Round 3 Vs Broncos

[qld redvee]

for me Id start with host and have Korbin as a replacement as we need to keep the aggression up as opposition tires . i would drop Luc back to reggies as he does seem tentative in defence and keep kerr
Either start with duffty or give him a spell in reggies its just too confusing to make all those changes to accommodate him and put robson in as his replacement this allows us to rest mcinness which would be of benefit to himself and we could have 2 hookers running from dummy half not mcinness burning himself out all game ..

 

[41yearsaint]

Korbin and Graham will fire the forwards up. Hunt will have a blinder. Dragons by 20.

 

[getsmarty]

DRAGONS


Leilua and Kerr given extra hit out as McGregor weighs options
Author
Brad Walter NRL.com Senior Reporter
Timestamp
Mon 25 Mar 2019, 05:44 PM

Luciano Leilua and Josh Kerr backed up from last Thursday's clash with South Sydney by playing in the Canterbury Cup 48 hours later as Dragons coach Paul McGregor decides which forward will make way for Korbin Sims.

With Sims set to make his first Telstra Premiership appearance for St George Illawarra against Brisbane on Thursday night after serving a two-match suspension, either Leilua or Kerr are expected to miss out.

Kerr had 18 minutes of field time in his NRL debut in the 34-18 loss to Souths and admits he was overcome with nerves. Leilua played 25 minutes as a right-side second-rower.

The pair then played against the Rabbitohs on Saturday in the Canterbury Cup, with Leilua playing the full game at left second-row and Kerr succumbing to a hamstring problem after 40 minutes.

"I didn't get that much time on Thursday night so I was happy to back up," said Leilua, who scored a try and carried the ball for 154 metres from 16 runs in Saturday's 24-20 loss.



Get Caught Up: Round 2

Kerr said he was hopeful of getting another NRL opportunity against the Broncos after starting the season with selection for the Indigenous All Stars and then making his NRL debut last week.

"I had a lot of nerves going through me and the boys wanted me to bring energy but I probably did it the worst way possible by giving away a penalty," Kerr said.

I think a bit of nerves and a bit of stress got to me but I loved it

Josh Kerr on his NRL debut
"After I came out in the second half I felt a lot more relaxed and comfortable. I know what to do, I do it at training all the time but the first 10 minutes or so was a bit stressful.

"I just had people screaming and I was out there thinking 'what do I do.' I could have ruined it in my own head.

"It's nervousness and being a bit scared but it is a fear I have always wanted. I just thought I had to go out there and make a big impact and I did that, but probably not in the best way.

"I think a bit of nerves and a bit of stress got to me but I loved it and I have taken away a lot of confidence from the experience."

After dominating the match against Souths, St George Illawarra lost their way just before halftime and conceded three quick tries after the interval when McGregor had Paul Vaughan and James Graham on the bench.



Every try from Round 2

With Tyson Frizell able to do some running on Monday but not expected to play for at least another week after surgery for a ruptured testicle and Jack de Belin sidelined indefinitely under the NRL's "no-fault stand down" policy while he defends a sexual assault charge, McGregor will welcome Korbin Sims into the team.

After being suspended for a dangerous tackle during Brisbane's elimination finals loss to St George Illawarra, Sims will make his first premiership appearance for the Dragons against his former club.

"I'm just more excited not so much to play against the Broncos but to get back to playing footy in general," Sims said.

"I'm still young but obviously I have got experience behind me and that helps. I know when I first came into first the older guys helped me a lot so it will be good for them."


https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/03/25...it-out-as-mcgregor-weighs-selection-decision/

 

[getsmarty]

Paul McGregor reveals reason behind Dragons’ spine rotation
NRL Premiership

• March 25, 2019 8:04pm
• by Staff writers
• Source: FOX SPORTS

Paul McGregor believes his spine rotation system is out of necessity.Source: FOX SPORTS
Dragons coach Paul McGregor has explained his spine rotation system as a matter of necessity over design.

McGregor believes his lack of back-rowers has forced him to consider different ways to get his best team on the park.

