Round 25 V Knights

[Warabrook saint]

He WILL be our new Ricky Walford!!

get him in there.....sooner rather than later

well have to get rid of Froghead to do it but hes a gun laser whizzkid trust me

Froghead.....

 

[Old Timer]

Again missing the point. I dont accept fatigue as a reason as I blame the coaching staff for the teams and our forward packs demise in the back half, not the individuals, who as individuals most are still trying their guts out. The team as a whole are in freefall and thats the coach.
A good coach will make that forward pack hum all year (and yeh maybe start a fraction slower) but all I am saying is on paper at full strength we have one of the best packs in the comp..playing to their potential. We are in the Top 3 starting packs as individuals on paper. No's 8-13. The only one that would be ahead would be Souths, maybe Roosters & Melb name for name on par.

IMO I’m not missing the point but being very truthful and objective
JDB started to improve and has gone back to his old ways. Loitering around the halves, flat footed and very slow to come back on side and rarely hits the line flat out.
Frizz is truly one dimensional and his greatest value is when others are dominating and that not happening
Sims has been our best but only dominant in patches and doesn’t sustain the effort
Vaughan was better last year than this year
Graham nice bloke and passionate but little or no impact in the things that matter
Mc Innes honest player with very few smarts
Luciano getting better but a long way to go and hardly fearsome.
Latimore well enough said.
I look at other teams that have players that take the ball and smash the line time after time and just push other forwards out of their road and TBH we have little if none of that and our forwards even early in the game are driven backwards.
We don’t have any tear away and truly intimidating forwards.
Are their individual moments that occur sure but are they the entire pack for prolonged periods certainly not
Re our early season form our domination was leg drive and the play the ball speed that gave our halves untold time and room.
We now make little forward yardage and our halves are cramped.
Lots of other forwards that perform at a higher level than some of ours.

 

[St Georgio]

They can call it what ever they want session , They are gone ......

Surely they can turn it around and go all the way. Everyone talks about being busted, mentally fatigued, from what of seen they've been on holidays for the last 7 weeks.
I do remember back in 99 they smashed the Storm out of the park, the Storm did recover, made the GF and went on to win it in very controversial circumstances!

 

[Warabrook saint]

Go Zac !

Sounds like the name of depression meds I had many years ago during my divorce, hope he does as well for my current Dragons depression.

Go Zac.

We all need em now

 

[Warabrook saint]

Surely they can turn it around and go all the way. Everyone talks about being busted, mentally fatigued, from what of seen they've been on holidays for the last 7 weeks.
I do remember back in 99 they smashed the Storm out of the park, the Storm did recover, made the GF and went on to win it in very controversial circumstances!

In 99 we had David Waite......who had intelligence

 

[BLM01]

IMO I’m not missing the point but being very truthful and objective
JDB started to improve and has gone back to his old ways. Loitering around the halves, flat footed and very slow to come back on side and rarely hits the line flat out.
Frizz is truly one dimensional and his greatest value is when others are dominating and that not happening
Sims has been our best but only dominant in patches and doesn’t sustain the effort
Vaughan was better last year than this year
Graham nice bloke and passionate but little or no impact in the things that matter
Mc Innes honest player with very few smarts
Luciano getting better but a long way to go and hardly fearsome.
Latimore well enough said.
I look at other teams that have players that take the ball and smash the line time after time and just push other forwards out of their road and TBH we have little if none of that and our forwards even early in the game are driven backwards.
We don’t have any tear away and truly intimidating forwards.
Are their individual moments that occur sure but are they the entire pack for prolonged periods certainly not
Re ourcearly season form our domination was keg drive and okay the ball speed that gave our halves untold time and room.
We now make little forward yardage and our halves are cramped.
Lots of other forwards that perform at a higher level than some of ours.

