Sometimes I hate this game

[ozbuck]

MORE RESILIENCE?!?! Look at the state of our team? Our two best attacking players out and then after 15 minutes another back line shuffle to make matters worse.

I'd say we are pretty bloody resilient to make the Defending Premiers fight to the last minute.

That's right! We were resilient. The team did great in some aspects!!

 

[BlackDuckSaint]

That's right! We were resilient. The team did great in some aspects!!

I like the way you think Ozbuck. I am just frustrated!
I genuinely like the look of the team that is building in front of us.

The forward pack is top notch. A+

The halves are sorted for next year and there is some exciting depth coming through the juniors and Field didn't look out of place after being thrown into the action.

Unfortunately, the backline is disjointed, our best combo is Widdop - Lafai - Mann/Gypsy on the left.

McDonald will get starved of opportunities because neither McCrone, Aitken or Dugan can get him any ball in any kind of space and he is just doing dummy half scoots for dayzzzz.

Hunt for next year and hopefully a ball playing right centre a la Gagai, Mann or maybe even Herbert and then Jai Field at full back. That's what I'm talking about.

 

[ozbuck]

lol comparing a game that was 32-8 to a game thats has a 4 point difference yes that makes perfect sense.

It ended up 32-8, but at that stage in the game the score was 0-0. In fact we were losing at half time. But even more important than those things is that is was a grand final. The refs dudded the Roosters on some key moments in the BIGGEST game of the year and we benefited. REMEMBER THAT. Its so easy to only remember and FEEL the moments when we get dudded and then that saturates your general perception about how the dragons get treated by officials. That is called confirmation bias. It all evens out in the end.

If we make the grand final this year and we get a couple of roughs calls and the other team wins 30-6, trust me there will be supporters jumping up and down screaming how we were hard done by, how the refs cost us, how these calls happened in crucial moments that played a massive part in the momentum of the game, how this impacted the end result greatly, etc.

Some say we got a few roughies in the 1996 GF, and even the 1999 GF too. The Rooster could say they got a few roughies in the 2010 GF too.

What goes around, comes around.

Think about it.

 

[ozbuck]

I like the way you think Ozbuck. I am just frustrated!
I genuinely like the look of the team that is building in front of us.

The forward pack is top notch. A+

The halves are sorted for next year and there is some exciting depth coming through the juniors and Field didn't look out of place after being thrown into the action.

Unfortunately, the backline is disjointed, our best combo is Widdop - Lafai - Mann/Gypsy on the left.

McDonald will get starved of opportunities because neither McCrone, Aitken or Dugan can get him any ball in any kind of space and he is just doing dummy half scoots for dayzzzz.

Hunt for next year and hopefully a ball playing right centre a la Gagai, Mann or maybe even Herbert and then Jai Field at full back. That's what I'm talking about.

I agree mate.

Our forward pack is A++. Best in the comp.

Our playmaking is a struggle at the moment. When Gareth was there we were so much more dangerous. If he was playing tonight with that amount of possession I think we would've put on a lot more points... even with Duges out.

Refs decisions are a pain in the bum sometimes. But I tell you something: some people LOVE being victims. I know because I used to love it too... sometimes I would catch myself hoping we lost a close game from a refs decision so I could really get wound up about it and point the finger at how outside forces are determining the result. At some point a realisation occurs that its just not worth it.

 

[Objective View]

Last game against Melbourne there was some almighty bad calls

Last game against Melbourne there was some almighty bad calls that went against us. Some properly game changing ones.

This game, against the Coke Head Shire boys, a try was scored of a blatent... Blatent isnt even a strong enough word... NFL bad forward pass.
And for the last try, they don't even mention that Bird was holding Milne off the ball.
Gallen gets brushed by Woods, takes a dive and throws the rulebook in everyones face and gets a try disallowed. But when Bird genuinely holds onto Milne, pulls his collar to get to the ball first and nothing happens.
Not to mention the Knock on in the play of the ball that was missed.
It should have been 14 - 6 Dragons.

Robbed... Absolutely F****** Robbed.

I never usually get mad, but I am p*ssed off at the poor decisions against us in the last two games.

Rant Over

Very funny how fans blame refs for a loss. Strange phenomenon that fans of ALL losing teams share the same experience.

Nothing to do with game plans, motivation, hunger, execution, skill level, errors. No, it comes down to those bastard, cheating refs.

Very funny.

Straight Shooter

 

[BlackDuckSaint]

Very funny how fans blame refs for a loss. Strange phenomenon that fans of ALL losing teams share the same experience.

Nothing to do with game plans, motivation, hunger, execution, skill level, errors. No, it comes down to those bastard, cheating refs.

Very funny.

