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Round 18 vs Panthers

G

getsmarty

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James Graham returns but Ben Hunt rested for St George Illawarra's clash with Penrith Panthers
  • Local Sport
    r0_258_5039_3102_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg

    Ben Hunt will be rested for St George Illawarra's clash with Penrith on Friday night. Picture: AAP Image
  • Just about every match between now and the end of the season is must-win for St George Illawarra.

    But if the Dragons are to get the job done against the in-form Panthers at Penrith on Friday night, they will need to do it without their star halfback.

    Dragons coach Paul McGregor has elected to rest Ben Hunt for the Panthers clash, with Darren Nicholls to wear the No.7 jersey in Hunt's place.

    The 29-year-old played all three State of Origin matches at hooker for Queensland, earning him a rest against the Panthers.

    It appears a gamble from McGregor, with the Dragons slipping to 14th on the NRL table and four points outside the top eight as the competition approaches the final stretch of the regular season.

    The Dragons look likely to need to win at least six of their remaining eight games to make the finals.

    St George Illawarra have received some good news, with James Graham named to return at lock from a broken leg.

    Reece Robson and Jacob Host have been dropped from the squad, with Josh Kerr and Patrick Kaufusi named on the bench.

    The match will be Tyson Frizell's 150th NRL game.

    McGregor labeled St George Illawarra's loss to Canberra as their worst performance of the season and will be expecting a vastly different Dragons effort against Penrith.

    "That's not acceptable and you can call it desire, attitude, effort but it comes down to pride in your own performance to make those tackles, to hold onto the footy in important times, to be disciplined and take a step if you need to take a step in your 10 metres, to hold the footy when there's one on one strips," McGregor said.

    "All that sort of stuff you can control yourself, you get a choice."
https://www.theleader.com.au/story/6278428/graham-returns-but-hunt-rested-for-panthers/
 
G

getsmarty

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Emerging winger Jonus Pearson determined to make St George Illawarra home
Dragons Den
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Determined: Jonus Pearson is eager to secure a starting position for the Dragons. Picture: NRL Photos.
When Jonus Pearson arrived in Wollongong last November, he knew he had an opportunity.

With Jason Nightingale retiring and Nene Macdonald moving to North Queensland, Pearson had a shot at locking down a place on the wing for St George Illawarra.

That chance came in round 11, when he was handed his club debut. Now having played six matches in the Red V, Pearson is determined to ensure he makes the No. 2 jersey his own, starting on Friday night against Penrith.

"I knew when I came down here there were going to be some quality players in front of me," Pearson said. "But I've waited my whole life, I don't want to wait anymore, I want to make that spot mine and cement it.

"Last week was probably my worst game for the Dragons, so I've got to step it up this week. This week's going to be the most important game for me."

Pearson's journey to Wollongong is a winding one, from growing up on Hammond Island in the Torres Strait, to boarding at St Brendan's College in Yeppoon, and eventually making his NRL debut for the Broncos in 2016, his career has been unconventional.

Only taking up the sport at the age of 11, his primary passion was basketball and it remained that way even after he moved to the mainland.

Slowly his love for rugby league began to eclipse that of basketball and a year after leaving school he decided to fully commit himself to playing in the top flight.

The hard work paid off when the Broncos recruited him to their under 20s program. Comparisons to former Queensland representative Jharal Yow Yeh quickly followed and he was handed his NRL debut in round 23 of the 2016 season.

"I started playing footy in grade six, we had to travel island to island to play footy because there were not many kids on Hammond Island.

"Then at St Brendan's, I wasn't playing much footy either, I was playing basketball. I wasn't a star, we had Corey Oates and Kurt Mann who were the stars, but going to a rugby league school like St Brendan's, it grows on you.

"My first year out of school I didn't do much, but then at the end of 2013 I said to myself I've got to start playing some good footy. So I went to the gym, 2014 came around and I started playing some good footy for local club Yeppoon Seagulls.

"The coach there was pretty good to me, Jason Green, he called the Broncos and they came to watch me play. They watched a game and I was at the Broncos, just like that."



Having followed such an arduous journey, Pearson readily admits he would not be where he is today if it wasn't for the support of one person. His mother Elizabeth.

