Your Teams For Round 1

[possm]

Prior had a below average season last year but not as bad as what a lot of guys think, it happens even the great Darren Lockyer had one or two dips in his career. Matt Prior has represented Country origin in 2011 and was widely tipped as an outside chance to make the NSW team.

A couple of reasons I believe he had an indifferent year last season is that he was the Mr Fix it of the team playing a different role every week of course this will throw you off your rhythm playing as an outside back one week and a battering ram the next, even Beau Scott was given time to adjust when he was switched and remained at centre and then back to and remained at second row when Gaz came back. When Scott was switched to centre again in a couple games against the Tigers without proper preparation he was carved a new one against Chris Lawrence. It's just not easy to do that.

This year I tip Prior to bounce back and with a lot of competition for spots in the team this is only a good thing as it will keep him sharp. Cut out the silly errors and add a bit of confidence to his game as well as maybe add a little bulk and muscle he can be a dominating forward like in 2009/2010.

The main complaint against Prior is with regards to his ball security. It?s the same problem with Vidot.

Reading the game from different positions each week is difficult and can take some adjustment. But catching the ball and holding onto it under pressure is a basic skill that all first grade players should have acquired in the junior grades.

If it was his first year in first grade then it is not such a big deal however, Prior has been around a number of seasons and each season this problem has been there.

I think it's time to shape up or ship out because there is plenty of competition for a back row spot at the Dragons this season.

 

[possm]

Always enjoy the opportuntiy to reminisce over 2010. The canonisation of Smith, Costigan and Saffy always amuses me too. I love them all and certainly they'll be legends to me forever - but so will everyone in that team. It seems that the old "absence makes the heart grow fonder" adage applies in this scenario, since they all departed after that game and left us with only those memories. They were great in that game, but were they the difference? Does anyone note the fact that Ben Creagh made more metres than any forward on the field? He stepped up as much as anyone after Mick Weyman's injury - Weyman incidentally, was our most important forward all season, even above the dearly departed. Prior also, played a key role along with Saffy in that game. Where the Roosters bench forwards tried to make an impact with ill-advised and misguided aggression and grubbiness (especially Maria Hargreaves), Prior and Saffy rolled the sleeves up and just kept our roll on going. With Creagh. And Costi, Jez, Young, Scott and the rest. What a team.

Under a great coach, Prior played his part in 2010 and was part of a good team of players that bought home the bacon.

In 2012 - two years later - he played well below the standard required. Each year players should be judged on their performance. It's not good business to excuse a player because he performed well two years ago. And this year if he is selected and plays below expectations, he should be drop to the Cutters.

There is no room for the coach playing favourites; he is only of average talent and definitely not in the same class as senior players such as Merrin, Hunt, Weyman, Creagh, Soward, Cooper, Morris or Nightingale who all could be excused for having a bad one.

 

[Minh]

The main complaint against Prior is with regards to his ball security. It?s the same problem with Vidot.

Reading the game from different positions each week is difficult and can take some adjustment. But catching the ball and holding onto it under pressure is a basic skill that all first grade players should have acquired in the junior grades.

If it was his first year in first grade then it is not such a big deal however, Prior has been around a number of seasons and each season this problem has been there.

I think it's time to shape up or ship out because there is plenty of competition for a back row spot at the Dragons this season.

Vidot has never won us a premiership yet, although I am now a fan of his as he did improve drastically at the back end of 2012. Like I said don't hang your champions out to dry for one below par season. Based on your judgement we should have gotten rid of Nightigale after the 2009 season when he was used as a utility because of Wendell Sailor, he played pretty poorly at times that year.:?

 

[InThatNumber]

Beale, Morris, Stanley, cooper, flo, soward, fien. Weyman(if fit for round 1), rein, hunt, creagh, Harrison, prior. Bench: merrin, de belin, frizzell, king.

I think price will turn this team out round 1. I think our chance rely solely on Beale making an impact and rein continuing his meteoric rise in the game.

Soward to pull an ainscough in a contract year and have a great season.

 

[trudge]

...

