Round 22 vs Sharks

[Dragsters]

The Weekend Hangover: Paul McGregor's surprise take on Wade Graham’s knock on confession

Written By Adam Lucius
@Lush178
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CONTROVERSIAL PLAY NO LET OFF FOR DRAGONS
St George Illawarra coach Paul McGregor praised Wade Graham for being honest about knocking on in the lead-up to the match-winning try in Sunday's local derby - but he wasn't about to let his team off the hook.

McGregor could have gone all nuclear at the decision by the video referee to allow the try after the ball appeared to graze Graham's arm and went forward, but he wanted to know why the Dragons found themselves in that position.

With four minutes left and the score locked at 12-all, the Dragons let a high kick bounce and Sharks centre Bronson Xerri reacted quickest, snatching the ball and racing over after it had passed through Graham's out-stretched arms.

"It comes down to a bounce of a ball - okay, Wade touched it and he's being honest about it, which is good - (but) make it stop," McGregor said.

"That's the most disappointing thing. We've got to improve (those areas) otherwise we won't improve (overall).

"Some of the fundamental errors, there's just no excuse for them.

"Young or old, you've just got to be better than that. It's not good enough."

McGregor had no doubt the video ref got the Xerri decision wrong, but was more philosophical than angry.

"He touched it. You could see the ball change direction," he said.

"It went upstairs, they didn't want to change it.

"It's the story of our season."

Cronulla coach John Morris, not surprisingly, had a different take on it.

He said: "I am in the box thinking it's a try and thankfully the refs thought it was a try on the field."

But asked if he'd have the same view if he was on the losing side, Morris replied: Probably not. Probably not."

Cronulla were dreadful for most of the game but the two points puts them back inside the top eight with three rounds remaining.


https://www.nospam47.com/au/league/...ntroversy-mcgregor/1lihzzs4gg8wf1br5kggxbpope

Sorry Paul. But that's not the story of our season...

 

[BLM01]

Classic Mary Lines
"I think we showed today in patches and over the last three or four weeks that we can beat anyone but we have just got to clean up a few things and quickly," McGregor said.

My take - just a few things and quickly.?..what before our last game round 25..Mary we are up to Round 23. Dont worry 6 month off season should help..although 5.5 years nothing's changed.

"It was the same story against Parramatta, if we had executed better we could have won that game. Against Souths, we lost in the last 15 seconds because we didn’t clean up that kick-off, we won last week [against Gold Coast] and we could have won today."

My take - so many "if's". What about if Parra and Sharks had their game hat on...if only if..it would of been a shallacking.

 

[BLM01]

So widdop makes a break on the 2nd tackle and goes for the miracle kick and gives a 7 tackle set. All he needed to do was take the tackle and set up for field goal. That is widdop all over.

I rate Widdop so highly and in our team but if he has an achilles heel...just like Chambers...he relies on and kicks the ball to no avail too often at the wrong time

 

[West coast dragon]

Vaughan will be out next week with a neck strain. How many times did he look around for someone following and saw nothing.
McIdiot should tell his halves to back up Vaughan.
I think we should have police on standby when we play the roosters. We are going to get murdered.
At lest Ford gets another run and he has potential, I was impressed with the way he plays.
What worries me that last year Lomax only got a start late in the season, sale as Ford.
So our next promotion from the CC should be around the same time.

We won’t need cops we’ll need morticians lol

 

[West coast dragon]