You are being truthful and objective about the now and whilst I agree with you re the teams form now, they were the form pack in the first 1/3rd of the season and lauded as one of the best. So as a pack No's 8-13 (not bench) why have they dropped off and those negatives you have found re individuals which every player has in their game are showing more or have not been addressed. Coaching thats why.
JDB is one of the best defenders in the game. NSW player It is not his fault he may be playing injured (getting picked) and is told to be a bit of a ball distributor and not run the ball more.
Frizz one of the most damaging runners in the game. AUST player One dimensional?..over to you coaching staff to utilise him better.
Sims is good in defense and running lines..NSW player.
Vaughan NSW player say no more.
Mcinnes make too many tackles, plays too many minutes in a season and I am told reliably one of the quickest over the 1st 10-20 metres..CUSP of origin (Coach can address and utilise his strengths better)
Graham..still one of the last man chasing when a break gets made. Yeh he has lost his punch in hit ups but his efforts and work off the ball are invaluable.
Not a bad 8-13 that as I keep saying would be wanted in most teams. They just need good coaching or management...for whatever reason you can come up with...the coaches are the reason they have slumped, not players forgetting on how to play is my point.
If I was coaching I would ask for more 2nd phase breaking the line first, forwards supporting other ball carriers for that offload. Mary does none of this
I would not swap our pack for any others with except maybe Souths. Over to you Mary to get the best out of them. We have a forward pack that can win us a comp. Just gotta get the rest right. If you cant, let someone come in who can.
What I do agree on is we need more depth of power runners that can play for about 15-20 minutes tops before fatiguing each half..like a Junior Paulo, but as bench or reserve depth. Luc should stay in the 13. Graham start on the bench.

 

[hazzbeen]

Surely they can turn it around and go all the way. Everyone talks about being busted, mentally fatigued, from what of seen they've been on holidays for the last 7 weeks.
I do remember back in 99 they smashed the Storm out of the park, the Storm did recover, made the GF and went on to win it in very controversial circumstances!

Would love to see us get there , but to be honest the body language from players of late don't suggest to me they can . Georgio don't forget its a Mary coached team it will have to be an effort of players wanting to not from coaching . Let's put this way , forget where we stand at the moment on the ladder , We at this stage are the worst team in the Comp and would not back us to beat any team in the bottom 8 . Anyway I hope for something to come good .....

 

[BLM01]

DRAGONS


Under siege Dragons hope honesty session can revive season
Author
Brad Walter Senior Reporter
Timestamp
Tue 28 Aug 2018, 06:43 PM

St George Illawarra players were asked at an honesty session after last Sunday’s 38-0 capitulation to Canterbury to put themselves in Jason Nightingale’s shoes and consider whether they’d be satisfied if that was their final game.

As expected, the answer was a resounding “no”, following a performance described as the worst by any NRL team this season and one which cost the Dragons a top-four finish.

As they returned to training on Tuesday, the players were still stinging from the defeat and felt they had let down Nightingale, who was making his farewell at Kogarah and will not play again unless the Dragons advance deep into the finals.

“We’ve had a few honest conversations already so it is how we respond,” second-rower Tariq Sims said.

The NSW Origin forward said the theme of the discussion had been: “Was that your best effort?”

“Gypsy [Nightingale], that was his last game playing there in a regular round, Jubilee [Oval] is part of the furniture and with Lance [Thompson’s] passing, if that was the last game you ever played would you be happy with that,” Sims said.

“Across the board, it was pretty much ‘no’, so we have got a lot of areas that we need to address.”

Dragons remain stoic despite upset fans

Nightingale will continue training in the hope that his career is not over after being told he would be sidelined for two-to-four weeks with a dislocated elbow.

Centre Euan Aitken hopes to return for the finals after suffering a low-grade hamstring tear against the Bulldogs, while captain Gareth Widdop is also due back from a dislocated shoulder in the play-offs.

The Dragons remain confident they can still be a force in the finals and believe they need to revert to the playing style which saw them lead the Telstra Premiership for the first 16 rounds of the season.

Discipline has become a problem for the team and they were forced to make a mammoth 449 tackles last Sunday, compared to 314 by Canterbury.

“I think we clocked in another record for the most tackles on the weekend so for us to get that is obviously disappointing, but the penalties we are giving away are just childish, schoolboy penalties,” Sims said.

Lock Jack de Belin added: "When you never have any ball and all you are doing is tackling it is pretty hard to find the energy to run hard. When we finally do get it we are gassed and fatigued and can't get a roll on".

