Round 2 vs Souths

[RedVDave]

At least Blake Lawrie didn't make his usual 3 handling errors as he does every other game. But I guess it's easier to not stuff when you only play about 10 minutes.

 

[KingFlanno7]

Blake Lawrie most pathetic front rower we've had for some time. Calling him a plodder is being too kind. Will not look out of place at Dapto Canaries

Can't argue with that and there is probably some better front rowers playing local A grade in all honesty. Not trying to pile on to Lawrie but he doesn't fit the mold of the modern day player. Too slow and lacking the footwork to do anything other then run in straight lines

 

[thebigredv]

At least Blake Lawrie didn't make his usual 3 handling errors as he does every other game. But I guess it's easier to not stuff when you only play about 10 minutes.

Lawrie won't see first grade again. I do not want to post this in a stick-the-boot-in kind of way. I see why he was picked to start the game by Flanno (bigger body/experience/necessity). Just like when Rava was picked in trials, Blake didn't do a single thing to impress for re-selection. We can rest assured - mark my word - this coach who is hell bent on winning, not just being mates, will not select a player like Lawrie again. He contributed zilch. Not happy we resorted to Klemmer but I also understand and you can bet your bottom dollar he will offer more than Lawrie. Really need Sele back. Like really, really...just to stay somewhat competitive v Storm.

I really hope the Super League are willing to take Blake off our hands.

 

[I'm Hornby]

Glad to see Lawrie in there, let’s see where he’s at, we need middles, and we really need him to lift. I reckon he may go good this year, just a hunch.

Yeah good call there, he was in everything today champ.

 

[Blood Shot Eyes]

One thing I am sick of hearing " we are a work in progress"...FMD we have been that way since 2010..

It's a different game these days....we are too big too cumbersome and too slow......thoroughbreds win most games these days not Clydesdales

 

[This Year?]

This is starting to feel like the Hook era all over again.
Other clubs must just laugh at our roster.

 

[Dragon Slayer]

This is starting to feel like the Hook era all over again.
Other clubs must just laugh at our roster.

Bahahahahahahaha!!!!!

 

[Super Owl]

Nostra

So the team that doesn’t have Lawrie playing for them wins?

Nostradamus!

 

[steerlerbab]

We have 2 weak area in our team:

Halves (K Flanno and Elias is probably the weakest halves pairing in the comp. This won't be fixed until next year, Hopefully the arrival of Atkinson will fix things. Even Flanno knows that. When asked about his son he said he is not a marquee half but he is a competitor)

Middle Forward (Again our starting forwards of Guler/Lawrie for yesterday's game will have hard time to sit in another team's interchange bench. Not sure if the arrival of Klemmer will fix it. Let's hope he gives us one solid year)

With these facts known, I will celebrate any win that we get. If we keep losing, LKT and LPT should get more first grade time.

 

[Phantom V]

I watched the Raiders game as I have always had a soft spot for them. Home game, full house and they played like it was a finals game. They were all over the Broncos and it all came down to attitude. You could smell an upset 5 minutes in.
Our mob of plodders were the exact opposite. We had every reason to win today and we blew it. I can handle a loss if I see that we put in a good effort and were outplayed by a better team but what I’m seeing at the moment is a team of fringe first graders with a bad attitude.
Also a shout out to our coach for selecting Lawrie on a hot day and basically burning an interchange. From all accounts he’s a top bloke but he’s not first grade standard.
Positives : Couchman. Future captain if he stays around long enough.
The best we can hope for again this year is a team that wins 1 and loses 2.

It cheers me up to see the Broncos lose. It depresses me that a team from a big country town like Canberra can have two wins while we have none.

 

[John moz]

Flanno needs to clean out his coaching staff they have had 2 years . Or all can go forget about player signings for 10 years sign Bellamy and son and co from Melbourne.
Come on new Ceo and twiggy make it happen open the cheque book no issues with salary cap .

 

[Illusion]

Simply the Red V don't have the cattle, for any rotation, the only thing Flanno can do flog them every week after every loss until the strong survive and the weak move on.

Maybe that is the problem , they have been flogged too hard they really look very sluggish no off the mark speed anywhere across the park .......

 

[Illusion]

This is starting to feel like the Hook era all over again.
Other clubs must just laugh at our roster.

It's a retirement club where you come get paid for your last year's of playing , and normally you are one of the main signings of the year , on fairly good money , so you don't get dropped ........

 

[Old Timer]

Take away from the game

Positives
T Couchman improving rapidly and hardening into a quality big minute player

T Sloan showed commitment and heart in a much improved outing on the wing

LKT soft hands, subtlety & option selection plus the performances of some of our young forward tyros shows their coach is imparting skills that is improving them before they get to 1st grade hopefully they get a shot.

Negatives
Lawrie selection simply bewildering

Bench utilisation equally bewildering

Critical defensive lapses by senior players as well as continued poor alignment of players in general

Mentally weak

Lack of killer instinct at key moments

Not one attempt to secure the game with a field goal which is a long standing issue plus the usual sub standard kicks in general play.

Our continued belief that we can somehow win by “being in the grind”.

S F barb in the press conference singling out 1 player when many could have been.


Losing yesterday was bitterly disappointing and frankly the loss means the coaching staff, selection panel, senior players especially the co-captains have a lot to answer for.