When Pearson was struggling while living in Brisbane, it was Elizabeth who sacrificed her career to help her son cope.

And when Pearson made the move to Wollongong, it was Elizabeth, again, who travelled south to ensure her son was able to make the most of his new opportunity.

Pearson recognises how much his mum has sacrificed to help him play in the NRL and he can't thank her enough for everything she has done for him.

The best way to repay her, he feels, is to secure his place within the Dragons starting line up.

"She made a move after my first year at the Broncos, when I finished 20s, she moved down and helped me heaps in my career. She had to sacrifice her job to move down and after that she kept coming down south to Wollongong with me.

"In my first year of 20s, it was tough, I couldn't do it on my own. Mum had to move and help me with everything, cooking, washing, rent, working.

"It was big, she was a big manager up on Hammond Island, she had to sacrifice that job to come down and support me and give me that support. I really needed that, if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be here."

https://www.illawarramercury.com.au...-determined-to-make-st-george-illawarra-home/
 
Old Kogarah Boy 1

Old Kogarah Boy 1

First Grade
Messages
5,415
Eatons Hill Dragon said:
And that there is the stat that all the journos should be writing about.
Yes we have had injuries and suspensions this year but plenty of other teams have as well.
Round 18 last year we are in 3rd position so basically our last full year of footy has been nothing but utter Sh!t.
Only joy was kicking some Donkey ass up at Suncorp (twice :thumbsup::thumbsup:).
Click to expand...

Yes, it was and always is good to kick some donkey ass but it was very costly.
.
It got him a 2 year extension.
 
G

getsmarty

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pearsonj-2gp_3783.jpg


DRAGONS


'The sacrifice she made was big': Pearson's tribute to mum
Author
Brad Walter NRL.com Senior Reporter
Timestamp
Thu 18 Jul 2019, 09:00 AM
walterbrad-head.png

Dragons winger Jonus Pearson has paid tribute to his mother, Elizabeth, for giving up her job and life in the Torres Strait Islands to help him make the transition from a childhood of travelling to games by boat and plane to a career in the NRL.

Pearson grew up on Hammond Island, which has a population of about 300 people, so teams would need to travel to one of the other 18 inhabited islands to play matches.

“We had to travel island to island to play footy because there are not many kids on Hammond Island,” Pearson said.

“We would usually catch a boat to Horn Island and catch a plane over to another island. It was a little plane, probably big enough to take over the players and the coaches. We’d do that once a week.”

He also had to catch a boat to neighbouring Thursday Island to attend school until his teens, when he boarded at St Brendan’s College in Yepoon, along with Brisbane winger Corey Oates and Newcastle utility Kurt Mann.

The 24-year-old was recruited by the Broncos in 2015 and played under 20s but admits he wouldn’t have survived if it wasn’t for his mother, Elizabeth Pearson.

pearsonj-mn-002.jpg

Dragons winger Jonus Pearson. :copyright:Mark Dadswell/NRL Photos
She moved from Hammond Island to Brisbane after his first year with the Broncos to look after him and followed Pearson and his partner Karla Pinkerton to Wollongong when he signed with the Dragons at the end of last season.

“I couldn’t do it on my own so mum made the move down and where I am now is because of her,” Pearson said. “My mum did all the cooking and she helped me with my diet and all that stuff. If she didn’t come, I probably would have gone back.

“She has helped me heaps in my career.



Sims: Mary has the respect of the playing group

"She had to sacrifice her job to come down to Brisbane and after that she has kept coming south with me.

“The sacrifice she made was big. She was like a manager of all the jobs up in Hammond Island, where we lived, so she had to sacrifice that job to come and support me and give me that support. I really needed that. If it wasn’t for her I wouldn’t be standing here now.”

Another person who helped Pearson make the adjustment to the NRL was former Broncos star Sam Thaiday, whose family is from Yam Island.

Thaiday has a tattoo across his chest of the Yam Island team’s motto: “One brother bleeds, all brothers bleed”.

“Sam Thaiday was really good to me when I was at the Broncos, really welcoming and he looked after me,” Pearson said. “His name was everywhere around the Torres Strait when I was younger.”

