Widdop tipped to win 2018 Dally M

[denis preston]

Although he was close in 2017 to win it he simply doesn't have the consistency to win it in 2018. When the pressure is on he will turn to water just like he did in 2016 and 2017.

Very hard marking.If you looked closely perhaps it was others that turned to water and the burden was too too much for him. I think he is a very good player and the only criticism i have is he doesn't appear to be the greatest of captains but you can't say he doesn't lead by example.

 

[Crush]

If we had the same draw as 2017 or even 2016, then I agree, we could expect to turn some of those close losses into wins. Especially with Hunt closing games out.
Unfortunately our draw is significantly harder in 2018 + as you correctly point out, many bottom half teams have strengthened their rosters and are probably going to be different propositions in 2018.
We play Melbourne and Easts twice in 2018 whereas we only played them once in 2017
We still also play Parra twice.- they will continue to improve.
But we play Canterbury x 2 - on paper they are much stronger than 2017 and Pay will have them eating raw meat.
Cronulla x 2 - Dugan will be looking to stick it to us.
Souths x 2 - Inglis makes them a totally different team.
Tigers x 2 - excellent coach who has already made a big difference. They will be hard to beat.
and Newcastle x 2 - On paper they are a top 8 team. No resemblance to the last 3 years.
When you look at these teams objectively, they will be much more competitive than 2017.
Cowboys will also be back to full strength and Brisbane has beefed up their forward pack under the wily old super coach..
I respect and understand the excitement surrounding Ben Hunt's arrival but in my opinion, we are going to be in a life and death struggle for a finals spot in 2018.
From a coaching perspective we have no upside with McGregor.
He will continue to make mistakes, get outcoached by his counterparts and mismanage the roster.
I think predictions of Widdop winning the Dally M are premature but pointedly irrelevant.
So if we finish 9th and WIddop wins the Dally M - so what?
It's the biggest wank I've ever heard.
The key to improving our position on the ladder in 2018 is factoring in the harder draw and the improvement in most of the lesser teams we will face in 2018.
The biggest question is "will we be able to do that?"

Beating Melbourne and Easts in the finals would be difficult but in regular round footy it doesn't worry me. You see it all the time where we get up against the good teams but cannot put away the lesser teams.
Its all about consistency, if we can get a roll on and play good footy it won't matter if its tigers, knights, sharks, storm, dogs......we will win most of them.
If we play that style of footy where we try to defend small leads, kick down the fullbacks throat on every 5th tackle and get thrown into touch on the first then it wont matter who we play, we will lose.

 

[Dennis Papaioannou]

Beating Melbourne and Easts in the finals would be difficult but in regular round footy it doesn't worry me. You see it all the time where we get up against the good teams but cannot put away the lesser teams.
Its all about consistency, if we can get a roll on and play good footy it won't matter if its tigers, knights, sharks, storm, dogs......we will win most of them.
If we play that style of footy where we try to defend small leads, kick down the fullbacks throat on every 5th tackle and get thrown into touch on the first then it wont matter who we play, we will lose.

It should worry you because we have an abysmal record against the top teams.
I hope we become the most consistent team in the comp but right now it is just hope and speculation that revolves around 2 new recruits.
Apart from that, we have the same set up as the last 2 years less Dugan, Thompson, Packer etc.
I enjoy being optimistic when there is something I can hang my hat on.

 

[Crush]

It should worry you because we have an abysmal record against the top teams.
I hope we become the most consistent team in the comp but right now it is just hope and speculation that revolves around 2 new recruits.
Apart from that, we have the same set up as the last 2 years less Dugan, Thompson, Packer etc.
I enjoy being optimistic when there is something I can hang my hat on.

What ARE you optimistic about Dennis?
Leave the coach out of it, I get it, you think we should move him on and I think everyone agrees with you on that. But you have to be a little excited about 2018 right? Hunt is a massive plus surely? I just think he will make a huge difference. Plus if any of these young blokes like Dufty, Leilua, Host, Field, Lomax can fire that would be handy.
Im excited mate and very optimistic about 2018.

