Round 2 v Panthers

[Dragon David]

4 wins from our last 20 games.

2 of those against the Titans.

Extremely poor stat and the guys in our team know it. When a lot younger, I played competition sport and in team events you generally have weaker players. Not everyone in the team can excel. I managed to win all of the games I played because I lifted for the team and as a result our grade won the final. This keeps the weaker players interested and always managed to have plenty of laughs, fun and attitude was good all round.

The Dragons players, knowing that they have won only a handful of games in their last 20, psychologically are behind the eight ball let alone the footballs and the weaker players in a team that, really to my mind are not that elite, are feeling the pressures of playing first grade rugby league and this has a bearing on their confidence and attitude.

There are players in the team that are trying their hardest but fail to end up winning - disheartening to say the least - and the longer it goes like this the harder it will be to win. The better players need to lift, the coaching staff need to reinforce to the players that they have confidence in them and ensure attitudes are good all round just like in my team.

Cheers

 

[Old Timer]

He was good at times but he missed an important tackle and made a poor goal line read early on in defence, which led to a try. Still I like him.

TF needs to do it against a few of the better and harder sides for me to be convinced.
I thought he was very good last night but IMO the Panthers aren't that good a team to draw meaningful comparisons against.
Some real tough nuts coming up so we will all know soon enough and I wish him well.

 

[Crush]

Come on Crush watch the replay and have a good look at the areas where Dufty and Lomax are involved.
Panthers worked out and very quickly employed a kicking game that brings Dufty 20 meters forward and he let some bombs bounce and failed to contest others rather allowing / forcing his team mates to run backwards trying to take bombs over their shoulders. Far easier for the man coming forward but Dufty refuses to do that on many occasions.
The intercept try just showed how he failed to line up on the player that was to receive the inside pass. In fact I would have been happier to see the Penrith pass stick and Dufty make the critical tackle rather than him get the 1:100 intercept and score. Yes only he could have scored it but it was the wrong play under the circumstances.
The second try I firmly believe just about anybody could have scored and Lomax has superior body strength and could have twisted in the tackle just as easily.
The 1st Penrith try was just shit house defence by Dufty and Graham (swallowing a dummy that close to your line is just crap) and if it was Lomax there IMO it would have been defended.
So have a look at the replay and go to slow motion on some of the plays and you will quickly see how many mistakes Dufty made and how many mistakes he created for his fellow players by his bad positioning, lack of competing, inability to read the flow of the game.

Try 1- Dufty saw an opportunity and backed himself. He used his vision and like a thief in the night he intercepted the pass and was gone. That try BTW also stole the momentum from penrith and gave it to the Dragons.
Try 2 - Again Dufty saw an opportunity and backed himself. Lomax may have the upperbody strength but does he have the balls?
Dufty still makes some poor reads in defense and needs to work on this but I feel anyone comparing Dufty and Lomax that has Lomax coming out on top just had an agenda.
Lomax has been disappointing.
It seems to me that he is a specialist centre and that is where he should be played. Not on the wing, not at fullback.
He doesn't offer anything in broken play. He has poor hands. He lacks speed.
His strength is his right foot step, his draw and pass, his upper body strength. Sounds like a centre to me.

 

[qld redvee]

I can’t see how we keep both Canberra and Parramatta from scoring less than 40 points each. Both the Tigers and Panthers rumbled up the middle with ease all game and Canberra and Parra will destroy us out wide if they are switched on

REdV13
If teams score that many against us then supercoach just blames Flanno and dean young as they are the "D" coaches ...
ready made excuse to deflect the obvious

 

[Gareth67]

Better showing but still unable to come home with the bacon .

I am sure that Mary will have his team more finely tuned and ready to cope when we play the big guns of the competition . . .

 

[Old Timer]

So if it is 4 from 20 that is 20% win ratio
If you take out the cellar dweller wins against Titans & Dogs that is 5% win ratio against sides above us
How does Mc Fookknuckle get to even front a press conference let alone not get asked about such commanding facts re his coaching ability.
How sad that our players who are the real scapegoats in all of this just can’t find it in themselves to turn on him as he turns on them.
The players have been stripped bear of ability and are totally numb to the punishment that is dealt out to them by our club as we’ll as the opposition teams.
We are completely comatose.

 

[True_Believer]

Try 1- Dufty saw an opportunity and backed himself. He used his vision and like a thief in the night he intercepted the pass and was gone. That try BTW also stole the momentum from penrith and gave it to the Dragons.
Try 2 - Again Dufty saw an opportunity and backed himself. Lomax may have the upperbody strength but does he have the balls?
Dufty still makes some poor reads in defense and needs to work on this but I feel anyone comparing Dufty and Lomax that has Lomax coming out on top just had an agenda.
Lomax has been disappointing.
It seems to me that he is a specialist centre and that is where he should be played. Not on the wing, not at fullback.
He doesn't offer anything in broken play. He has poor hands. He lacks speed.
His strength is his right foot step, his draw and pass, his upper body strength. Sounds like a centre to me.

