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It's not all about hitting holes and solid defence.
What's that, SUCK MURY !!!! No thanks .
Dragons coach Paul McGregor says new recruits can make St George Illawarra genuine competitors
Scott Bailey, AAP
26 minutes ago
AFTER almost four years at the helm, Paul McGregor has a roster of his own choosing and believes he finally has the blueprint to bring extended success at St George Illawarra.
Still fuelled by the disappointment of last year’s late-season capitulation, no other team has purpose-filled the holes in their roster like the Dragons for 2018.
After sitting third at the halfway point of the season, a litany of close losses at the back-end condemned the Dragons to ninth spot.
They trust the expensive acquisition of Queensland playmaker Ben Hunt, giving Gareth Widdop his first recognised halfback to partner since leaving Melbourne in 2014, will go a long way towards solving that problem.
Ben Hunt has a chance to shine at the Dragons. (Jason McCawley/Getty Images)
“We’ve got to add to our game plan and add a bit more around our game management to close out games that we lost when leading at halftime,” McGregor says. “Ben’s an experienced player. He’s played 180 games and wears the No.7 so he needs to execute the game plan and be dominant. Control the tempo of the game and know the situation and what is required.
“He’s got to make small adjustments during the game when something is not going to plan as well.”
The recruitment of Hunt, along with veteran England forward James Graham and the development of fullback Matt Dufty, will further the Dragons’ attacking blueprint.
Still keen to base much of their attack off their high-powered forwards game, Graham will add another element with the ball-playing ability he became noted for at Canterbury.
That could also play into the hands of the more nimble Dufty, who impressed in pre-season to lock down the No.1 jersey following Josh Dugan’s departure.
Matt Dufty has Dragons fans just a little excited. (Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
“I feel with a very dominant half we can play a little bit differently than we have in the past,” McGregor says.
“James can ball play but he can also tuck it under the jumper and use a nice step to find the ground to generate the play the ball.
“There will be times when he will need to do both depending on who we are playing and what time of the game it is.
“We can add a little bit extra, especially with Duft at the back who travels across the field a bit more than a bigger fullback like Josh.
“He has speed and can catch and pass almost like another half.”
Defensively there will be slight changes too after McGregor identified a need for more consistent line speed, as well as fixing a worrying habit of conceding tries after penalties and errors.
Most exciting for McGregor and Dragons fans is the fact that each of their core players is now signed on well beyond 2018.
Hunt will be with the club until 2022, while Widdop has extended until at least the end of 2021. Hooker Cameron McInnes will also be there until then, while Dufty re-signed until the end of 2019.
“We’ve got a good window from the next couple of years,” McGregor says. “The roster is certainly more advanced than it has been in the past.
“Cameron had the best year he’s had in 2017. Gareth got five-eighth of the year and ran third in Dally Ms and then you add Ben Hunt to that.
“We’ve got an exciting prospect in Matt Dufty. It’s now just getting your cohesion right, and to make sure everyone stays hungry and happy.”
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...s/news-story/f0b13f52301e322b301c3cc3ac31d9c4
