Team List Tuesday - Round 5

[Dragonslayer]

Just my 2 cents worth OT. As much as i see the logic in putting Mann in the reggies, as long as we are winning, Mary wont change the combo.

I do agree he needs more game time, and also agree that we risk losing him as he appears to be excess stock.

Mary, as are a few players, are looking for contracts. Understandably, on this basis alone, he wont change a formula that has him 3/4.

This week would be a good time to ring some change though, and whilst it's hard to imagine altering a winning combo, we did see the change made last Sunday albeit 7mins.
Against the Tigs with an in doubt Moses, it would be a great opportunity to start Mann in the halves and have McCrone as the 17. Simply put, if Mann stuffs up or not up to standard we will know in the first 20 mins or so, if he does it's simply a case of putting McCrone on as his replacement. At least then we will know the result and either way Mann will get his chance or be resigned to playing for the Steelers or getting his 10mins every now and then in 1st grade.

 

[BrissyRedV]

I don't get this logic of not changing a winning team. Its not as if McCrone is in stellar form and he is the sole reason we have been winning, when in fact, especially the Sharks game, he nearly lost it for us. His kicking swung momentum into the Sharks favour that game.

 

[Old Timer]

This week would be a good time to ring some change though, and whilst it's hard to imagine altering a winning combo, we did see the change made last Sunday albeit 7mins.
Against the Tigs with an in doubt Moses, it would be a great opportunity to start Mann in the halves and have McCrone as the 17. Simply put, if Mann stuffs up or not up to standard we will know in the first 20 mins or so, if he does it's simply a case of putting McCrone on as his replacement. At least then we will know the result and either way Mann will get his chance or be resigned to playing for the Steelers or getting his 10mins every now and then in 1st grade.

No doubt IMO when we play the big guns with the big boppers we will need 4 forwards on the bench.
So if we are going to resolve the halves then it needs to be done now.

 

[giboz71]

By some f%%king miracle that I am still yet to fully comprehend, we're No.1 in attack after 4 rounds.

That in itself is reason enough for Mary to not change a winning team. And McCrone has been defending great and that's been the foundation of our wins.

I'd actually be replacing Aitken before McCrone.

 

[Dragonslayer]

No doubt IMO when we play the big guns with the big boppers we will need 4 forwards on the bench.
So if we are going to resolve the halves then it needs to be done now.

Who though?
Mose is definitely not ready and may never be.
Leilua, although improving is still vulnerable and lazy in defense, and big Q about his fitness levels.
Sele, Hind, Lawrie and Kerr are all untried and still learning their trade.
So, that leaves McCarthy, Marketo and Havili, who are hardly, big boppers.

 

[BrissyRedV]

By some f%%king miracle that I am still yet to fully comprehend, we're No.1 in attack after 4 rounds.

There is a difference between being the number one attack, and the team that has scored the most points though. No doubt there has been an improvement with our fantastic pack running hard, but we are still relying on individual brilliance rather than structures to score. Case in point is the team stats. We are sitting equal 4th behind the Eagles, Rorters and Tits for tries scored on 16. We are sitting equal 8th for line breaks on 14. Top is Panthers on 22. Try assists, equal 7th on 12. All run metres 3rd. A marked improvement on last year but I find it hard to suggest we are the best "attack" when others look so much more fluent on set plays.

 

[BrissyRedV]

Who though?
Mose is definitely not ready and may never be.
Leilua, although improving is still vulnerable and lazy in defense, and big Q about his fitness levels.
Sele, Hind, Lawrie and Kerr are all untried and still learning their trade.
So, that leaves McCarthy, Marketo and Havili, who are hardly, big boppers.

We have plenty of experience already playing in the 17. Giving Sele, Kerr or Lawrie a run is a low risk play.

 

[Old Timer]

Who though?
Mose is definitely not ready and may never be.
Leilua, although improving is still vulnerable and lazy in defense, and big Q about his fitness levels.
Sele, Hind, Lawrie and Kerr are all untried and still learning their trade.
So, that leaves McCarthy, Marketo and Havili, who are hardly, big boppers.

