Round 4 v Dogs

[Old Timer]

Take a bex and have a lie down.

Bring your A game next time. This has been thoroughly disappointing.

Yes have to admit it wasn't at all good tonight but I'll pass on the Bex.

I'll have a look at the game tomorrow, see what happens in the team list, read all of the posts from the last few days and see if I can fire up a bit.

 

[Life's Good]

Just a thought.

Would anyone on the forum really believe that so called experts want to see the dragons improve? Many experts are ex players from other teams. When they recommend we should ‘lock down’ a player because ‘ other clubs are circling’ is that believable or that at a certain player is a gifted talent that the dragons must sign?

Reviews by certain others really a genuine attempt to improve things?

Im somewhat counter intuitive on this issue.

One thing is that our roster strength went vastly downhill from 2018. We lost Nene, Leeson AuMau, JDB, All big tough go forward players and metre eaters. Replaced by inferior players.

No recruitment of speedsters and the one bloke who scored 13 blistering trys in 2018 Dufty is dropped off and on and now appears gone as a ball boy.

I get what you’re saying & it’s not unreasonable to say our roster has gone backwards with the loss of the players you mention.
For me, the reason I can’t buy it as an excuse(not saying you are either) is based on 2 things:
- it’s the squad Mary wants(he’s been at pains to point that out)
- Jason Saab, Tristan Sailor etc. etc. are players who have been blooded yet can’t get a look in.
There’s options & variety in our squad. It’s just not being utilised.

 

[Old Timer]

It's bloody terrible seeing us at the bottom of the ladder. 16th out of 16. I never thought that I would see the day when we are last. Shame on the Club and everyone else associated with it.

I have not much interest now in the game.

Cheer up DD this place will explode over the next week or so and you will see what being a Dragon supporter in the Forum is all about.

People will be blaming people, there will be True Supporters and Fake Supporters, there will be apologists and doomsday merchants, there will be those that death ride the team, there will be trolls, there will be all sorts of toys thrown out of cots and in the meantime everyone who says he has lost interest will post something interesting.

Don't be frightened to get up those that disagree with you especially SB 82 & muzby as they love to dish it out but don't really comprehend anything remotely intelligent that you might say back to them so they will try and get you into a vortex and suck you down into the Illawarra swamp.

 

[Gareth67]

Have just now switched the ole Pioneer telly on only to hear Gus - the human football - say to a national audience that “ it is a long term plan for the club , not a short term , both McGregor and the J.V. board are aware of this “ .

Crap - crap and double crap ! And here we all were believing that the end was near , in fact within the next 24 hours .

He also commented that he “ had harsh words with both the board and Mary , but I will not comment on just what was said “ furthermore sacking the coach WILL NOT solve the problem “ ? ? ?

This then gentlemen poses a question - is it we who are deluded and not the Board or Mary or the human football ?

If anyone among us believes in the footy gods then now is the time to pray to them for deliverance from this rugby league board from hell .

 

[dannyt]

Have just now switched the ole Pioneer telly on only to hear the Gus - the human football - say to a national audience that “ it is a long term plan for the club , not a short term , both McGregor and the J.V. board are aware of this “ .

Crap - crap and double crap ! And here we all were believing that the end was near , in fact within the next 24 hours .

He also commented that he “ had harsh words with both the board and Mary , but I will not comment on just what was said “ furthermore sacking the coach WILL NOT solve the problem “ ? ? ?

This then gentlemen poses a question - is it we who are deluded and not the Board or Mary or the human football ?

If anyone among us believes in the footy gods then now is the time to pray to them for deliverance from this rugby league board from hell .

First step is sack the coach.

Unfortunately, sacking the board should be step 2, but we all know that wont happen.

 

[SBD82]

Cheer up DD this place will explode over the next week or so and you will see what being a Dragon supporter in the Forum is all about.

People will be blaming people, there will be True Supporters and Fake Supporters, there will be apologists and doomsday merchants, there will be those that death ride the team, there will be trolls, there will be all sorts of toys thrown out of cots and in the meantime everyone who says he has lost interest will post something interesting.

Don't be frightened to get up those that disagree with you especially SB 82 & muzby as they love to dish it out but don't really comprehend anything remotely intelligent that you might say back to them so they will try and get you into a vortex and suck you down into the Illawarra swamp.

Don’t be like that OT.

You love the swamp and you know it.

