Round 18 v Roosters

[DeathBlooms]

There'll be a change - he'll bring Bird back.
I'll take Bird at 7 and Hunt left to NSW Cup. Although Bird is shit you cant say he doesn't try unlike Hunt who just floats through games.

 

[SAP58]

Reality is we are are currently a mid table team with our current squad & we played a team that will go very close to winning the competition this year. However 55 missed tackles is not acceptable & we desperately need another big bopper to help F Molo when he goes off for a rest unfortunately Blocker has gone backwards this year & adds no value when he comes on. Will Flanno make changes for next week ? Not sure we have the backup to make much of a difference our reserves are struggling as well. We have a great opportunity to beat the Broncos, it’s up to them if they want it enough. I

 

[Mojo]

As someone who was fortunate enough to have watched the likes of Billy Smith, Ross Strudwick, Mark Shulman & Steve Morris play for us in the number 7, I'm almost happy not to watch us at all with that (C) Hunt killing us by pretending to be an elite half-back.
How many times has he been schooled by rookie halves? And they don't outrun or outmuscle him - they out-think him.
He seemingly has no ability to read a game or adapt or ad-lib. Every weapon in his under-equipped arsenal is either from the same well-thumbed playbook that everyone sees coming or it's a low-percentage Hail Mary play that either comes off and looks miraculous or more often backfires and is disastrous.
We've been stuck with this since 2018 and his continued presence makes a rebuild impossible.
There's just one solution - Punt the (C)Hunt!

It’s excruciatingly obvious I reckon: at club level Hunt should play 6. He’s not a 7. I don’t think he’s much of a 9 either. He obviously doesn’t like ’playing second fiddle’ so he apparently wants to run the show. While he’s an experienced player and a good attacking ball runner, he’s just not good in an organising role. I‘ve never understood why StGI has mortgaged itself to Hunt.
The best game we’ve played all year was without him!

 

[Como Connection]

There'll be a change - he'll bring Bird back.

Bird was poor today at fullback.
CC

 

[Saint52]

same as CC

 

[Number of the Beath]

Bird was poor today at fullback.
CC

He was, CC, and hopelessly out of condition.
Just like before his injury,when he was playing first grade.

 

[Mojo]

Bird, Hunt … gees, what are we on about? This is St George! These guys are wearing the colours and numbers of some of the greatest rugby league players that have ever played the game!

 

[BLM01]

Reality is we are are currently a mid table team with our current squad & we played a team that will go very close to winning the competition this year. However 55 missed tackles is not acceptable & we desperately need another big bopper to help F Molo when he goes off for a rest unfortunately Blocker has gone backwards this year & adds no value when he comes on. Will Flanno make changes for next week ? Not sure we have the backup to make much of a difference our reserves are struggling as well. We have a great opportunity to beat the Broncos, it’s up to them if they want it enough. I

That is the key. Flanno is improving the players and culture, but we dont have the squad yet. We all knew that at the start of the year. It will take time. I am sure he realises the halves dont do it enough,, but who do we have to take control?

 

[Dragon David]

Unfortunately...sorry fortunately didn't get to see the game today......got the result when I got home...read the comments on here and it didn't surprise with both the result and Hunts apparent performance.....I knew before today his involvement would be one of I'm into Qld Origin camp next week

Yep, his mind is set for his last game in the SOO series. He won't be there next year you can bet on that.

 

[Old Timer]

My take away's from today

1. Most of the side tried very hard and that cohort didn't give up trying.
2. The captain was completely missing in action but that is not uncommon against the best sides. He came of dressed like 007 going to the casino.
3. Sloan was good under the high ball but it appears he has to concentrate so hard on getting that right he has trouble incorporating the other things he needs to do in a game so he can properly round out a days work. He rarely combines good attack, defence and catching in the same game. 1 or 2 out of 3 isn't nearly good enough.
4. Anyone thinking we can carry old legs in Hunt, J D B, Eisenhuith, BMM all in the 1 side and compete at a higher level is kidding themselves.
5. The resigning of Feagai can only be an attempt to have less spots to fill by season end thus covering up our inability to lure a reasonable player.
6. Couchman can blossom into a great player but we will kill him with poor halves giving him poor service and too many hospital passes.
7. K F is nothing more than adequate as a 6 and will hold us back if he is kept there but the problem is with Cook coming and Bird retained we have the 14 adequately covered so little chance of a quality 6 coming IMHO.
8. The coach cannot possibly be serious if Lawrie plays 1 more 1st grade game this year. To select him again can only be a piss take.
9. No one in the coach's box seems to understand what speed would bring to the table and those half chances we create will continue to be squandered due the complete lack of finishing power.

 

[TheRev]

If we get rid of Marshke/Brown etc.. maybe we can bring in an actual 7 like Sezer, Sexton or any number of guys.. someone who cant get a starting 7 job elsewhere that will give us injury depth and potentially take over if needed.

We are a long way from the point we are seriously looking to move on from KFlan or Hunt.. despite the views of a lot of dragons fans.. and I think that stop us going after targets like Ilias etc..

