Round 3 v Warriors

[hazzbeen]

Can't wait for you to be back on the bus Hazz. It'll happen.

Mate can do , as long as you are driving , I might just get on sooner than you think .....

 

[Dragsters]

Play him lock.
CC

C'mon CC, lock is where you need your best cover defender (last year without JDB surely proved that beyond doubt) and Aitken definitely isn't that...

 

[R&WTILLIDIE]

Didn’t this happen before lockdown

it happened before...and it became worse during...

 

[Dragonsamy]

If Merrin comes in and Aitken stays in the who do you think drops out?

I'm joking about Merrin but I hope Euan is not playing

 

[LINESPEED]

Play him lock.
CC

I know where you’re coming from - and agree.

But generally this is a discussion a team looking for title contention or renewal should never be having

.. & it’s symptomatic of how far we’ve fallen

...players should never be accommodated or found a place just because they’re an entrenched coach’s mate.

Are we now such an unprofessional outfit that it comes down to bandaid patchwork solutions

...like slotting in Turnstile somewhere/anywhere FMD?

He’s been the focus of our backline attacking,defensive & selection failures for years

He should be nowhere near an NRL team.

His only play is a lightweight, headdown arseup charge FFS

 

[Dragsters]

I'm joking about Merrin but I hope Euan is not playing

I wish you weren't joking about Merrin and I'm with you on Aitken...

 

[Dragsters]

I know where you’re coming from - but it’s a discussion a team looking for title contention or renewal should never be having

.. & it’s symptomatic of how far we’ve fallen

...players should never be accommodated or found a place just because they’re an entrenched coach’s mate.

Are we now such an unprofessional outfit that it comes down to bandaid patchwork solutions

...like slotting in Turnstile somewhere/anywhere FMD?

He’s been the focus of our backline attacking,defensive & selection failures for years

He should be nowhere near an NRL team.

His only play is a lightweight, headdown arseup charge FFS

Trying to hide a player never works long term.

Maybe for a game, out of necessity, but it's just not a proper option for a proper coach...

 

[Dragonsamy]

I wish you weren't joking about Merrin and I'm with you on Aitken...

Agree

 

[redv13]

Quite simple. Scratch Aitken, Merrin and play Clune at 17. He covers McInnes, Hunt and Norman and worse case scenario he gives McInnes a spell. If running a bench is too hard you dip$hit then maybe a real coach can do it for you. Good job with the bench Flanno

 

[independent]

Dragons win comfortably.
Mary to make some changes to the starting backline, Lafai and Aitken won't be in the 13.
Sims boys to have big games, Dufty to score 2 tries. Fuimaono to be pushing for Origin selection.
Dragons 42 Warriors 12

Mate I agree with you, finally we have the proper 3 and 4, we should win this comfortably

 

[George Dragon]

Aitken/Lafai I don't think there has been a game since 2016 that one of them haven't played in.

 

[BLM01]

1. Dufty
2. Pereira
3. Wiliame
4. Lomax
5. Rava
6. Norman
7. Hunt
8. K Sims
9. McInnes (c)
10. Vaughan
11. Frizell
12. T Sims
13. Graham
14. Kerr
15. Lawrie
16. Fuimaono
17. Aitken
Aitken on the bench FFS
18. Merrin Clune Host Ford

I like Flanno's oops I mean Mary's side..good balance
Aitken is a mystery but is pretty quick out of dummy half to get a fast roll late in each half
Maybe Clune the surprise late inclusion for Euan?...on game day
Because for the life of me if Cam gets injured who plays in the halves if Benny goes to hooker
Look forward to Mary's explanation for this one....he will just say refer Shane

 

[BLM01]

I'm okay with that team except Merrin should be picked over Aitken (what is Mary's obsession with having an outside back on the bench that he doesn't use anyway!) And anyone should be picked over Rava. Why not Saab or Ramsay?

Disagree...in part. Saab for JP
Ramsay not ready
Merrin does not much anymore ....Aitken is just as powerful with ball in hand for brief late half cameo's

 

[Old Timer]

I like Flanno's oops I mean Mary's side..good balance
Aitken is a mystery but is pretty quick out of dummy half to get a fast roll late in each half
Maybe Clune the surprise late inclusion for Euan?...on game day
Because for the life of me if Cam gets injured who plays in the halves if Benny goes to hooker
Look forward to Mary's explanation for this one....he will just say refer Shane

Balance ????

If we think that Fuimaono is a back row impact player he will replace T Sims or Frizz.