He also revealed the Dragons had changed their game plan and defensive structure.

Dragons winger Jason Nightingale farewells the Kogarah faithful. Nathan Hopkins/NRL Photos
“I think we are just playing edge to edge football, whereas we need to go back to playing power,” Sims said. “Our strength is our forward pack. That’s what got us the wins earlier in the season.”

De Belin said some players were trying to do too much on their own and admitted his form had been down since Origin after losing 5kg and suffering a sternum injury.

“I haven’t been playing my best footy, and the rest of the team would have to put their hand up to say the same thing,” de Belin said.

However, the Blues stars insisted they had not felt the need for a rest after Origin and told coach Paul McGregor they wanted to continue playing for their club.

• Knights v Dragons: Round 25 preview

“As players. we took it out of ‘Mary’s’ hands and said we wanted to play. I think to a person we just haven’t played up to our standards as representative players.”

De Belin and Sims defended McGregor and halfback Ben Hunt, who have borne the brunt of most criticism for their team’s poor performances since Origin.

“I feel he has done a great job for us and he is in the same boat as me and half the side, we aren’t playing our best and I suppose it is hard when you are the halfback and the focal point of the side and you are obviously not performing, then you cop a lot of criticism,” de Belin said of Hunt.

Sims, who has been defending next to Hunt on the right edge since NSW prop Paul Vaughan was injured four weeks ago, added: “As a back-rower I didn’t do my job on the weekend so to be honest I am pretty dirty on myself."

He also rejected criticism of McGregor.

“He’s one of those coaches who as a player makes you want to play for him,” Sims said. “I’ve got a lot of respect for Mary, he was pretty much the reason I came here. To play for a coach such as Mary was too good to knock back.”


https://www.dragons.com.au/news/201...agons-hope-honesty-session-can-revive-season/

How many honesty sessions have we had since Round 12 when we lost to Penrith. Nearly 1 a week. Obviously they are not being as honest about things as they should be.
They had a big one apparently before the Parra game at Terrigal and another one after that. Lip service.

 

[ALSGI]

Joey Johns reckons Ponga’s playing this weekend. Reckons Dragons wont win again this year, straight out 1st week of finals.

Can’t argue with that we look f**kced.

 

[hazzbeen]

Joey Johns reckons Ponga’s playing this weekend. Reckons Dragons wont win again this year, straight out 1st week of finals.

Can’t argue with that we look f**kced.

Completely .....

 

[getsmarty]

TEAM LISTS


Behind enemy lines: Round 25
Author
Dragons.com.au dragons.com.au
Timestamp
Wed 29 Aug 2018, 12:15 PM

Nathan Brown has named his Newcastle Knights side to face St George Illawarra Dragons this Saturday at McDonald Jones Stadium, including 20-year-old hooker Tom Starling who is set to make his NRL debut (pending NRL approval).

Changes include Jamie Buhrer named to start in his regular position of backrow and Jack Cogger returns to the halves. Kalyn Ponga has been left out of the squad with Brown opting to rest the fullback-five-eighth due to an ongoing ankle issue.

Retirees Chris Heighington and Jacob Lillyman have been named on the bench in what will be the final NRL game of their careers.



Team Lists
Backs

• Fullback for Knights is number 1 Nick Meaney
  1
  
  Fullback for Dragons is number 1 Matthew Dufty
• Winger for Knights is number 2 Ken Sio
  2
  
  Winger for Dragons is number 2 Nene Macdonald
• Centre for Knights is number 3 Sione Mata'utia
  3
  
  Centre for Dragons is number 3 Zac Lomax
• Centre for Knights is number 4 Cory Denniss
  4
  
  Centre for Dragons is number 4 Timoteo Lafai
• Winger for Knights is number 5 Shaun Kenny-Dowall
  5
  
  Winger for Dragons is number 5 Jordan Pereira
• Five-Eighth for Knights is number 6 Jack Cogger
  6
  
  Five-Eighth for Dragons is number 6 Kurt Mann
• Halfback for Knights is number 7 Mitchell Pearce
  7
  
