Trial form cause for concern? Or just teething problems?

[Maddragon99]

Handily beaten by the Eels tonight after a loss last week to the Sharks. Trial form is difficult to read at the best of times but some of our defensive reads tonight have me worried.

 

[kit66]

We won the first 20 minutes of each game when we had our strongest available sides ( under the criteria ) on the park. We got to see some of the kids get a run and that's about it. I certainly wouldn't be hitting the panic button just yet. Our forward depth is obviously a problem but we knew that already.

 

[Gareth67]

Yes we are in big trouble already ! Undoubtedly the season is a write-off , 2 trial matches for 2 losses . Lord forbid they account for nothing , so don’t go burning your Dragon jersey just yet - lets wait until the actual season proper begins and our full 1st grade team is on the field .

We need to wait for the boys to gel and for most they will be under a coach who knows his business .

 

[The_Team_Won]

Two trial games with mostly reserve graders in each of the teams. The game against the Rabbitohs Saturday week, will be a better guide of how the team is shaping up ahead of round 1.

 

[Dragonslayer]

As some have pointed out already, when we had our 'best' on the field in hoth trials we were competitive if not a little superior, so for anout 20 mins of both games we looked ok.

Gauging then the intro of part-timers and some youngsters still eligible for Flegg and continiuity soon evaporates. It would be easy guess that the top squad wouldn't have done any training with the CC squad (we know this because DeBelin is training with the CC boys) or the Flegg boys etc.
It was good though as we did get to see some talent and some players put their hand up and perform well.

No panic or worry at this time, but next weeks CS (and to a lesser extent the AllStars) will give us a clearer picture of where we are at seasons start.

 

[Dragons154]

Nope...

Results for a trail mean next to nothing, individual performances mean soooo much more.
Even more so this year seeing as last season had no lower grade games at all.

bird was strong
Ramsey’s not a fullback
AM will be very handy
Sullivan is the clubs future
Loved what I saw from Jayden hunt.

 

[muzby]

 

[Banjo2014]

Did not see any first grade quality payers there yesterday except for Bird - disappointing

 

[Coffs dragon]

Trials are just a necessary pain in the arse to blow out the cobwebs & rotate the 2nd stringers. My only care & concern is avoiding player injury.

 

[goldiesaintz]

As others have alluded to, getting thru the games unscathed would be the number one target.

Plus, ridding ourselves of the McGregorVirus. There’s no vaccine strong enough to quell any leftover mutations from the Shed Painter in the short term.

It will take time and then some.

 

[jeffdragon]

Why can other Reggie's players perform and always ours don't.
Sharks eels and rabbits last charity.
shield.
Next week will probably be the same.

 

[Slippery Morris]

Bird, McCullogh and Sims did not get injured which is a huge positive. The young guys are playing their first couple of full games against opposition since March last year. There was no reserve grades played so it is the longest off season they have had to endure.

It did emphasis to me that they need a couple of forwards though as I feel the young guys will not be ready for NRL because of the above. We need some more guys who played some footy at NRL standard last year. There is a huge bulk of the team, about 90% of the forwards that played a handful of games in 18 months and will take a while to hit their straps. I can't believe Saints are not chasing more forwards.

 

[Dragon David]

Bird, McCullogh and Sims did not get injured which is a huge positive. The young guys are playing their first couple of full games against opposition since March last year. There was no reserve grades played so it is the longest off season they have had to endure.

It did emphasis to me that they need a couple of forwards though as I feel the young guys will not be ready for NRL because of the above. We need some more guys who played some footy at NRL standard last year. There is a huge bulk of the team, about 90% of the forwards that played a handful of games in 18 months and will take a while to hit their straps. I can't believe Saints are not chasing more forwards.

The Sharks and Eels had players who also did not play for most of 2020 so that is no excuse for our lack of dominance in the games. What we saw was these other teams being better developed so far this season and they were overall bigger guys right across the pitch than our guys so they dominated us even though they were only trials.

This season will be one of dominance more so than other seasons with these new rules.

 

[Walpole]

It's cause for realism, if nothing else.

I doubt we have the players to make the 8 this season but hopefully we see decent game plans, 100% effort at all times, our young blokes given opportunities and the regulars justifying their pay packets.

 

[Crush]

It depends on your expectations @Maddragon99
I’d say it’s a concern, yes.
There is a real lack of depth in the forwards. But we knew that.

 

[matPORTS]

In both trials we looked very heavy under foot and certainly not on point with our skills and discipline, while our opposition looked a lot sharper and skillful with ball in hand, especially as the game went on. This is akin to us possibly doing more intense physical training as opposed to ball and skills work. Our juniors would be feeling the physicality of our pre-season, especially having not played any games in over 12 months, and it's going to take time to dust off those cobwebs.

I'm not overly concerned at this point. Happy to see us come slowly out of the blocks and build into our season rather than create 'false hope' early on. But we are definitely unsettled in some areas, especially on our edges (Frizell was always going to leave a bit of hole though).

Our big guns get their first hit out of the year next week, and this will tell a bit more of the story ahead of the season proper.

 

[Slippery Morris]

I would rather get flogged and have the key players come off uninjured, than winning a trial and having injuries any day. Bird, McCullough and Sims got 20mins in their legs which is a huge bonus.

 

[possm]

The only concerns I have right now is in relation to Ford and Brid. I was under the impression that Bird would be coming off the bench in rotation with Ford. But now it seems that Bird will be playing left centre.

Ford needs to really step up if that is the case. Let's home that that the Feagai brother smash them in CC.

 

[redandwhite4evr]

Yes we are in big trouble already ! Undoubtedly the season is a write-off , 2 trial matches for 2 losses . Lord forbid they account for nothing , so don’t go burning your Dragon jersey just yet - lets wait until the actual season proper begins and our full 1st grade team is on the field .

We need to wait for the boys to gel and for most they will be under a coach who knows his business .

You're right Gaz-most clubs will only give very limited minutes to key players in trials and mostly give the fringe players the opportunity to show their wares. Hopefully we'll see what Hook thinks is the Dragons top 13 in the first half of the Charity Shield. If they manage to hold their own against a formidable opponent, we may be in for a better year than many of us (including me) think.

 

[boardlumps62]

During the trials the teams we watched showed no semblance to the Dragons NRL Team that Hook will prepare for the 2021 campaign. As previously mentioned the main players didn't feature. This week we will see closer to the NRL side the Charity Sheils is the first real hit out.