Summary?

[Bring back choc]

Amen to that. I thought they played well in the first half. Quick play the balls, Effective go-forward. I also thought they were a bit more creative as well and the scoreboard didn't reflect their dominance in the first half. Having said that, It appeared they were clock watching in the second half rather than having the mentality to put Newcastle away. Anyway, it sure beats the feeling after a loss.

Yes ago am I, BUT all those missed tries have hurt our for and against. It's rubbish. Still in the negative and this will Hurt us unless we put a score on. We'll still be 9th if the results go the way they are supposed to this weekend.

 

[coast_dragons]

Prior at centre theres your answer he is a back rower playing out of position yet again thats Prices fault simple as that.

Scott was crap yet again ill discipline is setting in I rather see Miller in the team than this clown.

Soward is starting to give me the shits no running game, poor options in attack and kicking game is like a yo-yo good then bad he needs to pull his head in.

Everyone else did their job but it was boring but better than a lose.

 

[Willow]

lol @ the downtown rule change advocators. Why don't we just change any rule that doesn't cause a set of 6 to start from a set play just to make them happy?

Maybe they should postpone games on rainy days too. After all, it slows things down. And in winter it gets cold, much better to play the game on a warm summer's day so I feel more comfortable. Plus more beer. Oh, and more toilets too.

If people want to be entertained, go watch a live band or a good movie.

In all sport, entertainment is a bonus. But it's worth very little without the wins on the board.

Actually, I wonder if people sometimes forget that the object of the game is to win. It may come as a shock to some, but when coaches and players discuss tactics, they don't talk about putting on a show for the fans. The old saying, 'it's not about winning or losing, it's how you play the game' was about winning without cheating or playing dirty, not about entertaining.

I go to watch my team win, and quite frankly I enjoyed last night's game because the boys were able to grind it out, despite getting some very unlucky breaks.

Our forwards outmuscled the Knights and their ballplayers weren't given much to work with. That 15-20 minute assault in the 1st half drained them. The Nightingale try was brilliant (one of the Storm's pet plays). Our last tackle option lacked polish, but I'm very happy to win a game we don't normally win.

Agreed, particularly re the forwards. Elsewhere there were some very good signs but still plenty of work to do.

And to borrow that old line: "Forwards win matches, the backs decide by how much."

 

[KiamaSaint]

Maybe they should postpone games on rainy days too. After all, it slows things down. And in winter it gets cold, much better to play the game on a warm summer's day so I feel more comfortable. Plus more beer. Oh, and more toilets too.

If people want to be entertained, go watch a live band or a good movie.

In all sport, entertainment is a bonus. But it's worth very little without the wins on the board.

Actually, I wonder if people sometimes forget that the object of the game is to win. It may come as a shock to some, but when coaches and players discuss tactics, they don't talk about putting on a show for the fans. The old saying, 'it's not about winning or losing, it's how you play the game' was about winning without cheating or playing dirty, not about entertaining.

I go to watch my team win, and quite frankly I enjoyed last night's game because the boys were able to grind it out, despite getting some very unlucky breaks.

Spot on.

 

[Mr Red]

thoughts ont the match:
two words on the attack - oh dear! 4 out of the the last 6 halves of football we have been scoreless.. Price needs to address this immediatley with some big games coming up.. Hornby not very good again.. whats with those little floating short ball hospital passes to Soward and Creagh??

attitude was positive though, thats a good sign. hard to measure defense at the moment as the sharks and knights havent got the attack to really test any defense at the moment.

positives of the match:
- Morris and Nightingale continue to show good form
- Vidot good running meters, needs to improve his handling though
- Hunt, best game i have seen him play in a long time, good running meters and damaging defense
- Merrin another big match
- Stanley getting more involved, the sooner we get him to the halves the better.
- the nice "outside-in" pass that put morris into the gap... i wish they tried this more given that Sau and Mullen were both on one leg for most of the match...

Negatives:
- Price persisting with back rowers in the centres... Prior was WOEFUL!
- Hornby had several chances to grab that game by the scruff of the neck like a good halfback would, however once again failed to do so.
- general lack of attack and formation in attack, particulary the second half.

happy with the win, bit once again hard to gauge where we stand given the poor quality of the team we played..

 

[Breathingfire]

I do not feel that kicking the ball dead is against the spirit of the game or a negative tactic.
If you can negate the running game of a good set of wingers and a fullback then go for it. A team is well within their rights to do whatever they can to win the game legally.


And I am with Willow. I don't care if we win by 1, I just want to win. When the siren goes on Grand Final day no one cares about how we played, the result is all the matters. I just like seeing the team win, regardless of how!

 

[64 Dragon]

- Price persisting with back rowers in the centres... Prior was WOEFUL!

Prior was not woeful. He did all that was probably asked of him. He made no mistakes, didn't drop the ball and was good in defence. He plays where he is picked. If you don't like it blame Price. Another thing - WE WON and got two points.

 

[God-King Dean]

My summary:

Hungover.