 

[possm]

What ARE you optimistic about Dennis?
Leave the coach out of it, I get it, you think we should move him on and I think everyone agrees with you on that. But you have to be a little excited about 2018 right? Hunt is a massive plus surely? I just think he will make a huge difference. Plus if any of these young blokes like Dufty, Leilua, Host, Field, Lomax can fire that would be handy.
Im excited mate and very optimistic about 2018.

Logically, Mark Coyne's Committee should have come to the conclusion that in 2016 the Dragons under achieved and that nothing less than a top 8 spot on the ladder in 2017 would be acceptable. In fact this committee should have found that we had the roster to make the top 4.

The committee should have recommended that consideration for an extension to the coaching staff contracts should only be done after the end of season results and only if we made the top 8 would their be any consideration of extensions.

To me this all seems logical given the result of 2016 and the results of all results from 2012 to 2016. But no, it seems that Mark Coyne has also joined the ranks of the 'old boys club' apparently such membership is very hard to resist.

 

[Dennis Papaioannou]

What ARE you optimistic about Dennis?
Leave the coach out of it, I get it, you think we should move him on and I think everyone agrees with you on that. But you have to be a little excited about 2018 right? Hunt is a massive plus surely? I just think he will make a huge difference. Plus if any of these young blokes like Dufty, Leilua, Host, Field, Lomax can fire that would be handy.
Im excited mate and very optimistic about 2018.

Of course I am excited and can't wait for the 2018 to start.
Yes Hunt will definitely make a big difference and I believe I have put forward my reservations which have nothing to do with Hunt's aptitude.
I just look at things differently to you and I will tell you the reason why.
Because this is the 6th season in a row where we basically achieved nothing. Not even close.
So by keeping my feet on the ground, a repeat performance won't devastate me as much.
I don't know about you but I get terribly upset when we lose games like Canterbury, Newcastle, Souths and get flogged by Parra and Melbourne in 2017.
Those performances do not do justice to our great club.
You notice that I did not mention the coach...

 

[SEAT 1A]

I would be happy to see the Widdop of the games up to his Anzac Day injury stretch that out to a full season of consistency.

Huge effort after he hobbled off, can't wait to see him with Hunt.

 

[Life's Good]

Huge effort after he hobbled off, can't wait to see him with Hunt.

Me too.

 

[getsmarty]

St George Illawarra Dragons half Gareth Widdop says he needs to think less to produce best form
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Think less, run more. That's the biggest lesson Dragons skipper Gareth Widdop has taken from England's run to last year's World Cup final.

Widdop was the NRL's five-eighth of the year at club level, but took his game up a further notch when he shifted to fullback for his country.

The 28-year-old was arguably the player of the tournament in the No.1 jumper after coach Wayne Bennett delivered a simple edict.

"I probably didn't have much time to think about it. I just turned up one morning and they said 'you're playing fullback'," Widdop said. "When you're playing fullback, you're not stuck on one side, you're not directing the team around. I didn't have to think too much. I just went out there and played football.

"We had a big year [at the Dragons], we obviously didn't play finals and it was a bit of a roller coaster. To get told 'just go out there and play football', I really enjoyed.

"It was a bit of refresher that if you think too much and you overthink, you're never going to play as well. That's the biggest thing I'll take away, to not over-analyse things.

"Hopefully I can bring a bit of that confidence and what I learned from that tour to the Dragons."

He'll return to his regular No. 6 jumper at the Dragons, but he's hopeful the arrival of Ben Hunt will allow him to keep that instinctive mindset.

It will also usher in an era of unprecedented stability at the club with the current spine all locked down on long-term deals.

Having played alongside seven different halfbacks in four seasons at the Dragons, Widdop said it's a welcome change.

"It definitely helps, especially when you're in the spine," Widdop said.

"The last few years I've probably had six or seven different halfbacks, so signing a halfback who's going to be here for a few years is great.

"In the past we've had halfbacks chopping and changing, hookers in and out, so I'm hoping we've got stability there now and we can all work together to make sure we're playing some good football.

"[Hunt] will take over a bit more of the direction and just let me roam around a little bit. Things won't change too much, we've got a shape we like to play with and he'll just fit into that and add to it where he can."