 

[saint-stefano]

Yep - Roosters play on an entirely different level and tempo than us mudplodders. They clearly wanted it more (again) and we didn't want it enough (again). Looks like we learned nothing from the Anzac Day thumping. But everyone gets paid all the same .... maybe I'm asking too much to expect we can learn from past experience.

comon mate we had to have learnt something from that anzac match in which we ot thumped by 42 points ...this time its only 30 its a improvement ...

 

[Illusion]

I think Flanno is slowly losing it also how my times did he say we were in it for 55 min ..... You have to play for 80 min can someone let him know ...... https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2024/07/07/nrl-round-18-press-conference-roosters-vs-dragons/

 

[Gareth67]

It’s excruciatingly obvious I reckon: at club level Hunt should play 6. He’s not a 7. I don’t think he’s much of a 9 either. He obviously doesn’t like ’playing second fiddle’ so he apparently wants to run the show. While he’s an experienced player and a good attacking ball runner, he’s just not good in an organising role. I‘ve never understood why StGI has mortgaged itself to Hunt.
The best game we’ve played all year was without him!

A captain such as Daley Cherry Evans spurs his players on to greater efforts unlike our Mr. Hunt . Evans also knows how to close a game out and tries with every fibre of his being to the end of the match to win .

Undoubtedly Hunt is a great Queensland player , but at club level with the Dragons his efforts leave a lot to be desired - most unfortunately .

Back to the Roosters clash , well I think the less said the better . I realize that our boys tried , but were simply out classed by a more polished side .

 

[saint-stefano]

Hunt and Lawrie have to go.

In that game Lomax looked like he has moved on.

Anyone criticising Sloan needs to reassess, worked all game, took all the high balls aimed at him, defended including taking JWH on the line. I saw a poster criticising him for not locking up the ball when Collins scored but, they didnt mention the fact Lawrie should have wrapped up Collins before he even got to the line. Could Sloan have done more there, yes, but it is unfair to blame him for the try.

I also dont understand the desire to move on BMM, as an impact forward he is very good.

As someone who was fortunate enough to have watched the likes of Billy Smith, Ross Strudwick, Mark Shulman & Steve Morris play for us in the number 7, I'm almost happy not to watch us at all with that (C) Hunt killing us by pretending to be an elite half-back.
How many times has he been schooled by rookie halves? And they don't outrun or outmuscle him - they out-think him.
He seemingly has no ability to read a game or adapt or ad-lib. Every weapon in his under-equipped arsenal is either from the same well-thumbed playbook that everyone sees coming or it's a low-percentage Hail Mary play that either comes off and looks miraculous or more often backfires and is disastrous.
We've been stuck with this since 2018 and his continued presence makes a rebuild impossible.
There's just one solution - Punt the (C)Hunt!

and his kicking game is absolute shit ...there back 3 had all the time in the world to catch and run 20 meteres every time where as sloan caught most of his bombs with defence on top of him

 

[Dragonslayer]

Our performance today can be summed up in 2 words.

Missed tackles

50 of them to be exact.

 

[twinkletoes]

I think Flanno is slowly losing it also how my times did he say we were in it for 55 min ..... You have to play for 80 min can someone let him know ...... https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2024/07/07/nrl-round-18-press-conference-roosters-vs-dragons/

Becoming more like Mary every week…

 

[twinkletoes]

comon mate we had to have learnt something from that anzac match in which we ot thumped by 42 points ...this time its only 30 its a improvement ...

So in 3 years time should be pretty even

 

[shiloh dc]

and his kicking game is absolute shit ...there back 3 had all the time in the world to catch and run 20 meteres every time where as sloan caught most of his bombs with defence on top of him

There is a fundamental difference - Hunt is often kicking from inside our half because our go-forward on our first 5 tackles is poor whereas the Rorters (and other teams we play) kick from inside our half so their kicks travel higher than longer.
That being said - clearly Hunt is a poor one-dimentional kicker. Of major interest was that Lomax took one of the last kicks which turned into a great torp. Maybe this is a sign of things to come - just for this year.

 

[56to66]

What I understand with many here they believe we should get rid of B.Hunt, Bird, this player, that player, but FMD, who the F do you replace them with?
They got beat by a club who have been cheating the salary cap since Brad Fitler days, the salary cap suits the Rorters perfectly.
The Dragons at the moment are on par with the Dragons of 2007/8. Thank God Flanno is there, if Dean Young was head coach we would be definate wooden spooners, he is the Dragons defensive coach (great work mate), I hope and pray, like Barrett, he ends up at Eels.
If the Dragons finish on equal points as the team that makes the top 8, but miss out on for and against, happy days, a good year, why finish 8 a lose anyway in the semi's.
Next year will be the year the Dragons must entrench themselves in the Top 8, Top 5, similar to the 2018 season.
2026 Top 4 Title Contender.
And if that fails, suck yours thumbs, grab your willy and start crying.