If anything, I'd say they are level. There's pro's and cons for both.

But I agree, I think Lomax is a centre - although I think his right foot step needs work too - it's so telegraphed that I haven't seen it fool anybody since his first couple of games. But he does need practice under the high ball - dropped another last night.

 

[Willow]

Better showing but still unable to come home with the bacon .

I am sure that Mary will have his team more finely tuned and ready to cope when we play the big guns of the competition . . .

No sweat. All McGregor has to do is convince the NRL to blow full time at 60 minutes and make the playing field 5 metres shorter.

 

[Dragsters]

If anything, I'd say they are level. There's pro's and cons for both.

But I agree, I think Lomax is a centre - although I think his right foot step needs work too - it's so telegraphed that I haven't seen it fool anybody since his first couple of games. But he does need practice under the high ball - dropped another last night.

Lomax is the best right centre we have, no question.

As for fullback, he and Dufty may have different strengths and weaknesses, but the major factor to consider is that Dufty has had 50-odd games to work on them and Lomax has had just one.

While I would prefer fo see Lomax at right centre, I'm not ever really confident of victory when Dufty is at fullback.

Dufty's pace is an asset, but his reluctance to run the ball back strongly and defensive frailty are still a concern for me...

 

[BLM01]

So if it is 4 from 20 that is 20% win ratio
If you take out the cellar dweller wins against Titans & Dogs that is 5% win ratio against sides above us
How does Mc Fookknuckle get to even front a press conference let alone not get asked about such commanding facts re his coaching ability.
How sad that our players who are the real scapegoats in all of this just can’t find it in themselves to turn on him as he turns on them.
The players have been stripped bear of ability and are totally numb to the punishment that is dealt out to them by our club as we’ll as the opposition teams.
We are completely comatose.

I'll go one step further 16 out of his last 43
Theres a stat for the journos

 

[getsmarty]

Try 1- Dufty saw an opportunity and backed himself. He used his vision and like a thief in the night he intercepted the pass and was gone. That try BTW also stole the momentum from penrith and gave it to the Dragons.
Try 2 - Again Dufty saw an opportunity and backed himself. Lomax may have the upperbody strength but does he have the balls?
Dufty still makes some poor reads in defense and needs to work on this but I feel anyone comparing Dufty and Lomax that has Lomax coming out on top just had an agenda.
Lomax has been disappointing.
It seems to me that he is a specialist centre and that is where he should be played. Not on the wing, not at fullback.
He doesn't offer anything in broken play. He has poor hands. He lacks speed.
His strength is his right foot step, his draw and pass, his upper body strength. Sounds like a centre to me.

With all due respect, the coach played lomax in 5 different positions last Year. All off season he says Lomax will be the fullback...He drops him after 1 game to the wing....

Poor kid looks like he has lost all confidence and can you blame him ?

He is a totally different player to dufty....personally I'd be playing Lomax @ right centre and dufty/Sailor or eventually Ramsey at Fullback....

McGregor has ruined many a young players confidence while sticking with plodders for year after year when they should have never been given that many opportunities.

The Sooner McGregor is gone the better. Then evaluate a player under a proper coach who
a/. plays them in their correct position
b/ gives them time to grow...don't drop them after 1 game....

 

[Saint_JimmyG]

Yeah you are right. Lomax had a better game last week. They both made the same amount of mistakes but Lomax played in the rain. Lomax nearly setup a try off a nice grubber and setup several against Newy in the trials. He has good vision, good defence and good positional play. If he works on his kicking finesse and ball catching he will be very solid. The difference between the Dragons and the Tigers/Panthers was Benji/Cleary. We don’t have a half that can close out a game.

I’d counter argue the difference between Saints and the opposition over the past fortnight has actually been a lack of defence.

Conceding 60 points is abominable.

It clearly shows a distinct lack of attitude which has been a hallmark of McGregor coached sides since 2014. God only knows why he has been given almost three years more opportunity than Steve Price.

 

[True_Believer]

Lomax is the best right centre we have, no question.

As for fullback, he and Dufty may have different strengths and weaknesses, but the major factor to consider is that Dufty has had 50-odd games to work on them and Lomax has had just one.

While I would prefer fo see Lomax at right centre, I'm not ever really confident of victory when Dufty is at fullback.

