Some positives out of tonight's game

[Slippery Morris]

There are no positives. Saints played better when the dogs hit 28 so it shows that the dogs just put the cue in the rack. When Saints got to 20 they still had time to win the game but the dogs stepped up a gear and kept the dragons scoreless.

Thinking there was a positive is scary cause being down 28-6 after 45 mins is pretty poor. And the tries the Dogs scored where soft. What Gould was saying in the first half is true. They look like a team with no confidence.

If I had to take some positives out of the game it would be this:-
- Vidot did not drop any balls. He caught everything and is starting to show his true potential.
- Chase Stanley finaly came on and looked OK.
- Merrin and Marketo were the 2 best players on the field.
- 2nd try was the best try they have scored all season. Soward's kick was a peach and Vidot's finishing
was good.

 

[blacklock]

- 2nd try was the best try they have scored all season. Soward's kick was a peach and Vidot's finishing
was good.

reminded me of the gaz try in the gf.... just perfect. also the leadup work and support play preceding it when they made the break was great.

 

[drunkidiot]

I truly think soward is starting to show his freakish nature again this game. He did make a couple of errors but was coupled with 3 try assists (one was an absolute blinder) and he felt genuinely scary in attack. I'd like to see him show some consistency and play like this next week.

 

[This Year?]

The only positive from tonight was that Dean Young got to 200 1st grade games.

 

[st.phil]

I dont understand the forum love of the word merkin

 

[This Year?]

Well you can't say it in Canada if you're Kevin Bloody Wilson.

 

[nontime111]

Keep throwing the ball around Dragons!!!
That attack is MORE LIKE IT!!
MORE MORE.......next year with Beale and Cummins we should slay em all if we keep being positive and actually playing the game with more FIRE and having a go in attack!

 

[dragoncountry]

want some good news boys, hornby playing on next year and will re-evaluate mid year for 2014, loving his footy he said. god help us.

 

[Como Connection]

"Ben Hornby was always probing" !!!
OK I have been trying to work out what the f he's been doing for the last 2 years.
I think you have solved the problem for me -
My Reader's Digest Pocket Dictionary tells me -
Probe - "Device for exploring otherwise inaccessible place"
I can now watch with game in peace and marvel at his attempts to enter these inaccessible places. Happy days are here again !!

 

[Efresh]

Soward is putting his hand up as next captain. There were several times last night where he ran around to the other side of the ruck to get in-between Hornby and dummy half on the last to make sure he got the kick and not Hornby.

I thought Sowards's side of the field looked in good order whenever the ball went there. The left side was a shambles though, players getting in each others way and generally looking like they have no idea how to play.

 

[Efresh]

I dont understand the forum love of the word merkin

It is what the forum profanity filter turns the C word for "beef curtains" into. Try it.

 

[TheRev]

- Nice for our confidence (we needed to score tries and learn that repeat sets are actually possible), but scoring points after the other team falls asleep is not particularly meaningful, all the bottom teams have done it this year against better sides.
- The comeback was inspired by Marketo's run, someone finally did something other than settlers + a 5th tackle bomb.
- I've grown tired of repeating the same advice I had in Round 2 (before we were in this hole), but by the end of that game, the backline was looking pretty close to what it should have been all year, Flo was @ Fullback, Morris was back on his wing, Vidot was on the Right (id like to trial him at centre at some point) & Chase was @ Right Centre, thats everyone pretty much in their best positions... frustrating to see Flo make mistakes on the left, hes not used to it... and im sure he could learn given 12 months, but why mess with him when its unlikely to be his permanent position. Meanwhile Morris actually scored his try chiming in outside Cooper...

 

[Bring back choc]

The only positive is we minnised the damage. But the bulldogs stopped playing.
Really evident last night that Steve price doesn't have a game plan. He doesn't have anything.
Majority of our forwards jus weren't having a dig in the first half. Haven't seen that for a long time.
They improved in second half, even hunt, but all too late.
Not good enough. The season is gone now that's for sure.
Change is needed.

 

[FlameThrower]

............Missed the game, but kept up with the score on the phone. what rubbish to give away 20+points start, this has happened a few times before and it points to attitude, forget the refs, we help them along with dumb penalty's. I really feel, the team has some dressing room issues and conflict, we can't go from one of the best in defence, line meters and discipline to this without other "factors".
Sorry i've got little or no faith in Steve Price as a coach, if the answer is to throw away the "game plan" and go for ad-lib stuff in the 2nd half, then that surely must say whatever Plan was worked on/trained on failed?

