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The Spine

V

Vasilevsky

Guest
Oh my God! Widdop has made 3 errors in 3 games! Everyone, panic! Panic! Panic!

And yes although unlikely there may have been as I didn't read the post so cannot say definitively. But as you have not repeated these unlikely life changing facts, it is safe to assume there were none.

No, he hasn't made 3 errors in 3 games. He has made at least 3 huge errors in his last 3 games and the same f**king error!

I didn't say the facts would be "life changing" but facts nonetheless:cool:.
 

getsmarty

Immortal
Messages
33,485
Keep faith

By TIM BARROW
March 17, 2016, 2:29 p.m.
https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sha...warramercury.com.au/story/3796597/keep-faith/http://twitter.com/share?url=http:/...keep-faith/&text=Keep faith&via=illawarramerc



UNDER fire fullback Kurt Mann could yet by a surprise inclusion for St George Illawarra in Sunday’s SCG showdown with South Sydney.
Amid heavy criticism of Mann’s form in the opening two games, the ex-Storm player was not named by coach Paul McGregor because of an ankle complaint. But in a video on the Dragons website, the head of medical and performance Tony Ayoub said Mann is likely to prove his fitness, after suffering a grade one ankle sprain.
“We’re fairly confident he’s going to take his place, where ever that may be,” Ayoub said.
“But we definitely think he’ll do a captain’s run on the weekend and follow it up with a game after that.”

The Dragons will have their captain’s run on Saturday morning at WIN Stadium, as Josh Dugan also needs to prove his fitness after suffering a hamstring strain against the Sharks.
However, the NSW Cup Illawarra Cutters team take on North Sydney in Wollongong on Saturday, meaning, if he trains, Mann would likely be in the NRL team to take the Rabbitohs on Sunday.
Dugan has backed Mann to prove himself.

“I dont think he played badly against Melbourne, but last week, that was one of those games,” Dugan said.


“Everyone has those games where nothing sticks and the bounce of the ball doesn’t go your way.

“People are quick to forget he hasn’t played fullback for three or four years.

“He’s got a lot of pressure, he’s under the spotlight there.
“He had a bit of a shocker, but but I’m expecting him to come back bigger and better.”

Scans revealed there was no tear for Dugan, meaning the NSW State of Origin star and Mann may both be fit.
“I’m probably lucky the physio did drag me off,” Dugan said. “I was telling him to leave me alone, but he just dragged me off.”
Mann felt the weight of Sunday’s loss on his shoulders, Dugan said, after making a couple of crucial errors.

“We all rallied around him after the game, because he felt like he let the team down,” he said.

http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/3796597/keep-faith/?cs=302
 

Old Timer

Coach
Messages
17,268
All this carry on about the spine.

Obviously the 7 & 9 need to be able to pass and take the line on when appropriate.

The 1 has to be able to kick return and pass if appropriate but not as a constant.

The 6 has to be able to scheme, draw & pass and kick.

Sam Burgess, Thaiday, Kasiano, JWH, SBW (when playing NRL) and the like do not play in those numbers and unless they are Cephalopods form part of the spine of their respective clubs.

Brisbane wingers are as much part of their spine as is the FB.

The only thing we have going for us in the forwards is Packer (still a long way to go) Ah Mau and Frizzell and all this crap about de Belin being a a ball player is exactly that crap he is a rabbit in the headlights more often than not in attack.

Then we have Vas saying because Benji made "A BREAK" and because nobody else made a break he is therefore a ball player that's crap as well.

Rein might throw some bad passes but they are not all bad passes and how many breaks does Benji really make "NOT MANY".

Unless the coaching staff puts all the players in their correct positions and play to the moderate strengths we have the season will be dotted with some wins which we will all be thankful for and the same old excuses for the inexcusable losses we will certainly endure.

Let's face it we have too many square pegs in round holes and a game plan that is as equally mixed up.
 
Messages
3,712
I said in an earlier post that the team would lack cohesion for 4-6 weeks as Mann to Full Back, and Duges to Centre would take some time to gel.

Whilst Mann had a poor game he was definitely not alone.

Most of the team played below par.

If you only complete half your sets you are in for a long afternoon.

Cronulla is a top 6 team that has speed and size, with many creative players. Its halves are good organisers.

Barba, Holmes and Bird add much creativity.

The huge flow of possession in favour of Cronulla determined the result.

They have a much better coach. I try to refrain from criticising Mary because at the end of the day he is our coach.