 

[Drain the Dragon]

Let's call a spade a spade. The Dragons would be as good or better than any team in the competition if they had a ball player in the halves.
. Please google the word STOP... and follow the directions

He thinks it's all Hornby's fault......I feel it in my waters.

 

[Stagger Lee]

I actually fully enjoyed the game, I got caught up in the closeness off the game. I enjoyed the tense second half, screaming at some bad refereeing decisions and the intensity of the defence especially out wide (Prior and Vidot take a bow).

The wife and kids thought it was a very poor match though so.....

 

[TheRev]

lol @ the downtown rule change advocators. Why don't we just change any rule that doesn't cause a set of 6 to start from a set play just to make them happy?

Since its been raised, it's still worth discussing... Lack of stoppages are the area that separates our game from Rugby Union, which is unwatchable due to the constant kicking out and forcing line-outs.

 

[jenninga]

I actually fully enjoyed the game, I got caught up in the closeness off the game. I enjoyed the tense second half, screaming at some bad refereeing decisions and the intensity of the defence especially out wide (Prior and Vidot take a bow).

The wife and kids thought it was a very poor match though so.....

I agree ,at the game you watch each players performance and i applauded our great defence throughout the match,wasn't till a mate sent a text after the match telling how boring the match was for him that i realised for the neutral it wasn't as entertaining.

 

[jenninga]

That was a terrible game to watch, i can't imagine the pain trying to watch that as a neutral.

So much dropped ball from especially us that if we were playing a team even with an average bit of mongrel we would have lost by 20.

I can handle watching boring, slow play if there are no errors in the game like we were under Wayne but we are playing boring, shit footie and we are making basic handling mistakes as well.

What the hell was going on with kicking the ball dead in goal on the last play?? That is one of the most cynical things i have seen while watching NRL and i have been watching since the 80's.

Goes to show how defensive and dour it was when Dan Hunt wins the MoM.

I can't really think of any positives from the game except we won by Newcastle playing freaken horrible not by us playing well.

What no positives,get real.Firstly,the attitude was a step up from the week before,the defence was solid throughout,it could and should have been at least 20-4 at H-T,and we were scintillating in the 1st half with 2 superb tries and some terrific breaks which had the Knights shellshocked.Soward kicking the ball dead was ,yes negative tactics,but i wouldn't like to tackle a Uate at full burst on a kick return so fair tactics.Also 2 pts again.

 

[Reyter]

He thinks it's all Hornby's fault......I feel it in my waters.

Hornby played as he almost always does. Solid, didn't make any or at most very few mistakes, was good in defence, led the team well, threw a few hospital passes, only one of which led to a dropped ball, kicked well when called upon to do so and showed zero creativity. Soward was best when at first receiver and Stanley showed again he is a much more effective ball player than running back.

I was a fan of Hornby when he played FB and couldn't understand why Bennett brought Boyd with him. Now it's obvious the game had changed and Hornby was no longer a top class FB. The same is true of half-back now. Thankfully Morris is playing so well at FB or I'm afraid the Dragons wouldn't have scored a single try over the last 4 or 5 weeks.

I'm sorry if it upsets people but I place the team's success over any individual. Hornby has been a good and loyal player for the Dragons for a long time and has been handsomely compensated for it. Now the time has clearly come for him to step aside.

 

[Godz Illa]

No mention of the try assist to Scott?

Hornby is not the issue in our halves - he at least takes straightens the attack, takes players to the line with options either side. Our attack desperately needs more from Soward. He was poor last night

 

[Reyter]

No mention of the try assist to Scott?

What??!! Scott ran straight over the top of the defender. He wasn't put into a gap!

Anyway, I have constantly said that they need to replace Soward or Hornby because neither are good ball players while Stanley is. Given Soward's age and what other things he brings to the team like organizational skills, kicking and broken field running, I feel it should be Hornby who makes way.

 

[Godz Illa]

lol thanks for proving your complete lack of objectivity.

 

[TheRev]

Our attack desperately needs more from Soward. He was poor last night

The Origin period really distracts Soward, you will notice these last 2 weeks he is getting it wrong with his decisions and is running at the line far more than normal, because a) the media (and some fans) keep telling him he needs to & b) he is trying to secure a city/country/origin spot.

I dont mind him trying a few things himself, but its not coincidence that it happens right at Origin time (like last year), I cant wait for Origin to be over & he can focus again.

This is also a really good indication of why Creagh would make a better captain, Soward is a champion but he can get weighed down under pressure, and we cant afford that for our playmaker & kicker... but there is no risk with a forward who can lead by example.

 

[Reyter]

lol thanks for proving your complete lack of objectivity.

Ok, well you tell me. Was Scott put into a gap to score that try or did he run straight through the attempted tackle?

 

[Godz Illa]

There was space between Taia and Roberts and Hornby saw it. He let Taia commit just enough to put Scott on his outside shoulder and fed the ball quickly. It was smart halfback play.

But yeah, spin it however you like.