  Halfback for Dragons is number 7 Ben Hunt

Forwards

• Prop for Knights is number 8 Herman Ese'ese
  8
  
  Prop for Dragons is number 8 James Graham
• Hooker for Knights is number 9 Danny Levi
  9
  
  Hooker for Dragons is number 9 Cameron McInnes
• Prop for Knights is number 10 Daniel Saifiti
  10
  
  Prop for Dragons is number 10 Leeson Ah Mau
• 2nd Row for Knights is number 11 Jamie Buhrer
  11
  
  2nd Row for Dragons is number 11 Tyson Frizell
• 2nd Row for Knights is number 12 Aidan Guerra
  12
  
  2nd Row for Dragons is number 12 Tariq Sims
• Lock for Knights is number 13 Mitchell Barnett
  13
  
  Lock for Dragons is number 13 Jack de Belin

Interchange

• Interchange for Knights is number 14 Tom Starling
  14
  
  Interchange for Dragons is number 14 Jeremy Latimore
• Interchange for Knights is number 15 Chris Heighington
  15
  
  Interchange for Dragons is number 15 Jai Field
• Interchange for Knights is number 16 Jacob Lillyman
  16
  
  Interchange for Dragons is number 16 Blake Lawrie
• Interchange for Knights is number 17 Josh King
  17
  
  Interchange for Dragons is number 17 Luciano Leilua

Reserves

• Reserve for Knights is number 18 JJ Felise
  18
  
  Reserve for Dragons is number 18 Reece Robson
• Reserve for Knights is number 19 Pasami Saulo
  19
  
  Reserve for Dragons is number 19 Patrick Herbert
• Reserve for Knights is number 20 Brock Lamb
  20
  
  Reserve for Dragons is number 20 Hame Sele
• Reserve for Knights is number 21 Luke Yates
  21
  
  Reserve for Dragons is number 21 Jacob Host

Knights Ins

• Brock Lamb
• Jack Cogger
• Jacob Lillyman
• JJ Felise
• Pasami Saulo
• Tom Starling

Ins
Dragons Ins

• Blake Lawrie
• Hame Sele
• Jai Field
• Patrick Herbert
• Reece Robson
• Zac Lomax

Knights Outs

• Connor Watson
• Lachlan Fitzgibbon

Outs
Dragons Ins

• Euan Aitken
• Jason Nightingale

https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2018/08/29/behind-enemy-lines-round-25/

 

[getsmarty]

GAME DAY


Game day information: Round 25
Author
Dragons.com.au dragons.com.au
Timestamp
Wed 29 Aug 2018, 11:22 AM

The St George Illawarra Dragons will face the Newcastle Knights at McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle on Saturday, September 1.

Gates Open: 1:30pm
NRL: 3pm

TICKETS

Tickets are available to purchase via www.ticketmaster.com.au or by phoning 136 100 or at the Ticketmaster box office at McDonald Jones Stadium (located at the Western grandstand ticket box).

RED V MEMBERSHIP

Member access

Dragons faithful members who have purchased the Newcastle location-specific membership are the only Red V Members who have access to this game.

Red V Members can access a 10 per cent discount on pre-purchased tickets in the away bay. Please check inside your Red V emails for code to access the discount.

Click here to buy tickets

MERCHANDISE

Dragons merchandise will not be attending this game.

GETTING TO THE GAME

Driving

Parking on game days is available only for vehicles with a pre-paid parking ticket. Pre-paid parking tickets cost $10 + transaction fee from Ticketmaster on 136 100, online or by visiting Ticketmaster box office at McDonald Jones Stadium

Disabled parking areas have been designated in close proximity to each of McDonald Jones Stadiums accessible entries.

To purchase mobility parking, please phone Ticketmaster on 136 100 or visit the Ticketmaster box office at McDonald Jones Stadium.

Bus Numbers

Down Turton Road: 231, 111
Down Lambton Road: 363, 230, 222, 317

For more information on bus travel, including timetables, please visit Newcastle Buses.

Train

The nearest train station to McDonald Jones Stadium is Broadmeadow Station – approximately 10 minutes' walk. Regular trains are available from Sydney and stop at stations including Central, Strathfield, Hornsby, Gosford, Wyong, Morisset and Cardiff on route to Broadmeadow.

