Round 2 vs Souths

[SaintPauli]

We won many games last year when Widdop was more-highly involved as a 5/8. Corey Norman tonight did a great pass for a try however when presented in similar opportunities as widdop who capitalized last year, Norman has fallen short.

Widdop chase returns were not energetic as dufty.

We need changes for our next game

 

[Alec’s-saints]

We won many games last year when Widdop was more-highly involved as a 5/8. Corey Norman tonight did a great pass for a try however when presented in similar opportunities as widdop who capitalized last year, Norman has fallen short.

Widdop chase returns were not energetic as dufty.

We need changes for our next game

Won’t happen. 0-3

 

[Life's Good]

Do you think there's a single member of our spine (Widdop, Dufty, Norman, Hunt, McInnes) who is happy with the current makeup, and shifting, of the spine right now?

This is not going to get better, you can't just shift the spine every single match. Players will never feel the position is their own or feel stable

Of course not. No player wants to hear ‘you’re in the side, just not sure where & for how long’.
I think the whole Widdop ESL thing has caught the club out & we panic bought Norman(who, whilst I was intially positive about I’m now starting to question).
It’s been said before but we bought Hunt because we needed ‘a world class half’ and McInnes is an ‘SOO quality hooker’ & we then put them in the hands of a bloke who can’t manage a bench.
Very, very messy.

 

[Saints of George]

Facts are facts. Our Captain has screwed up our season by announcing his early departure in the off season and forcing us to buy a half we didn't want and reshuffle the backline to fit him in.

 

[Alec’s-saints]

Facts are facts. Our Captain has screwed up our season by announcing his early departure in the off season and forcing us to buy a half we didn't want and reshuffle the backline to fit him in.

I agree, Widdops fault pommy cnt

 

[Dea]

The only thing more dissapointing than the second half of tonight’s game will be the team sheet for next week when the guy with the clipboard puts forward the same team.

 

[Saint_JimmyG]

Facts are facts. Our Captain has screwed up our season by announcing his early departure in the off season and forcing us to buy a half we didn't want and reshuffle the backline to fit him in.

I think the JDB situation has pretty much ensured this season will be train wreck.

 

[Old Timer]

I think the JDB situation has pretty much ensured this season will be train wreck.

Should be a good game when we play the pennies
The sledging could be momentous I’d love us to mike up a couple of players.

 

[Saints of George]

I think the JDB situation has pretty much ensured this season will be train wreck.

Yep, agreed. We'd be kidding ourselves if we think that didn't have an effect, but Jack was never our x-factor and lets not forget, he played last season mostly injured.

For me this season has scars of 2008 when I remember a certain captain of ours then who's head had left the club before his body and the club suffered as a result.

It's only round 2 and lets not forget, 2005 we were 1 from 5 and ended the season second. It's a long season ahead.

 

[Saint_JimmyG]

I think we can now ALL agree that Ravalawa is a complete dud and indicative of just how inept Millward is at recruitment/retention.

Also, Norman would have to be wors panic buy in the last 50 years.

Absolutely awful.

With the end of McIdiot nowhere on the horizon, the Dragons are in one hell of a pickle.

Many dark days are ahead, I’m afraid.

 

[Saint_JimmyG]

Yep, agreed. We'd be kidding ourselves if we think that didn't have an effect, but Jack was never our x-factor and lets not forget, he played last season mostly injured.

For me this season has scars of 2008 when I remember a certain captain of ours then who's head had left the club before his body and the club suffered as a result.

It's only round 2 and lets not forget, 2005 we were 1 from 5 and ended the season second. It's a long season ahead.

In 2005, Saints had a coach on the ride and one who is destined for much, bigger things.

Fast forward to 2019, the difference is enormous.

 

[rednwhites]

With the end of McIdiot nowhere on the horizon, the Dragons are in one hell of a pickle.

Many dark days are ahead, I’m afraid.

His record has now dropped below 50% wins and his team is about to go 0-4 whereas he's had us firing in years gone by to start.

I think the microscope is well and truly on him now and I hold hope his days are actually now numbered.

 

[Dennis Papaioannou]

Souths prove too strong for Dragons
Author
Brad Walter NRL.com Senior Reporter
Timestamp
Thu 21 Mar 2019, 10:24 PM

Sam Burgess may have his kicking licence revoked but South Sydney coach Wayne Bennett is likely to give him free rein to do anything else after the English forward sparked a second-half revival to down St George Illawarra at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium.

Burgess scored two tries and laid on another one for five-eighth Cody Walker to lead Souths to a 34-18 win after a lacklustre first half in which the Dragons were the ones with more enthusiasm and energy.

An attempted kick in which he failed to make contact with the ball was Burgess' only notable blemish in a man-of-the-match performance that prompted commentators to declare him the best forward of the last decade.

Burgess' feats were even more important given that captain and right centre Greg Inglis was hampered by a right shoulder injury and the Rabbitohs lost former skipper John Sutton in the first half.


