Where will the St George Illawarra Dragons finish in 2019?

[Crush]

As said by others the Dragons have the potential to finish in the top 4 , BUT also the unique ability to be just a ‘ all- so ran ‘ team . It does come down to having a coach whom realizes how best to use the players in his squad to their maximum potential .

Will the maestro have learnt to rest his SOO players this year , or will we yet again go through the sorry ordeal of watching a team that is capable of winning the premiership go down the drain with a couple of wins at the very death of the season ?

That question can only be answered by the coach himself. We DO have the experience and youth to go a long way in 2019 , hopefully everything shall fall into place this time round.

McGregor will be much worse this year than last year because he is looking for a contract extension. There will be no resting players and thinking about the later part of the season. He will want to win every single game in hope of a June/July extension.
He'll be unbearably conservative and a nightmare for us fans.

 

[Rhyno]

1-4th

Get on Corey Norman to win the dally M

 

[dragonssamy61]

Don't start me on the wrestle....I was a legs tackler, but the only legs tackle I would advise to do today is a side on cover defence. A friend of mine's boy was being taught to hold & wait for the wrestle from the age of 13 which resulted in bouncing off players & them being able to offload at times, I gave him some lessons when he was about 15 on the sand to hit like a legs tackle but under the ribs instead, driving in a diagonally direction to knock the ball carrier of their feet, since then he has made all rep sides including Qld schoolboys & signed with Storm as a 17yr old, just doing their summer pre season & although they do train to wrap & hold, he acknowledges that he only gets complements when doing a one on one driving tackle.
It doesn't matter if you are the size of Dufty or not, if you are shown ways to counteract the size difference, every one should be able to perfect a tackle, just like a small being able to flip a larger man in Judo. ( to a certain degree)
Gone a bit of topic so back to the post.
Top 4
If not bye bye Mcgregor

Slippery.
What you say makes a lot of sense.
Just to give you a bit more .
A kid like luc played for Hurstville united and was a dominant force because of his size and ability for 10 seasons his teams dominated.
But when they make ISP and NRL level these kids need to be taught to tackle properly ect.
They have had it easy all the way though.
To me mybe they sould go back to weight divisions within the age groups.
Because if you are playing against kids of equal size regularly you must learn how to tackle ect correctly or you will never make it.
Years ago NRL teams looked at league junior's as where they would find the next superstar.
Nowdays
they look at all sports.
So these kid have never been showen how to tackle correctly.

 

[red rocket]

There are many contenders for all backline positions and in my opinion it all depends on the selection process. If Mary picks the players who performed best in the off-season and who he believes can do the job well, then we could have a very strong backline.

I believe we need to know about the defence ability of our two new young wingers and the form of Runciman during the off-season. If these two questions are answered in the positive, it may well be that we have a whole new 1-6 line-up that can best or a least equal the top 4 clubs of the competition. I hope to see the following 1-7:

1. Widdop - improved defence and experience
2. Pearson - Big and fast, he needs to show good defence
3. Lomax - Showed us how good he is against Brisbane
4. Runciman - Form in the off-season might win him spot 30
5. Ravalawa - Big and fast, he needs to show good defence
6. Norman - By far our best game manager and half
7. Hunt - Will be free to run and do his magic

Duffy out runcimen in fmd that will do me

 

[slippery5]

Slippery.
What you say makes a lot of sense.
Just to give you a bit more .
A kid like luc played for Hurstville united and was a dominant force because of his size and ability for 10 seasons his teams dominated.
But when they make ISP and NRL level these kids need to be taught to tackle properly ect.
They have had it easy all the way though.
To me mybe they sould go back to weight divisions within the age groups.
Because if you are playing against kids of equal size regularly you must learn how to tackle ect correctly or you will never make it.
Years ago NRL teams looked at league junior's as where they would find the next superstar.
Nowdays
they look at all sports.
So these kid have never been showen how to tackle correctly.

I'm offering my services for free.

 

[Gareth67]

I'm offering my services for free.

I will supply the Kandos cement bags if needed .

 

[Overseas dragon]

McGregor will be much worse this year than last year because he is looking for a contract extension. There will be no resting players and thinking about the later part of the season. He will want to win every single game in hope of a June/July extension.
He'll be unbearably conservative and a nightmare for us fans.

same old same old CRUSH .MR ULTRA CONSERVATIVE WILL SHINE NEXT YEAR ,UNFORTUNATELY KIDS LIKE LOMAX AND PEARSON AND RAVALAWA WILL GET SHORT SHIFTED ......