For a full list of stations and timetables visit CityRail.


https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2018/08/29/game-day-information-round-25/

 

[getsmarty]

DRAGONS


I love the passion the Dragons fans have: Tariq Sims
Author
Brad Walter Senior Reporter
Timestamp
Wed 29 Aug 2018, 08:01 AM

Dragons players have urged disgruntled supporters to get behind them as they aim to become the first team to win the NRL premiership from outside the top four.

Angry St George Illawarra supporters gathered around the tunnel at Jubilee Oval after last Sunday’s 38-0 loss to Canterbury to let the players know in no uncertain terms how they felt, and one fan later posted footage of him burning his jersey on social media.

Prop James Graham had a Dragons scarf thrown at him and other players needed to be dissuaded from responding to the abuse, which was so vitriolic at times that police felt the need to intervene.

While Tariq Sims and Jack de Belin said throwing things at players was unacceptable, they admitted the fans had a right to be unhappy with such a performance on the eve of the finals.

“We are in the top eight but to be honest I can see where they are coming from,” Sims said. “Memberships and tickets aren’t cheap so to hand over their hard-earned cash and be let down like that, I would be pretty filthy myself.”

Dragons remain stoic despite upset fans

De Belin described the performance as “embarrassing” and said St George Illawarra fans deserved better.

“It was hard but at the same time they are very passionate, the Dragons fans, so when you are winning they are right behind you and when you are losing they can kind of turn on you,” de Belin said.

“We hold ourselves accountable, we know it wasn’t good enough and the fans were quick to remind us that it wasn’t good enough as well.”

Sims also praised the passion of St George Illawarra fans and said their support could lift the team during the finals.

“I love the passion that St George Illawarra fans have, they turn out in droves and they travel and they pack out the hill, and carry their banners and that is just something that as a player really inspires me,” he said.

Dragons fans vented their anger after the loss to the Bulldogs. Nathan Hopkins/NRL Photos
“As a player, with fans so passionate that they’re screaming, they’re cheering and they’re crying, I think something about that really inspires me to want to go out there and satisfy them, and make them proud of myself and the club in general.”

Despite winning just two of their last eight games to drop out of top-four contention last Sunday, the Dragons are confident they can regain their early-season form and advance deep into the finals.

If they can achieve that, de Belin pointed out the Dragons had beaten the top four teams – Melbourne, Sydney Roosters, South Sydney and Cronulla – this season, and were capable of becoming the first team to win the Telstra Premiership from the bottom half of the eight.

“When you look at the big picture we are going to make finals and I supposed plenty of teams that haven’t been in the top four have gone on deep runs or teams have lost a lot going into the finals and had a deep run,” de Belin said.

“The ball’s in our court, how we want to handle it is up to us. We have just got to stay positive and know what we have got here in the group and the culture we have created at the Dragons.

“We have played all the top four sides and beaten them so I feel like when we are on our game we can beat anyone.”

Asked if he had a message for Dragons fans, de Belin said: “Players don’t go out there to lose. We know we have got to be better and we are accountable”.



https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2018/08/29/i-love-the-passion-the-dragons-fans-have-tariq-sims/

 

[Dennis Papaioannou]

How many honesty sessions have we had since Round 12 when we lost to Penrith. Nearly 1 a week. Obviously they are not being as honest about things as they should be.
They had a big one apparently before the Parra game at Terrigal and another one after that. Lip service.

The fact that the honesty session is in the same sentence as the word "Hope" says it all.
We have been hoping for something to change for weeks now and that just isn't enough.

 

[Old Timer]

So what are we trying to achieve this weekend?

• Prove the coach's methodology actually works?
• Make the already busted players more busted?
• Not finish 8th?
• Manipulate who we play week 1?
• Find form leading into the knock out stage?

We sure as hell aren't trying to freshen anyone up.

 

[Drag Queen]

TEAM LISTS


Behind enemy lines: Round 25
Author
Dragons.com.au dragons.com.au
Timestamp
Wed 29 Aug 2018, 12:15 PM

Nathan Brown has named his Newcastle Knights side to face St George Illawarra Dragons this Saturday at McDonald Jones Stadium, including 20-year-old hooker Tom Starling who is set to make his NRL debut (pending NRL approval).