England's Cup campaign proved a welcome distraction, but Widdop said he certainly hasn't forgotten the Dragons unceremonious exit from finals contention last season.

"It was certainly disappointing. You play this game to play finals, the last few years we haven't been there," he said.

"It's not nice being on the lounge at home when the other teams are playing.

"We played some really good football but then when we were bad we were really bad. We lost some games that we should never have lost at the back end of the season.

"It really hurt because, when we were playing our best football, I believe we can match it with any team out there. We just didn't give ourselves the opportunity to do that.

"All the boys here have got the fire in the belly to make sure we do everything possible to get there this year."

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/sp...ess-to-produce-best-form-20180219-h0wb9p.html

 

[Old Timer]

Widdop will benefit by not having to do it all and will have a stellar year by actually doing less but doing it much better.
However from a Dally M perspective if Hunt fires I wouldn't expect either of them to win it because they will cannibalise each other for points.

 

[ouryear]

What ARE you optimistic about Dennis?
Leave the coach out of it, I get it, you think we should move him on and I think everyone agrees with you on that. But you have to be a little excited about 2018 right? Hunt is a massive plus surely? I just think he will make a huge difference. Plus if any of these young blokes like Dufty, Leilua, Host, Field, Lomax can fire that would be handy.
Im excited mate and very optimistic about 2018.

By round 12 you will realise its a lost cause, till HE (Mary) is chopped. Optimism is good, but reality will bite.

 

[ouryear]

I made this prediction about 3 months ago. Widdop will have a blinder. Spewing this article has come out, I was going to put a pineapple on him winning it, now the odds will suck.

Yeah right, and Sharon Woods will win prop of the year.

Like it matters.

 

[Coffs dragon]

Well that's certainly put the mock on poor Gaz.....now we are f.cked!

 

[Dragon Revival]

It is interesting to make certain
observations as follows:-
-We have a top 4 pack.
-We have a top 4 halves combination.
-We have a top 4 spine.
-We have a bottom four three-quarter line.
I support Widdop as Captain but believe that Vaughan should be our Vice-Captain as he is our most inspirational forward.
It is interesting to note that our development of Under 20's players to NRL has been poor since 2012 apart from Dufty and Host. I hope that 2018 sees players like Field, Herbert. Kerr and Leilia make the grade. I believe that Lawrie and Sele need another year in NSW Cup. I have doubts about Garrick who did everything wrong. In the area of recruitment in the forwards we have done well however since 2011
we have lost Cooper, Gasnier, Hornby, Brett Morris and Soward and bought two erratic players in Lafai and Mac Donald and three good players being Dugan whom no one else wanted, Mann who never lets the team down and Hunt who we probably paid overs for.
At least in 2018 you can say that we do not harbour injured, mediocre or over the hill players such as FaiFai Loa, Glymin, Marketo, Masoe, Matthews, Mc Carthy, Nielsen, Isaac Thompson, etc.



-

 

[giboz71]

I think the team will go better if Hunt wins the Dally M.

 

[Life's Good]

Id rather just focus on the team performing and not fading into oblivion. Individual accolades are nice but playing finals football is much more attractive IMO.

 

[grouch]

Id rather just focus on the team performing and not fading into oblivion. Individual accolades are nice but playing finals football is much more attractive IMO.

Trent Barrett winning it in 2000 was surely an all-time highlight for Dragons fans everywhere

 

[Life's Good]

Trent Barrett winning it in 2000 was surely an all-time highlight for Dragons fans everywhere

About the same level of excitement as winning the club championship.

 

[giboz71]

Id rather just focus on the team performing and not fading into oblivion. Individual accolades are nice but playing finals football is much more attractive IMO.

If Hunt wins the Dally M and has his best ever season, I’m fairly sure we will be deep into the finals.

 

[Life's Good]

If Hunt wins the Dally M and has his best ever season, I’m fairly sure we will be deep into the finals.

The only thing with that is Widdop is likely to feature in the points as well. Not a bad thing of course but they might take points off each other. Regardless, if they alternate the DM points between them then that is only a good thing and augurs well for a finals tilt.