A number of current and former NRL players were either born in the Torres Strait Islands or have a family connection, including Dane Gagai, Alex Johnston, Josh Hoffman, Edrick Lee, Brenko Lee, Sebastian Kris, Leilani Latu, Bernard Lewis and Gideon Gela-Mosby, Ray Thompson and Michael Bani.

Wendell Sailor and his son, Tristan, who also plays for St George Illawarra, have Torres Strait Island heritage.



Panthers v Dragons - Round 18

“A couple of boys from the Torres Strait are playing in the Queensland Cup and there were some others my age in the under 20s but they didn’t make it,” Pearson said.

Pearson believes he coped with the adjustment better than some others after spending five years in Rockhampton, while at school.

Remarkably, he struggled to make the school rugby league team and only seriously began playing as an 18-year-old with Yepoon Seagulls, whose coach Jason Green recommended him to the Broncos.

After 11 NRL appearances for Brisbane since his debut in 2016, Pearson was recruited by St George Illawarra following the loss of wingers Jason Nightingale and Nene Macdonald at the end of last season.


Match: Panthers v Dragons

Round 18 - Friday 19th July

7:55pm

Home Team

Panthers

8th Position


Away Team

Dragons

14th Position

Venue: Panthers Stadium

Match broadcasters:

  • Nine Network
  • Foxtel
  • LIVE PASS
  • KAYO
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When he moved, his mum came with him and she will be on hand when his partner Karla gives birth to their first child next month.

“I told her at the end of last season ‘you can go home now if you want’ but she said ‘no, I want to stay here’. It will be handy having her around when the baby comes,” Pearson said.

Panthers v Dragons
What will be the result of their round 18 clash?

Panthers v Dragons What will be the result of their round 18 clash?
  • Panthers 1-10
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  • Panthers 11+
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  • Dragons 1-10
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  • Dragons 11+
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https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2019/07/18/the-sacrifice-she-made-was-big-pearsons-tribute-to-mum/
 
W

Wittenberg

Juniors
Messages
1,140
Dragons 09 said:
That's a 38.5% win ratio.....in 26 games....which equates to a full season of footy!
I think Pricey was running at about 39% when he got the ass.
This plank is untouchable.
Click to expand...

How on earth can he keep his job with those statistics? Johnston was a great centre but a gutless Chairman. Oust Doust has been replaced by Joker Johnston
 
S

SaintPeter

Juniors
Messages
318
Not looking forward to watching our incompetent backs (all of em) on Friday night.

We must have other guys that would be worth a go, please, help, anybody but Dufty and Aitken!!

God No.

Come on Coach wake up, get rid of these imposters... its bloody embarrassing.

Rant over
 
RedV Resurgence

RedV Resurgence

Juniors
Messages
750
denis preston said:
Has Pearson scored a try for us yet ?
Click to expand...
Ball doesn't get past our centres, so they need to go looking for the ball back inside the cemntre.

Why can't the coaching team see the problem. one off hit up around the ruck ( rarely more than one pass off the ruck) and then a ball that the centres die with the ball then we kick. How the f*** is a winger going to get the ball.
 
G

getsmarty

Immortal
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34,334

DRAGONS


Five Things: Round 18 v Panthers
Author
Dragons.com.au dragons.com.au
Timestamp
Thu 18 Jul 2019, 04:16 PM

In an important match between the St George Illawarra Dragons and the Penrith Panthers, here are five things to keep in mind while the players do their work on the field.

Frizell 150

Kangaroos, New South Wales Origin, and most importantly, Dragons forward Tyson Frizell will play his 150th NRL match against the Panthers on Friday night.

The Illawarra junior made his debut for the Dragons in 2013 after debuting for the Cronulla Sharks. Since joining the Red V, Frizell has gone from strength to strength and become one of the most renowned back-rowers in the competition.

Frizell's 50th and 100th NRL appearances were both contested against the Melbourne Storm and both ended in defeats. With him now reaching yet another milestone, keep an eye of Frizell who will be doing his best to ensure his 150th ends in a victory.



Nicholls gets another crack

Dragons Canterbury Cup NSW captain Darren Nicholls comes into the first grade side to play his third NRL game.

Both of Nicholls's chances in first grade came against the Melbourne Storm in Round 17, 2018 and Round 16, 2019. With his first opportunity against a different opposition, Nicholls will be striving to put his best foot forward in place of Ben Hunt.