Changes include Jamie Buhrer named to start in his regular position of backrow and Jack Cogger returns to the halves. Kalyn Ponga has been left out of the squad with Brown opting to rest the fullback-five-eighth due to an ongoing ankle issue.

Retirees Chris Heighington and Jacob Lillyman have been named on the bench in what will be the final NRL game of their careers.



Team Lists
Backs

• Fullback for Knights is number 1 Nick Meaney
  1
  
  Fullback for Dragons is number 1 Matthew Dufty
• Winger for Knights is number 2 Ken Sio
  2
  
  Winger for Dragons is number 2 Nene Macdonald
• Centre for Knights is number 3 Sione Mata'utia
  3
  
  Centre for Dragons is number 3 Zac Lomax
• Centre for Knights is number 4 Cory Denniss
  4
  
  Centre for Dragons is number 4 Timoteo Lafai
• Winger for Knights is number 5 Shaun Kenny-Dowall
  5
  
  Winger for Dragons is number 5 Jordan Pereira
• Five-Eighth for Knights is number 6 Jack Cogger
  6
  
  Five-Eighth for Dragons is number 6 Kurt Mann
• Halfback for Knights is number 7 Mitchell Pearce
  7
  
  Halfback for Dragons is number 7 Ben Hunt

Forwards

• Prop for Knights is number 8 Herman Ese'ese
  8
  
  Prop for Dragons is number 8 James Graham
• Hooker for Knights is number 9 Danny Levi
  9
  
  Hooker for Dragons is number 9 Cameron McInnes
• Prop for Knights is number 10 Daniel Saifiti
  10
  
  Prop for Dragons is number 10 Leeson Ah Mau
• 2nd Row for Knights is number 11 Jamie Buhrer
  11
  
  2nd Row for Dragons is number 11 Tyson Frizell
• 2nd Row for Knights is number 12 Aidan Guerra
  12
  
  2nd Row for Dragons is number 12 Tariq Sims
• Lock for Knights is number 13 Mitchell Barnett
  13
  
  Lock for Dragons is number 13 Jack de Belin

Interchange

• Interchange for Knights is number 14 Tom Starling
  14
  
  Interchange for Dragons is number 14 Jeremy Latimore
• Interchange for Knights is number 15 Chris Heighington
  15
  
  Interchange for Dragons is number 15 Jai Field
• Interchange for Knights is number 16 Jacob Lillyman
  16
  
  Interchange for Dragons is number 16 Blake Lawrie
• Interchange for Knights is number 17 Josh King
  17
  
  Interchange for Dragons is number 17 Luciano Leilua

Reserves

• Reserve for Knights is number 18 JJ Felise
  18
  
  Reserve for Dragons is number 18 Reece Robson
• Reserve for Knights is number 19 Pasami Saulo
  19
  
  Reserve for Dragons is number 19 Patrick Herbert
• Reserve for Knights is number 20 Brock Lamb
  20
  
  Reserve for Dragons is number 20 Hame Sele
• Reserve for Knights is number 21 Luke Yates
  21
  
  Reserve for Dragons is number 21 Jacob Host

Knights Ins

• Brock Lamb
• Jack Cogger
• Jacob Lillyman
• JJ Felise
• Pasami Saulo
• Tom Starling

Ins
Dragons Ins

• Blake Lawrie
• Hame Sele
• Jai Field
• Patrick Herbert
• Reece Robson
• Zac Lomax

Knights Outs

• Connor Watson
• Lachlan Fitzgibbon

Outs
Dragons Ins

• Euan Aitken
• Jason Nightingale

https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2018/08/29/behind-enemy-lines-round-25/

Thanking our lucky stars that Ponga and Watson are out. Don't underestimate Nick Meaney as FB though. I'm going to this game so you better not disappoint me.