Havili is the most obvious.
Host is showing ability to play prop and 2nd row so that will assist or Havili to 13 & JDB to help FR rotation if necessary.

 

[The Doc]

There is a difference between being the number one attack, and the team that has scored the most points though. No doubt there has been an improvement behind the a fantastic pack, but we are still relying on individual brilliance rather than structures to score. Case in point is the team stats. We are sitting equal 4th behind the Eagles, Rorters and Tits for tries scored on 16. We are sitting equal 8th for line breaks on 14. Top is Panthers on 22. Try assists, equal 7th on 12. All run metres 3rd. A marked improvement on last year but I find it hard to suggest we are the best "attack" when others look so much more fluent on set plays.

Similar to the Bennett era... such boring footy... really gets you no where... oh wait...

 

[BrissyRedV]

Similar to the Bennett era... such boring footy... really gets you no where... oh wait...

No, not similar to the Bennett era. We had a single set play that was so structured, so rehearsed and crisp that was even broadcast to the opposition and it was still virtually unstoppable. Have we scored off a well coached set play this year? Serious question because I can't recall one.

 

[chewbacca]

Gentlemen, without blowing my alias, i have played professional football (not rugby league) at a high level. Just wanted to make a comment. There is so much more to a winning team than just the individual skill of one player. There is an alchemy involved in a winning team in aspects that you can't measure or even see on TV when you're watching a game. I agree that Josh McCrone isnt my favourite player and he may not offer more than say Jai Field or Kurt Mann on a skill level. But one thing i realised in my career is that players have to bring more than that to a winning environment. Maybe he is a great talker/motivator, maybe he is top notch in training sessions and leads a group. Maybe he has a great attitude and a winning mindset. In my experience it wasnt the most skillful players that got you to win every week, it was the player fitted into your team and played their role. I am just a St George fan now, but my experience in sport is that if you have a team that is winning, and winning well then you would be crazy to mess with it, especially a position as crucial as halfback. So although i may wince everytime McCrone kicks the ball dead, i just accept that in a winning environment there is a bunch of things he must be doing right. When we have lost a bunch of games then we should re-evaluate but all this talk of swapping and changing a team on a roll is just plain naive.....
I will get off my soap box now....

 

[BrissyRedV]

Gentlemen, without blowing my alias, i have played professional football (not rugby league) at a high level. Just wanted to make a comment. There is so much more to a winning team than just the individual skill of one player. There is an alchemy involved in a winning team in aspects that you can't measure or even see on TV when you're watching a game. I agree that Josh McCrone isnt my favourite player and he may not offer more than say Jai Field or Kurt Mann on a skill level. But one thing i realised in my career is that players have to bring more than that to a winning environment. Maybe he is a great talker/motivator, maybe he is top notch in training sessions and leads a group. Maybe he has a great attitude and a winning mindset. In my experience it wasnt the most skillful players that got you to win every week, it was the player fitted into your team and played their role. I am just a St George fan now, but my experience in sport is that if you have a team that is winning, and winning well then you would be crazy to mess with it, especially a position as crucial as halfback. So although i may wince everytime McCrone kicks the ball dead, i just accept that in a winning environment there is a bunch of things he must be doing right. When we have lost a bunch of games then we should re-evaluate but all this talk of swapping and changing a team on a roll is just plain naive.....
I will get off my soap box now....

He must be a damn fine talker...

 

[Gareth67]

There is a difference between being the number one attack, and the team that has scored the most points though. No doubt there has been an improvement behind the a fantastic pack, but we are still relying on individual brilliance rather than structures to score. Case in point is the team stats. We are sitting equal 4th behind the Eagles, Rorters and Tits for tries scored on 16. We are sitting equal 8th for line breaks on 14. Top is Panthers on 22. Try assists, equal 7th on 12. All run metres 3rd. A marked improvement on last year but I find it hard to suggest we are the best "attack" when others look so much more fluent on set plays.

BrissyRedV - You have hit the nail right on the head ! Other teams already have their attacking plays in place . In fact teams such as the Cowboys and Melbourne are set in concrete , they have been doing it for so many years now .

