Round 5 v Parramatta Eels

[56to66]

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...

It's a very simple play down field, pop the field goal you lead by 13 points not 12, in context of the game it's huge, that comes down to game management by the halves, against Souths once OK, twice in year not good enough.

 

[Gardenia]

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.

Yes I was worried too about the Press conference

Hopefully he is just playing it safe in the media and is still himself

 

[be55]

It's a very simple play down field, pop the field goal you lead by 13 points not 12

Yeah, simple

 

[Auntie.Gerald]

I think we are close to winning more games than loosing more………the gap is so small in our losses

8pt loss vs undefeated Dogs
1pt vs Souths
1pt vs Parra

Luckily I couldn’t get to the game live nor watch live on TV yesterday

I did really enjoy that 15 before half time and 15 after half time with Stewart, Dylan and Couchmen defending the middle all 3 together 20,20,21 yrs age…….

they made it work and they beyond held their own

which then made the last 25mins when Parra could throw it around playing catch up \ well so disappointing that our older very experienced forwards looked sadly well off the pace to close it out

12mins out at 22-20 our senior players needed to take this game be the horns

I thought our halves were solid but let’s be honest it was Nikora and Hudson etc in the game on Thursday night that willed the game with special efforts that Quality experienced players do when it counts. Our experienced forwards need to go a whole new level and make it a wall and a wall that can’t be broken via discipline and steel

that JDB penalty at 6mins to go and added to a couple others he has screwed up last few games was just insane

would Isiah Yep make those same middle penalties a few weeks in a row …….. NO !!!!! And then there is no extra time

We had them at that stage and then would have rolled down field but no !!!!!! Again !!!!

1 win
3 narrow losses and 2 vs form teams

Wins vs Titans and Eagles and we will be 3 and 3

I think we can do it and then the platform starts again !!!!!

but we need to evolving the list now

3 more experienced not needed players to be moved on and 3 more players for the now and future to join the squad in April or May

 

[Gareth67]

It was a good game of footy nevertheless , both sides deserved to walk away with a competition point , but that stinking golden point rule ruin that .

Still the game could had gone either way , the boys played well enough and can hold their heads high , but were beaten by that solitary field goal .

As others have said we move on knowing that the Dragons will be there at the end in each game we play this season however I must say that it was a damn pity we could not throw those big headed eels back into the murky depths of Parramatta river .

 

[justadragon]

Big week for Flanno, I am a big supporter BUT if basically the same side is picked this week I am starting to doubt myself. We have a lot of players out of form & you cant keep picking them hoping things will improve, I look forward to Tuesday !

Going off his PC I cant see much changing if anything.

 

[56to66]

Yeah, simple

Mate, if they can't do that. There's no hope, they might as well play in a second division competition.

 

[R&WTILLIDIE]

I don’t know about anyone else, but I am still gutted after yesterday. Especially seeing Lomax celebrating like he won the GF. Of all people to win it for them. One of the worse losses I’ve witnessed. Sorry. Just need to vent

 

[RedV72]

I don’t know about anyone else, but I am still gutted after yesterday. Especially seeing Lomax celebrating like he won the GF. Of all people to win it for them. One of the worse losses I’ve witnessed. Sorry. Just need to vent

Agreed. If I had thought of the worst possible horror story ending to the game prior to kick-off, that would have been close to it.

 

[possm]

I think we are close to winning more games than loosing more………the gap is so small in our losses

8pt loss vs undefeated Dogs
1pt vs Souths
1pt vs Parra

Luckily I couldn’t get to the game live nor watch live on TV yesterday

I did really enjoy that 15 before half time and 15 after half time with Stewart, Dylan and Couchmen defending the middle all 3 together 20,20,21 yrs age…….

they made it work and they beyond held their own

which then made the last 25mins when Parra could throw it around playing catch up \ well so disappointing that our older very experienced forwards looked sadly well off the pace to close it out

12mins out at 22-20 our senior players needed to take this game be the horns

I thought our halves were solid but let’s be honest it was Nikora and Hudson etc in the game on Thursday night that willed the game with special efforts that Quality experienced players do when it counts. Our experienced forwards need to go a whole new level and make it a wall and a wall that can’t be broken via discipline and steel

that JDB penalty at 6mins to go and added to a couple others he has screwed up last few games was just insane

would Isiah Yep make those same middle penalties a few weeks in a row …….. NO !!!!! And then there is no extra time

We had them at that stage and then would have rolled down field but no !!!!!! Again !!!!

1 win
3 narrow losses and 2 vs form teams

Wins vs Titans and Eagles and we will be 3 and 3

I think we can do it and then the platform starts again !!!!!

but we need to evolving the list now

3 more experienced not needed players to be moved on and 3 more players for the now and future to join the squad in April or May

It is time the Dragons faced the facts and made the necessary changes that are within their control:

Props
We have signed Klemmer and promoted a couple of Junior props. We don't look like recruiting a prop anytime soon, so I say:
1. Leilua the prop rotation, and have him come off the bench. In short stints. He could be a game changer.
2. Suli to edge forward.
3. Ramsey to center.
4. Glover to halfback.
5. Replace wingers Sloan and CT with Finau and Lawson.
6. As Captain, Gutho to move close to the ruck in order to control clutch play situations.