 

[tumbidragon]

My Rnd.1 side would be

1. Beale
2. Morris
3. Vidot
4. Cooper
5. Nightingale
6. Soward
7. Fien (depending on Drinkwater's trial form)
8. Weyman
9. Rein
10. Hunt
11. Creagh
12. Harrison
13. Merrin
14.De'Belin
15.Stockwell
16.King
17.Frizell/Mathews

 

[Twenty10]

My Rnd.1 side would be

1. Beale
2. Morris
3. Vidot
4. Cooper
5. Nightingale
6. Soward
7. Fien (depending on Drinkwater's trial form)
8. Weyman
9. Rein
10. Hunt
11. Creagh
12. Harrison
13. Merrin
14.De'Belin
15.Stockwell
16.King
17.Frizell/Mathews

I agree with this but with frizzel as a definite. He'll be our player of the year IMO.

But price will include prior and will drop vidot for Stanley.

 

[Minh]

Good thing about this year is there are some real genuine competition for spots this year.

 

[tumbidragon]

Good thing about this year is there are some real genuine competition for spots this year.

Exactly. We have great depth across the board bar the halves. But in saying that, which NRL side does not lack depth in the halves?

 

[Minh]

Exactly. We have great depth across the board bar the halves. But in saying that, which NRL side does not lack depth in the halves?

True there isn't an NRL team at the moment who have two gun halves going at once bar Manly with Foran and Cherry Evans.

 

[Minh]

Exactly. We have great depth across the board bar the halves. But in saying that, which NRL side does not lack depth in the halves?

Cronk and Widdup right up there too.

 

[tumbidragon]

Cronk and Widdup right up there too.

Totally agree that both Manly and the cheat$ have the better qulity halves, but they also lack any depth there. A serious injury too just one playmaker (knock on wood) and they soon start too struggle just like the other 14 clubs would.

 

[Minh]

Totally agree that both Manly and the cheat$ have the better qulity halves, but they also lack any depth there. A serious injury too just one playmaker (knock on wood) and they soon start too struggle just like the other 14 clubs would.

For sure, I think Melbourne would be better equipped though with Finch as back up this year, Bellamy is a very smart man.

 

[tumbidragon]

For sure, I think Melbourne would be better equipped though with Finch as back up this year, Bellamy is a very smart man.

Forgot all about Finch lol. Bellamy is indeed a shrewed recruiter

 

[possm]

Can anyone tell me is it true that:
Left side secondrow is Creagh's and Harrison's preferred position.
Right side secondrow is Frizell's and Mathews preferred position.
Likely props this year will be Weyman, Hunt, Merrin, Stockwell, Ah Mau, Henderson.
Likely locks for this year will be De Belin, Vae, Prior.

Of course all backrowers can rotate to through the lock position but few are comfortable in switching between the left and right side of the ruck.

For this season we have lost Scott and Young and hve recurited Harrison and Frizell. So it seems to me that Frizell will get a perm. right secondrow spot in place of Scott.

It therefore follows that the run on secondrow combo would be Creagh and Frizell.

 

[64 Dragon]

I thought Harrison was a right side player. I bet he says he is, because Captain Creagh has a mortgage on the left side.

 

[possm]

Maybe Harrison will play lock and Frizell play on the right.

 

[watatank]

Harrison has played mostly on the right throughout his career. I think he swapped last year to accomodate Papalli but that's it.

No real guarantees on the right side backrow position. Frizzell may have been seen as a potential replacement for Scott at the time he was signed but he still needs to earn it. Matthews finished the year there and played well enough to suggest he will be in the mix. Harrison was signed last and if he can prove his fitness and show ability to get back to where he was when he was playing for NZ then he'll probably be first choice.

Price talked about Harrison as someone who can play in the middle and play on the right so there's a possibility of a Frizzell/Creagh/Harrison backrow. Good attacking backrow but I do wonder how they will handle the defensive work. That's where players like Scott and Young will be missed.

 

[possm]

I'm really looking forward to the first trial game. I think Drinkwater will get some game time and maybe Vidot will get a half a game at right centre.

 

[Godz Illa]

The mercury today confirms Vidot has been training primarily as a centre this pre-season. And he has been showing up to training, which is nice.

‘‘I feel a lot more comfortable,’’ he said. ‘‘I used to play it when I was younger and in the Toyota Cup, I really only turned into a winger when I went to first grade for Canberra.
‘‘This season I’m coming to training"

http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/1272038/dragons-are-ready-to-rumble-vidot/?cs=302