Round 4 v Storm

[Draginzaaar]

A minor but disappointing side note to an otherwise inspirational win from the Dragon boys. Chris Minns was spotted by Rothfield in the Storm dressing room. Now I can forgive him for being a Bulldogs supporter while the State Member for Kogarah-I live in Sharks territory and dislike them nearly as much as I hate the Bulldogs- but couldn't he at least adopt the Dragons as his second team while he is representing their area? Even if he visited both dressing rooms, there was no need for him to be anywhere near the Storm on Saturday- unless of course he was in election mode on behalf of Albo.

John Howard was in our dressing room, so Minns probably didn't want to be in there.

 

[Draginzaaar]

Anyone notice Kyle Flanagan backing off when Pappy scored. We did that a lot during the game. When the Storm went wide our outside backs backed off.

 

[Sage63]

John Howard was in our dressing room, so Minns probably didn't want to be in there.

Can't blame him.

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

I’d probably ban pollies from sporting events.

Anyone notice Kyle Flanagan backing off when Pappy scored. We did that a lot during the game. When the Storm went wide our outside backs backed off.

I noticed that too and concluded it was all part of the grand plan.

Flanno snr can claim it was anyway at this point.

Maybe appeal to it being a strategy of the late great Jack Gibson during similar climactic conditions during the 81 season.

I sorely miss those attacking backlines stretched out behind, inch perfect spacing over 25 yards or more.

A thing of great beauty to behold and when in motion.

A lot of junior fans are taught that the old days was just biff and violence, I can vouch for the fact that when the attack was pumping, it was dreamy.

Passing was encouraged, especially inside passing… the object was not to draw a penalty as it is today!

 

[redandwhite4evr]

John Howard was in our dressing room, so Minns probably didn't want to be in there.

Then just go home- going into a team's dressing room is a gesture of support- Minns should have known better.

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

Then just go home- going into a team's dressing room is a gesture of support- Minns should have known better.

Hopefully Minns caught the bus to the ground.

 

[baggygreen man]

Give credit where it's due, Ilias played well today. His kicking game was excellent and his defence is very solid.

Note the work done by Ilias in this try. Shows he does have play making ability. Give us more of this son.

 

[baggygreen man]

and a public dressing down from the coach last week. Good response.

For which Flanno apologised. I respect that and Ilias' 'on the chin' response.

 

[Bayside Dragon]

Note the work done by Ilias in this try. Shows he does have play making ability. Give us more of this son.

Whole-heartedly agree! With the strike power we now have out wide, why wouldn't the coach instruct his halves to just spin the ball out wide? From memory, I don't remember Cronk being much of a ball runner. And people think he was pretty good.

Much prefer to have a link playing half than one that feels he has to be a ball-runner ..burns a tackle caught in the line...or crabs across denying his outside men room to work with.....or holds the ball so long that supports can't judge their runs...or if they haven't run themselves offside already...getting hospital passes for their effort. We've had enough years of seeing how that works.

I think Flanno's angst with Ilias was with game situational awareness....not his use of the ball.

I also think that the dummy-half should take the responsibility for setting up field goals....ie steering direction of first off the ruck runners to get position. Think Cameron Smith.

Lastly, Flanno coming down to the sideline indicates exactly why he lost his shit after the South's game. Wouldn't surprise if he sacks the waterboy and takes that job on as well. (He seems to have taken over every other job in the place.) Fully expect 'down time' for him will be digging trenches and laying plumbing at the new Centre Of Excellence.

And back to Ilias?......He's no pea-heart. We should give him more time in the NRL to develop his game and find his value within the team structure before we jump on the kid. Flanno will make sure he does what he needs him to do. (He knows how to get messages across.) Ilias may not end up being a Cleary or a Thurston or a Cherry-Evans. But I can see him being a Cronk. And how many premiership rings did that guy end up with?

Food for thought, perhaps.

 

[Mojo]

Whole-heartedly agree! With the strike power we now have out wide, why wouldn't the coach instruct his halves to just spin the ball out wide? From memory, I don't remember Cronk being much of a ball runner. And people think he was pretty good.

Much prefer to have a link playing half than one that feels he has to be a ball-runner ..burns a tackle caught in the line...or crabs across denying his outside men room to work with.....or holds the ball so long that supports can't judge their runs...or if they haven't run themselves offside already...getting hospital passes for their effort. We've had enough years of seeing how that works.

I think Flanno's angst with Ilias was with game situational awareness....not his use of the ball.

I also think that the dummy-half should take the responsibility for setting up field goals....ie steering direction of first off the ruck runners to get position. Think Cameron Smith.

Lastly, Flanno coming down to the sideline indicates exactly why he lost his shit after the South's game. Wouldn't surprise if he sacks the waterboy and takes that job on as well. (He seems to have taken over every other job in the place.) Fully expect 'down time' for him will be digging trenches and laying plumbing at the new Centre Of Excellence.

And back to Ilias?......He's no pea-heart. We should give him more time in the NRL to develop his game and find his value within the team structure before we jump on the kid. Flanno will make sure he does what he needs him to do. (He knows how to get messages across.) Ilias may not end up being a Cleary or a Thurston or a Cherry-Evans. But I can see him being a Cronk. And how many premiership rings did that guy end up with?

Food for thought, perhaps.

I liked all of this until Ilias becoming a Cronk. I like the guy but let's not get carried away.

