Round 8 vs Roosters

[FlameThrower]

Great win by the boys today !!!

Trouble looms ahead however.

James Graham is simply not making enough metres to justify a starting role. I know we had a short turn around after the Warriors game however in my view LAM should start.

Forwards coach needs to tell Vaughan and JDB to run hard and straight with minimal footwork.

Their first action now seems to be to slow down before the defensive line to step.

Flo had perhaps his best game of the season in the air defending bombs. His lack of speed is a serious problem in both attack and defence. It will cost the team a big game soon.

Full marks to Tariq Sims, he unsettled Cronk with tremendous venom in defence. All the forwards defended well, but we need better go forward.

We need more output from Latimore and Graham.

Dufty made a good tackle to stop Tedesco 1 on 1, however he needs to commit to the high ball and his fellow backs needs to better screen him.

Didn't feel Hunt kicked well today however his general game was very good today.

Team will need to improve if we are to make top 4. The contenders will start to crank up their form as the season progresses.

We won by the way..,

 

[Blood Shot Eyes]

I think Jimmy Graham is playing with an injury, been saying it for a few weeks now....a good break now before Melbourne will help hopefully...like to see young Host get some more playing time......I think the kid has a lot to offer with a bit more experience.....great to see Latimore having a go, hes not a world beater but I thought today he showed us he can contribute when hes focused

 

[Simon]

Don't get me wrong. I am very very happy we won the game.

Fact is Roosters seemed to make many more metres up the middle than our forwards did.

Thankfully our defence in our twenty was amazing. There halves are not as slick as ours at present.

The pressure is building on the forwards. They are human.

We need another front rower capable of making strong metres up the middle.

Latimore is not the answer. James Graham is a tremendous competitor, but we will need more than guts and determination to make top 4.

Team will win many games, but I don't think we can finish in top 4 unless we address our obvious weaknesses which include:

1) Dufty under the high ball
2) Need for another big boppa who can make serious metres
3) Host/Sele getting more minutes to build experience
4) Flos lack of speed

Can’t agree with you on Graham. He ran for over 100 metres today and does regularly. Just because his priority is to land on his belly for a quick play the ball over trying to bend the line doesn’t make him a liability. A team is made up of many different types of players. His line speed in defence and pressure on kickers is also what the team need - this just isn’t noticed as much as doing something special in attack. Graham compliments our other props perfectly.

 

[WoyD4LWoy]

Don't get me wrong. I am very very happy we won the game.
How
Fact is Roosters seemed to make many more metres up the middle than our forwards did.

Thankfully our defence in our twenty was amazing. There halves are not as slick as ours at present.

The pressure is building on the forwards. They are human.

We need another front rower capable of making strong metres up the middle.

Latimore is not the answer. James Graham is a tremendous competitor, but we will need more than guts and determination to make top 4.

Team will win many games, but I don't think we can finish in top 4 unless we address our obvious weaknesses which include:

1) Dufty under the high ball
2) Need for another big boppa who can make serious metres
3) Host/Sele getting more minutes to build experience
4) Flos lack of speed

Can’t agree with you on Graham. He ran for over 100 metres today and does regularly. Just because his priority is to land on his belly for a quick play the ball over trying to bend the line doesn’t make him a liability. A team is made up of many different types of players. His line speed in defence and pressure on kickers is also what the team need - this just isn’t noticed as much as doing something special in attack. Graham complimen

 

[WoyD4LWoy]

I agree simon

 

[WoyD4LWoy]

We won by the way..,

Great win! our defensive effort on the line awesome. The lads get a well deserved rest this week

 

[Dragsters]

Wow.

I very much enjoyed that.

What a dominant performance that was.

From start to finish we were in control.

Even when they had a loads of ball inside our 20, the boys still looked comfortably confident.

Another controlled performance.

With those purple cheating southern scum in good form, next week's clash shapes up as the most important so far this season.

Bring it...

 

[FlameThrower]

So today was a season defining game and a test case for Mary. We won.
The 6 in a row were not acknowledged by some regulars on here. With every excuse rolled out.
We lost last week and knives were out for the team and coach. (warriors on fire last week by the way)
Proud of the Dragons, and I still see room for improvement...but the players are playing for themselves and the coach..
Great too see a full house at Alliance... great game and great event..

 

[hewi]

Who would want to run at or near Sims, the man is a beast. What he did to Cronk was just so good to watch.

 

[kenz272]

Can’t agree with you on Graham. He ran for over 100 metres today and does regularly. Just because his priority is to land on his belly for a quick play the ball over trying to bend the line doesn’t make him a liability. A team is made up of many different types of players. His line speed in defence and pressure on kickers is also what the team need - this just isn’t noticed as much as doing something special in attack. Graham compliments our other props perfectly.

A quick play the ball is way better than bending the line

 

[Gareth67]

Who would want to run at or near Sims, the man is a beast. What he did to Cronk was just so good to watch.

I shed a tear or two when poor old ( the $1mill.) Cronk got bowled over by Mr. Simms.
Its little things like that that bring so much happiness to a sour old berstard like me

 

[hewi]

I shed a tear or two when poor old ( the $1mill.) Cronk got bowled over by Mr. Simms.
It little things like that that bring so much happiness to a sour old berstard like me

A tear of joy to your eye maybe?

 

[Life's Good]

@Cogburn LOL!!!!!!!!

Oh it’s BURNING alright.

 

[kit66]

Very impressive win considering the short turnaround and coming off a tough game against team No2 in NZ. Tired and bruised and possibly jet lagged and we still managed to cruise to a convincing win over the Rorters big pack and what should be a top class backline 1 to 7 ( can't believe they can't score points with that line up ). Terrific defence on our own line all afternoon. The refs nearly killed us in the 1st half with no stoppages sapping the forwards energy but in true spirit the boys did us proud. Well done lads.

 

[giboz71]

Defence was great. Them taking the 2 in the first half was the turning point.

Took a freakish try and touches from all their gun players to get one past us.

We are the real deal this year.

 

[Life's Good]

Who would want to run at or near Sims, the man is a beast. What he did to Cronk was just so good to watch.

I think it’s called a ‘b*tch’ slap.

 

[Blood Shot Eyes]

I shed a tear or two when poor old ( the $1mill.) Cronk got bowled over by Mr. Simms.
Its little things like that that bring so much happiness to a sour old berstard like me

And I will shed a tear or two if Sims does the same to Slater or Smith next week what do you reckon Gareth from one ol bastard to another

 

[Overseas dragon]

I shed a tear or two when poor old ( the $1mill.) Cronk got bowled over by Mr. Simms.
Its little things like that that bring so much happiness to a sour old berstard like me

And don't get surprised the way taraks playing along with a few other forwards .I'm sure Freddy has noticed .......Mary start giving some of the young forwards a run,eg Kerr,etc,etc

 

[Crush]

So did Mary out-coach Robinson today?

 

[rednwhites]

The story at nrl.com reads "Hunt leads Dragons to controversial win over Roosters".

They can write what they want for all I care but really, how can you describe that win as controversial?? Nene's try was lucky (he's had some tries taken from him of late that were probably fair tries), and I wouldn't have been happy as a Rooster though at the same time it wasn't black and white.
It may have been the last straw for the Roosters but we certainly were the more dominant team, and I just don't think the media want to recognise us for whatever reason. You can bet everyone will be talking up the Storm as the team to beat this week. I'm sure that's fine as far as our team is concerned, but I just think it's a bit unfair to focus on that one play which wasn't pivotal in the match.

I never thought we had it in the bag til about the 70th minute but we were by far the deserving team,especially on the back of defence. How about they write about the facts.