Round 3 vs Sharks

[possm]

What happened - we have 2 extra men on the field and we kicked early. Don't they know what an overlap means???

You'd think that the coach would send a message out to Hunt.

 

[thebigredv]

After two home matches, I hate to see how we get reffed when the crowd is against us.

Other than that you can sum up that performance and this team very simply. Poor. We were in the match early, and I was quite impressed with the physicality of the early start we made. Then Sharks started moving the ball and were finding big space out wide. As soon as we lost Su'a, rightly or wrongly, it was curtains.

And that is the Dragons now. Completely echoing the last x amount of years; a brittle football side. We are always there to beat ourselves if the opposition isn't willing to. And when they are on like the Sharks were tonight there is no mercy, nothing but the sheer sadness and embarrassment I feel right now and I hope the players do too.

It is clear we don't have enough creative coaching. Especially on night like tonight. Hunt toils, Bird makes a difference near the line and Zac's got his flick pass. Other than that I would love to play the Dragons if I am the opposition. It doesn't cut it in 2022.

Molo deserves a commendation to be fair. I don't know what to make of the rest of them but I can't get behind this coach much longer.

 

[OneEyedDragon]

Jeeez, it's hard to be a Dragons supporter and stay positive. Our backline should be sensational, but relies on individual brilliance. Our attack coach seems to be as ineffective as our defence coach. Maybe promote Jamie Soward when the NRLW is finished?

 

[denis preston]

There's something missing for sure. Thought the forwards didn't play that bad but Amone & Ramsey need a rest & Sloan better support. Just shows you that you really need to be a special player to perform very well in NRL if you are under 21. Many have & do so a bit of perspective here on those who want career contracts now for a couple of ours. Such a huge pity that Sullivan hasn't been fit as he is the vital missing link in this side. ( Hunt 9 Sullivan 7 ) Yes it's time ( thought it would be 2023 but there you go, more out of necessity rather than forward planning ) Coaching MAY be an issue as well but lets visit this in 10 games time.

 

[OneEyedDragon]

One other thing I have noticed over the last 2 games is that Penrith and the Sharks seem to do everything in attack and defence so much faster than the Dragons. We need to move to a modern game plan.

 

[Dragon David]

No matter who are our coaches and who we sign up, we just don't cut the mustard. The young ones have been built up as the real deal but their efforts in first grade are not first grade quality and people keep saying they are just starting and give them time, but in reality anyone can see that it is beyond them.

As carltonsouth79 has said, Cronulla is on the rise for the reasons said. They knew who to get and they got their men/coach and will be set up as planned to be like the Roosters and Storm. Fitzgibbon has not coached first grade before this year but, he has had a great head coach for many years to learn from.

I didn't bother watching the 2nd half as it was plain to see that we were fighting a losing battle.

No-one in our establishment knows who we need and how to coach them. No-one! Not for many, many years. Great players do not want to join us and the depth just isn't as good as first thought - Reserves playing woefully.

I'm deciding now not to give the Dragons much of my time which is hard for me to accept. The recent distraction of course has not helped on top of the previous ones the names of whom I won't mention. Most partners of the current players would be wondering what the hell goes on at the club.

That's it for me fellas. My years of following the Dragons is at an end.

Very disappointing. Sharks clearly on the rise. Recruited well, sharp, skill full and well coached. Our young guns hitting a wall. Our pack looked slow and one dimensional. Hunt tried hard but halves not creative. We need some changes and a reset for next week.

 

[St_Bondi]

Agreed, we've only got 1 half on the field and only half of the spine is doing anything. It's very poor attacking footy. I mean the forwards are trying but the spine isn't backing them up with anything

It’s all good we’ve resigned Griffin for next year

 

[rasaint]

The chap who surprised me tonight was Sloan. He was dreadful, what happened? He looked slow, disinterested and just didn’t try. Fell off a number of tackles. Not just tonight but Amone has never looked an NRL player to me.
Next week please put bird to 5/8 and roll the injury dice and get Moga on the park.

 

[Crush]

Very coincidental that since Su’a has started with us he’s forever scrutinised by the officials. When at Souths there was never a problem.
I’ve liked him for a while now & he’s still tackling the same way but all of a sudden it’s an issue.
Why???

He’s been sent to the win bin 6 times since 2019

 

[possm]

We need creativity around the halves. Hunt tries hard but just doesn't have the ability to direct any attacking options. Unfortunately it's just not enough in the modern game. We have a decent enough pack so we need direction, combination and form from the halves. The young guys have form playing together so I'd be putting Hunt to 9 (where he's picked for SOO) and bring in Sullivan. Time for a change. The pack will feed off the boys flair and the new boys will feed off the pack. Hunt needs to be on the field and played better tonight but the team needs more from that position and him. A DCE type would know what to do! It won't happen overnight but its what's required moving forward.

Unfortunately, Sloan, Amone and even Ramsey were not up to the task tonight. Suli went missing for much of the time and lady luck deserted the Dragons again.

I agree that Hunt needs to go to 9, but is Sullivan fit and ready? Will he suffer the same fate as Sloan and Armone who are both well below what is needed in first grade right now?
Moga to fullback
Bird to five-eighth.

