Season Over?

[Drain the Dragon]

A team or athlete can only win against opponents they are playing.

Melbourne were not in the finals 2010.

The way I see it the Dragons have a point to prove the same as the Knights after they won 1997 in a split competition, then completed their unfinished work 2001 with a full competition.

This point may not be talked about, but somewhere deep down in the gut or the subconscious brain, it's there waiting to be fulfilled... not just a patch work.

Let me get this straight: what you're saying is that until the Dragons win a comp containing a club that cheated the salary cap - in a completely systematic and calculated way for several seasons on end - that our premiership of 2010 doesn't really mean anything?

If that's what you're saying then you have no idea of sportsmanship, fair-play, or for that matter, life in general.

Cheats always get found out eventually, and are dealt with according to the laws of the game.

That can't possibly reflect in an adverse way on whoever ultimately wins a competition containing a cheat. You play who or what is in front of you at the time, which is all anyone can do. What the cheat has done is clearly their issue, not ours.....

 

[getsmarty]

Let me get this straight: what you're saying is that until the Dragons win a comp containing a club that cheated the salary cap - in a completely systematic and calculated way for several seasons on end - that our premiership of 2010 doesn't really mean anything?

If that's what you're saying then you have no idea of sportsmanship, fair-play, or for that matter, life in general.

Cheats always get found out eventually, and are dealt with according to the laws of the game.

That can't possibly reflect in an adverse way on whoever ultimately wins a competition containing a cheat. You play who or what is in front of you at the time, which is all anyone can do. What the cheat has done is clearly their issue, not ours.....

Well said Drain

 

[theo]

Guys, I'm a Dragons fan and Illawarra before that. And I was gutted losing 1999.

I'm not endorsing cheating but the way Melbourne played and won the Minor Premiership last year proved they could still continue to win without cheating.

What happened to us second half last year? We played as if we had arthritis. Something expected only of a bloke at my age. My age being 48.

My experience with respect to health and safety has taught me not to over read and under read situations. So when we are shephards we act accordingly and when we are sheep we act accordingly.

Granted writing is a communication skill and because of the impersonal nature of a computer screen there are times it is hard to connect with the reader, unlike face to face and telephone.

And curb your foul language. The referee may penalise us.

 

[chemics]

Sickening disgraceful yep all over

 

[siknick]

Sickening disgraceful yep all over

+1

 

[gypsy]

Points from tonight:

- Nathan Green is NOT a first grader. He offers nothing. He is slow, has terrible hands, and is completely out of his depth.

That is all.

 

[pleasehelpchoking]

Predictable attack, we've got nothing!!
Making the eight would only torture us for an extra week!
Problem is next year could be another long year at this stage:-(

 

[pleasehelpchoking]

Unlucky look where my sad mouth ended up!

 

[Willow]

A team or athlete can only win against opponents they are playing.

Melbourne were not in the finals 2010.

The way I see it the Dragons have a point to prove the same as the Knights after they won 1997 in a split competition, then completed their unfinished work 2001 with a full competition.

This point may not be talked about, but somewhere deep down in the gut or the subconscious brain, it's there waiting to be fulfilled... not just a patch work.

Ah Theo, you seem like a nice bloke and I'd talk footy with you any day, but that post really missed the mark.

The Melbourne myth was busted in 2011. They had the chance to prove themselves with a 'legal' team in the finals but couldn't get past the Warriors in the preliminary.

In 2010, we won and we won well. It was one for the true believers.

 

[mmap dragons]

RIP season 2012. Don't deserve to make the 8 to be honest. Everything to play for and they put up that tripe against a side that can't make the 8 and has been rubbish of late. Price just doesn't seem to have the capacity to get any consistency from them.

If Price views Green as a long term Centre option, God help us.

 

[hardbaby]

Losing is bad. Losing in that manner is very disappointing. I had a bad feeling about this game. And that's the worst bit. Of all the up-coming games, why would I feel bad about that one?

 

[namecaps]

We will probably have another 31 years of wait time for changes at the top Doust put his good mate brown as coach when we had most of the Australian side playing for us could not get even one premiership. The Dragons was bennets 3rd choice to leave brisbane, Cowboys did not want him Easts had him but could not keep quiet about it so the Dragons got him and we got a premiership and a cupboard full of other trophys but in his last year it seemed he had enough of St george as he spent a good part of the season setting himself up at newcastle.
So when they know he is going does the hierarchy do what all other clubs do and try and get a good tried and tested 1st grade coach no they choose price whose only record was he hid in the shadows for 3 years behind bennet so now we have to reap the woes of their decision.
Now Price is running round beating his chest like he is the best coach who ever took breath and saying he will not let Soward back in first grade and drops him, Soward is one of the best players we have if price was even one tenth the coach that Soward is a player we would be up in the top 4 and it seems almost certain they will drive Soward out of St George Price.
Hornby is saying he is going to play another year when he should have went last year makes to many errors now and when a good player comes on the market none want to go near St George and go to clubs that have good 1st grade coaches basically we have only got a brisbane player this year while other clubs that are doing as bad or worse than us are buying top coaches and three or four new players.
Just the thoughts of a very long time Dragon supporter.