“In the pre-season we floated a few things about having all our players on the field at the same time,” McGregor told NRL 360.



“We have got Hunt at No.7 who can play No.9 and plays for his state and country there.

“We have Cameron McInnes who can play No.13 and we have two halves in Corey Norman and Gareth Widdop and Matt Dufty at the back, when they are all on at the same time.

“The first couple of weeks it has been out of necessity at times because we are missing three middles.

“We lost Tyson Frizell in the first game after a period of the game and the second game we didn’t start with Tyson, Jack de Belin or Korbin Sims.


“So we moved Cameron (McInnes) to No.13 and put Dufty on so we have quality players on the field at the same time.”

Many experts believe the rotation policy is effecting the players and their ability to know their roles and perform them to the best of their abilities.

Cameron McInnes has been filling in at lock to keep the best players on the field, according to Paul McGregor.Source: News Corp Australia
However McGregor believes his players are aware of their jobs, but are doing what is best for the team in difficult circumstances.

“Dufty is purely there on the bench as an outside back replacement,” McGregor said.

“But at the moment it is about getting your best players on the field, while we have a few quality players missing.”

“We want to sustain pressure through defence for the attack to work and we need our better defenders on the field for longer periods and Cameron (McInnes) is certainly that and Benny (Hunt) defends well in the middle.

Where Dragons are failing

2:10
“We also want Dufty to come on the field and add something special with the ball because we know he is exciting and when the opposition is fatigued he can do something different.

“The problem at the moment is we haven’t put anyone under fatigue in the second half because we are the ones under fatigue from turnover possession.”

McGregor was pressed on whether he would consider moving Hunt to hooker permanently, given his struggles in the No.7 jersey at times.

“Ben Hunt is very good at both halfback and hooker,” McGregor said.

“We’ve got Cameron McInnes who is a very, very good footballer at No.9, who wasn’t far off playing Origin football last year.

“We also have Reece Robson in reserve grade, who is the under 20s Australian hooker.

“We have quality at No.9, but can Hunt play both very well? Yes.”


https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...n/news-story/09b0e64212fd40862fffb4b19135905a

 

[BLM01]

Hmmm Broncos this week after that performance against the Cowboys who smacked us.
No team changes likely except for Sims. Could be Horror Night Thursday.
How many tries you reckon Oates will score.
Dragons to win with the start.

 

[Old Kogarah Boy 1]

Hmmm Broncos this week after that performance against the Cowboys who smacked us.
No team changes likely except for Sims. Could be Horror Night Thursday.
How many tries you reckon Oates will score.
Dragons to win with the start.

Could be a ................



Popcorn anyone?

or do we tell the bartender to call for more help?

 

[getsmarty]

GAME DAY


Game day information: Round 3
Author
Dragons.com.au dragons.com.au
Timestamp
Tue 26 Mar 2019, 10:25 AM

St George Illawarra Dragons v Brisbane Broncos
Thursday, March 28
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane

Broadcast by Channel Nine

Gates open: 5pm (AEST)
NRL kick-off: 6:50pm (AEST)

TICKETING
Pre-purchase your tickets from Ticketek and save @ www.ticketek.com.au or 132 849

RED V MEMBERSHIP
Member access
As this is an away fixture, Red V Members will not be able to attend with their membership card. Tickets are available for purchase from Ticketek.

Brisbane Member event
Red V Members are exclusively invited to welcome the team to Brisbane on Wednesday, March 27.

Time: 5:15pm- 6pm
Venue: Sofitel Brisbane

For more information and to RSVP, visit the membership events page.

MERCHANDISE
Dragons merchandise will not be attending this event.

TRANSPORT
Public Transport
Public transport is the best way to get to Suncorp Stadium and is included free with your ticket on all Queensland Rail City Network (excluding Airtrain) and all Brisbane City Council bus services. This free travel offer applies from four hours prior to main game kick-off and four hours after game ends. Simply present your game day ticket to rail and bus staff as you board their services.