 

[getsmarty]

Toovey and Kimmorley's take on Dragons drama
NRL Teams panellists Geoff Toovey and Brett Kimmorley discuss the ongoing on-field crisis at the St George Illawarra Dragons

https://www.nrl.com/news/2018/08/29/toovey-and-kimmorleys-take-on-dragons-drama/

 

[getsmarty]

St George Illawarra Dragons under fire over player management
By Scott Bailey
6 hours ago

St George Illawarra players have leapt to the defence of coach Paul McGregor and his management of the team through the State of Origin period.

The Dragons have struggled out of this year's representative season, slipping from first to sixth in the past eight weeks after having won just two games in the period.

Of the five Dragons to play Origin this year, only Tyson Frizell was rested through the period while Paul Vaughan has since also been sidelined through injury.

But Tariq Sims, Jack de Belin and Ben Hunt - who all had their biggest ever Origin workloads this year - have all played through without rest, prompting the likes of Braith Anasta to be critical of McGregor's management this week.

But Sims refuted those views, claiming the players were happy with the approach that had been taken.

"I know to a man everyone who played representative football wanted to play football," Sims said.

"That came down to us and as players we took it our of Mary's hands and said we wanted to play. For him to blame Mary, I think he should probably blame us players."

Asked if the decision should have been taken out of McGregor's hands, Sims said their current situation still wouldn't have players running out when they shouldn't.

"I don't think if you're injured you're going to go out there and play," he said.

"I think just to a person we haven't played to our standards as representative players."

Crucially, it should be noted that the Dragons regularly rested the players from training, while performance manager Nathan Pickworth travelled with New Zealand and England players to Denver to monitor their workloads.

McGregor has also insisted he hasn't played anyone while injured this year - pointing to the different weeks Frizell has taken off.

(AAP )
Meanwhile, De Belin has since admitted he should've done more to get away from the game throughout that time, but said that he'd desperately wanted to play at the time.

"Looking back it maybe I could've done with a rest but then you want to play," de Belin said.

"You always want to back up and do your best for your club. Maybe lessons learned there, maybe it's best the freshen up. But if he asked me, I would've wanted to play."

De Belin also shot back at McGregor's critics who had called for his future to be brought into question at the club with another year still to run on his contract.

"That's probably a little extreme considering how well we started the year and you hear things saying we should re-sign him and extend," the No.13 said.

"Mary's fine, all the boys are behind him there."



2018



https://www.sportsnews.com.au/nrl/brown-sees-expectations-haunting-dragons/449068

 

[getsmarty]

Brown sees expectations haunting Dragons

By AAP+ on 29/08/2018 at 2:54 pm
Filled in: NRL News

Nathan Brown experienced the weight of expectation as much as anyone at St George Illawarra, and now he’s watching it return from afar in Newcastle.

A noted player and coach at both the original Dragons and joint venture, Brown was part of a group that played four grand finals in the 1990s without lifting the trophy once.

He also took them to two preliminary finals in 2005 and 2006, but failed to advance to a decider in either of those seasons.

Since then the Dragons took the title in 2010 under Wayne Bennett, but failed to win a finals match since despite leading the competition ladder at times in 2011, 2015 and 2017.

History has repeated this year with Brown watching a new batch of Saints learning the hard way as they dropped from first to sixth after six losses in the past eight weeks, heading into Saturday’s clash with Newcastle.

“The expectation and ghosts of the past have probably carried a fair bit of weight at the Dragons for a long time,” Brown said.

“With that expectation comes a fair amount of criticism. All the people in the higher positions there have been there for a long time and know what comes of it.

“It’s a bit different for the players. Some of the players that came into the club might not have understood it as much but they’re certainly getting an indication now.”

The contrasting expectations on Brown’s Knights and at the Dragons – his former club – have never been clearer than in recent weeks.

Dragons players were booed and abused off the field last weekend at Kogarah following their 38-0 loss to Canterbury.

Meanwhile the Knights are expecting 25,000 fans to pack into McDonald Jones Stadium for Saturday’s game for Old Boys’ Day, despite Newcastle sitting 11th on the ladder and out of finals contention after three consecutive wooden spoons.

“There are a lot of football people in Newcastle who know the starting spot we’re in and where we’re moving to,” Brown said.

