Round 27 v Raiders

[<StGeorgeDragons>]

DRAGONS ROUND 27 TEAM LIST​

1. Tyrell Sloan – sponsored by EFEX
2. Zac Lomax – sponsored by Floormania
3. Moses Suli – sponsored by Kingsgrove Sports Centre
4. Jack Bird – sponsored by Aspec Masonry
5. Mathew Feagai – sponsored by Wollongong City Jetski
6. Lyhkan King-Togia – sponsored by React Facility Solutions
7. Ben Hunt (c) – sponsored by St. George Leagues Club
8. Francis Molo – sponsored by UTECH
9. Jacob Liddle – sponsored by Active Forklifts
10. Jack de Belin – sponsored by Deicorp
11. Luciano Leilua – sponsored by Squadron Energy
12. Jaydn Su’A – sponsored by Shire Steel
13. Tom Eisenhuth – sponsored by CHiQ

Interchange

14. Connor Muhleisen – sponsored by TripADeal
15. Toby Couchman – sponsored by Konnect
16. Blake Lawrie – sponsored by Professionals Padstow
17. Raymond Faitala-Mariner – sponsored by HWLE

Reserves​

18. Hamish Stewart
19. Michael Molo
20. Savelio Tamale
21. Max Feagai
22. Loko Pasifiki Tonga

CASUALTY WARD​

• Hame Sele (illness, TBC)
• Ryan Couchman (knee, TBC)
• Sione Finau (hamstring, season)
• Christian Tuipulotu (hamstring, season)
• Viliami Fifita (foot, season)
• Ben Murdoch-Masila (foot, season)
• Corey Allan (ACL, season)

Dragons announce Round 27 NRL team list

St George Illawarra Dragons NRL head coach Shane Flanagan has announced his squad to face the Raiders at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium in Round 27.

www.dragons.com.au

Those casualties are interesting.

If we had Finau and Allan available this season to throw in with the successful addition of Tuipolutu we may have had some better results than constantly deferring to the Feagais who have proven to be unremarkable. Really excited when Finau made his debut last year and such a shame he wasn't sighted this year.

 

[SAP58]

Yes you are right and the mood will change for the better. I am still disappointed over Saturday, we really needed to take that opportunity it would have meant a lot for the club and fans, but the way we lost was terrible and Flanno knows it as well, you could tell it broke his heart.

I’m still getting over the loss to Scumulla let alone Parra !

 

[denis preston]

Round 27: Dragons v Raiders | Dragons

Round 27: Dragons v Raiders

www.dragons.com.au

Pretty good considering. Great to see LTs first full start. Suli instantly makes the back line look better. Mulhausen deserves a bench as he put in big time last game so goes out in style from the club in NRL. Any late changes with someone from 18-21 getting a go ?

 

[KogarahWarrior]

Those casualties are interesting.

If we had Finau and Allan available this season to throw in with the successful addition of Tuipolutu we may have had some better results than constantly deferring to the Feagais who have proven to be unremarkable. Really excited when Finau made his debut last year and such a shame he wasn't sighted this year.

Finau was awesome in his singular game vs Penrith. His run off the kickoff sparked our comeback.

 

[hewi]

So LKT is been given a big go, let’s assume he delivers then next year we have to cover 1/2, 5/8 and hooker Hunt, LKT, Flanagan, Cook, Liddle. IMO Flanagan is no princess he will play in any of those positions which leaves Hunt as the odd man out.

 

[Centralcoastdragon2]

Shame we didn't play LKT last week when it meant something. Appears to be talented.

 

[justadragon]

Love the fact LKT is at 5/8. If you are good enough you are old enough.

 

[steerlerbab]

Our downhill slide started due to injuries and suspensions. It kind of coincided with the Dogs game. With Suli, Sele and Flanno jr (suspension) our top 8 aspirations ended that day. It showed we do not have the depth and this needs to be addressed.

It also showed how much Flanno Jr complemented Hunt even though he played second fiddle, his suspension was a major blow to us.

 

[Saints Forever]

Yes unless miracle draw between
Knights and Dolphins.
That's a billion to 1
And we win.
Doesn't matter.

Going to bet $50-100 on a Knights/Dolphins draw

knowing my luck, it happens but Raiders beat us

 

[Get2dachopper!]

Flanno should have given the captaincy to Sua, or at the very least, make him co-captain.
Overall, he has probably over achieved with this squad. But he has made a glaring error with putting way too much faith in Hunt, hopefully the penny has dropped by now.

 

[Old Timer]

Ricky's Raiders will do everything in their power to beat us and finish the season ahead of us, so will we respond or fold like a cheap suit?

