Round 5 v Parramatta Eels

[56to66]

Can you ask chat gpt when they will win the gf again? Better yet. Ask it when we will win a game again without having to scrape through for a win?

There's your answer in less than .1 of a second.
To improve their win-loss record, the St. George Illawarra Dragons can adopt the following strategies:

1. Strengthen Recruitment and Player Development
Focus on recruiting high-quality players in key positions, such as halves and forwards, to enhance team dynamics.

Invest in youth development programs to nurture emerging talent and build a strong foundation for future success.

2. Enhance Coaching and Tactics
Implement innovative game strategies tailored to exploit opponents' weaknesses.

Use analytics to refine defensive structures and improve attacking plays, ensuring consistency across matches.

3. Improve Fitness and Conditioning
Prioritize physical conditioning to reduce injuries and maintain peak performance throughout the season.

Introduce mental resilience training to improve focus during high-pressure situations.

4. Build Team Cohesion
Foster a positive team culture that emphasizes collaboration, trust, and accountability.

Organize team-building activities to strengthen relationships among players.

5. Optimize Game-Day Execution
Focus on reducing unforced errors and improving completion rates during matches.

Develop strategies for better decision-making under pressure, particularly in close games.

Adopting these strategies could help the Dragons achieve more consistent performances and improve their overall record.

I think Flanno has found a new assistant, as I have been saying sack the assistants. Its a step by step guide how to run a footy club.

 

[blacksafake]

I was at the game today so please respect my entitled opinion

Yes Ilias is trash and should’ve been drowned at birth , but bloody hell our fowards are rubbish. Wasn’t until I got home and watched replay on kayo I realised how bad it was. We were making 28-35m per set and letting Parra get 60+ on most sets.

why on Gods green earth do we have TS taking yardage hit ups on 2nd and 3rd tackle. Getting out wrestled and pushed back every time.

We have no idea how to apply pressure and keep it on. It’s not all doom and gloom, we aren’t getting smashed but are losing all our close ones which is infuriating.

You’ve overstepped the mark there on Ilias.
Poor taste.

 

[blacksafake]

Might be time to play LKT at 6 but who plays 7 is the issue. Junior is more reliable than Ilias but lacks a big kicking game which is what we need due to our lack of go forwards.

As for Lawrie it’s obvious Flanno has no confidence in him with his limited use & is obviously reluctant to have too many juniors on the bench. He may have no choice but to use LPT the say way.

It’s too late now but defence needs to change. This up & wait is killing us & it’s even worse on our kick chase where there’s no pressure on the catcher & our defence is waiting up to 10/20 metres away at times, whereas our back 3 are getting smashed every single time.

 

[steerlerbab]

I threw in the towel yesterday. Wooden spoon here we come. There is no fight in this team.

My prediction for the rest of the year:

Lose to lowly placed teams by few points (even a field goal).

Lose to topsides by bigger margin (Couple of tries or more).

Occasionally, get a team in their bad day and win a game. Like we did against Melbourne.

 

[since77]

Might be time to play LKT at 6 but who plays 7 is the issue. Junior is more reliable than Ilias but lacks a big kicking game which is what we need due to our lack of go forwards.

As for Lawrie it’s obvious Flanno has no confidence in him with his limited use & is obviously reluctant to have too many juniors on the bench. He may have no choice but to use LPT the say way.

It’s too late now but defence needs to change. This up & wait is killing us & it’s even worse on our kick chase where there’s no pressure on the catcher & our defence is waiting up to 10/20 metres away at times, whereas our back 3 are getting smashed every single time.

I just think it's time to take some chances.

We've seen Lawrie. God have we seen Lawrie. His selection was utterly inexplicable and surprise surprise he was dogsh$t again. As he always is. I just don't understand how this fraud gets picked time and time again. My son was at the game yesterday and reckons Lawrie looks even slower live than he does on TV, if that is possible.
We've seen Sloan. Geez I wanted to like this kid, but his negatives outweigh the positives.
We've seen Illias. Sorry I'm just not seeing anything that tells me he's an NRL halfback.