So much so , that it has become second nature to them . Once going , those teams roll on relentlessly downfield , making every post a winner and this is where we are at our weakest . Other than the Duges , creativity among the backs is at a minimum , whereas the forwards can more then hold their own . The Dragons need to find the glue that will bond the two together , and that comes in the form of set plays , even from kicks .

Until such time as similar attacking structures are introduced into the team , we will find the going tough against the very best teams , not impossibly so , but nevertheless hard going .

 

[chewbacca]

He must be a damn fine talker...

believe it or not...sometimes a damn fine talker is worth more than a damn fine player.

 

[giboz71]

There is a difference between being the number one attack, and the team that has scored the most points though. No doubt there has been an improvement with our fantastic pack running hard, but we are still relying on individual brilliance rather than structures to score. Case in point is the team stats. We are sitting equal 4th behind the Eagles, Rorters and Tits for tries scored on 16. We are sitting equal 8th for line breaks on 14. Top is Panthers on 22. Try assists, equal 7th on 12. All run metres 3rd. A marked improvement on last year but I find it hard to suggest we are the best "attack" when others look so much more fluent on set plays.

I agree with you, but Mary will spin it the way he wants. Mark my words, we will still have trouble with try assists given who our half and FB are (the same problem we've had for 3-4 years)

We're scoring points through our forwards and bustling teams into errors.

Tough to sustain for a whole season though, just like in 2015.

 

[Dragonslayer]

No changes, team lists as per last week 1-17 and 18-21

 

[BrissyRedV]

believe it or not...sometimes a damn fine talker is worth more than a damn fine player.

If that be the case in McCrones situation, perhaps we can get him to play a bit like Alfie Langer does these days then.

 

[Vinnie]

Guys we are winning and winning well If it aint broke don't fix It !!!! Make changes if they are forced.

 

[getsmarty]

NRL Team: Round 5 v Wests Tigers
Tue 28th March, 04:01PM
A A



St George Illawarra coach Paul McGregor has named his mandatory 21-man squad for the Dragons' Round 5 clash against the Wests Tigers at ANZ Stadium this Sunday, April 2.

The Dragons are unchanged following their 26-12 win over the New Zealand Warriors in Round 4 of the NRL Telstra Premiership.

The Dragons will celebrate three milestones this weekend against the Tigers with centre-wing combination Euan Aitken and Nene Macdonald celebrating their 50th NRL games respectively.

Prop Leeson Ah Mau will also notch up his 100th NRL game for the Dragons.

NRL Squad for Round 5 v Wests Tigers:

1. Josh Dugan
2. Nene Macdonald
3. Euan Aitken
4. Tim Lafai
5. Jason Nightingale
6. Gareth Widdop (c)
7. Josh McCrone
8. Russell Packer
9. Cameron McInnes
10. Paul Vaughan
11. Tyson Frizell
12. Joel Thompson
13. Jack de Belin
Interchange:
14. Tariq Sims
15. Leeson Ah Mau
16. Jacob Host
17. Kurt Mann
18. Jai Field
19. Taane Milne
20. Luciano Leilua
21. Hame Sele

Players unavailable:

Will Matthews (hip) – indefinite

Kiti Glymin (shoulder) – indefinite

Drew Hutchison (knee) – season

Levi Dodd (knee) – season

http://www.dragons.com.au/news/2017/03/28/nrl_team_round_5_v_w.af_news.html

 

[kit66]

No doubt IMO when we play the big guns with the big boppers we will need 4 forwards on the bench.
So if we are going to resolve the halves then it needs to be done now.

I'd agree with you if it wasn't for the new concussion rules. I think it's probably best to stick with having a specialist utility back on the bench. Thompson or Friz could play centre at a pinch but that could weaken the defensive line ( I'd also say dull our attack but I don't like being laughed at ).
But, yes we should sort McCrone now because it's hard to see improvement in a 29 year old with almost 150 games under his belt. His poor kicking game and it seems his total inability to take on the line are disadvantages we can do without. He's basically another Rein, holding us back, I just hope we realize it a lot quicker than we did with Mitch.