 

[rasaint]

Lots of good comment. However this is so simple. You don't win competitions without top class players. Bye Bye to Gasnier, Boyd, Smith, Costigan. No Scott, Weyman, drop Soward, but hello Green, Neville Nuffy whoever...arrrhahahaha

 

[This Year?]

After winning last week I thought (albeit with blind faith) they had turned the corner, but then tonight happened. These next four weeks, the finals and the off-season are going to feel like an eternity.

 

[TheRev]

- Season was actually over a long long time ago, you cant just throw a bunch of players into new positions so late in the season, and expect them to form lasting combinations against hardened opponents. Not against top class sides over a sustained period.

- The strange thing though is we really did play ok tonight, so many near misses, and some really soft tries against us... but its been the same thing all year... just missing that finishing touch, or a touch of individual class.

- To be fair to Green, he should have had quite a few more games under his belt by now, likewise with Chase & Kyle Stanley, it took too long to get these kids the experience they needed, before throwing them into virtually sudden death football.

 

[gypsy]

- To be fair to Green, he should have had quite a few more games under his belt by now, likewise with Chase & Kyle Stanley, it took too long to get these kids the experience they needed, before throwing them into virtually sudden death football.

Can't agree with this.

There are very few rosters in the comp with as much experience as ours. It's not like Green was thrown into the deep end on his own. The fact is kids from other clubs have excelled playing with much less experienced team-mates.

The big issue here, is that Green had a few games at the start of the season. He would have identified issues and shortfalls with his game surely (because there were plenty).
He had a lot of time to build on things when he got put back to reggies, also a lot of time to spend with our outside backs at training, the likes of Cooper and co. to help him along. Then he gets a chance....surrounded by quality, experienced players, he has an absolute Mick Crocker. He showed no signs of progression from the start of the year, and has ultimately cost us a crack at the semi's, simple as that.

Not good enough.

 

[blacklock]

- Season was actually over a long long time ago, you cant just throw a bunch of players into new positions so late in the season, and expect them to form lasting combinations against hardened opponents. Not against top class sides over a sustained period.
.

thats exactly the issue that the tigers faced even before the injuries hit. musical chairs never works in the nrl.

 

[Breathingfire]

The thing that really gets me about the way this team is run and the recruitment etc is that no one in the place seems to be able to identify good players from bad players.

Why would you re-sign a player like Green who very obviously is not fast or skillful enough to be a good first grader?

Why does Prior get picked every week?

Why do we persist with both Stanley's when they are clearly far too injury prone and lacking the leg speed from so many knee operations?

Why do we keep players that a clearly past their use by date? (Hornby/Cooper/Fien)

If you want to win you need to identify the ingredients that are missing and go about finding them. Its almost as if the club is happy to just field a team and if you get your foot in the door slightly then bask in the knowledge that you'll always have a place at the Dragons.

FFS...make some tough calls. Cut the Stanley's and f**k Green off...Piss off the old bastards as much as I love em...buy some YOUNG/fast/athletic players and build a team from scratch.

Next year the side should look like this

1. Cummins (fast and young)
2. Morris (fast and young)
3. Vidot (big fast and young)
4. Beale (very very fast, young and skillful)
5. Nightingale (machine)
6. Buy someone that hasn't had 1000 knee operations
7. Soward (great kicking game)
8. Hunt
9. King (Creative)
10.Weyman
11.Creagh (needs to harden the f**k up)
12.Frizzell (Young and skillful)
13.De Belin (will improve)

14.Rein
15.Marketo
16.Merrin
17.??? someone preferably not shit like Prior/Miller/Matthews/Au Mau and co.

 

[West coast dragon]

Yep season over price has to go!and go now please ,he's going to send that club to the bottom of the ladder there's just nothing there to look forward to on current form!the Soward drama will deteriorate to the point of him leaving and I'd say he's halfway out he door already unless another coach is appointed price has started to lose the locker room so mr doust thank Steve for his efforts and go and get the type of coach this great club deserves.its painfully obvious that he's out of his depth and a couple cheap wins against wounded opposition clearly has him deluded and the same old rehearsed lines that he dishes up week in week out is bloody frustrating to watch and the only silver lining is the season will be over in four weeks ! Rip 2012!

 

[Mr Red]

Don't be too hard on green he will be a star when he moves to the back row... Following In the same footsteps as creagh and mckinnon ... A back who obviously is more suited to lock when he fills out in a season or two with a good pre season under his belt