What an awful game of football!
33 errors in total and umpteen stoppages made it an afternoon to forget.
In fact it resembled more like an episode of Mack and Myer for hire it was so farcical.
What can you say about our performance?
Had plenty of chances in their 20 and could only score from a lucky bounce kick through and Leilua flexing his muscles.
Graham's over reaction/dissent and subsequent penalty plus Widdop's last poor kick option just underline the fact that we have trouble icing games.
That has been our modus operandi since Bennett.
I find it odd that McGregor continues to theatrically show anger and disgust in the coach's box every game now and this, well and truly after the horse's bolted.
Inevitably, he is now throwing his own players under the bus as he tries to absolve himself of any meaningful responsibility.
Pointing to "fundamental errors that there is no excuse for" in particular.
In spite of the fact we were very lucky that Cronulla were off their game, there were some positives.
The main one for me is Leilua's continued development as a footballer.
McInnes is a standout and looks a different player when he runs from dummy half.
In fact all our forwards were competitive and brave yesterday against a strong Cronulla pack.
Timm would have been a welcome addition to the pack but that mystery remains unsolved.
Our backline on the other hand, was very poor.
We have no potency in our back three.
Ravalawa is not up to FG - sorry, maybe over time or even try him at centre but on the wing he is a liability in defence.
Lafai had one of the worst games I've seen him play for us.
Apart from the errors he had no impact in attack and was woeful in defence.
Our kicking game is second rate.
At the end of the day, this game is just the same as most others this season.
Rudderless, predictable and devoid of any attacking flair.
The score line at half time flattered us and could easily have been 30 nil.
Fortunately, Cronulla's last passes weren't sticking.
Another addition to the 'L' column with Easts looming large next week.
McGregor still in charge and bunkered down for the long haul.
There is no justice for the long suffering fans of this club.

Did you waste your hard earned and attend or watch it on tv in the sanctity of your own home Dennis?

 

[Dragsters]

I like both my old Fords & Holdens ............. so l like, Foldens.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiT6fbcsI3kAhUbeisKHSJbCyAQjhx6BAgBEAI&url=http://www.auto-power-girl.com/images-info/halfbreed_between_ford_mustang_and_holden_hq_created_in_new_zealand-4332-11996&psig=AOvVaw3bn-IquuMBCkepmSznb6Fj&ust=1566250617822393

A HQ Holden with a Ford Mustang front end.

SACRELIDGE!!!

 

[Dennis Papaioannou]

I rate Widdop so highly and in our team but if he has an achilles heel...just like Chambers...he relies on and kicks the ball to no avail too often at the wrong time

A savvy and experienced coach would've harnessed Widdop's abilities much better than McGregor.
He has always struggled to close games out and yesterday (and that kick option) was just another example.

 

[Jbjbjb40]

https://www.dragons.com.au/news/topic/dragons/
McGregor refuses to blame match officials for controversial loss
Author
Brad Walter NRL.com Senior Reporter
Timestamp
Sun 18 Aug 2019, 08:02 PM

A frustrated Paul McGregor laid the blame for St George Illawarra’s 18-12 defeat by Cronulla with his players and not the match officials after a controversial refereeing decision enabled the Sharks to make a late escape.

Bronson Xerri was awarded a 76th-minute try but Cronulla teammate Wade Graham later admitted it should have been disallowed as he touched the ball before the teenage centre caught it in an offside position.

The decision ended hopes of a Dragons comeback after fighting back from 12-0 down midway through the first half but McGregor said his players were their own worst enemies as they committed 17 errors.

He was disappointed with the kicking games of playmakers Gareth Widdop, Corey Norman and Ben Hunt before the halfback became one of three St George Illawarra players ruled out of the match with concussion in the 44th minute.

"I am obviously frustrated about the result when we could have done a little bit more ourselves to get the win and not rely on a decision from the referee," McGregor said.

"Our commitment and our effort was certainly there but some of the fundamental errors … there is no excuse for it."



Bunker confirms try to Xerri

McGregor said St George Illawarra’s goal-line defence had been very good and noted that two of Cronulla’s tries had come from kicks and the third was scored on the last tackle.

"The last one, it comes to the bounce of a ball and OK, Wade touched it, which is good that he is being honest about it, but make it stop. That is the most obvious thing that has got to improve," McGregor said.

"We had 45% possession, and that’s back on us. The finish to our sets weren’t anywhere near where they need to be with the type of players we had on the field today so that needs to improve as well.