Brisbane City Council Bus Services
Patrons catch regular timetabled bus services operated by Brisbane City Council. In addition, special shuttle bus services from the City, Carindale, Eight Mile Plains/Mt Gravatt (Garden City), Chermside and The Gap run direct to the Stadium. Bus Route Map

To the game: Special shuttle services will run at regular intervals for 2 hours before kick-off.

From the game: At the end of the game, patrons should make their way to their bus departure location. For a one hour period, high frequency bus services will operate.

Queensland Rail City Network services
Milton and Roma Street are the main railway stations for patrons travelling to and from Suncorp Stadium.

To the game: Patrons can catch regular, timetabled services to either Roma Street or Milton Stations.

From the game: Additional services to those scheduled will be provided on all lines to meet post-match demand.

For full details concerning event day rail and bus timetables and any scheduled Queensland Rail trackworks, call Translink on 13 12 30or visit the Translink website.

For more transport Information please click here.


https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2019/03/26/game-day-information-round-3/

 

[getsmarty]

NRL.com Round 3 preview: Broncos v Dragons
Author
NRL.com
Timestamp
Tue 26 Mar 2019, 09:00 AM

This time last year the Dragons had plenty of pundits talking up their premiership prospects.

It’s only round three but crunch time has come early for Paul McGregor’s team with Thursday night’s crucial road game against Brisbane.

Everything was going to plan in the first half of last week’s home meeting with Souths, but the Rabbitohs quickly changed that, overturning a 12-6 half-time deficit with 28 unanswered points in the second half.

It doesn’t get any easier this week, though the Dragons will have happy memories of their most recent visit to Suncorp Stadium – a 48-18 demolition of the Broncos in last year’s elimination final.

Brisbane were all business in last week’s clinical 29-10 home win over the Cowboys and Anthony Seibold will be looking for more of the same on Thursday against a team down on confidence.


Match: Broncos v Dragons

Round 3 - Thursday 28th March

8:05pm

Home Team

Broncos

6th Position


Away Team

Dragons

14th Position

Venue: Suncorp Stadium

Match broadcasters:

• Nine Network
• Fox League
• LIVE PASS

Buy Tickets
The Rundown
Key match-up
With the Dragons missing key men in the pack, experienced backrower Tariq Sims has a lot of responsibility on his shoulders against the powerful and mobile Brisbane forwards. Ditto for Paul Vaughan. They need to lead from the front – a la James Graham – and meet the likes of Tevita Pangai and David Fifita head-on or the Broncos will have an easy night at the office.

For the Broncos to win
Pangai was at his destructive best in 44 high-impact minutes of game-time in the all-Queensland derby with the Cowboys and Seibold pushed all the right buttons from the coach’s box with his use of the interchange bench. They’ll be wary of a desperate Dragons but the same game plan should hold the Broncos in good stead. Seibold will be counting on re-born Jack Bird (four line-break assists in two games) to maintain his good form.

For the Dragons to win
Going on the form guide, the Dragons will need to produce something special to avoid a disastrous 0-3 start. An upset certainly isn’t out of the question, but first and foremost the visitors will have to play the full 80 minutes rather than the 30 or 40 they managed in the opening two rounds. Ben Hunt and Corey Norman have shown promising signs here and there that their combination will ultimately click and McGregor will be banking on the pair to prove themselves or Gareth Widdop’s move to fullback will be short-lived.

Brett Kimmorley says ...
We saw Tevita Pangai jnr make a statement and put his hand up for Origin last week. It is now about him being able to repeat that performance. On the back of that, Kodi Nikorima and Anthony Milford were able to manage the game a little bit better. The biggest thing for the Dragons is they need to be able to play for the full 80 minutes. I thought they were really good for 40 minutes last week but then extremely poor. They need to be tougher when the game is on the line. Broncos by 10

Broncos Stat Attack
If you need actual proof big winger Corey Oates has started the season like a man possessed, these numbers tell the story: four tries (first in NRL), 14 tackle breaks (2nd), four line breaks (1st), 381 run metres (2nd). Needless to say, Oates looms as a giant headache for the Dragons on Thursday.