Griffin has some hard decisions to make for next week.

 

[Dragons4me]

The chap who surprised me tonight was Sloan. He was dreadful, what happened? He looked slow, disinterested and just didn’t try. Fell off a number of tackles. Not just tonight but Amone has never looked an NRL player to me.
Next week please put bird to 5/8 and roll the injury dice and get Moga on the park.

Sloan's in everything. The issue was always going to be whether he could maintain output every game.

 

[JohnnoMcJohnno]

You'd think that the coach would send a message out to Hunt.

He shouldn't have to.

 

[Number of the Beath]

I think Hook will make minimal changes. I think Sloan will be dropped, Ramsey to FB, Moga to come in in the wing as we need another big body bringing the ball back. He won’t move Hunt to 9 and we don’t have another 6 so I’m guessing Amone will get another chance. I really don’t know what Ford adds. JDB has to start for mine.

Ford adds nothing except giving some other bloke who does bugger all a few minutes rest. Maybe we could negotiate a swap for Luciano?
It doesn't matter who plays FB or 5/8 or 1/2 if the forwards don't lay a platform. And they don't. Every now and then they pull off some big defensive hits but it's never sustained for more than three tackles before they start clutching at air and falling over each other. It really is Keystone Cops garbage and you expect better from a coach with Hook's experience. But who I really blame are the brains trust in charge of recruitment. We do not have a single impact player ( like Haas, David Fifita, Fa'asuamaleaui or Fonua-Blake) in the forwards, who bends or breaks the line, draws multiple defenders to him. And we don't have a quality dummy half, and we have a 5/8 and full-back with training wheels on. It's the most spineless spine in the NRL.

 

[JohnnoMcJohnno]

The chap who surprised me tonight was Sloan. He was dreadful, what happened? He looked slow, disinterested and just didn’t try. Fell off a number of tackles. Not just tonight but Amone has never looked an NRL player to me.
Next week please put bird to 5/8 and roll the injury dice and get Moga on the park.

Sloan's performance tonight made me wish we still had Dufty.

 

[Crush]

Stay positive people!
We nearly beat Panthers last week!

 

[kit66]

Well that was embarrassing. Amateur night in the Gong.

It all starts with your Hooker, how come I know this but Griffin doesn't huh ?
Mbye isn't a hooker. Even Amone's 5 minutes at hooker was producing better results than Mbye's stint.
Bite the bullet, Hunt to 9, Mbye or Sullivan into the halves.
Sloane and Amone were extremely disappointing, no contribution at all, nothing. I'm even missing Dufty.

Maybe I should say it all starts with recruitment. You can buy some middling forwards and Suli or you can buy Finucane and Hynes ( who seem to have brought the Storm mentality with them and bestowed it on all their new team mates like magic ).
Fk it I'm going to bed.

 

[be55]

Stay positive people!

Judging by the comments that ship has already sailed...

 

[thebigredv]

No matter who are our coaches and who we sign up, we just don't cut the mustard. The young ones have been built up as the real deal but their efforts in first grade are not first grade quality and people keep saying they are just starting and give them time, but in reality anyone can see that it is beyond them.

As carltonsouth79 has said, Cronulla is on the rise for the reasons said. They knew who to get and they got their men/coach and will be set up as planned to be like the Roosters and Storm. Fitzgibbon has not coached first grade before this year but, he has had a great head coach for many years to learn from.

I didn't bother watching the 2nd half as it was plain to see that we were fighting a losing battle.

No-one in our establishment knows who we need and how to coach them. No-one! Not for many, many years. Great players do not want to join us and the depth just isn't as good as first thought - Reserves playing woefully.

I'm deciding now not to give the Dragons much of my time which is hard for me to accept. The recent distraction of course has not helped on top of the previous ones the names of whom I won't mention. Most partners of the current players would be wondering what the hell goes on at the club.

That's it for me fellas. My years of following the Dragons is at an end.

Perfectly put DD. Don't blame you if you follow through. I'll stick with it longer. I found making it a race to the eight in my mind takes the sting out of losses a bit. We clearly are not ready for competing for a trophy. Something we used to always be in the hunt for.

The "just wait" mantra bandied about by the club and the fans alike is so frustrating. It never eventuated under Mary did it, and the writing is on the wall for the newly-extended coach. Not at all right tonight and no excuses. I mean look at how the media have been into Madge. Another club no one wants to join because it wreaks. At what point do we expect results? Give the fans a date? It only took Fitzgibbon, another who dodged us, one off season to set up what looks to be a cracker of a side.

Yes it's early days, but when you know, you know sometimes.

 

[JohnnoMcJohnno]

Stay positive people!
We nearly beat Panthers last week!

And we won the Charity Shield.

 

[Crush]

Didn’t really watch the game, just the last 20 mins but I’ll say this.
We were ordinary against the Warriors, luckily they were worse.
We weren’t good against Panthers unlike what most thought on here, most teams would have beaten that Panthers team that day the way they played.
Sharks are a better football team than us, proven tonight, better coach, better recruitment, there is a reason why they didn’t re-sign Woods, they are building something unlike us.
We are ordinary, face it.
I reckon we are a solid 8-12 team.
Sharks are a 4-6 team.