Match: Dragons v Rabbitohs

Round 2 - Thursday 21st March


Full Time

Home Team

Dragons

Scored 18 points

Away Team

Rabbitohs

Scored 34 points
Venue: Netstrata Jubilee Stadium

Match broadcasters:

• Nine Network
• Fox League
• LIVE PASS

The Dragons showed their intent in the opening minutes when Tariq Sims burst through the defence and looked set to score but lost the ball reaching out to plant it on the try line.

Instead it was the Rabbitohs, who went out to an early lead after NSW Origin hooker Damien Cook raced out of dummy half and sent Cameron Murray racing past rookie Dragons lock Blake Lawrie and into open space before dummying his way around fullback Gareth Widdop to score.

However, the Dragons were the more dominant team in the first half leading 12-6 at the break.

Jordan Pereira helped level the scores in the ninth minute after Widdop stepped across the face of the Souths defensive line before finding centre Tim Lafai, who put his winger over with a clever flick pass.

Rabbitohs hooker Damien Cook. Robb Cox/NRL Photos
Widdop converted from the sideline and St George Illawarra continued to mount pressure on the Rabbitohs through the involvement of Widdop as a third playmaker and offloading by their forwards in the middle.

Eventually the weight of possession in good field position paid off when five-eighth Corey Norman threw a 20-metre cut out pass for an unmarked Pereira to grab his second try in the 20th minute.

A penalty against interchange prop Liam Knight for an apparent chicken wing on James Graham enabled Widdop to extend St George Illawarra’s lead to 12-6 in the 28th minute. Perhaps even worse for Souths fans in the 10,080 crowd at that particular point in time was the sight of John Sutton heading for the dressing room.

Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett had used all four of his bench players compared in the first half, to just one by Paul McGregor wan indication of the toll that the expansive Dragons attacking game was taking on their bigger opponents.



Burgess double guides Rabbitohs to victory

If it looked like the break couldn't come quick enough for Souths, the way they started the second half confirmed it as they returned a rejuvenated side and quickly gained the lead and control of the match.

Sam Burgess helped level the scores at 12-12 in the 44th minute when he burst through the defence to score and he then laid on a try for five-eighth Cody Walker four minutes later as the Rabbitohs shifted up a gear.

Pereira had the chance to score a third try in the 52nd minute but he was unable to take a Lafai pass and Souths scored again on the ensuing set of tackles through centre Braidon Burns.

The Rabbitohs continued to target St George Illawarra’s right edge and were again rewarded when winger Campbell Graham scored in the 62nd minute after fullback Alex Johnston swivelled out of the tackle of Fijian rookie Mikaele Ravalawa, although Cook's pass to Walker looked forward.

Burgess sealed the win when he crashed over in the 70th minute to score his second try of the match before Lafai grabbed a consolation try four minutes later for the home side.



https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2019/03/21/souths-too-strong-for-dragons/

P.S 28 - 6 in the 2nd half...well done Coach......

Plenty of commentary already posted about tonight's game.
For me the main points are as follows:
1. Kogarah is no longer a fortress. Souths have a poor record at our spiritual home ground and yet looked like world beaters in the second half.
2. It's not the fact that we lost that is of concern, it is the way we lost.
Second half fell in a heap after being super competitive in the first half.
Conceded 5 tries and looked like a shambles for most of the second half.
Burgess exploited the same side of our defence that Talmaulolo did against the Cowboys.
This is not a one off, it is a malaise that keeps repeating itself.
It's hard to fathom why this problem has not been resolved many times over by now.
3. The spine and bench discussion boils down to a lack of technical knowledge by the coach.
Make up your mind and stick with a structure.
The players seemed unsure of their role in the team. No Cohesion or structure, no on field leader just a shambles in the second half.
Most interchanges were a disaster.
Having Leilua, Latimore and Kerr on the field at the same time killed us.
Neither of the young guys made any sort of impact.
4. Dufty/Widdop - Dufty is ineffectual when he comes off the bench not to mention that he was brought on when the horse had already bolted..
Widdop is positionally sound and still chimed into the back line very well in my opinion but his running game is weak. 16 running metres is pathetic for any FG fullback.
Our spine was totally outclassed and it wasn't because Widdop wasn't playing 5/8.
McInnes was outplayed by Cook (3 try assists), Cody Walker killed us with his speed - outplayed Norman, Reynolds totally outplayed Hunt and Johnson outplayed Widdop.
We had a bit more possession than Souths but it meant little.
Excuses
(a) 5 day turnaround.
(b) Missing 3 key forwards.
(c) Referee didn't treat us well.
(d) Spine experiments are not working and need more time.

Well I say boo hoo - too bad so sad.

I am gutted at the way we threw in the towel in the second half.
If we had gone down fighting and lost 20-16 for example, I would not be upset.
But we got absolutely caned once our heads went down.
Our fans streaming out of the ground with 20 to go.
That difference is all about pride in the jersey.
Widdop yucking it up with Burgess after the game irks me.
Maybe that's unfair but I don't care about Widdop leaving at the end of the year.
As a captain, he is a cardboard cut out IMO.
We need a real captain to lead us.