When we change the front row and Jimmy runs out of legs at around the same time we will potentially have Kerr, Lawrie & Aitken defending the middle third.

 

[BLM01]

Balance ????

If we think that Fuimaono is a back row impact player he will replace T Sims or Frizz.

When we change the front row and Jimmy runs out of legs at around the same time we will potentially have Kerr, Lawrie & Aitken defending the middle third.

Yes Balance!..and you analogy is wrong
You dont have to take 2 props off at the same time..you know..rotate them seperately
Vaughan plays long minutes in 1st half
Fui replaces Graham..(we are starting with basically 5 props in our 17)
Fui can also defend in the middle...and can also cover centre in need
He will not replace Sims or Frizz unless injury.

 

[Old Timer]

Yes Balance!..and you analogy is wrong
You dont have to take 2 props off at the same time..you know..rotate them seperately
Vaughan plays long minutes in 1st half
Fui replaces Graham..(we are starting with basically 5 props in our 17)
Fui can also defend in the middle...and can also cover centre in need
He will not replace Sims or Frizz unless injury.

You know you are talking about the great Mc Fookknuckle not a real coach?

Plenty of games where he has had our 2 starting props off at the same time and we were found wanting just before and after half time.

Plenty of games where he has run Graham and others into the ground and out of legs and left them on the field.

In fact he did it badly to young Ford last year.

Having no back up for Mc Innes, relying on makeshift props, an ineffective pensioner at lock and a bad centre who has never played in the forwards at NRL level is not balance IMO but we will all know soon enough especially if we jag an injury and considering K Sims & Cam’s recent records that could happen.

 

[BLM01]

You know you are talking about the great Mc Fookknuckle not a real coach?

Plenty of games where he has had our 2 starting props off at the same time and we were found wanting just before and after half time.

Plenty of games where he has run Graham and others into the ground and out of legs and left them on the field.

In fact he did it badly to young Ford last year.

Having no back up for Mc Innes, relying on makeshift props, an ineffective pensioner at lock and a bad centre who has never played in the forwards at NRL level is not balance IMO but we will all know soon enough especially if we jag an injury and considering K Sims & Cam’s recent records that could happen.

Yes I know we are talking about the McFlanno as the brains trust and the real coach.
We all know McFookknuckle's errors in reading a game and why now he has to take...a backward step.
ICE - Hunt for McInnes..Dufty to halves. Zac f/back. Fui to centre...he is not that bad a centre and has played in the forwards at NRL level
I think we have 4 good props in our side...not makeshift
Cam will be fine.. ...but agree re KSims..he is lucky to make the squad IMO but he will do for now as I'd probably choose Merrin over him..but hey just toss a coin there
I suppose at the end of the day you know i still think we are a better balanced side than we have been for a while now..but OT I get you dont.

 

[Old Timer]

Yes I know we are talking about the McFlanno as the brains trust and the real coach.
We all know McFookknuckle's errors in reading a game and why now he has to take...a backward step.
ICE - Hunt for McInnes..Dufty to halves. Zac f/back. Fui to centre...he is not that bad a centre and has played in the forwards at NRL level
I think we have 4 good props in our side...not makeshift
Cam will be fine.. ...but agree re KSims..he is lucky to make the squad IMO but he will do for now as I'd probably choose Merrin over him..but hey just toss a coin there
I suppose at the end of the day you know i still think we are a better balanced side than we have been for a while now..but OT I get you dont.

I just think we were very close to being much better and we missed the chance to do it.

I would have rolled the dice and started Fui at 13, Kerr to start, binned Aitken and Graham and played Host or Ford and Luke or Britain and maybe swapped Korbin for Merrin.

 

[Dragonslayer]

So, our first team list, and a few surprises sprung. It will be interesting to see what 'impact' certain people gave had in the selection and 'personal' training of players.

Firstly, the back 5 look good to me. I hope its given a few games to gel. Given its only a 2 or 3 week mini-preseason, I wonder how these combinations have had time to understand each others game, mmmm I wonder!
Halves, as expected.
Now looking at JG at lock, perplexing at first glance, however, wasn't there a recently retired lock from another club almost in the same mold as JG? In any case I feel this move is for him to avoid the first hit up scenario where he seems to obtain most of his concussions, and playing slightly one off the main ruck he can use his 'offload' more effectively.
Lastly, Aitken on the bench, my only explanation would be he's been training in the forwards and could be used as JG's interchange for an impact through tired forwards, but thats about it.

Friday when 2 drop out will tell us more i believe, who out of Merrin, Clune, Ford and Host will be the first 2 dropped?