Dragons Stat Attack
Not a lot to smile about for the Dragons thus far but you can bet the Brisbane outside backs will be reminding each other all night to make ball-and-all tackles on Tim Lafai, who is equal-second in the NRL in off-loads (7). Winger Jordan Pereira has also been a handful with three line-break assists (2nd), while Vaughan loves a decoy run (20, 2nd).

And another thing ...
A few Broncos fans were perplexed by Anthony Milford’s decision to kick a fairly meaningless field goal in the dying seconds of his team’s 29-10 defeat of the Cowboys. The home-town supporters could sense a try building with players lined up on the right side and wanted the Broncos to make one more statement after Cowboys centre Justin O’Neill scored in the 70th minute. But Milford denied the fans a final highlight when he opted for an anti-climactic field goal, which was a little surprising given the result wasn’t in doubt.



https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2019/03/26/nrl.com-round-3-preview-broncos-v-dragons/

 

[Vinnie]

Cant believe this .... Only change is Korbin Simms on the bench for Josh Kerr.

Ravalawa stays, Aitken Stays, Latimore Stays !!! ... I'm just so over this !!!

I can only dream that we can pull off a miracle and win but still not happy with selections, I just want to know ... whats McGregor thinking ?? whats his ploy/plan ... what can he see that no one else can see ?? or better still why can't he see what everyone else CAN see ??

 

[jeffdragon]

Paul McGregor reveals reason behind Dragons’ spine rotation
NRL Premiership

• March 25, 2019 8:04pm
• by Staff writers
• Source: FOX SPORTS

Paul McGregor believes his spine rotation system is out of necessity.Source: FOX SPORTS
Dragons coach Paul McGregor has explained his spine rotation system as a matter of necessity over design.

McGregor believes his lack of back-rowers has forced him to consider different ways to get his best team on the park.

“In the pre-season we floated a few things about having all our players on the field at the same time,” McGregor told NRL 360.



“We have got Hunt at No.7 who can play No.9 and plays for his state and country there.

“We have Cameron McInnes who can play No.13 and we have two halves in Corey Norman and Gareth Widdop and Matt Dufty at the back, when they are all on at the same time.

“The first couple of weeks it has been out of necessity at times because we are missing three middles.

“We lost Tyson Frizell in the first game after a period of the game and the second game we didn’t start with Tyson, Jack de Belin or Korbin Sims.


“So we moved Cameron (McInnes) to No.13 and put Dufty on so we have quality players on the field at the same time.”

Many experts believe the rotation policy is effecting the players and their ability to know their roles and perform them to the best of their abilities.

Cameron McInnes has been filling in at lock to keep the best players on the field, according to Paul McGregor.Source: News Corp Australia
However McGregor believes his players are aware of their jobs, but are doing what is best for the team in difficult circumstances.

“Dufty is purely there on the bench as an outside back replacement,” McGregor said.

“But at the moment it is about getting your best players on the field, while we have a few quality players missing.”

“We want to sustain pressure through defence for the attack to work and we need our better defenders on the field for longer periods and Cameron (McInnes) is certainly that and Benny (Hunt) defends well in the middle.

Where Dragons are failing

2:10
“We also want Dufty to come on the field and add something special with the ball because we know he is exciting and when the opposition is fatigued he can do something different.

“The problem at the moment is we haven’t put anyone under fatigue in the second half because we are the ones under fatigue from turnover possession.”

McGregor was pressed on whether he would consider moving Hunt to hooker permanently, given his struggles in the No.7 jersey at times.

“Ben Hunt is very good at both halfback and hooker,” McGregor said.

“We’ve got Cameron McInnes who is a very, very good footballer at No.9, who wasn’t far off playing Origin football last year.

“We also have Reece Robson in reserve grade, who is the under 20s Australian hooker.

“We have quality at No.9, but can Hunt play both very well? Yes.”


https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...n/news-story/09b0e64212fd40862fffb4b19135905a

Then when the better players are tired .like the last two weeks,
We fall apart.
Well done Mary.