 

[Crush]

I don’t know about anyone else, but I am still gutted after yesterday. Especially seeing Lomax celebrating like he won the GF. Of all people to win it for them. One of the worse losses I’ve witnessed. Sorry. Just need to vent

Wait until we play Broncos and Ben Hunt kicks a field goal to win the game for them, something he never did for us…

 

[Blood Shot Eyes]

I know this is off topic for this post but just watching Storm v Manly.....yes we beat Storm recently but jeez their backline is impressive ....sorry but chalk and cheese to our mob....they are on another planet when they turn it on I'm afraid

 

[R&WTILLIDIE]

Wait until we play Broncos and Ben Hunt kicks a field goal to win the game for them, something he never did for us…

 

[R&WTILLIDIE]

I know this is off topic for this post but just watching Storm v Manly.....yes we beat Storm recently but jeez their backline is impressive ....sorry but chalk and cheese to our mob....they are on another planet when they turn it on I'm afraid

The coach put a rocket up them last week after losing to the shit dragons. That’s the difference between good teams and shit teams.

 

[R&WTILLIDIE]

Wait until we play Broncos and Ben Hunt kicks a field goal to win the game for them, something he never did for us…

10 seconds left, broncos 30 metres out. Ben Hunt receives the ball just off centre. Kicks a field goal, straight down the middle…would’ve made it from 45 metres out the kick was that good. The Brisbane crowd goes wild…final score. Brisbane 41…dragons 0

 

[jeffdragon]

I know this is off topic for this post but just watching Storm v Manly.....yes we beat Storm recently but jeez their backline is impressive ....sorry but chalk and cheese to our mob....they are on another planet when they turn it on I'm afraid

I like the way they attack.

If Storm.score 50.
Manly can't win the comp but we can.

 

[Get2dachopper!]

We were pummelled in the forwards, simple as that. We really needed to sign either RCG, Siafiti or even Lodge. I mean, why did we play silly buggers with Lodge and try to low ball him? He is not even on Manly’s extended bench. We sure could have used his size yesterday.

 

[sammymills]

Playing backyard footy today day with my 4 year old and everytime he scored said ‘king Gutho’ and busted out a gutherino

only positive for me to come out of this game, and good to see we have a player kids can get behind and get excited about.

 

[thebigredv]

I know this is off topic for this post but just watching Storm v Manly.....yes we beat Storm recently but jeez their backline is impressive ....sorry but chalk and cheese to our mob....they are on another planet when they turn it on I'm afraid

Exactly what I commented on pre-game last week. In fact there was an article in the lead up which stated they have a squad worth $14.5m while ours is worth just over $10m...and does it show! We are definitely fighting above our weight division which is explains why we try so hard but lose so often.

We have to get more 'creative' in luring players, and if our club is not interested, well aren't we just suckers as fans.

Storm look the goods. Hard to see many holding a candle to them with Bellamy in charge but the year is long.

 

[Harry Bath]

I think we are close to winning more games than loosing more………the gap is so small in our losses

8pt loss vs undefeated Dogs
1pt vs Souths
1pt vs Parra

Luckily I couldn’t get to the game live nor watch live on TV yesterday

I did really enjoy that 15 before half time and 15 after half time with Stewart, Dylan and Couchmen defending the middle all 3 together 20,20,21 yrs age…….

they made it work and they beyond held their own

which then made the last 25mins when Parra could throw it around playing catch up \ well so disappointing that our older very experienced forwards looked sadly well off the pace to close it out

12mins out at 22-20 our senior players needed to take this game be the horns

I thought our halves were solid but let’s be honest it was Nikora and Hudson etc in the game on Thursday night that willed the game with special efforts that Quality experienced players do when it counts. Our experienced forwards need to go a whole new level and make it a wall and a wall that can’t be broken via discipline and steel

that JDB penalty at 6mins to go and added to a couple others he has screwed up last few games was just insane

would Isiah Yep make those same middle penalties a few weeks in a row …….. NO !!!!! And then there is no extra time

We had them at that stage and then would have rolled down field but no !!!!!! Again !!!!

1 win
3 narrow losses and 2 vs form teams

Wins vs Titans and Eagles and we will be 3 and 3

I think we can do it and then the platform starts again !!!!!

but we need to evolving the list now

3 more experienced not needed players to be moved on and 3 more players for the now and future to join the squad in April or May

Souths were playing a reserve grade team against us and the eels were stone motherless last against any good side in these 2 games we would have been beaten by 50, I am sorry however until I am proven wrong the game against the storm was a fluke they were missing Hughes who was massive against Manly yesterday.