 

[Dragonsteve2]

Hi DS 2,
Haven't seen you around for a while and always enjoy posting with you.

Mc Fookknuckle finally saw some of the errors of his way which is a very good thing indeed albeit that all he really did was select Lomax in the centres and failed to pick either Lafai or Aitken in the centres to start the game.

I would have still liked to have seen Lomax in the 1 jumper for at least 6 games to actually see what he has got rather than dismiss him after 1 or so games. I have read all the arguments for and against but I am a simple guy in that seeing is believing and seeing isn't 1 or 2 games if you are fair dinkum.

The Graham selection at 13 just typifies the muddled thinking of the coach. If he is selected in the run on side one has to suspect he will start and finish the game which means 2 interchanges for old tired legs and a bloke that has failed to bust the line in 2 years. The lock position has been a merry go round for an entire season and continues to do so this year which is just ludicrous.

Is is plainly obvious that out of the front row stocks that Vaughan and K Sims will be getting rested around the 30 minute mark or so and if Graham isn't going to play long minutes he will be getting rested around that time as well (unless he is going to play 50 straight and be interchanged once only).

So if I am correct then we will have Kerr, Lawrie & Fuimaono all on the paddock at the one time which does nothing to install me with confidence as we have 2 yet to be fully proven players playing in the middle along side a guy who is more noted for attack / impact than defence. Yes he can hit hard but can he tie up the middle defensively when the opposition are putting on some decent interchange game breaking style players?

Which leads me to Aitken because if he is there to be tested in the back row that means he might also be on the paddock with Kerr & Co which would be major alarm bells for me. Aitken has no idea about positioning in defence and if he is playing back row then I expect him to be running in to try and cut off moves even more than he does as a centre. Ball playing forwards will be attracted to him like flies to shit.

Mc Innes is coming back from a recurrence of a major leg injury so to have no cover for him is just mind boggling. Let's play him long minutes as we did in the 9's and see if he can hold up FMD do we never learn anything.

Mc Fookknuckle was so close to doing something that was very good but hedged his bets and whilst it appear he did something he did very little and has potentially weakened the side further.

Merrin & Luke are not my favourites by any stretch but their selection this week (barring injury) would have made better sense and given better balance but somehow Mc Fookknuckle believes that old tired legs Jimmy Graham & I don't have a footy brain Aitken are better players and provide better balance.

Even if it comes off against the depleted Warriors I would fully expect the side as picked to get thumped by any top 4 team and easily put away by a top 8 contender.

My last thought is how many errors can Zac make before Aitken displaces him in the team?

No doubt Zac will make a couple but Aitken has made how many and still lurks in the shadows.

Hi OT.
Don't worry, I think I have read every word you have posted since the lockdown. But two things have kept me from posting-
1. My Thai wife and stepdaughter are now with me so I have been on homeschooling duties during the lockdown.
2. I hoped we wouldn't get back on the field this year - it would have been the best way to endure Mary's continuing tenure. I have really enjoyed my weekends without the inevitable depressive episode following a Mary-inspired loss and then the Trump-like Press Conference. BTW, can you tell me which idiot came first, Trump or Mary?

But now for better or worse we are back on! Reckon we have been given a chance with a better draw, yet I understand that we could still be 0-4 after the June holiday weekend.

I loved your detailed appraisal in response to me. I have certainly witnessed some garbage dropped on you in the 4 years since I signed up which really angers me because when you provide detailed analysis of this kind I learn so much. You are spot on with Graham. His selection didn't bother me because I regarded it as inevitable. It really shows the flaw in sticking to a leader who is past it. You have analysed why his selection complicates the bench rotation strategy which Mary has failed so consistently.

I expected that Luke would be on hand for Cam's first game back but when he wasn't I was initially pleased because I assumed Mary would pick him automatically because he was in the squad. We do have to hope that McInnes has caught up to his team mates on fitness and strength during the lockdown.

I certainly understand your comments on Lomax. But I am probably in the minority on the Forum in thinking that Dufty has not proved himself without value. Despite the limitations he has shown I believe there has been enough upside for Dufty to be given a run of another four or five games. By then he should have established himself or be deemed never to be first picked again. If the latter is the case Zac can play fullback for the rest of the season. When I think of how Zac plugged the Aitken gap so adequately back in the last three games of 2018 it seems extraordinary that he has been rarely been back there since. So I am regarding his selection there as positive, though 15 months late.

I hope we can find some enjoyment in the next 18 rounds!