Dufty's pace is an asset, but his reluctance to run the ball back strongly and defensive frailty are still a concern for me...

I'm in no way suggesting Dufty is the answer. I'm just saying I don't think Lomax is either. At the moment, if either of them are in the position, I'm not confident of victory.

The other factor with Dufty last night to consider is that he's returning from a fractured cheek bone. I thought he returned the ball much stronger in the trials until he got hit. I'd suggest he could be a little less confident of hitting the line hard after coming back from that injury.

 

[Crush]

With all due respect, the coach played lomax in 5 different positions last Year. All off season he says Lomax will be the fullback...He drops him after 1 game to the wing....

Poor kid looks like he has lost all confidence and can you blame him ?

He is a totally different player to dufty....personally I'd be playing Lomax @ right centre and dufty/Sailor or eventually Ramsey at Fullback....

McGregor has ruined many a young players confidence while sticking with guys like aitken for year after year when they should have never been given that many opportunities.

The Sooner McGregor is gone the better. Then evaluate a player under a proper coach who
a/. plays them in their correct position
b/ gives them time to grow...don't drop them after 1 game....

Yes I agree with all of that.
I have said previously that I don't agree with him getting dropped after 1 game at fullback.
But I have now seen him in 19 NRL appearances and nothing is telling me he is an elite player.
He looks like a steady player with good football smarts. He'd be a solid long term centre that wouldn't let down his winger.

 

[getsmarty]

Yes I agree with all of that.
I have said previously that I don't agree with him getting dropped after 1 game at fullback.
But I have now seen him in 19 NRL appearances and nothing is telling me he is an elite player.
He looks like a steady player with good football smarts. He'd be a solid long term centre that wouldn't let down his winger.

With all due respect, those 19 NRL appearances have been in 5 different positions.!!!!!

Talk about messing up a young kids game. Lomax should have been picked at right centre and left there.

My point being, its impossible to know how good he can be thanks to mcGregor.

McGregor is ruining his confidence. Lomax's last ditch efforts in defense...turtleing players when over the try line have been excellent. in round 1 & 2. I'm no body language expert, but he looks tentative and that is because he is playing afraid to make mistakes, knowing Mcgregor will drop him.

If guys like Coyne/fittler/Johns etc have wraps on him, then that's good enough for me.

 

[Saint_JimmyG]

Tyson is good when he plays for Dragons.
He is only great when he plays for NSW.
Imagine how good he will go at the Roosters.

Considering his choices are McGregor or a club which won’t be semi final bound for some time, you can understand why Tyson is biding his time.

Personally, I think he’s had a gut full and is Newcastle bound.

 

[True_Believer]

With all due respect, those 19 NRL appearances have been in 5 different positions.!!!!!

Talk about messing up a young kids game. Lomax should have been picked at right centre and left there.

My point being, its impossible to know how good he can be thanks to mcGregor.

McGregor is ruining his confidence. Lomax's last ditch efforts in defense...turtleing players when over the try line have been excellent. in round 1 & 2. I'm no body language expert, but he looks tentative and that is because he is playing afraid to make mistakes, knowing Mcgregor will drop him.

If guys like Coyne/fittler/Johns etc have wraps on him, then that's good enough for me.

Some of the commentators over the last couple of weeks have also suggested he should be playing centre and not fullback. Actually, I've not heard one say they think he would make a good fullback.

 

[getsmarty]

Some of the commentators over the last couple of weeks have also suggested he should be playing centre and not fullback. Actually, I've not heard one say they think he would make a good fullback.

Correct....it's obvious to all and sundry....

 

[Crush]

With all due respect, those 19 NRL appearances have been in 5 different positions.!!!!!

Talk about messing up a young kids game. Lomax should have been picked at right centre and left there.

My point being, its impossible to know how good he can be thanks to mcGregor.

McGregor is ruining his confidence. Lomax's last ditch efforts in defense...turtleing players when over the try line have been excellent. in round 1 & 2. I'm no body language expert, but he looks tentative and that is because he is playing afraid to make mistakes, knowing Mcgregor will drop him.

If guys like Coyne/fittler/Johns etc have wraps on him, then that's good enough for me.

Yes his last ditch efforts are good hence the solid tag.
When he does something brilliant in attack I'll get excited.
We will find out, he's signed for 6 years so he'll be playing under a new coach at some stage.

 

[getsmarty]

Yes his last ditch efforts are good hence the solid tag.
When he does something brilliant in attack I'll get excited.
We will find out, he's signed for 6 years so he'll be playing under a new coach at some stage.

You didn't like the kick in the broncos semi for dufty ( if I remember correctly ).

We need to be patient....