 

[BLM01]

Don't start me on the wrestle....I was a legs tackler, but the only legs tackle I would advise to do today is a side on cover defence. A friend of mine's boy was being taught to hold & wait for the wrestle from the age of 13 which resulted in bouncing off players & them being able to offload at times, I gave him some lessons when he was about 15 on the sand to hit like a legs tackle but under the ribs instead, driving in a diagonally direction to knock the ball carrier off their feet, since then he has made all rep sides including Qld schoolboys & signed with Storm as a 17yr old, just doing their summer pre season & although they do train to wrap & hold, he acknowledges that he only gets complements when doing a one on one driving tackle.
It doesn't matter if you are the size of Dufty or not, if you are shown ways to counteract the size difference, every one should be able to perfect a tackle, just like a small being able to flip a larger man in Judo. ( to a certain degree)
Gone a bit of topic so back to the post.
Top 4
If not bye bye Mcgregor

Well I have done my time coaching but always looking for coaches like yourself from not that really old school, in fact what you say should be still taught today but not dfor some reason..LOL
Back on topic I just think we are too weak and lack depth 2-5 especially if injury strikes (we had a lucky year in that regards in 2018)..5-8th at best.

 

[dragonssamy61]

I'm offering my services for free.

Good on you mate.
If you really want to contact your local team .
They are always looking for good coaches that know what there need to do

 

[slippery5]

McGregor will be much worse this year than last year because he is looking for a contract extension. There will be no resting players and thinking about the later part of the season. He will want to win every single game in hope of a June/July extension.
He'll be unbearably conservative and a nightmare for us fans.

Good on you mate.
If you really want to contact your local team .
They are always looking for good coaches that know what there need to do

Thanks mate, I have done my fair share of local club coaching but now spend my weekends with the family skiing, but will return when my Grandson laces up the boots, hopefully for the Dragons one day.

 

[Wittenberg]

I certainly don’t see us finishing in the top 4. We will fight it out for the 7th or 8th position. The loss of JDB for part or all of the season will be very destabilising for our pack, morale and squad depth. Our wingers are question marks at best and Norman, wherever he plays, will take time to settle in and there is the ongoing uncertainty around who will be our FB. I’m sorry I can’t get over the Norman purchase........will he be able to steer a team to a record breaking three wooden spoon titles in a row? And if we play Aikten then we will leak points out wide the same as last year. There are too many question marks floating around the make up of our squad......and then there isMary

 

[gitano]

With Lomax and young Silverman on the wings I'm excited. Top 4

 

[Frank Facer]

I certainly don’t see us finishing in the top 4. We will fight it out for the 7th or 8th position. The loss of JDB for part or all of the season will be very destabilising for our pack, morale and squad depth. Our wingers are question marks at best and Norman, wherever he plays, will take time to settle in and there is the ongoing uncertainty around who will be our FB. I’m sorry I can’t get over the Norman purchase........will he be able to steer a team to a record breaking three wooden spoon titles in a row? And if we play Aikten then we will leak points out wide the same as last year. There are too many question marks floating around the make up of our squad......and then there isMary

Mate, I can see Norman having a massive season playing behind our pack.

 

[nontime111]

I say Premiers.....and Minor Premiers also

with Lucky and Lawrie totally firing and the consistency of Vaughn, Tariq Simms AND Korbin Simms along with mighty Frizz smashing them and with Robson off the bench weaving his magic our pack will be unstoppable allowing Hunt and Norman to totally dominate, setting up Pearson, Dufty, Lomax, Field , Periera, Ravalawa, Silverman and co for HEAPS of tries, we will be the pinnacle team , with iron wall defence and scorching attack NO one will stop us mark my words, it WILL be OUR year in 2019!!

 

[dragonssamy61]

Thanks mate, I have done my fair share of local club coaching but now spend my weekends with the family skiing, but will return when my Grandson laces up the boots, hopefully for the Dragons one day.

Good on you mate.
Enjoy.

 

[RufusRex]

Who is Aitken’s manager and what other players in our club have the same management team?

 

[Old Timer]

With Lomax and young Silverman on the wings I'm excited. Top 4

Yep the ISP team could have a big year with those guys playing a key roll
No chance they will be playing together in 1st grade

 

[Crush]

Yep the ISP team could have a big year with those guys playing a key roll
No chance they will be playing together in 1st grade

I know for a fact that one of those two guys will never play 1st grade.

 

[Overseas dragon]

I say Premiers.....and Minor Premiers also

with Lucky and Lawrie totally firing and the consistency of Vaughn, Tariq Simms AND Korbin Simms along with mighty Frizz smashing them and with Robson off the bench weaving his magic our pack will be unstoppable allowing Hunt and Norman to totally dominate, setting up Pearson, Dufty, Lomax, Field , Periera, Ravalawa, Silverman and co for HEAPS of tries, we will be the pinnacle team , with iron wall defence and scorching attack NO one will stop us mark my words, it WILL be OUR year in 2019!!

Optimism of the highest order .but I applaud you go the BIG RED V

 

[dragonssamy61]

I know for a fact that one of those two guys will never play 1st grade.

Agree crush