At present we have:

Millward (failed coach)
Young and Hornby (very early days for them to seriously contribute)
Mary (Good man manager, very ordinary to mediocre tactician)
Demetriou ( Give the bloke a go before we tear him apart)

We have an average 9, incompatible halves, a full back that has not played the position since his junior days, and of course no real game plan.

The error rate will not be so high this week.

If Mary fails to come up with a real game plan by week 6, time to review the coaching staff.
 

twinkletoes

Juniors
Messages
964
Having watched a number of games this season including tonights match between Eels & Bulldogs, I'm thinking we can't compete with a lot of these teams including the West Tigers. The style of game we are currently playing is from the 1960's..bash and barge, Even last year when we were winning we played a dour type of game which in the modern game is no longer competitive
 

hardbaby

Coach
Messages
16,523
Eels look sharp eh? Eels, Dogs, Tigers etc. All lower eight chances. All a lot further advanced than we are.
 

giboz71

First Grade
Messages
9,352
Eels look sharp eh? Eels, Dogs, Tigers etc. All lower eight chances. All a lot further advanced than we are.

They have holes in their roster, but when you have Jennings and Radrara, you have strike out wide. They can score from anywhere. You can't coach speed.

And Foran and Norman will only get better.

They will be tough to beat. If we were playing them tomorrow, they would be 10 point favourites.
 

Forster Dragon

Juniors
Messages
1,122
After watching the first couple of rounds and early round three we are well off the pace.Based onearlt assessment we will at best fill the bottom half of the competition and will not figure in anything other than the fight for the spoon.
I love my Dragons,however we just do not have the cattle at this stage.
I hope I am wrong but will not hold my breath,and will still pay up next year because that is what supporters do.Take the good with the bad.
 

Minh

First Grade
Messages
8,858
After watching the first couple of rounds and early round three we are well off the pace.Based onearlt assessment we will at best fill the bottom half of the competition and will not figure in anything other than the fight for the spoon.
I love my Dragons,however we just do not have the cattle at this stage.
I hope I am wrong but will not hold my breath,and will still pay up next year because that is what supporters do.Take the good with the bad.

Dragons need loyal supporters like yourself and kudos for that but don't give up yet, I think we need a spark and it could ignite our season, starting with the thumping of Souths this week.:D
 

Exsilium

First Grade
Messages
9,865
Sure, you've had a couple poor games and that fills these threads to the brim but whilst some say it's Widdop, Benji, lack of speed or the astute coaching of Mary McGregor, one thing seems to baffle me. Why do you persist with Mitch Rein. The guy is woeful. Let's break it down a little, only cause it's late and I hate typing on a phone.

Firstly, every backline movement, forward roll on, decoy running play or any set of six for that matter starts when the ball leaves the hands of your nine. If the pass is forward or the service is poor then your forwards will be flat and most often they will be pummelled by the defence because that extra second rein takes to think or move out of dummy half, which he must think is lightning quick, is allowing the defence to make that extra metre or so. This nullifies any depth, decoy run or movement in the play.

When he passes it's a lob or some where near the receiving players hips, head or feet. When he fakes to one side and then goes the other it's so predictable and slow. More often than not he chooses the wrong direction.

He has no kicking game from dh either so there's some attack gone.

When his service is slow, your backline has no chance to get ball with some space or depth in the line.

He has his moments but i just think he negates your attack and stifles any play by being shit 90% of the time. Your attack looked better and sharper with L'Estrange. Why? Because he did his job, provided service and let the others do their jobs.

Buy anyone else and you'll improve.

:) round 4 will be your first win....against my woeful mob lol
 

Mr Red

First Grade
Messages
6,193
Eels look sharp eh? Eels, Dogs, Tigers etc. All lower eight chances. All a lot further advanced than we are.

Eels in.... Foran, Jennings
Dragons in..... McCrone, Mann

Foran is the ultimate professional, I can just picture the intensity he would bring to training let alone in actual matches....
 

JohnnoMcJohnno

Juniors
Messages
2,427
Sure, you've had a couple poor games and that fills these threads to the brim but whilst some say it's Widdop, Benji, lack of speed or the astute coaching of Mary McGregor, one thing seems to baffle me. Why do you persist with Mitch Rein. The guy is woeful. Let's break it down a little, only cause it's late and I hate typing on a phone.

