I've said it before. Price is out of his depth and I am sure he knows he is out of his depth.
I don't know why his contract was extended; I suppose at the next Club general meeting maybe someone will be asked this very question. But it appears to be a huge mistake and the only way to remedy this mistake is to replace Price as head coach.
However, if Price had any dignity or if he had any thoughts for the future of our Club, he would resign. He should resign. He should resing now!
It's interesting to see how Price lovers are now blaming the roster for the poor team results however, none of these members will offer up which Dragons players should be let go. In my opinion the following first grade players are performing below their best:
Creagh
Hunt
Weyman
Harrison
Rein
Fien
Soward
Stanley
Cooper
I don't believe all of these players have just suddenly lost form however, I do believe that some of these players are playing below their best because of injury, some of these players are ready for retirement and some are playing this way because they have been poorly coached over the past two seasons.
Creagh
As far as I know he is not injured however, he is playing way below is best. I would say that the combination of poor coaching and his new leadership duties are adversely affecting his game.
Creagh should stay however, I believe we should have a new captain and coach for next year.
Hunt
Not a big forward so he needs to really put in each game to match it with the opposition. Since his contract was last extended his form appears to have dropped off. His poor defensive effort is of particular concern. I believe the coaching staff should have addressed this problem weeks ago.
Hunt should stay however, I believe he is more suited to coming off the bench. Coaching staff should be working with him on his defensive effort.
Weyman
Weyman is suffering from the problem of not being match fit.
Weyman should stay but he needs to get match fit. Maybe a stint in the Cutters until he regains suitable match fitness.
Harrison
Harrison was put forward as the answer to many of our problems in our forward pack. Unfortunately he has not really lived up to these expectatons however, he has shown glimpses of the type of form/skills we believe he can deliver.
Harrison should stay but he needs to perform much better to hold a first grade spot.
Rein
Rein's contract has recently been extended however, his form has been down for the past few weeks. There are other hookers available - Cook, King and Garvey - who could fill the role until Rein's form improves.
Rein should stay and be given a bit of time in the Cutters with King becoming the starting hooker and Cook and Garvey being given time on the bench.
Fien
Fien is now too slow and prone to making vital mistakes. He needs to make way for someone else to fill the halfback position.
Fien should go. He has played a great role over the past few years but his time has come to hang up the boots. Good luck to him if he can gain a contract with another club.
Soward
Soward is on his way and has fallen out with coach Price. I am a great fan of Soward and wish him the best at the Panthers.
Soward should go as soon as possible. The season is just about gone for the Dragons this year so it's time to give some youngsters a go.
Chase Stanley
Chase Stanley has never lived up to expectations. He seems to be a very ordinary centre lacking in defence most of the time. His lack of penetration in attack could be the result of the game plan because the backline rarely are standing deep in attack.
Stanley should go to the Cutters and remain there as a back up centre until the end of his contract. If there is no improvement he should not be re-signed.
Cooper
What a great player Cooper has been for the Dragons. He will go down in our Club's history as one of our all-time greats.
Cooper should hang up the boots. Frequent injuries and a dramatic loss in pace should see him make the decision to retire.
To be honest, I believe we have a talented roster and only need a few top line players to lift the prospects of success. I believe our major problem is related to coaching.
interesting post Possm. You have mentioned & named 9 players that you believe are not playing to their potential & should either leave or be dropped & thats fair enough.
Could you also let us know what players you consider that could be slotted into their position to "lift the prospects of success". I was not prepared to name certain players to leave the dragons as I beleive certain positions need strengthing & I am not sure who is on the current market & whether we could afford them.
You also say that we have a talented roster & only need a few top line players. Isnt this is what the club is trying to do.
I agree the club needs to improve the roster & also agree that if the coach can not considerably improve our position on the table he should not be further appointed.
Until then I still say give him a go & see what transpires.
It also might be noted that since our grand final win, we have lost, Gasnier, Smith, Costigan,Saffy, Scott, Boyd, Young, Hornby & long injuries to Cooper, Stanley.
I dont think any coach would be able to cope with these losses without difficulty.
For the record I will repeat that I am not a Price supporter but a Dragon supporter that feels that a coach whoever it is is given a chance to show his true colours when a stronger playing group is available.
The club is trying to provide the ammunition it is now up to the coach to provide the results.