Get Liddle on earlier. Or shift Cook to lock and play Liddle from the start. Swap if one gets tired. Cook is making some dumb decisions at the end of games - fatigue - but I think his first halves have generally been good.

Roll the dice and play some more young fellas - it helps to flush more of the ingrained losing culture out and brings in speed, enthusiasm and agility. Stewart & Egan haven't disgraced themselves and they have a dig.
Anyone for Lawrie - geez, anyone. Even an orange witches hat.
Finau for Sloan. Finau was killing it in the trials. Should have got first crack this season.
Glover or LKT for Illias - and let Illias have a solid block of time to have a crack in NSW cup to try and find some form - if he has it - I'm not convinced. Our halves do two things - 1. shovel the ball on to the next player. 2. ineffectual kick on the last tackle. We need more than that.

Yesterday's press conference worries me. Unless Flanno was keeping his cards close to his chest and not wanting to look like he was attacking his players and therefore have the media circle like after the Souths game.....
I thought he would be fuming, instead he seemed almost ok with it. Very disappointing.

Huge shame to see Gutho put in so much effort to be let down by a team that at its core still doesn't have a soul.

If I see Lawrie again, that's it, I'm done. I'll watch again next year.

 

[56to66]

When faced with weaker halfback and five-eighth players compared to other teams, implementing specific processes and game plans can maximize their effectiveness:

Processes to Develop Players
Skill Development: Focus on improving core skills such as passing, kicking accuracy, and decision-making under pressure through targeted drills.

Game Awareness: Teach players to read the game better, identifying weaknesses in opposition defenses and exploiting gaps.

Confidence Building: Use positive reinforcement and structured gameplay to boost their confidence during matches.

Game Plans to Support Weak Halves
Simplify Roles: Reduce the complexity of their tasks by focusing on short passes and structured plays close to the ruck.

Use Forward Dominance: Shift the attacking focus to the forwards, keeping play tight and minimizing reliance on halves for expansive plays.

Target Opposition Weaknesses: Train halves to identify slower defenders or poor tacklers in the opposition and direct play toward them.

Supportive Structures: Position experienced players like hookers or fullbacks nearby to assist in decision-making and execution during critical moments.

Additional Strategies
Kick a field goal, if leading by 2 converted tries as a back up strategy!

 

[Old Timer]

Have been reading lots of comments re our halves, our wingers, our forwards, our bench our this, our that and to be fair there is some merit in most of those themes.

However, despite any merit in those comments and the criticism of individual players the fact remains twice we led by 12 points and twice we lost.

So to me that means that we are still the mental cripples we have been for so long and have no idea how to close out games consistently.

I acknowledge we do scratch out a few wins but few is the operative word and the fact is we don't do it nearly enough or consistently.

This is a critical area we failed to have sustained improvement in. If we had won 50% or more of those close games our last 10 years would have looked very different.

The simple fact remains we have got into winning positions and the players on hand were good enough to do that but in the end game management and decision making is still poor and hampers our chances.

If I am correct with this assumption then who does the responsibility to fix that sit with, individual players, senior players, leadership team, coaches, game plans?

I note all the criticism and laughter about Ryles as a senior coach especially after a couple of rounds but I actually do see real improvement in what they are doing week on week and how they are growing as a team and that culminated with great improvement starting in their 2nd half against Melbourne and then sustained improvement to beat us. They are growing as a team.

I then look at us and scratch my head in wonder because I don't see that type of improvement or growth as a team what I do see is individual improvements and effort such as our young gun forwards and the likes of Gutho but that is overshadowed by poor decision making both on and off the field and for me the majority of that poor decision making is ingrained and our coaches have not been able to change it.

As I said yesterday 12 in front 20 to go kick a field goal and make them score 3 times and heaven only knows we have never been good at kicking a field goal late in a game let alone in extra time.

It just never enters our heads and that is bewildering to me because what we are doing isn't working.