 

[Bayside Dragon]

I liked all of this until Ilias becoming a Cronk. I like the guy but let's not get carried away.

I get your scepticism, Mojo. We shouldn't forget that Cronk played behind some fearsome forward packs. Also had Smith directing play from the ruck. My point was more about the type of player young Ilias could develop into. Not a dynamic, tricky half but a hard-working, solid player with great game smarts.

I think the Dragons pack are a few seasons away from giving our halves the ability to shine week in, week out. We seem to struggle to create forward momentum coming out of our own half.

 

[possm]

I get your scepticism, Mojo. We shouldn't forget that Cronk played behind some fearsome forward packs. Also had Smith directing play from the ruck. My point was more about the type of player young Ilias could develop into. Not a dynamic, tricky half but a hard-working, solid player with great game smarts.

I think the Dragons pack are a few seasons away from giving our halves the ability to shine week in, week out. We seem to struggle to create forward momentum coming out of our own half.

Yes, we are short of two good props at the moment. If we had them now, a DCE would be all we need to be competitive with any team in the comp.

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

Note the work done by Ilias in this try. Shows he does have play making ability. Give us more of this son.

Thanks for posting.

Yeah, it’s a well executed set piece with at least three viable passing options to make metres or go on to score.

The nice thing about it, if young mate doesn’t score, there’s at least 2 or 3 options for someone else to go over or get bloody close.

Illias starts it, but work to be done with bodies in motion and angles.

Lucy had his role and a defender had to step around him.

Gutho has his feet up and is chugging a beer at the end there, and he knew it.

Its nice to score, but also to see the practice pay off.

And they weren’t chronically short on numbers.

And the nice little touch to improve the position. A bit contemptuous. That’s the SGI of old. A bit of a playful fingers up on the way through. A bit of “boss.”

We used to call tries like that “silky” back in the day.

The defence were at sixes and sevens, then it’s all too late. Bellamy would have been furious.

It’s a nice team effort, Illias had the main role, superb, but not the only one!

I think it’s a try Flanno would have loved in particular, as it’s not a flukey freak fest from a Narcissist! He gets to see his plan working. Coaches live for that.

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

And maybe Illias needs another solid pounding if that’s what it brings out in him.

Look at Zac, forced to play on the wing against every bone in his body. So inhumane.

Maybe he turned up to thank Flanno and offer a grovelling apology for his selfishness.

Maybe he’s still at the ground waiting for it?

 

[Bayside Dragon]

And maybe Illias needs another solid pounding if that’s what it brings out in him.

Look at Zac, forced to play on the wing against every bone in his body. So inhumane.

Maybe he turned up to thank Flanno and offer a grovelling apology for his selfishness.

Maybe he’s still at the ground waiting for it?

Yeah, Flanno is old school, alright. Like Ricky and Bellyache. That's okay by me. We've lacked that sort of energy in the place since forever. He's the sort of 'stick of gelignite strapped to a sky-rocket' that we've needed to wake the joint up from its years slumber....basking in the fading glory from an era when half of the modern day fans weren't even born.

Promoting glory days and traditions (of both clubs, I might add) forged many years ago doesn't win too many games on the footy field, unfortunately.

Still very embarrassed by Lance Thompson's memorial match......and that was years ago.

And the slide kept going.....but we still talk on about tradition like it's some sort of mystical ingredient that will infuse our players with match-winning powers. We probably would have done just as well praying to the volcano gods for all the good 'tradition' has done for us for such a very long time.

Yep! bring on the fireworks with the guy whose got gelignite strapped to his privates. God knows that I'm sick of this malaise of ordinariness. And if the players happen to get in the way of a public flogging.....so be it. Embassement can be a very handy teaching tool. Stuff wokeness.

Aaaah!.....I feel so much better having vented my spleen. Good night, all.

 

[Mojo]

I get your scepticism, Mojo. We shouldn't forget that Cronk played behind some fearsome forward packs. Also had Smith directing play from the ruck. My point was more about the type of player young Ilias could develop into. Not a dynamic, tricky half but a hard-working, solid player with great game smarts.

I think the Dragons pack are a few seasons away from giving our halves the ability to shine week in, week out. We seem to struggle to create forward momentum coming out of our own half.

I totally agree with you. I do believe halves are built upon a long term investment more so than natural talent. All the best halfbacks have been ‘students of the game’. It’s very early days indeed but my gut feel is that Ilias does have the ‘smarts’ and is likely to surprise his doubters. I hope we stick with him and he really takes off on this trajectory. Work in progress / watch this space.

 

[baggygreen man]

But I can see him being a Cronk.

Reckon Ilias 'd be happy to be rated alongside Cronk. My pick of our modern era halves.

 

[baggygreen man]

And maybe Illias needs another solid pounding if that’s what it brings out in him.

You spoilt your previous post with this. Doubt Flanno is planning any more of these poundings, already has egg on face with his on record apology. Ilias is big enuff and ugly enuff (an old expression) to take his admonishment on board.

 

[baggygreen man]

Still a touch bothered by our bantam sized bench. Compare ours with the Eels pack. Lets win a few more games then introduce the giant Loko Tonga Jr off the woodwork.

 

[baggygreen man]

Much prefer to have a link playing half than one that feels he has to be a ball-runner

In a perfect world, both is good. Ilias is nippy so like to see him also taking on the line occasionally.