The Spine

[Rob Dragon]

It is an accepted fact that the spine (1, 6, 7 & 9) are crucially important to today’s game. Our spine is dysfunctional to say the least. Let’s consider the following:
1. Kurt Mann
Has he ever played fullback at 1st grade NRL level before? We have shifted the NSW SOO fullback for this bloke? Really?
2. Gareth Widdop
He is slowly building into one of the most over-rated players I have ever seen. For mine I would love to see him ask for a release.
3. Benji Marshall
He was a world class 5/8 in 2005. That is 11 years ago. His strength is broken field running. His weakness is running a football team from half-back. He is not a 1st grade standard half-back.
4. Mitch Rein
Refer to point 1 above. He simply is not 1st grade standard.
This season is far from lost but remedial action is required and it should look as follows:
1. Josh Dugan to fullback
2. Benji Marshall to 5/8
3. Euan Aitken to centre
4. Blake Wallace to half-back ( we need a bloody half-back to play half-back)
5. Silvia Havili to hooker
What happens to Widdop? God knows!
There is a lot of industry in this side but unless the key spine players are up to it; our team is doomed.

 

[Gm5]

Even Quinlan would be better than Mann

 

[Vasilevsky]

#2 I have been saying that over and over. The way these homies gush over Widdop is incredible. He is solid and "workman-like" at best.

The club needs to do the following ASAP:
1. Resign Benji
2. Strip Widdop of captaincy and tell him he had better start showing something or a drastically reduced offer for a new contract is the best he can expect.

 

[possm]

Even Quinlan would be better than Mann

Man had a shocker today. Most NRL coaches would drop him. Will Mary drop him?

Dugan looks like he will be out for a few weeks. Time for a big shake up:

1. Widdop
2. Dufty
3. Aitken
4. Matta Utia
5. Nightingale
6. Marshall
7. Mann
9. Havili

If Mann does not go well at 7, then off to the Cutters.

 

[Fingerbang]

A big shake up is not a shake up unless we rest Nighty....love him, but unfortunately, age has caught up to him

 

[BlackDuckSaint]

A big shake up is not a shake up unless we rest Nighty....love him, but unfortunately, age has caught up to him

Especially for a man who wasn't super quick to begin with. When someone like nighty loses a yard of pace, it really is detrimental.

 

[DeeJay1983]

I wonder how much we paid to sign Mann and Lafai. I hope to god it wasn't much.

 

[Mr Angry]

No wanker ponytails.

 

[Mickthedragon]

Okay,widdop was bad today and had a shocker but wtf did benji do that has you re-signing him. From what i saw,he had a crack but did nothing that helped much.
From what we saw today,nobody stood up and we are in massive trouble if there is not a huge attitude change next week.
On todays game,i would'nt re-sign benji even for the 300k.

 

[dino2170]

we need speed and more speed I TOLD YOU ALL

 

[saintjeff]

We have no spine,we folded like a pack of cards v sharks .
Soft

 

[saintsbysix]

A big shake up is not a shake up unless we rest Nighty....love him, but unfortunately, age has caught up to him

have to agree with this, it's unfortunate but that's just the way the game is now. No speed on the wings is a massive disadvantage.

 

[2010]

Dino has been saying we need speed and more speed, it was damn obvious today

 

[STGI]

1. Dugan
2. Matautai
3. Mann - fastest backline player in the team
4- Aitken
5- Nightingale

simple.

Lafai should be transformed into a edge player. Has the build but lacks the zipp for the centeres

 

[R&WTILLIDIE]

No wanker ponytails.

Spot on

 

[Fingerbang]

we need speed and more speed I TOLD YOU ALL

Why didn't you say this earlier, Dino?....someone may have noticed

 

[giboz71]

All starts and ends with the halves unfortunately.

This week and last, how many dropped balls due to our halves giving our runners the ball with defence all over them?? No vision whatsoever, when we decide to run a play, we run it no matter what. Instead of waiting for good go forward, or a quick play the ball, we always run our plays at the wrong moment. Both Benji and Widdop were guilty of this.

Anyone that thinks we don't need a change in the halves is deadset kidding themselves. Throw the kitchen sink at Cronk, Elgey, Keary, whoever will come.

Rein will always be Rein. He wasn't bad today, but we're not going to get out of this through our hooker.

As for Mann and Lafai, the decision to recruit them was sound. We needed a ball playing fullback and a specialist left centre. Whether they are the right players remains to be seen. Give them time.

Playing Dugan at FB and Aitken at centre would not have changed the result today. The whole team was deadset awful.

And Nighty's non try just proves we're one of the slowest teams in the comp.

 

[Vasilevsky]

Okay,widdop was bad today and had a shocker but wtf did benji do that has you re-signing him. From what i saw,he had a crack but did nothing that helped much.
From what we saw today,nobody stood up and we are in massive trouble if there is not a huge attitude change next week.
On todays game,i would'nt re-sign benji even for the 300k.

Benji was the only Dragons player to make a line break, tackled and kicked well and took the ball to the line before passing it. I agree he didn't have "a great game" but was the only Dragons player who can hold his head up after that.

Widdop made several mistakes, never looked like doing anything in attack and once again as he does every week, didn't take the ball to the line as all the top line halves do. The main difference today was even when he passed a few meters before the line, they were down around the receivers knees or up around the head.

 

[saintsbysix]

All starts and ends with the halves unfortunately.

This week and last, how many dropped balls due to our halves giving our runners the ball with defence all over them?? No vision whatsoever, when we decide to run a play, we run it no matter what. Instead of waiting for good go forward, or a quick play the ball, we always run our plays at the wrong moment. Both Benji and Widdop were guilty of this.

Anyone that thinks we don't need a change in the halves is deadset kidding themselves. Throw the kitchen sink at Cronk, Elgey, Keary, whoever will come.

Rein will always be Rein. He wasn't bad today, but we're not going to get out of this through our hooker.

As for Mann and Lafai, the decision to recruit them was sound. We needed a ball playing fullback and a specialist left centre. Whether they are the right players remains to be seen. Give them time.

Playing Dugan at FB and Aitken at centre would not have changed the result today. The whole team was deadset awful.

And Nighty's non try just proves we're one of the slowest teams in the comp.

I thought Lafai was a right side centre?

Agree with everything else you said.

 

[Vasilevsky]

All starts and ends with the halves unfortunately.

This week and last, how many dropped balls due to our halves giving our runners the ball with defence all over them?? No vision whatsoever, when we decide to run a play, we run it no matter what. Instead of waiting for good go forward, or a quick play the ball, we always run our plays at the wrong moment. Both Benji and Widdop were guilty of this.

Anyone that thinks we don't need a change in the halves is deadset kidding themselves. Throw the kitchen sink at Cronk, Elgey, Keary, whoever will come.

Rein will always be Rein. He wasn't bad today, but we're not going to get out of this through our hooker.

As for Mann and Lafai, the decision to recruit them was sound. We needed a ball playing fullback and a specialist left centre. Whether they are the right players remains to be seen. Give them time.

Playing Dugan at FB and Aitken at centre would not have changed the result today. The whole team was deadset awful.

And Nighty's non try just proves we're one of the slowest teams in the comp.

Give them time??? have you lost your f**king mind??? The regular season has started. Trials are over. We are out of time!