 

[Parko1310]

Might be time to play LKT at 6 but who plays 7 is the issue. Junior is more reliable than Ilias but lacks a big kicking game which is what we need due to our lack of go forwards.

As for Lawrie it’s obvious Flanno has no confidence in him with his limited use & is obviously reluctant to have too many juniors on the bench. He may have no choice but to use LPT the say way.

It’s too late now but defence needs to change. This up & wait is killing us & it’s even worse on our kick chase where there’s no pressure on the catcher & our defence is waiting up to 10/20 metres away at times, whereas our back 3 are getting smashed every single time.

I really don't rate Ilias at all, but as you've said Kyle can't kick long to save himself. Considering we told Ilias he's the 7, it may be time to assist him in whatever way we can for the best chance of some success. I don't think he'll have success because I don't think he's good enough, but for mine LKT should come in for Kyle. Kyle's form has unsurprisingly been well below standard.

LKT has a crisp passing game, better speed off the mark than Kyle does, and a better short kicking game. Not to mention he is more of a running half, which could complement Ilias much better. Him and Kyle are too similar. I think the passing game LKT has with the added running threat will serve us well on our sweeping plays as well. There have been many occasions this year already where Kyle either throws the wrong pass, throws the pass too late because he's a slow operator or correctly goes himself but doesn't have the pace to get through. LKT is better than him in all of these facets. Not to mention I love his support play, and his defence is more than sound. We don't lose much, if anything, by dropping Kyle and playing LKT in my view. But there is plenty to gain. Won't happen because he's Flano's son though unfortunately

 

[since77]

Have been reading lots of comments re our halves, our wingers, our forwards, our bench our this, our that and to be fair there is some merit in most of those themes.

However, despite any merit in those comments and the criticism of individual players the fact remains twice we led by 12 points and twice we lost.

So to me that means that we are still the mental cripples we have been for so long and have no idea how to close out games consistently.

This is it isn't it?
At 20-8, I, a humble keyboard warrior sitting in my lounge room, knew that we were 100% capable of screwing this up. Why? Because we have all watched it for over a decade now. They just find ways to lose. They're so mentally weak and so F^&*@#g dumb when the game is on the line. And as the game went on, I just sat there thinking, well I've seen this before, I know what happens next........
They're just so used to f$%^ing things up. Like you, I am so sick of watching it.
I have no answers except to keep flushing the old guard out, even if that means cutting some of the better players from the old guard. They're so used to losing.

By the way, I wouldn't get too enthused about Parra yet. They were SO there to be taken yesterday. Only we lose that game - the good teams would have put at least 30 on them. They were very ordinary for most of the game and stupidly we kept them close enough to give them a sniff. Then we imploded as usual. Most other teams in our position finish them off. But not us of course. Because we're the Dragons. That loss was unforgivable IMO, even worse than the Souths game.

 

[R&WTILLIDIE]

There's your answer in less than .1 of a second.
To improve their win-loss record, the St. George Illawarra Dragons can adopt the following strategies:

1. Strengthen Recruitment and Player Development
Focus on recruiting high-quality players in key positions, such as halves and forwards, to enhance team dynamics.

Invest in youth development programs to nurture emerging talent and build a strong foundation for future success.

2. Enhance Coaching and Tactics
Implement innovative game strategies tailored to exploit opponents' weaknesses.

Use analytics to refine defensive structures and improve attacking plays, ensuring consistency across matches.

3. Improve Fitness and Conditioning
Prioritize physical conditioning to reduce injuries and maintain peak performance throughout the season.

Introduce mental resilience training to improve focus during high-pressure situations.

4. Build Team Cohesion
Foster a positive team culture that emphasizes collaboration, trust, and accountability.

Organize team-building activities to strengthen relationships among players.

5. Optimize Game-Day Execution
Focus on reducing unforced errors and improving completion rates during matches.

Develop strategies for better decision-making under pressure, particularly in close games.

Adopting these strategies could help the Dragons achieve more consistent performances and improve their overall record.