 

[getsmarty]

Fail Mary: Miserable Dragons downed by Dogs to leave coach’s future hanging by a thread
NRL Premiership

• June 8, 2020 6:29pm
• by AAP
• Source: AAP

Cameron McInnes of the Dragons (right) reacts after his team conceded a trySource: AAP
Paul McGregor was in a pressure cooker before the game but the heat was cranked up again after St George Illawarra’s 22-2 loss to lowly Canterbury.
After just two wins from their past 14 games, time is running out for the Dragons’ coach to save his job as they lumber through their worst season start since 2005.


And after the Bulldogs scored their first win of the season on Monday at Bankwest Stadium, the Dragons sit last on the ladder as the only team not to taste victory yet in 2020.

A team stacked with representative talent, the Dragons could not form a winning combination despite several changes to the spine which McGregor had hoped would spark improvement.

However, it’s been two consecutive weeks without a try for the Dragons, last scoring against the Panthers in round two back in March.


Corey Norman’s move to fullback did not have the desired result, while it was a tough debut at halfback for Adam Clune who made the team’s only line break. It sets McGregor up for another week of speculation over his future at the club after six seasons in charge.


And while the disappointment intensified for the Dragons, the Bulldogs rallied for Kieran Foran’s 200th NRL game. Foran made his return from a shoulder injury which had threatened to end his season.

Although he was physically spent at times during the game, Foran helped to steer the Bulldogs out of a sloppy opening 10 minutes to a near-perfect completion rate.

Defiant McGregor not quitting


A try to Adam Elliott through the middle put the Bulldogs on the board in the first half, while Nick Meaney and Reimis Smith polished off the win with second- half four-pointers.

The Dragons will play Cronulla on Sunday at Campbelltown, while the Bulldogs will face the high-flying Sydney Roosters at Bankwest Stadium.

CANTERBURY 22 (A Elliott N Meaney R Smith tries N Meaney 5 goals) bt ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA 2 (Z Lomax goal) at Bankwest Stadium. Referee: Henry Perenara.



https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...s/news-story/f94e45852a255242e9ee1213699dbb91

 

[getsmarty]

Tryless in 177 mins and a half who ran the ball just three times: The stats that leave Mary on the brink
Dragons

• June 8, 2020 7:22pm
• Source: FOX SPORTS

Corey Norman and Issac Luke of the Dragons look on during the Round 4 lossSource: Getty Images
These are the damning stats that St George-Illawarra dished up with their coach’s job on the line.

Some Dragons lifted. Others didn’t.

As Braith Anasta remarked in commentary after they coughed up the ball on the Bulldogs’ line close to the 60th minute mark: “It’s a horror show, it really is.


“It’s sad, you watch the game and their first opportunity in forever in good field position and they come to their premier back-rower Tyson Frizell drops it clean.”

Defiant McGregor not quitting


The Dragons failed to score against the Bulldogs. They failed to score against the Warriors.

Not since their Round 2 game with Penrith and a Corey Norman try have the Red V crossed the whitewash. It’s been 177 minutes since they touched down.

Ben Hunt made two errors and got caught on the last tackle. In total, the man wearing the No. 6 jumper made just six runs.

Halfback Adam Clune, who was brought in to partner Hunt, touched the ball just 10 times.

Clune was supposed to take the heat off Hunt and let him run.

Adam Clune looks on in dismaySource: Getty Images
Clune would move the team around, while Hunt would get the ball out wide.

Instead, Clune kicked just twice, while Hunt was forced to do the majority of the kicking along with Norman.

The man Clune replaced, Norman, was deployed at fullback, and made two errors, they completed at 69 per cent and made 14 errors.



There was an improvement in the Dragons’ forwards stocks, however.

James Graham, who copped criticism from legendary prop Steve ‘Blocker’ Roach in the week, ran for 115m.

James Graham reacts after losing to the DogsSource: Getty Images
Tariq Sims matched him, but made two errors. Paul Vaughan hit 121m, but Josh Kerr (78m) and Tyson Frizell (87m).

Winger Mikaele Ravalawa missed three tackles and made an error. Before being substituted Brayden Williame made three missed tackles.

As a team, they made 82 more tackles than the Dogs. Trent Merrin and Blake Lawrie made just seven carries each.

The Dragons have now won just four of 22 games since Round 6 last season. They’ve lost 14 of the last 16, the two wins coming against the Titans.

It’s the first time since 2005 that the Dragons have lost the opening four games of an NRL season.

All in all, it’s pretty damning.

How that affects team selection against Cronulla will be discovered on Tuesday afternoon.

When the side is named, the question remains as to whether McGregor will still be in charge by the time Sunday’s fixture rolls around.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...m/news-story/22fb28b51ed00b2620f537c4fb843780

 

[getsmarty]

James Graham was asked what went wrong with the Red V. He could barely get the words out
Dragons

• June 8, 2020 6:53pm
• Darcie McDonald
• Source: FOX SPORTS

James Graham fronts the NRL360 panelSource: FOX SPORTS
A dejected James Graham could barely string a sentence together after the Dragons’ fourth straight loss on Monday but he says St George Illawarra’s players still have 100 per cent confidence in their besieged coach.