I also suspect that the Knights v Dolphins clash will show us how a team should go about securing a spot in the playoffs.

Whilst we are still licking our wounds from last week we may well see those wounds open up again if we are not extremely careful.

 

[jeffdragon]

Ricky's Raiders will do everything in their power to beat us and finish the season ahead of us, so will we respond or fold like a cheap suit?

I also suspect that the Knights v Dolphins clash will show us how a team should go about securing a spot in the playoffs.

Whilst we are still licking our wounds from last week we may well see those wounds open up again if we are not extremely careful.

Knights and Dolphins dont deserve a spot in the 8.
Only there because we farked it.

 

[jeffdragon]

Odds of winning Powerball 1 in 134 million.
Odds of winning oz lotto 1 in 62 million.
Odds of Winning Saturday lotto 1 ,in 8 million
Odds of bt Raiders and then a draw for Knights and Dolphins more than winning powerball.

 

[hook hook]

Pressure is pretty well off this week. Watch hunt have an absolute blinder and the media jizz all over him

 

[Dragon David]

Odds of winning Powerball 1 in 134 million.
Odds of winning oz lotto 1 in 62 million.
Odds of Winning Saturday lotto 1 ,in 8 million
Odds of bt Raiders and then a draw for Knights and Dolphins more than winning powerball.

You could be right there Jeff. The draw for the final games makes things pretty exciting for footy fans in general -
Friday: Who will end up with the wooden spoon? Tigers or Eels?
Saturday: Will the Dragons beat the Raiders or get thrashed?
Sunday: The last game to determine who makes 8th spot on the ladder - All Dragons fans will be buoyant should they have beaten the Raiders the day before and hoping for a draw between the Knights and the Dolphins. All us fans willing a draw. But if the Raiders beat us, then who cares?

 

[Old Timer]

Knights and Dolphins dont deserve a spot in the 8.
Only there because we farked it.

One of them will take their opportunity so of course they deserve their spot.

We are obviously incapable of doing that so it is us that doesn’t deserve to be there.

 

[Sloan Ranger]

Will be interesting to see how the team is prepared for this match. While last week many players had a bad game, I thought they looked over cooked from the start. Nervous, more afraid of losing then looking forward to winning. Rava especially looked like he had a point to prove and over did it. Good coaching staff need to understand their playing group and work with what they've got.

 

[justadragon]

Knights and Dolphins dont deserve a spot in the 8.
Only there because we farked it.

We may have f$#ked it Jeff, but other teams predicted we would and we in the Dragons way obliged, it was a total f$#k up and one that wont be forgotten in a hurry.

 

[jeffdragon]

We may have f$#ked it Jeff, but other teams predicted we would and we in the Dragons way obliged, it was a total f$#k up and one that wont be forgotten in a hurry.

For me till start of next season
Reminds me of when we bt Penrith in the rain and all we had to do was br the dogs to make the 8 and we did the same.
History repeats for all the wrong reasons.

 

[Dragon David]

The way that the team has played for most of the year, that is w,l,w,l,w,l,w etc makes me wonder whether or not from one week to the next the guys just switched off after they win the game before and lose their focus and lose the following game, then switch back on to win the next game. It is like someone is turning the lights on and off or the go and stop buttons.

This in itself shows consistency by the team but of course the wrong sort. I don't know what the coaching guys do but surely for the games that the guys won, the coaching staff need to recall how the players were prepared, what game plans were used, where were they most damaging in attack and the same for the defence. All of these things and more should be analysed and appropriate things done to make them play with more consistency as per the win games. I know that they did not play the same team each week and therefore how they played to win would be different to playing a better team but I think the same approach to a game in principle be applied.

Basically a coach needs to know 100% what each player he has in his squad are bad at and good at. Take for instance a tennis player. His serves are bad so he is coached to improve them as his ground shots are good so in the case of the footballer he needs to work hard on his bad stuff. We are seeing for example Sloan improve with several aspects of his game because he has been working on them to improve his all round performances. So if all of the players can improve their bad things, they should be developing all round better performances.

The coaches look at how they won games, keep those in place and improve but don't deviate away from anything the players have done to win.

Keep fitness levels at high standard. Endurance in games now to last the full 80 minutes is essential. Know the rules backwards and look for any loopholes to get advantages.

Even though our team members may not be world class. They are a team and if they are trained and prepared to become stronger in body and mind, improving their weaknesses and maintaining their strengths and given clear instructions on how to beat the team they will be playing, then they will be more consistent.

Well, that is my coaching lecture for today. See you all next time. Cheers and don't let the door hit me on the way out!!