they repeat that form for the whole game, we will lose.

I'm still coming to terms with Mary playing both Graham and Widdop after they played on Sunday morning in 30 degree plus heat at 5000 feet altitude and then flying home - if an ISP player doesn't get an NRL game when two senior players are flattened by a schedule like that, they must be wondering when they will get a game.

With all due respect - we have shown this year that we are only capable of playing a good 30 minutes or so out of every 80.

There is a chance that we might start the first 20 on fire, but as long as you keep with us, you will easily run over the top of us.
 

Crush

Coach
Messages
11,713
Its hard to be confident as a dragons supporter after the past few years isn't it?
But when do we finally get to that point this year where we just say "we got this"?
We find an excuse to be nervous before every game. I reckon 70% of posters have said we would struggle to win before every single game this season. And we have lost 3 games after 15 weeks.
This round its the fact that we have players backing up.
Next round it will be the fact that we have players out against Melbourne.
Following that it'll be that we are backing up again after origin with a 4 day turn against tigers. And so on and so on.
I am also cautious but starting to get tired of being so.
Tomorrow we play the team coming last. Screw them, Dragons by 30.
 

redVinme

Bench
Messages
2,819
I appreciate the poetic touch here, it’s good stuff. Not sure Parra is an iceberg, though, and Jack’ll be fine he’s got two weeks off after this match. If he can play 60+ minutes of origin he can make 50 vs those clods.
Next time if you take requests - Moby Dick would work for inspiration, Mary as Ahab, graham as Quee queeg? Who or what is the whale though?
Luc?
 

getsmarty

Immortal
Messages
34,883
leilual-180401_gt_33.jpg



TEAM LISTS


24-hour warning: Round 16 v Parramatta Eels
Author
Dragons.com.au dragons.com.au
Timestamp
Wed 27 Jun 2018, 07:50 PM

St George Illawarra coach Paul McGregor has cut his squad to 20 players ahead of the Dragons' Round 16 clash against the Parramatta Eels at WIN Stadium, Wollongong on Thursday night.

Darren Nicholls, Patrick Herbert, Reece Robson and Reuben Garrick have all dropped out of the initial 24-man squad named on Tuesday.

Blake Lawrie, Jai Field and Hame Sele remain as cover for the seven players who featured in the NRL Representative Round last weekend.

NRL squad for Round 16 v Parramatta Eels:

1. Matt Dufty – sponsored by Illawarra Mercury/St George & Sutherland Shire Leader
2. Nene Macdonald – sponsored by Relativity in the Loop
3. Euan Aitken – sponsored by University of Wollongong
4. Tim Lafai – sponsored by Kingsgrove Sports Centre
5. Kurt Mann – sponsored by SMAI
6. Gareth Widdop (c) – sponsored by Dynamic Projects
7. Ben Hunt – sponsored by Paul's Customs and Forwarding Solutions
8. James Graham – sponsored by EFEX
9. Cameron McInnes – sponsored by Floormania
10. Paul Vaughan – sponsored by My Muscle Chef
11. Jacob Host – sponsored by Val Morgan
12. Tariq Sims – sponsored by Stonemasons & Landscapers (since 1970)
13. Jack de Belin – sponsored by Wollongong Jetski

Interchange:
14. Jeremy Latimore – sponsored by Addbuild Additions
15. Jason Nightingale– sponsored by Wollongong Diagnostics
16. Leeson Ah Mau – sponsored by Westfund
17. Luciano Leilua – sponsored by Domus Lighting
18. Blake Lawrie
20. Jai Field
21. Hame Sele


https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2018/06/27/24-hour-warning-round-16-v-parramatta-eels/
 

Old Kogarah Boy 1

First Grade
Messages
5,415
So it's all hands on deck?

.... full steam ahead into the darkness
& there r no icebergs ahead & those deck chairs r nailed down
& we have enough lifeboats ... but someone's on watch duty while Capt Mac sleeps zzzzz
Right?
Unsinkable right?
Rotten bad luck some said?
Circumstances contrived against us
Miscommunication....blah, blah, blah

The best of Scottish steel they said
- too brittle though ....
Broke under the pressure it seems

Contingencies?
Nah, she'll be right ... watertight

Nah full speed, the New York record & glory awaits me boys!
Aaarrrrggghhhhh!!