I think Flanno has found a new assistant, as I have been saying sack the assistants. Its a step by step guide how to run a footy club.

Is chat gpt looking for a coaching job? It all makes sense to me and would cost less than paying the current underperforming coaching mob.

 

[InFlannoWeTrust]

Soooo here we are again.
one great win followed by a shit loss. Typical dragons fashion. But surely we knew that was a huge chance of happening.
Read through peoples comments, mentioning changes , structure etc.
Honestly though, to be in it all season (maybe besides dogs game) and losing I don’t think much needs to change personnel wise.
If CT makes that catch we probably win.
if Sloan keeps a foot and scores in we definitely win.
People saying effort isn’t there. Well it is cause I think we offer quite abit in attack and defence. And as flanno said, stupid f**king errors coming out of yardage is costing us every loss!

You can tell Flanno doesn’t want to play lawrie by the minutes he got. And again minimal output.

And honestly, love Sloan as a kid/attacking ability but ffs we cannot have a small frame like that brining a ball out of our the back.

changes for me :

- Sloan for Finau
-Loko for Lawrie.

Yes illias kicked out on the full but lads we weren’t making any f**king meters due to our lack of forwards ! He should never have to be kicking within our 40m line.

Also mentioned by Flanno refs put the whistle away during extra time!
Go look at the f**king markers & first man off the line for Holmes attempted FG.
(I’ll post photo)

 

[Veteran Dragon]

I

I admire your passion. But your comment, 'we can't afford to have players like Kyle' is the point. Kyle is exactly the kind of player we can 'afford'. I'm pretty sure our players and the coach know their limitations. Why can't our management put a decent roster together?

I agree about Kyle, the team fell apart in those last year‘s needed to win last 3 games to make the semis. Kyle was suspended for those games because of that lying NRL golden boy Crichton. The team then lost it‘s way in those games with a disinterested Hunt running the show. Also he would have to be one of the best defensive 5/8s in the NRL which is also a bonus.

 

[Blood Shot Eyes]

Might be time to play LKT at 6 but who plays 7 is the issue. Junior is more reliable than Ilias but lacks a big kicking game which is what we need due to our lack of go forwards.

As for Lawrie it’s obvious Flanno has no confidence in him with his limited use & is obviously reluctant to have too many juniors on the bench. He may have no choice but to use LPT the say way.

It’s too late now but defence needs to change. This up & wait is killing us & it’s even worse on our kick chase where there’s no pressure on the catcher & our defence is waiting up to 10/20 metres away at times, whereas our back 3 are getting smashed every single time.

I agree....been saying this for weeks now re our kick chase....unfortunately Illias just doesn't give the ball enough air/hang time which in turn makes it difficult for our (slow as they are already) chases time to whack the receiver before they have galloped 20 metres....I understand he is trying to get distance but his trajectory is to flat....maybe having badly broken his kicking leg last year has something to do with it or it's just his ability I'm not sure .....the advantage teams like the Dogs (Burton) Panthers (Cleary) Manly (DCE)
Raiders...Storm etc is huge

 

[jeffdragon]

Soooo here we are again.
one great win followed by a shit loss. Typical dragons fashion. But surely we knew that was a huge chance of happening.
Read through peoples comments, mentioning changes , structure etc.
Honestly though, to be in it all season (maybe besides dogs game) and losing I don’t think much needs to change personnel wise.
If CT makes that catch we probably win.
if Sloan keeps a foot and scores in we definitely win.
People saying effort isn’t there. Well it is cause I think we offer quite abit in attack and defence. And as flanno said, stupid f**king errors coming out of yardage is costing us every loss!

You can tell Flanno doesn’t want to play lawrie by the minutes he got. And again minimal output.

And honestly, love Sloan as a kid/attacking ability but ffs we cannot have a small frame like that brining a ball out of our the back.

changes for me :

- Sloan for Finau
-Loko for Lawrie.

Yes illias kicked out on the full but lads we weren’t making any f**king meters due to our lack of forwards ! He should never have to be kicking within our 40m line.