 

[jeffdragon]

Ben Cummins in charge of the game

 

[Dragonslayer]

Interesting match ups:

Oats v Ravalawa
Bird v Aitken

This will go a long way in deciding this game imo. On the face value we should get lapped with those match-ups

 

[Rob Dragon]

It beggars belief really. He really is a self righteous SOB. He is by a fair margin, the worst coach we have ever had since I have been following the Dragons since 1971. He is turning me off the entire club. There is a group from the Sunshine Coast who travel down to see us play the Bronco's and Titans each year and this week 60% of us have pulled out of going on Thursday. The BOD and this goose are killing the club. It is becoming a Shakespearean tragedy.

Go the Broncos. I hope they put 60 on us because this is the only way to get rid of the McGregor virus that has infected the entire club.

 

[Vinnie]

Interesting match ups:

Oats v Ravalawa
Bird v Aitken

This will go a long way in deciding this game imo. On the face value we should get lapped with those match-ups

Not even a match up !!!! On form our 2 not even in the ballpark

 

[Vinnie]

It beggars belief really. He really is a self righteous SOB. He is by a fair margin, the worst coach we have ever had since I have been following the Dragons since 1971. He is turning me off the entire club. There is a group from the Sunshine Coast who travel down to see us play the Bronco's and Titans each year and this week 60% of us have pulled out of going on Thursday. The BOD and this goose are killing the club. It is becoming a Shakespearean tragedy.

Go the Broncos. I hope they put 60 on us because this is the only way to get rid of the McGregor virus that has infected the entire club.

You know as much as it hurts my pride and will devastate me for weeks, Maybe the Bronc putting 60 on us is what we need maybe that will shake up some things or bodies, I can't bring myself to want it but maybe maybe if it happens people will stop and listen and changes will happen !!!

 

[Old Timer]

Well here is the chance for coach's preferred halves pairing to stand up and be counted.
Hunt & Norman are arguably up against the poorest halves combination amongst the teams that are considered to be contenders so in effect should be able to finish on top of them and give us some glimmer of hope.
If our halves don't win that battle it will be potentially very ugly indeed.

 

[Rob Dragon]

You know as much as it hurts my pride and will devastate me for weeks, Maybe the Bronc putting 60 on us is what we need maybe that will shake up some things or bodies, I can't bring myself to want it but maybe maybe if it happens people will stop and listen and changes will happen !!!

Vinnie, I am with you mate. I get no joy out of putting my thoughts out there on this issue, but I do not see an alternative if we want the goose gone. The BOD almost have to be humiliated into getting rid of him. How is this? McGregor has coached us for longer than Wayne Bennett did; and Bennett wanted 5 years and we said NO. It is nauseating.

 

[Coffs dragon]

Every team strives for consistency & our pee brain coach delivers that with team selections. Consistently dumb!

 

[chowiesplatterpoo2]

Brisbane Broncos v St George Illawarra Dragons at Suncorp Stadium (7.50pm)

Broncos: 1 Darius Boyd 2 Corey Oates 3 James Roberts 4 Jack Bird 5 Jamayne Isaako 6 Anthony Milford 7 Kodi Nikorima 8 Tevita Pangai Jr 9 Andrew McCullough 10 Joe Ofahengaue 11 Alex Glenn 12 David Fifita 13 Matt Gillett. Interchange: Kotoni Staggs 15 Jaydn Su’a 16 Thomas Flegler 17 Shaun Fensom. Reserves: 18 Patrick Carrigan 19 Patrick Mago 20 Izaia Perese 21 Gehamat Shibasaki

Dragons: 1 Gareth Widdop 2 Jordan Pereira 3 Euan Aitken 4 Tim Lafai 5 Mikaele Ravalawa 6 Corey Norman 7 Ben Hunt 8 James Graham 9 Cameron McInnes 10 Paul Vaughan 11 Jacob Host 12 Tariq Sims 13 Blake Lawrie. Interchange: 14 Jeremy Latimore 15 Matt Dufty 16 Korbin Sims 17 Luciano Leilua. Reserves: 18 Zac Lomax 19 Reece Robson 20 Mitchell Allgood 21 Jonus Pearson

 

[Dorothy the Winowhore]

My tip.....Corey Oates will outscore our team!