"Man the lifeboats!
Women & juniors first!"

As the music played
down to Davy Jones' Locker


And the Capt. went down with the ship Amen

..... and we all hold our collective breath as the whole NRL watches the gamble ....

........ cause hell, lightning never strikes twice does it??


As the top 4 limber & smile.


You know the SS Titanic main problem was that it was already on fire before it left Southampton.

The coal in the storage chambers had caught alike and was smouldering, as shown in a recent photo, causing the metal on the starboard side of the liner to distort and discolour.

I recently watched a program on this and the photos and details were amazing.

https://www.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=https://tallbloke.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/titanic1.jpg&imgrefurl=https://tallbloke.wordpress.com/2017/01/03/boiler-room-fire-led-to-the-sinking-of-the-titanic-says-new-research/&docid=MfJNXGOseVJnUM&tbnid=JXmSvbhuwLbOHM:&vet=10ahUKEwjE9bP2zvTbAhVHf7wKHW5QA6EQMwhNKAMwAw..i&w=295&h=167&client=safari&bih=537&biw=375&q=ss titanic fire in coal chambers images&ved=0ahUKEwjE9bP2zvTbAhVHf7wKHW5QA6EQMwhNKAMwAw&iact=mrc&uact=8

phillips-titanic-fire-0103-transfer2.jpg
 
Last edited:

Coffs dragon

Bench
Messages
4,402
IMO this match has the recipe for disaster against the cellar dwellers. Our team always seems to have the capability to play other teams back into form. Combine that with the severe criticism of the Hayne Plane plus Brad Arthur putting the entire team on notice to remain beyond 2018, it will be very tough tonight.
Complacency along with mental & physical fatigue will be huge hurdles for the Dragons to overcome. I wish I was confident, but I'm not.
 

MilanDragon

Juniors
Messages
902
IMO this match has the recipe for disaster against the cellar dwellers. Our team always seems to have the capability to play other teams back into form. Combine that with the severe criticism of the Hayne Plane plus Brad Arthur putting the entire team on notice to remain beyond 2018, it will be very tough tonight.
Complacency along with mental & physical fatigue will be huge hurdles for the Dragons to overcome. I wish I was confident, but I'm not.

I’m never confident when we play the low sides. Especially when it’s teams like Eels and Bulldogs. but beating these sides is a necessity if we want to win the comp or at least the minor premiership. Not saying it’s a litmus test, but we have to take points off the low sides, allowing us to potentially drop points against tougher teams.. which will happen too.
 

Old Timer

Coach
Messages
18,396
What an interesting place this forum is
One minute some people championing everything about the team and then at moments like this they state how nervous they are
It is time for everyone to stand up for what they really believe and stop the carry on
If you are in the “I feel a premiership coming on” or the “we have improved under Mc Fookknuckle” or the “we are top 4 camp” then you should be a true believer and state we will whip the Eels like a top contender should and nothing short of that is acceptable.
For those that are in the “wait & see if we crash camp” then this week is a defining moment because if ever we are going to crash this surely must be it?
For me I believe we should smash the Eels as they are truly shitfull and if we don’t then any premiership thoughts can be put on hold due to the coach’s inability to get the team up in season defining contests.
If we do smash the Eels then nobody has anything to worry about at least until next week anyway.
 

dragonssamy61

First Grade
Messages
5,549
We won’t have a lot of those guys against the storm anyway.

Yea it’s a short turn for us this week for most, but after this game the origin players essentially have a 2 week break. The others 8 days.

Even after the next origin we play on Sunday afternoon, giving us again the longer break. So guys like Widdop, Graham etc, play Thursday, don’t play until Friday next week then play again the Sunday a week later. Which would give them a reasonable amount of rest time.

I would think that is why they will play.
 
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