Firstly, every backline movement, forward roll on, decoy running play or any set of six for that matter starts when the ball leaves the hands of your nine. If the pass is forward or the service is poor then your forwards will be flat and most often they will be pummelled by the defence because that extra second rein takes to think or move out of dummy half, which he must think is lightning quick, is allowing the defence to make that extra metre or so. This nullifies any depth, decoy run or movement in the play.

When he passes it's a lob or some where near the receiving players hips, head or feet. When he fakes to one side and then goes the other it's so predictable and slow. More often than not he chooses the wrong direction.

He has no kicking game from dh either so there's some attack gone.

When his service is slow, your backline has no chance to get ball with some space or depth in the line.

He has his moments but i just think he negates your attack and stifles any play by being shit 90% of the time. Your attack looked better and sharper with L'Estrange. Why? Because he did his job, provided service and let the others do their jobs.

Buy anyone else and you'll improve.

:) round 4 will be your first win....against my woeful mob lol
You won't get many arguments on this forum Exsilium. People have been saying the same thing for years - we nearly always look better as a team when the second hooker comes on.

Plus he has a stupid hair style.
 

giboz71

First Grade
Messages
9,352
Sure, you've had a couple poor games and that fills these threads to the brim but whilst some say it's Widdop, Benji, lack of speed or the astute coaching of Mary McGregor, one thing seems to baffle me. Why do you persist with Mitch Rein. The guy is woeful. Let's break it down a little, only cause it's late and I hate typing on a phone.

Firstly, every backline movement, forward roll on, decoy running play or any set of six for that matter starts when the ball leaves the hands of your nine. If the pass is forward or the service is poor then your forwards will be flat and most often they will be pummelled by the defence because that extra second rein takes to think or move out of dummy half, which he must think is lightning quick, is allowing the defence to make that extra metre or so. This nullifies any depth, decoy run or movement in the play.

When he passes it's a lob or some where near the receiving players hips, head or feet. When he fakes to one side and then goes the other it's so predictable and slow. More often than not he chooses the wrong direction.

He has no kicking game from dh either so there's some attack gone.

When his service is slow, your backline has no chance to get ball with some space or depth in the line.

He has his moments but i just think he negates your attack and stifles any play by being shit 90% of the time. Your attack looked better and sharper with L'Estrange. Why? Because he did his job, provided service and let the others do their jobs.

Buy anyone else and you'll improve.

:) round 4 will be your first win....against my woeful mob lol

Yep, can't argue with any of this. Rein's issues have been discussed at length.

But Rein is just 1 of a number of fundamental weaknesses with our have. No halfback is another killer, as is no speed. Dugan not being able to pass is another. Would be nice to have a ball playing forward as well.

As I've said, most teams can cover for 1 or 2 of these issues, but you can't cover them all.
 

BennyV

Referee
Messages
23,086
After watching the first couple of rounds and early round three we are well off the pace.Based onearlt assessment we will at best fill the bottom half of the competition and will not figure in anything other than the fight for the spoon.
I love my Dragons,however we just do not have the cattle at this stage.
I hope I am wrong but will not hold my breath,and will still pay up next year because that is what supporters do.Take the good with the bad.

False. We 100% have the cattle. What we don't have the any tactical nouse within our coaching staff, bar the new coach we brought in who spends half his time coaching the Cutters.

Give these guys the right game plan and training methods, and they will do fine.
 

giboz71

First Grade
Messages
9,352
False. We 100% have the cattle. What we don't have the any tactical nouse within our coaching staff, bar the new coach we brought in who spends half his time coaching the Cutters.

Give these guys the right game plan and training methods, and they will do fine.

Yes we do but the mix is all wrong.

I agree - Benji, Widdop, Dugan, Lafai, Nighty, Mann, Aitken, Peter M, on paper that looks pretty good.

Compare the Cowboys - take Thurston out and you have Morgan, Linnett, O'Neill, Winterstein. Feldt and Coote.

Most would think our backline compares pretty well. I know we don't have Thurston, but Widdop and Benji are no mugs. That's a former golden boot winner and an English international. Both are premiership winners as well.

So why is the Cows attack miles ahead of us? Is Paul Green a genius? No, but they have got their mix of players right. They didn't need a 700k fullback in Dugan. They got Coote for half as much and he complements JT perfectly.

And that's where our problems are. We just keep buying expensive superstars, close our eyes and hope for the best. The decision to buy Benji (when we already had Widdop as 5/8) started it all and it's really been crap ever since.
 

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