Why are the St. George-Illawarra Dragons chokers?

[Spade]

There games built around forwards and there gassed, worse this year because of origin, next year resting players mid season is a must.

 

[Albert Rosenfeld]

Dragons fans only get to see two more games: round 25 and first week of the finals. Then it is curtains for the club of Reg Gasnier, Johnny Raper and Norm Provan.

 

[Meapro Ham]

They certainly do manage to fall off a cliff year after year with McGregor.

Rounds 1 to 9 they were 8 from 9 with a +142 points differential
Since then they've been 7 from 15 with a -105 differential

Seems pretty obvious McGregor just puts too much emphasis on starting the season strongly. Its the same thing every year with him. They get off to a flyer by playing with more intensity than everyone else but inevitably they can't maintain it and the wheels start to fall off after about 10 rounds.

 

[Frailty]

I don't think it's one thing, but rather than a combination of issues that accumulate to the perfect storm of choking.

In my opinion:

• Failing to rest players during the Origin period was a failure. Not allowing players full recovery during this period has backfired, but more importantly, it has prevented their depth from getting valuable NRL game time to cover effectively in the back half of the season.
• That game plan failed to adapt. Most teams and coaches are smart enough to work out a team's strategies and structures. Good coaches will slowly change up their structures so it isn't as predictable.
• Poor psychology - a lot of that team struggle when the pressure is on, and it's not because they aren't good players, but they just can't handle adversity. Ben Hunt is a prime example of this. He is a good player, but he struggles for a couple of games and then his game just collapses.
• Injuries - following on from the first point, the injuries have been hit them hard.

Overall, coaching can be looked at as the main issues. McGregor failed to adapt his game plans, he has failed to manage his roster properly, and then reacted by making ridiculous team changes (like Dufty out for Nightingale).

 

[muzby]

Unfortunately for the dragons it’s just part of their identity. If you take a really close look at their logo the dragon is choking, so is the knight and the horse is most definitely choking.
They should’ve went with the Steeler.

 

[Sphagnum]

Dragons need to bring back Brian Smith. That merkin knows how to win premierships.

 

[TheFrog]

Unfortunately for the dragons it’s just part of their identity. If you take a really close look at their logo the dragon is choking, so is the knight and the horse is most definitely choking.
They should’ve went with the Steeler.

Not only that, but they put the sponsor's name right through the heart of the red V. What else can they expect?

 

[Different kind of Rabbit]

It's happened several times now over a few years and the key common ingredient seems to be the coach.

They've changed up the roster quite a bit over the last few years and all it's done is stalled the choke by a few extra weeks.

It''s pretty obvious that Mary's approach to an NRL season is to go flat out from pre-season to the final whistle and he expects that his team will be able to hack it.

If you look at the guys that have won several premierships, like Bellamy and Bennett, you can see that their teams tend to start a little underdone and work into the competition so that they hit their straps around Origin and are absolutely peaking by September. The Dragons peaked in April.

25 rounds is a bloody long time to sustain form. In the 80's and 90's you could do it because you could stack your depth a little easier than what you can now. Most teams have the depth of a kiddies pool so the minute you start to see some injuries it has a negative impact on form.

Anyway, one week to go of the normal season and then it's a completely new ball game. Who knows what happens from there.

 

[Dave_]

They'll probably come back and win the comp. It's that kind of year

 

[Dragon Slayer]

The Forward Pack is to blame.

In the 1st half of the year everyone was talking up their forward pack.

Why?

Because they were killing it.

But the second half of the year they’re all down on performance apart from Frizell.

If your forward pack is playing like shyte you can’t expect much from your halves.

If your halves aren’t able to create much you can’t expect much from your backs.

 

[Mr Angry]

Whats less than a shadow?

A shadow at midday.

 

[wittyfan]

Worst late season collapse that I can remember.

 

[Life's Good]

Worst late season collapse that I can remember.

You don't remember that we did the same last year? Try taking some Ginseng to improve your memory, I'm concerned for you.