One last thing.
Opposition coaches are wise to McGregor's game plans.
He functions as if he is following a script that he has come up with the week leading up to the game.
No matter what happens during the game, he religiously implements his game plan and bench interchanges.
For smart coaches its like playing poker with someone while able to see their cards.
They know about the forward power game.
They know what the spine is going to do.
They know how to handle our X factor Dufty.
They know that our right edge is a sieve.
They have us covered.

Bottom line - we are not a well drilled side.
I won't state the obvious after that.

 

[ozbuck]

Facts are facts. Our Captain has screwed up our season by announcing his early departure in the off season and forcing us to buy a half we didn't want and reshuffle the backline to fit him in.

I think the JDB situation has pretty much ensured this season will be train wreck.

Widdop forced us to buy a half we didn't want haha wow such a poor little victim mentality. The dragons CHOSE to buy norman. We didn't have to.

If the boys are that mentally weak that the JDB situation has caused them to feel they have no hope this year than widdop has made the right choice to go to England. Seriously. Every so called bad situation can spur a team on to become stronger and more cohesive.

Ppl, including the team, need to take off the poor me attitude and start seeing how widdop leaving can drive their desire to make the most of his time here this year as best as possible (aka a premiership) and banding together to make that if/when jdb is found not guilty we already are marching strong on the field and he can come back and help take the team to the next level.

That's the attitude of a premiership winning team. Not 'ohhh why abandon us widdop!? Oh why does the jdb fiasco have to happen to us!?'

That is weak. Plenty of dragons fans think that it seems. Hopefully the players don't also think that.

Whatever happens can be used at victimhood or becoming more badass.

 

[Carlton]

We won many games last year when Widdop was more-highly involved as a 5/8. Corey Norman tonight did a great pass for a try however when presented in similar opportunities as widdop who capitalized last year, Norman has fallen short.

Widdop chase returns were not energetic as dufty.


We need changes for our next game

Ho can you say he has not taken opportunities this year Widdop would have, he has played two games. And, he didn't just throw that pass for pereira he also set up Lafai for his try. He also threw another short ball for one of the forwards on the edge and nearly had the through. In fact it looked like Norman decided to start playing what was in front of him late in the game instead of just following the script.

 

[possm]

One Adam Reynolds > Hunt, Norman, Widdop combined.

We just hit a brick wall as soon as we collected the ball from the 2nd half kick off and he just took command over us again.

3 losses to Souths in 5 last games we have played including trials, and we are getting further and further away. Thank you coach.

Bennett > Marry.
Leilua not a right edge forward.
At this stage of the season, I'd say Robson in for Leilua.

There is an unhealthy culture in our Club where players and coaching staff are not held to account when it comes to poor performances. No excuses we were out coached and outplayed by a better prepared team on the day.

 

[Objective View]

I think the microscope is well and truly on him now and I hold hope his days are actually now numbered.

Mate, the microscope won't shift because of two losses. He's managed end off year slumps year on year without any repercussions.

JDB is a ready made excuse. As is the Widdop disruption. The board back him. Like politics, factional leaders don't care about the greater good, only themselves.

Straight Shooter

 

[Carlton]

Bennett > Marry.
Leilua not a right edge forward.
At this stage of the season, I'd say Robson in for Leilua.

There is an unhealthy culture in our Club where players and coaching staff are not held to account when it comes to poor performances. No excuses we were out coached and outplayed by a better prepared team on the day.

Leilua's defence was one of the factors in maybe four of the souths tries. It was no coincidence that the souths revival was while Leilua was on the field.

 

[j0nesy]

Leilua's defence was one of the factors in maybe four of the souths tries. It was no coincidence that the souths revival was while Leilua was on the field.

His defence cost us in the semi last year against Souths.

 

[possm]

Leilua's defence was one of the factors in maybe four of the souths tries. It was no coincidence that the souths revival was while Leilua was on the field.

If I was coach, I would have already known that Leilua is not suited to the right edge and that Leilua is not fit enough to play first grade.

So why wasn't Lawrie, Host and Sims kept on for 80minutes, surely the result could not have been worse?

I'd say our two biggest and most urgent problems are:
Mary does not have a clue how to coach.
Millward always goes for the easy deals rather then sign key player we need. For example, Norman and Johnson were on the market at the time Widdop announced he was moving on. We went of Hayne and pulled out of that deal for good reason and then went for Norman rather than go for Johnson. We also went for two untried wingers instead of going for Johnston and G Jennings. We still have not bought a replacement for JDB.

Mary stubbornly stick with Aitken when it has been clear for a few seasons now that he is our weak link in defence on the right edge. Host made a big difference in the first half but an unfit Leilua showed just how out of touch Mary is. Although everyone can see the problem really revolves around Mary, there is absolutely no accountability for Mary's poor performance.