 

[matPORTS]

If you listen to Flanno in the press conference, you can make no bones about it that the players are on notice... and whoever is in charge of defensive coaching will also be on notice.

The making of Shane Flanagan as our coach will ultimately come down to how much risk he is willing to take RE: promotion of the juniors. Yes, you have to be careful promoting 19 year old forwards into the furnace of the top grade... but:

Lawrie - is finished and will never be any more than a 20-30min per game plodder (which is probably giving more credit than he deserves at this point)

JDB - has had a reasonable start to the season but it's only downside from here, given age and that it's 13 years from his debut

Luc - way too slow on the edge, we need someone there who can break through and accelerate through those holes (did you all see Dylan Egan in NSW Cup yesterday)... I would be moving him permanently into the front row rotation and/or looking at options to replace him (not really a long term answer for us)

Su'a - echoing some of the commentary from the game day thread yesterday... his marker defence has been poor, which has cost us on more than a few occasions over the last few seasons (yesterday and the Eels game back in August being most recent memories)... this is disappointing considering he is probably the best forward on the books (at least at this point)

The Couchmans, Stewart, LPT, Egan, Liu, Halangahu, Tsougranis, Hale Finau, Latu - these guys are the future ... here is an idea:

See you later - Lawrie, JDB, Luc, Su'a, Cook, RFM, Eisenhuth (start the clean out process now - some may still need to hang around and possibly see out time in reserve grade during 2026)

Buy - Lindsay Smith for 2027+... we will need a forward leader from outside the club from a good system to continue the development and mentoring, put the squeeze on and sink the boot into the Panthers salary cap (offer the $1m++ a year, build him a mansion with water views at Kiama, a Jayco camper and a boat)

 

[Illusion]

Take away from the game

Positives
T Couchman improving rapidly and hardening into a quality big minute player

T Sloan showed commitment and heart in a much improved outing on the wing

LKT soft hands, subtlety & option selection plus the performances of some of our young forward tyros shows their coach is imparting skills that is improving them before they get to 1st grade hopefully they get a shot.

Negatives
Lawrie selection simply bewildering

Bench utilisation equally bewildering

Critical defensive lapses by senior players as well as continued poor alignment of players in general

Mentally weak

Lack of killer instinct at key moments

Not one attempt to secure the game with a field goal which is a long standing issue plus the usual sub standard kicks in general play.

Our continued belief that we can somehow win by “being in the grind”.

S F barb in the press conference singling out 1 player when many could have been.


Losing yesterday was bitterly disappointing and frankly the loss means the coaching staff, selection panel, senior players especially the co-captains have a lot to answer for.

Everything you say totally agree , my biggest concern is the line speed , most of the time they are standing waiting for the opposition to come to them ......... As you say enough with this power game , need speed in and out of the ruck area , our 6 and 7 need to take the line on when they see something ........ Anyway 2 games in for me coach has been out coached .........

 

[JohnnoMcJohnno]

My first rant here.
FMD. Armageddon is here. I haven't seen the game today but as I usually monitor the games vie the forum , then watch the replay Most of the time we aren't as bad as described.
Am I pissed at the result? Sure. But guess what our +/- is currently - 9. Previously it would have been much worse. We are scoring plenty of tries but the defence in the middle is struggling as expected. We missed a couple of good signings but I'm in favour of paying what is realistic, not what they demand.
Val is obviously struggling with his kicking but I believe he will come good.
I have been privileged to witness 3 GF wins since following the club in 1971, plus a few Gf losses. On the law of averages I think I have been pretty lucky.
What I am trying to say, give the team your support instead of badmouthing them. At the end of the day it is only a game.

PS. Nobody is going to beat the 11 in a row

I'll have a rant in return.
- Watch the last 20 minutes. It's every bit as bad as described.
- For and against is -9. Great. A good for and against might save us from the spoon.
- You say our defence in the middle is struggling "as expected"? Why in God's name should we expect poor defensive structures, huge gaps in the middle, and a lack of effort? And this from a professional NRL side supposedly with finals aspirations?
- Val's kicking didn't let us down. That's a cop out. Anyone can have a bad day with the boot and three of our tries were in the corners. We should have been able to overcome that.
- Our 11 in a row was 60 years ago. It's ancient history now. If we're going to say after every pathetic loss "yeah but once upon a time we won 11 in a row", then God help us. We should be trying to win again, not fall back on past glories.
- I keep telling myself it's only a game but I continue to take it to heart. I don't know why.

Rant over.

 

[JohnnoMcJohnno]

Maybe that is the problem , they have been flogged too hard they really look very sluggish no off the mark speed anywhere across the park .......

Yeah, they looked very lethargic. I wondered that myself, whether they trained too hard too close to the game. You wouldn't think a professionally run club would do that, but then this is the Dragons . .

 

[Tuddy]

There’s real issues in this team which you've all covered so well and in detail. As others have said changes are needed. We have some good juniors let’s use them, Hamish, Toby and Ryan have proven it works.

Lawrie has had his last chance, the injury he apparently had last year can’t still be the problem.

We should have won that one and more importantly, we needed to win that one. I’m just so disappointed.

 

[Illusion]

Yeah, they looked very lethargic. I wondered that myself, whether they trained too hard too close to the game. You wouldn't think a professionally run club would do that, but then this is the Dragons . .

Did you hear the Presser the way Flanno was responding to the game , something like " you won't want to be the players over the next couple of weeks " Does that mean another flogging ?