Despite pressure mounting on the club, players and particularly coach Paul McGregor the Dragons still mustered up a poor performance that keeps McGregor’s job in serious doubt.

Graham, a veteran of over 400 games, struggled to put his finger on where it went wrong as the Red V fell to his former club, the Bulldogs, 22-2.

Round 4
“I don’t think I can offer anything mate, look we spoke about these thing sin the week and then I thought the start was us going in the right direction … and yeah, from there we just couldn’t get back into it,” he told Fox League’s NRL360.

“It’s a collective thing and it’s hard for me to remember one particular moment. It’s hard. This game is hard, it’s tough, we just need to find a bit more when the tough times come and we spoke about it in the week.

“We’re not looking for the door, we want to be a part of turning this around and be part of the solution. Tonight, wasn’t good enough was it?”

Graham backed the tactics used by McGregor and the decision to take a shot at goal early on and their playing style.

The lock hit back at suggestions that the play was too negative under McGregor’s stewardship, and said the coach still had the team’s full support.

“Each of the 16 teams in this comp would take the two points there,” said Graham.

“We need to score more points, maybe we’re looking to score too much and we’re not sticking with the process.

“The Dogs’ first try wasn’t off a marvellous play, it was just them sticking to the process that’s how it comes sometimes, they just stuck at it and found a way to get over the line rather than looking for it. Maybe that’s our problem, I don’t know.

“Absolutely [McGregor] has got the support of the playing group, like 100 per cent. I will not go back on that and for anyone to question that, I’ll just tell them now. They’re wrong.”

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...0/news-story/4d562d983bc7ba4f2e2500bcd22d47f4

 

[Gareth67]

Now I have always admired Jimmys Graham’s wholehearted efforts in the Big Red V , but if the man actually said that - the players still have 100% confidence in the maestro - then I am afraid that the time has come for another scan , as he must had sustained some form of injury after all of those concussions .

Sorry Dimmy boy but the maestro must go - for everyone’s sake .

 

[SaintPauli]

Mary needs to step down. The players are not responding to his instructions.
I.e. even though publicly they say they support their coach.

A new coach with fresh ideas will motivate this team.

Some say Dean Young. I don't think he should under current circumstances.
Shepherd or Head okay until years end.

 

[dannyt]

Now I have always admired Jimmys Graham’s wholehearted efforts in the Big Red V , but if the man actually said that - the players still have 100% confidence in the maestro - then I am afraid that the time has come for another scan , as he must had sustained some form of injury after all of those concussions .

Sorry Dimmy boy but the maestro must go - for everyone’s sake .

Agreed, but you'd hardly expect any player to say straight after a game that the coach is a moron, even if it is true.

 

[Dragsters]

And for the first time in St George history we have lost 7 straight in NSW.

Yet another McRecord for the books...

 

[muzby]

Don't be frightened to get up those that disagree with you especially SB 82 & muzby as they love to dish it out but don't really comprehend anything remotely intelligent that you might say back to them so they will try and get you into a vortex and suck you down into the Illawarra swamp.

Lol.. I really am living rent free in your head aren’t I?

It’s so funny it’s almost sad.

Have I made it into your dreams at night?

 

[Old Timer]

Lol.. I really am living rent free in your head aren’t I?

It’s so funny it’s almost sad.

Have I made it into your dreams at night?

You seem to be confused muzby.

You start with a definitive statement and then balk and end it with a soft cock question.

If you want to make a statement by all means do so but don't do it in a way that makes you look uncertain about your own beliefs.

If you want to ask a question then by all means do so but ask it straight up.

To help you along I can advise that if it was a statement that you were a bit too frightened to make then it is incorrect.

If it really is just a poorly asked question then the answer is no.

If it is a question to try and qualify your own beliefs then best ask yourself what you believe as my answer will not be good enough to convince you otherwise anyway.

 

[muzby]

You seem to be confused muzby.

You start with a definitive statement and then balk and end it with a soft c**k question.

If you want to make a statement by all means do so but don't do it in a way that makes you look uncertain about your own beliefs.

If you want to ask a question then by all means do so but ask it straight up.

To help you along I can advise that if it was a statement that you were a bit too frightened to make then it is incorrect.

If it really is just a poorly asked question then the answer is no.

If it is a question to try and qualify your own beliefs then best ask yourself what you believe as my answer will not be good enough to convince you otherwise anyway.