Hunt was left out of the side to rest following a heavy Origin workload where he made 137 tackles in three games. While Hunt will be missed, Nicholls slots straight in as a natural replacement boasting the same organisational style and strong kicking game as Hunt.

First away game in a month

The Dragons team bus has been collecting dust with three straight games at WIN Stadium, Wollongong. Coupled with the representative break, the Dragons haven't travelled away from home in over a month.

The match against the Penrith Panthers will be contested in Penrith heartland and will no doubt be filled with plenty of home supporters.

Party Poopers

The Dragons will be out to rain on the Panthers' parade and can take confidence in their convincing record over the chocolate soldiers.

Four of the last five matches have gone the way of the Dragons as well as 20 of 33 matches overall. However, the Panthers are currently riding a wave of momentum winning six games straight and edging themselves inside the top eight.

With plenty to play for and a strong record over the Panthers, the Dragons are well positioned to end their winning streak.

TGIF

Everyone loves a Friday, and the same goes for the Dragons who have won three of their past four matches on the best day of the week.

Only one other game this year has been held on a Friday when the Dragons recently trumped the Cowboys 22-14 in Round 15. You need to go back to 2018 when the Dragons last ran out for another Friday night game.

In Round 5, 2018, the Dragons edged the South Sydney Rabbitohs 16-12 before backing up the following week, again on a Friday, to down the Cronulla Sharks 40-20. Keep in mind the Dragons recent record on Friday’s to see if the trend continues.


https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2019/07/18/five-things-round-18-v-panthers/
 
G

getsmarty

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Throwback Thursday: Round 18 v Panthers
Author
Dragons.com.au dragons.com.au
Timestamp
Thu 18 Jul 2019, 04:05 PM

Ahead of the Dragons' must-win match against the Penrith Panthers take a look back at some of the best encounters between the two sides.

St George Illawarra Dragons 42 defeated Penrith Panthers 10
Round 1. Saturday, March 4, 2017
Netstrata Jubilee Oval

In the opening round of the 2017 season, the Dragons hit the ground running with a 32 point thumping of the Penrith Panthers.

With Penrith making it as far as the semi-finals the year prior, the Dragons made a statement to the competition by upsetting the more favoured team. The first half showed no signs of a lopsided result despite a late try extending the Dragons lead to 18-4 at the break.

The Red V ran riot in the second stanza with former Dragon Joel Thompson starring for the home side and picking up the first and only hat-trick of his career.

Thompson's heroics were on par with a sublime performance from Gareth Widdop who scored two tries of his own and kicked seven goals from seven attempts to build the dominant score-line.

St George Illawarra Dragons 13 defeated Penrith Panthers 12
Round 15. Friday, June 20, 2008
Stadium Australia

After being held scoreless in the first half, the Dragons clawed their way back into the contest in the final stages before a Jamie Soward field goal completed a tense comeback.

Luke Lewis and Rhys Wesser were the only players to find the try-line in the first half giving Penrith a 12-0 lead. But as the second half got underway, the Dragons slowly worked themselves back into the match.

A try to Ben Creagh kick-started the comeback before Josh Morris weaved his way down the field to level the scores with Jamie Soward adding the extras on both occasions.

With time running out and the scores locked at 12-all, Soward would kick the second field goal of his career to win the match against the side he would end up joining six years later.

Penrith Panthers 31 defeated St George Illawarra Dragons 30
Qualifying final. Friday, September 10, 2004
Penrith Park

This 61-point finals thriller goes down as one of the most memorable matches between the Dragons and the Panthers, as an inspired St George Illawarra comeback falling agonisingly short.

22,000 spectators filled Penrith Park to watch the drama unfold; the home side having a firm grasp on the match to lead 24-12 at half time.

The Dragons would score 18 points in the final stanza thanks to Nathan Blacklock, Shaun Timmins and Dean Young – the close nature of the match amplified by the perfect goal kicking of Red V halfback Mat Head and Penrith centre Ryan Girdler.

The final moments had fans on the edge of their seats until a field goal from Panthers halfback Craig Gower would sink the Dragons' finals hopes completely.



https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2019/07/18/throwback-thursday-round-18-v-panthers/
 
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