“The results certainly don’t scare the fans away here if the players and club are improving.”

https://www.sportsnews.com.au/nrl/brown-sees-expectations-haunting-dragons/449068

 

[JohnnoMcJohnno]

TEAM LISTS


Behind enemy lines: Round 25
Author
Dragons.com.au dragons.com.au
Timestamp
Wed 29 Aug 2018, 12:15 PM

Nathan Brown has named his Newcastle Knights side to face St George Illawarra Dragons this Saturday at McDonald Jones Stadium, including 20-year-old hooker Tom Starling who is set to make his NRL debut (pending NRL approval).

Changes include Jamie Buhrer named to start in his regular position of backrow and Jack Cogger returns to the halves. Kalyn Ponga has been left out of the squad with Brown opting to rest the fullback-five-eighth due to an ongoing ankle issue.

Retirees Chris Heighington and Jacob Lillyman have been named on the bench in what will be the final NRL game of their careers.



Team Lists
Backs

• Fullback for Knights is number 1 Nick Meaney
  1
  
  Fullback for Dragons is number 1 Matthew Dufty
• Winger for Knights is number 2 Ken Sio
  2
  
  Winger for Dragons is number 2 Nene Macdonald
• Centre for Knights is number 3 Sione Mata'utia
  3
  
  Centre for Dragons is number 3 Zac Lomax
• Centre for Knights is number 4 Cory Denniss
  4
  
  Centre for Dragons is number 4 Timoteo Lafai
• Winger for Knights is number 5 Shaun Kenny-Dowall
  5
  
  Winger for Dragons is number 5 Jordan Pereira
• Five-Eighth for Knights is number 6 Jack Cogger
  6
  
  Five-Eighth for Dragons is number 6 Kurt Mann
• Halfback for Knights is number 7 Mitchell Pearce
  7
  
  Halfback for Dragons is number 7 Ben Hunt

Forwards

• Prop for Knights is number 8 Herman Ese'ese
  8
  
  Prop for Dragons is number 8 James Graham
• Hooker for Knights is number 9 Danny Levi
  9
  
  Hooker for Dragons is number 9 Cameron McInnes
• Prop for Knights is number 10 Daniel Saifiti
  10
  
  Prop for Dragons is number 10 Leeson Ah Mau
• 2nd Row for Knights is number 11 Jamie Buhrer
  11
  
  2nd Row for Dragons is number 11 Tyson Frizell
• 2nd Row for Knights is number 12 Aidan Guerra
  12
  
  2nd Row for Dragons is number 12 Tariq Sims
• Lock for Knights is number 13 Mitchell Barnett
  13
  
  Lock for Dragons is number 13 Jack de Belin

Interchange

• Interchange for Knights is number 14 Tom Starling
  14
  
  Interchange for Dragons is number 14 Jeremy Latimore
• Interchange for Knights is number 15 Chris Heighington
  15
  
  Interchange for Dragons is number 15 Jai Field
• Interchange for Knights is number 16 Jacob Lillyman
  16
  
  Interchange for Dragons is number 16 Blake Lawrie
• Interchange for Knights is number 17 Josh King
  17
  
  Interchange for Dragons is number 17 Luciano Leilua

Reserves

• Reserve for Knights is number 18 JJ Felise
  18
  
  Reserve for Dragons is number 18 Reece Robson
• Reserve for Knights is number 19 Pasami Saulo
  19
  
  Reserve for Dragons is number 19 Patrick Herbert
• Reserve for Knights is number 20 Brock Lamb
  20
  
  Reserve for Dragons is number 20 Hame Sele
• Reserve for Knights is number 21 Luke Yates
  21
  
  Reserve for Dragons is number 21 Jacob Host

Knights Ins

• Brock Lamb
• Jack Cogger
• Jacob Lillyman
• JJ Felise
• Pasami Saulo
• Tom Starling

Ins
Dragons Ins

• Blake Lawrie
• Hame Sele
• Jai Field
• Patrick Herbert
• Reece Robson
• Zac Lomax

Knights Outs

• Connor Watson
• Lachlan Fitzgibbon

Outs
Dragons Ins

• Euan Aitken
• Jason Nightingale

https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2018/08/29/behind-enemy-lines-round-25/

Teams seem pretty evenly matched on paper, except for Jai Field vs Heighington.