 

[redandwhite4evr]

Tryless in 177 mins and a half who ran the ball just three times: The stats that leave Mary on the brink
Dragons

• June 8, 2020 7:22pm
• Source: FOX SPORTS

Corey Norman and Issac Luke of the Dragons look on during the Round 4 lossSource: Getty Images
These are the damning stats that St George-Illawarra dished up with their coach’s job on the line.

Some Dragons lifted. Others didn’t.

As Braith Anasta remarked in commentary after they coughed up the ball on the Bulldogs’ line close to the 60th minute mark: “It’s a horror show, it really is.


“It’s sad, you watch the game and their first opportunity in forever in good field position and they come to their premier back-rower Tyson Frizell drops it clean.”

Defiant McGregor not quitting


The Dragons failed to score against the Bulldogs. They failed to score against the Warriors.

Not since their Round 2 game with Penrith and a Corey Norman try have the Red V crossed the whitewash. It’s been 177 minutes since they touched down.

Ben Hunt made two errors and got caught on the last tackle. In total, the man wearing the No. 6 jumper made just six runs.

Halfback Adam Clune, who was brought in to partner Hunt, touched the ball just 10 times.

Clune was supposed to take the heat off Hunt and let him run.

Adam Clune looks on in dismaySource: Getty Images
Clune would move the team around, while Hunt would get the ball out wide.

Instead, Clune kicked just twice, while Hunt was forced to do the majority of the kicking along with Norman.

The man Clune replaced, Norman, was deployed at fullback, and made two errors, they completed at 69 per cent and made 14 errors.



There was an improvement in the Dragons’ forwards stocks, however.

James Graham, who copped criticism from legendary prop Steve ‘Blocker’ Roach in the week, ran for 115m.

James Graham reacts after losing to the DogsSource: Getty Images
Tariq Sims matched him, but made two errors. Paul Vaughan hit 121m, but Josh Kerr (78m) and Tyson Frizell (87m).

Winger Mikaele Ravalawa missed three tackles and made an error. Before being substituted Brayden Williame made three missed tackles.

As a team, they made 82 more tackles than the Dogs. Trent Merrin and Blake Lawrie made just seven carries each.

The Dragons have now won just four of 22 games since Round 6 last season. They’ve lost 14 of the last 16, the two wins coming against the Titans.

It’s the first time since 2005 that the Dragons have lost the opening four games of an NRL season.

All in all, it’s pretty damning.

How that affects team selection against Cronulla will be discovered on Tuesday afternoon.

When the side is named, the question remains as to whether McGregor will still be in charge by the time Sunday’s fixture rolls around.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...m/news-story/22fb28b51ed00b2620f537c4fb843780

Soft interview of Mary by NRL 360 crew-when asked if he had lost the support of his team, he of course denied it. Where was the follow up question?- "But your ex-captain Frizzell publicly stated that he wanted to play for a team that would be competing for a premiership (or words to that effect)-and then opted to join Newcastle. Wouldn't his words and actions indicate that you've lost his support?

 

[dragons girl]

Soft interview of Mary by NRL 360 crew-when asked if he had lost the support of his team, he of course denied it. Where was the follow up question?- "But your ex-captain Frizzell publicly stated that he wanted to play for a team that would be competing for a premiership (or words to that effect)-and then opted to join Newcastle. Wouldn't his words and actions indicate that you've lost his support?

Is it not the job of the coach to mentor players?To identify issues ,deficiencies and fix them?Proves to all that Mary has no idea of what he is doing.This has been going on for years and no change from Mary.Bellamy Bennett and co would not have these issues and if players under performed they would be dropped no matter who they were or the money they are being paid.So our players will continue with this pile of crap they are dishing up because Mary has no idea how to fix it. The players won't be dropped because once again Mary has not got the balls or brains to do it. No matter how much you polish a turd it is still a turd.

 

[Warabrook saint]

Have just now switched the ole Pioneer telly on only to hear Gus - the human football - say to a national audience that “ it is a long term plan for the club , not a short term , both McGregor and the J.V. board are aware of this “ .

Crap - crap and double crap ! And here we all were believing that the end was near , in fact within the next 24 hours .

He also commented that he “ had harsh words with both the board and Mary , but I will not comment on just what was said “ furthermore sacking the coach WILL NOT solve the problem “ ? ? ?

This then gentlemen poses a question - is it we who are deluded and not the Board or Mary or the human football ?

If anyone among us believes in the footy gods then now is the time to pray to them for deliverance from this rugby league board from hell .

It shows that the human football is full of shit. He sacked a coach that had his team heading for the finals