"To be in the fight again until the last four minutes is a credit for how well they are doing things for one another but there are a lot of other things we need to get better."

Hunt and Tyson Frizell are expected to be cleared to play against Sydney Roosters next Saturday night but second-rower Patrick Kaufusi is in doubt after being forced from the field with a concussion before half-time.

The loss of the trio meant McGregor had to use three of his eight interchanges on replacing players who failed HIA tests.



Get Caught Up: Round 22

The controversial defeat leaves the Dragons in 14th position on the Telstra Premiership ladder, despite the team now being close to full strength following the return of captain Gareth Widdop four weeks ago.

"I think we showed today in patches and over the last three or four weeks that we can beat anyone but we have just got to clean up a few things and quickly," McGregor said.

"It was the same story against Parramatta, if we had executed better we could have won that game. Against Souths, we lost in the last 15 seconds because we didn’t clean up that kick-off, we won last week [against Gold Coast] and we could have won today."


https://www.dragons.com.au/news/201...blame-match-officials-for-controversial-loss/

“Just got to clean up a few things and quickly”??????
Around 18 weeks too late Paul

 

[Dennis Papaioannou]

Classic Mary Lines
"I think we showed today in patches and over the last three or four weeks that we can beat anyone but we have just got to clean up a few things and quickly," McGregor said.

My take - just a few things and quickly.?..what before our last game round 25..Mary we are up to Round 23. Dont worry 6 month off season should help..although 5.5 years nothing's changed.

"It was the same story against Parramatta, if we had executed better we could have won that game. Against Souths, we lost in the last 15 seconds because we didn’t clean up that kick-off, we won last week [against Gold Coast] and we could have won today."

My take - so many "if's". What about if Parra and Sharks had their game hat on...if only if..it would of been a shallacking.

Using McGregor's logic, we could have been undefeated this year.
Just desperately unlucky.
Same old tripe as being trotted out by the club spin doctors.
"Success is just around the corner..."

 

[BLM01]

Using McGregor's logic, we could have been undefeated this year.
Just desperately unlucky.
Same old tripe as being trotted out by the club spin doctors.
"Success is just around the corner..."

Yep and "nothing has gone right for us this year"...woe is me
After referring to that Wade Graham touch that could of been ruled no try as typical of our luck for this year

 

[Dennis Papaioannou]

Yep and "nothing has gone right for us this year"...woe is me
After referring to that Wade Graham touch that could of been ruled no try as typical of our luck for this year

Even if they had picked up the touch, it still could have been ruled as a knock back.
Not cut and dry anyway.

 

[muzby]

Even if they had picked up the touch, it still could have been ruled as a knock back.
Not cut and dry anyway.

The ball went past Graham’s arm towards the Dragons goal line.

That’s a knock on.

 

[West coast dragon]

The ball went past Graham’s arm towards the Dragons goal line.

That’s a knock on.

Wrong!it’s a knock on if it goes towards his goal line learn the rules before you debate

 

[jeffdragon]

Interested in Annesleys explanation on the decision.
But can't be bothered to watch his dribble for that long.
Also I would have loved us to bt them no matter how.bad we are going.

 

[Dennis Papaioannou]

The ball went past Graham’s arm towards the Dragons goal line.

That’s a knock on.

Not according to the commentators.
At best, not cut and dry.

 

[muzby]

Wrong!it’s a knock on if it goes towards his goal line learn the rules before you debate

Yeah, you may want to re-think that..

There’s a reason it’s called “defending your line”..

 

[West coast dragon]

Look at it closely as I did and get back to learning comprehension village idiot

 

[muzby]

I’ve no need to put any more case forward on this one..

 

[hazzbeen]

Settle. Boy's we are on the same team here , right ? or is this another St George Vs Illawarra thing.....

 

[muzby]

Settle. Boy's we are are on the same team here , right ? or is this another St George Vs Illawarra thing.....

I’m not sure.. I seem to have picked up a new friend in the last few days..