jodragon40
Staff
It's time for a major cleanout at the Dragons
The Dragons have taken just four weeks to lose their way.
www.zerotackle.com
Not Good News
- Thread starter jodragon40
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Dragons Chris
SGI NSW Cup
That alone should mean on the spot demotion to reserve grade.
Pretty obvious De Belin has been told to often pass the ball rather than concentrate on making metres but no excuse for Lawrie at all.
jodragon40
Staff
I've always been a supporter of Lawrie because he wears his heart on his sleeve and lives and breaths dragons but I have never considered him a prop in today's game, in my day yes but not today's where scrums are not contestable. Those stats indicate that he is just being smashed and isn't going looking for the ball and who can blame him. At the moment he has reached his peak and needs more development so for me if you stick with him from now on at the very best a bench player 20 min each half.
Morgan
SGI NSW Cup
I started off thinking he needed to start from the bench and come on when the initial sting had gone out of the big middle forwards. Now I think he needs to develop his game in reserve grade.
jodragon40
Staff
Debelin is our best defensive forward he needs to play 60 min minimum. He is another obviously playing to instructions perhaps the instructions may be wrong? Examples being Sloan and Amone. I don't know the coach personally but as I mentioned in another post as a coach you have a responsibility to make sure that if you make mistakes in game plans, player instructions, player positioning then the sooner you acknowledge the mistakes the quicker you can move forward.
jodragon40
Staff
Normally I would agree with you 100% but with the current reserve team he may go further backwards. There is nothing for him in that team. He needs like all of us acknowledge his positive and negative traits and develop both. He needs to learn off Woods.
Morgan
SGI NSW Cup
There are some good points in the article but also some utter nonsense. Take this for example:
This was the biggest selection blunder of all! And Bird has scored a few good tries by backing up well and running good lines but his defence has been atrocious and running metres not much better. And I see while I was typing, jodragon eluded to this.
Morgan
SGI NSW Cup
Sure I understand that but it matters much less if he screws up in reserve grade and he might be holding good NRL potential players back. There are options to replace him. Obviously Burgess but maybe it's time to give J. Hunt and/or M. Molo a chance.
jodragon40
Staff
My information is that Bird and the club are not seeing eye to eye on his new contract and if my personal past experience tells me anything this can be decisive within the team. It appears there is some credibility in this.
jodragon40
Staff
In my humble view if you cut him loose then you will do more harm than good. The players you mentioned are not putting in already in our reserves.
Morgan
SGI NSW Cup
I was thinking that but surely if this were the case, that he and/or Sims contract situation was negatively affecting the team, both would get dropped.
Morgan
SGI NSW Cup
Well, all I know is something drastic has to happen with the front row. Give Lawrie a chance on the bench but he's on thin ice there as well.
jodragon40
Staff
For who? My understanding is that there are grumbling's in the team and it's affecting their on field performance, Bird & Sims are but 2 and they are considered senior players. I don't doubt my information.
Dragons Chris
SGI NSW Cup
Reserve grade going poorly, first grade going poorly. I'm in favour of him spending time in the NSW Cup. A rotation of Burgess, Woods, Molo, De Belin might work. Su'A and Sims in the second row and Bird at lock.
jodragon40
Staff
The ideal rotation would be for me in the were Woods Burgess start Molo Lawrie rotation.
Morgan
SGI NSW Cup
Good question. I don't know but whomever can hardly be worse if those two are negatively affecting the team.
Dragons Chris
SGI NSW Cup
Might work. Give it a chance but those Lawrie numbers from last week, considering especially he doesn't pass, were stupidly bad.
Morgan
SGI NSW Cup
Problem with this is Bird's middle defence.
jodragon40
Staff
Problem is that Bird doesnt have his mind on the job, has put on weight as a direct request from the coach last year indicating to him he was no longer going to be considered in the centres, now with the contract negotiations at a stalemate we are seeing his displeasure on the field in his performances, in my view.
Eric
Staff
I don't mean to take Griffin's side in this. I'm neutral. But in Griffin's defence, as last year progressed, it was pretty obvious Bird's time as an NRL centre was over except as a temporary injury replacement. The signing of Suli and rise of the Feagai's was the final nail in the coffin.