 

[GongPanther]

You don't remember that we did the same last year? Try taking some Ginseng to improve your memory, I'm concerned for you.

The Chinese know that remedy doesn't work. And they can't remember why.

 

[Lambretta]

Interesting observation. Allow me to offer my retort

Since the formation of the NRL in 1998 the Roosters have been in 6 Grand Finals, winning 2 for a 33% strike rate.
The Dragons have been in 2 Grand Finals, winning 1 for a 50% strike rate.
In that time we also have a 100% strike rate in Grand Finals vs. the Roosters, therefore,
Roosters choke >>>> Michael Hutchence choke.

Please pass this to Albert Rosentard.

How does the maths work when you expand the search to include all finals matches rather than Grand Finals?

I reckon we're dead set f**king even tbh

But as we have 19 Minor Premierships and 13 Premierships whilst you have a mere 16 Minor Premierships to your 16 Premierships, I reckon our record of shitting our dacks historically can't be touched. Forever under our dung heap!

But then I look at your 29 Grand Final appearances to your 16 Premierships and I realise you've shat your dacks on the big day 13 times. That's a big day shit yerself rate of 45%
Whereas the Roosters have had 22 Grand Final appearances for 13 Premierships, so our tally of 9 big day failures means we have a shit yerself rate of 41%, so we are under your dung heap

So in summary, we should be growing roses.

 

[Captain Apollo]

I think I've uncovered Albert's secret identity - he's really Brad Walter. Doubt me? Read this - https://www.nrl.com/news/2018/08/27...gons-fans-the-games-biggest-crisis-merchants/

 

[OzDragon]

Our season has been revived. Thanks Albert

 

[big hit!]

It’s the coach.

That bloke doesn’t know how to build team momrntum over the course of a season.

He gets them pumped up to perform early with little regard for the longevity of his pack over a long season. The idiot doesn’t rest blokes or build young forward strength giving them a go.

McIdiot needs to go

Their players got up for Origin. That was their Grand Final

 

[Miller was a legend]

How does the maths work when you expand the search to include all finals matches rather than Grand Finals?

I reckon we're dead set f**king even tbh

But as we have 19 Minor Premierships and 13 Premierships whilst you have a mere 16 Minor Premierships to your 16 Premierships, I reckon our record of shitting our dacks historically can't be touched. Forever under our dung heap!

But then I look at your 29 Grand Final appearances to your 16 Premierships and I realise you've shat your dacks on the big day 13 times. That's a big day shit yerself rate of 45%
Whereas the Roosters have had 22 Grand Final appearances for 13 Premierships, so our tally of 9 big day failures means we have a shit yerself rate of 41%, so we are under your dung heap

So in summary, we should be growing roses.

Appears his is bigger than yours LG

 

[BennyV]

What I want to know is how we (and specifically, polished turd we have named as coach) get such a free ride in the media!! Our actual slide started well before this run of losses and some horrible coaching and team management was masked by some moments of individual brilliance by players. For years, however, our basic skills have been poor, game plan abysmal if not non-existent, player development has been shocking, team selections and bench management have been perplexing...basically everything required of a first grade football coach has been a steaming pile of crap. Surely SOMEONE in the media, amongst all footy analysts with an actual voice, has noticed this? Why don’t you dig the f**k into us, and by extension McGregor?

A few weeks ago, after getting painfully penetrated by the team coming last, the media go for the easy target that is Ben Hunt. And now, after the most embarrassing loss in the history of our club, when we had a club legends last home game, against bitter rivals, for a Top 4 spot, 3 days after another club legend tragically passed away, we dish up a 38-0 schamozzle and the media dish up a a sob story about the fans being so harsh? Boo f**king woo, curse those fans for targeting actual success, wanting our club to be the best and getting pissed off after paying to watch the team we support bend over and lube up for one of our most hated opponents!

When are the media going to grow some balls and ask actual questions of the sorry excuse for a coach at our club?

f**k!