 

[64 Dragon]

Without Jamie Soward we were nothing. I have never seen a team make as many mistakes in one half of footy than the Dragons first half last night.

And kicking out on the full again? Heaven help us!

 

[Fire]

Positives: Just watched the press conference. Steve Price didn't do his Wayne Bennett interpretation and seemed genuinely irritated and pissed off at the team's performance. This can only be a good thing as it shows he has a passion to succeed.

Hopefully he drops a few players and sends a clear message.

 

[possm]

There are no positives. Saints played better when the dogs hit 28 so it shows that the dogs just put the cue in the rack. When Saints got to 20 they still had time to win the game but the dogs stepped up a gear and kept the dragons scoreless.

Thinking there was a positive is scary cause being down 28-6 after 45 mins is pretty poor. And the tries the Dogs scored where soft. What Gould was saying in the first half is true. They look like a team with no confidence.

If I had to take some positives out of the game it would be this:-
- Vidot did not drop any balls. He caught everything and is starting to show his true potential.
- Chase Stanley finaly came on and looked OK.
- Merrin and Marketo were the 2 best players on the field.
- 2nd try was the best try they have scored all season. Soward's kick was a peach and Vidot's finishing
was good.

To me the Dragon players are showing a lack of confidence in their set game plan and generally in their coach. Remember most of these players were used to believing in a system and their belief was rewarded with success. Price has changed the system dramatically and the results speak for themselves.

Vidot did not drop any balls. He caught everything and is starting to show his true potential
True this was by far his best game all season but to what cost - Nightingale is looking lost out on the left wing and is playing way below his best.

Chase Stanley finaly came on and looked OK.
Yes and lets hope he stays there injury free however, Kyle is on the injury list again so now no chance of testing him in the halves with Soward any time soon.

2nd try was the best try they have scored all season. Soward's kick was a peach and Vidot's finishing was good
Agree.

In my opinion Soward would make a better 7 than 6 even though there is not much difference between these positions these days. In the first half we saw he and the rest of the team playing to a set game plan that was not working. After the Bulldogs scored their first try of the second half Soward decided to take matters into his own hands and began to run the plays and indeed play to his instincts. You can't play like that each week because it requires a better than even share of luck and possession.

What it did show is the real capability of many of the Dragons players and what could be achieved with the right game plan.

Soward would make a good half and captain.
Hornby has slowed and his form is way below what is necessary.
Fien and Young are only good in short bursts now. They have had their day.
Saints need to discover/recruit a 5/8th immediately.
King and De Belin should be given as much first grade game time as possible.
If it is too early to bring Cummins into first grade, give Nightingale a go at fullback and put Morris back on his left wing.

To continue on without change is madness!

 

[Minh]

Without Jamie Soward we were nothing. I have never seen a team make as many mistakes in one half of footy than the Dragons first half last night.

And kicking out on the full again? Heaven help us!

Soward is the man, future captain I hope.

 

[Drew-Sta]

The only positive is we minnised the damage. But the bulldogs stopped playing.
Really evident last night that Steve price doesn't have a game plan. He doesn't have anything.
Majority of our forwards jus weren't having a dig in the first half. Haven't seen that for a long time.
They improved in second half, even hunt, but all too late.
Not good enough. The season is gone now that's for sure.
Change is needed.

You're not Saint93 are you? You're a frustrating, obtuse and angry man; another blast regarding how alike you are to a used dishrag is in order but I frankly can't be bothered.

I'm annoyed they've persisted with Nightingale's incorrect position, especially since I don't think Vidot is worth it in the long run. At least, not at Nightingale's expense. Everything else is the result of poor forward movement and inexperience in how to prep the troops. These can be fixed if Price gets the time and guidance from Folkes.

 

[64 Dragon]

If it is too early to bring Cummins into first grade, give Nightingale a go at fullback and put Morris back on his left wing.

To continue on without change is madness!

I have said it before, swap Morris and Nighty. Flo is a better fullback than left winger. Morris is a better left winger than a fullback, even though he has been going well there. He is not a ball player as evidenced by his pass to no-one. (unlucky though it was).