Straight Shooter

I know I know! I have already admitted that I was quick on the draw.

 

[FlameThrower]

...

 

[coast_dragons]

Oh the spew shows his face after a lose how convienant.

He will have a full blown double handed wank in celebration.

 

[coast_dragons]

Very funny how fans blame refs for a loss. Strange phenomenon that fans of ALL losing teams share the same experience.

Nothing to do with game plans, motivation, hunger, execution, skill level, errors. No, it comes down to those bastard, cheating refs.

Very funny.

Straight Shooter

Very funny you call yourself a fan.

I knew lawyers are scum bags you must a really good lawyer.

 

[SET2JT]

Graham kn

Their last try was clearly a try. C'mon... look at it again. If that was us trying to score and they disallowed it everyone here would be jumping up and down. Take of the glasses and look at the last try.

The refs didn't cost us the game. Our poor decisions with the ball cost us the game. If we had better direction and playmaking choices the refs would not even come close to feeling like they played a major role in the result.

The refs had some shockers! We got some very lucky calls on grand final day 2010... A few years ago I know, but I give it an example because it's the biggest and most important day of all days in the NRL calendar... but apparently "the refs are always against us" and games like this are totally forgotten.

How can we become such a strong team that our resilience and skill is stronger than bad ref calls?

Graham knocked on at the play the ball. Video is on fox sports.

 

[Anon]

Remember the leadup to Mark Gasniers try in the 2010 grand final when Morris (?) was out of the sideline by quite a distance while he passed the ball?

I do but I also remember the equally dubious decision to award Anaster's try a few minutes later.

 

[blacksafake]

The refs weren't that bad tonight except for that forward pass try. Cecchin though in the two previous games was as dodgy as they get. In fact Cecchin's been involved in a few iffy games this year, not just reffing us.

That's because he's useless. Can't stand the bloke, Perenara & Klein also. Oh & that midget the one that Friz got done for touching.

 

[rasaint]

Hi All. Yes a close game and it sure hurts. The team after a great start is becoming a 'brave losing side'. That is a concern for me. That pattern is starting. Remember 2015 when we were 1st then couldn't win for love nor money.

My view is that the Sharks looked a little better over the course of the game. Not a lot but something I noticed. We seem to be lacking that bit of zip inside the opposition 30.

Yes that lolly pop netball pass for Feki 1st try was a true forward. Yes in Feki 2nd try there seemed to be play the ball fumbles, then Dragons player held back and even Jack Bird highly likely in front of the kicker. Doubt galore. However, the team let the sharks get down our end and position match officials to award benefit to the sharks in the trys decision process.

I agree with Ozbuck, you have to win these tight ones regardless. The teams still playing in September do this regularly and now with some injury adversity we are not.

 

[blacksafake]

Graham kn

Graham knocked on at the play the ball. Video is on fox sports.

I suppose the commentators found a way to blame the dragons for it.

 

[This Year?]

Sometimes I hate this game too...then it reminds me of how beautiful it can be as well.

 

[John moz]

Thats it now the guys in the bunker are on coke they should get rid of kfc and the new sponsor will be coke .

 

[Minh]

It's not that they don't see these things...knock on at the play the ball....Bird holding Milne....Bird then offside collecting the loose ball.....refs only see what they want to see.......a blight on the game....

 

[nulla boy]

Graham kn

Graham knocked on at the play the ball. Video is on fox sports.

Um, the only reason he knocked on was because it was knocked out. So really the question is where was the penalty?
Damn you Dragqueen supporters are whinging little bitches.

 

[possm]

We hve a journeyman makeshift halfback, a utility back playing his second first grade game at 5/8, a winger playing fullback and a centre playing wing.

Then.. Aitken gets injured, so our starting Left Wing goes to Right Centre (albeit his preferred position), 5/8 goes to left wing and a 19 year old goes to 5/8 having played a grand total of 10 minutes in first grade.

Our two best players, particularly, our two best attacking assets aren't playing.

;This is against a full strength team, defending premiers no less.

On paper, should we even be in this game? No

But we were up to our back teeth in it and I will not just sit back and cop it on the chin when yeah, we get some rub of the green, but the calls that they get directly result in tries, one of which was reviewed by the bunker.

The refs cost us the game when we really had no right to be in it with the team we have on paper.

Your right.
I would have left Mann at 6, put Nightingale on the right wing with Macdonald moving to the left wing and brought Field on at fullback. If things did not go well at least we would have seen the talent of Field and Mann in their preferred positions. Nightingale would have been much more comfortable on the right wing and the same for Macdonald on his preferred side of the field.

 

[possm]

Surely in this day and age, a digital grid and be aligned to the markings on the ground and layered in a way that forward passes and offside plays can be judged by the bunker.