Also mentioned by Flanno refs put the whistle away during extra time!
Go look at the f**king markers & first man off the line for Holmes attempted FG.
(I’ll post photo)

Why is Holmes so deep?

 

[st george tragic]

I threw in the towel yesterday. Wooden spoon here we come. There is no fight in this team.

My prediction for the rest of the year:

Lose to lowly placed teams by few points (even a field goal).

Lose to topsides by bigger margin (Couple of tries or more).

Occasionally, get a team in their bad day and win a game. Like we did against Melbourne.

Hello Mr negativity

 

[be55]

I can't for the life of me work out why so many people are getting worked up over the halves. Yes, they probably aren't 1st grade standard, but they weren't the problem yesterday. Yesterday we lost the game in the middle, and the stats tell you that. Our back five all ran for over 130 m, telling you how much work we had to do bringing the ball out of our own end of the field. Our only forwards to crack the 100m mark were Couchman and Su'A. We had very little impact from anyone else. I thought Egan went well, but the rest were ordinary. Klemmer, Luc, and Jack barely broke the 20m mark with their post-contact, a telling statistic that shows you Parramatta's dominance in the middle.

Looking at their stats, you see a massive 190m for Paulo with nearly 80 post-contact, and their two back rowers, Lane and Kautoga, running for 90m and 130m, respectively, and both just shy of 50m post-contact. Hopgood, also just shy of 100 m, and Dylan Walker, 143m. It tells you the story. We lost the middle, plain and simple. And you can rest assured that it won't be the last time that happens this year. Complaining about the halves is like whingeing about a dislocated finger when your whole arm is broken and in a sling. In saying that, I'm not making excuses for them. Flanagan was missing in action for most of the game, and Ilias wasn't much better.

At the end of the day, in the off-season, we needed to recruit middles, and we didn't. And it's not like these players weren't available. I remember when Sitili Tupouniua was mentioned, and we didn't end up chasing him, which I found baffling since every man and their dog knew we looked forward light coming into this year. Does anyone seriously think we couldn't do with a player like Sitili now?

I have a terrible feeling that yesterday's formula will be repeated time and time again this season, and there's nothing we or the players who end up playing in the halves can do about it...

 

[InFlannoWeTrust]

Why is Holmes so deep?

Probably because he knew the ref wasn’t going to call offside . So either a charge down or an actual attempt.
forwards needed to get us into positions and they didn’t.
really really missing a forward

 

[56to66]

Is chat gpt looking for a coaching job? It all makes sense to me and would cost less than paying the current underperforming coaching mob.

There are AI agents out there that can do the majority of the Brains work when it comes to tactics and game plans, it's the mental, emotional and attitude part of the game. That's where the difference of having a top coache comes into play example wayne bennett

 

[Tomaraque]

The halves have been copping a bit of stick here. They both do appear to have the 'journey men' look about them but they are playing behind a troubled pack of forwards.

For some reason I can't get too scathing towards them, maybe they are not up to it but I have no doubt they do the best they can.

One thing I can say is that they are 100% professional and bring their bodies to the game in the best condition to play.

I can accept they may not be up to the level of skill we need.

Without getting personal, there are 2 forwards we have that are not even giving us a chance by coming into the field in professiinal shape.

One is a bog average player and the other goes missing while trying to give the appearancec of being in the game, makes one damaging run once in a while as well as a decent hit now and then.

They both have truck bodies with two stroke motors.

The lack of proper fitness reflects on them and sends a poor message to the rest of the team.

Yep, can accept the halves have issues but my axe would fall on the 2 that have issues before they run onto the park.

 

[R&WTILLIDIE]

There are AI agents out there that can do the majority of the Brains work when it comes to tactics and game plans, it's the mental emotional bring an attitude part of the game. That's where the difference of having a top coaches comes into play example wayne bennett

I think Flanno is a great coach. The issue is, he’s got some dogshit players in crucial positions. That is Ilias and Flanno jr (who we all now is untouchable) plus, no top player actual want to come to this club. Us supporters are up shit creek