Round 14 v Sharks Sunday

[Mug Fan]

We win this one heading into the bye its a 6 point run.
We beat them last start to end a 10 game losing streak.
Last win at Cronulla was 2018.

Gutho calf strain could be an out.
Lids and Sua may be back, can't see any other changes.

 

[Justadragon]

Well we would have to be going in with some confidence for just about the first time this season.

 

[redv13]

Cronulla are a funny side. Can run hot and cold. We’re due a win at that shit hole of a stadium

 

[Mailroomsgi]

Brailey is a big out for them

 

[redv13]

Brailey is a big out for them

And even more so for us if Liddle and Su’a are back

 

[TheRev]

Don't think the Sharks will take us lightly esp after today.. theyre a rly good side.. but the main thing is that huge weight is off our shoulders now.. thats been weighing us down all year.. every win now is a bonus..

And yes Brailey out is def huge.. though they have a couple of decent replacements.. would love to see us with a fit Liddle.. but again rly not interested in rushing him.. we're still not quite half way thru the season.

 

[Mailroomsgi]

Just wanna see the Greek freak playing for us in first grade. I get the feeling if he gets a run of 4-5 games in the side he’ll show he’s a first grader

 

[TheRev]

Just wanna see the Greek freak playing for us in first grade. I get the feeling if he gets a run of 4-5 games in the side he’ll show he’s a first grader

100% he could be the animal in the middle also.. or anywhere really.. hes a completely different type of player to the others... I am starting to worry about the number of injuries he's had.. but hopefully just a bad run.

 

[redv13]

Just wanna see the Greek freak playing for us in first grade. I get the feeling if he gets a run of 4-5 games in the side he’ll show he’s a first grader

Agree with you mate. Should be back this week vs Cronulla. Needs to start being picked in the 19 especially with his cover out wide. Perfect for the 6 man bench

 

[Dave03]

If Su'a returns, does he play on the edge or in the middle? or potentially off the bench? Interesting choice. I'd play him off the bench but in the middle. I'd let the starting fwd pack keep building on their chemistry. Saw Couchman was put on report, dunno if it's a fine or worse.

 

[blacksafake]

The sharks have given us a few hidings in recent years so it would be good to get one back. Brailey out is a massive bonus & hopefully Nicho too as I think his replacement is a weakness in their defensive line.

 

[jodragon40]

Confidence is a wonderful motivator mentally. Its no longer a can I, can we, it is I can, we can, lets do it again, it feels good.

The trick is now can we once again match our intensity and be consistent. Personally I wouldn't be making any changes to that starting pack against the Sharks. Su'a can cool his heels off the bench.

 

[RufusRex]

SuA and Lids coming back will be huge for the team/balance/bench
Hope they are able to play ...

SuA in particular will change things up - Egan to me looks better on the left so SuA/Egan back row could be pretty good ... also pushes Stewart into the middle and gives our bench a bit more quality about it with one of Loko/Ryan/Stewart shifting back there with Lids/Luc and one of the other props.

LKT could drop back and get some much needed game time in cup.

 

[Mug Fan]

SuA and Lids coming back will be huge for the team/balance/bench
Hope they are able to play ...

SuA in particular will change things up - Egan to me looks better on the left so SuA/Egan back row could be pretty good ... also pushes Stewart into the middle and gives our bench a bit more quality about it with one of Loko/Ryan/Stewart shifting back there with Lids/Luc and one of the other props.

LKT could drop back and get some much needed game time in cup.

I hope they are back, especially so some others can get some much needed Cup time.
But I can also see the logic in not playing them leading into the Bye giving them 3 extra weeks recovery

 

[RufusRex]

that makes a lot of sense too

 

[Justadragon]

We learnt a massive lesson on the weekend, and that is the halves straightening our attack. It makes us a half decent side. So continue to do it especially in the 20m red zone, stop running sideways bumbling and fumbling.

 

[Morgan]

Cook has been playing so well for the entire 80 or almost recently. Liddle will of course be part of the 6 man bench if he's fit but I wonder how much game time he'll get.

 

[Dave03]

I'm worried about Cook, I can't believe he's playing full 80mins at his age. I don't know how long it'll last but help will be invaluable.

 

[Dragons Chris]

Dragons team:​

1. Clinton Gutherson
2. Setu Tu
3. Moses Suli
4. Valentine Holmes
5. Mathew Feagai
6. Daniel Atkinson
7. Kyle Flanagan
8. Loko Jnr Pasifiki Tonga
9. Damien Cook
10. Toby Couchman
11. Dylan Egan
12. Hamish Stewart
13. Ryan Couchman
14. Jacob Liddle
15. Josh Kerr
16. Luciano Leilua
17. Blake Lawrie
18. Lyhkan King-Togia
19. Emre Guler

 

[Justadragon]

Whilst we all know that KF lacks creativity, I believe that Young has also simplified his game. He has just told him to straighten the attack every chance he gets and leave the ball playing to Atkinson. It was fairly evident that our halves off the back of our go forward took the ball to the line double or triple the times of our previous games. So whilst the whole team deserves credit, to me KF did his job. And on another point so did Sloan, its really the first time I've seen him put his body on the line, not just the tackle on Staggs either. I know he probably doesn't manage defense as good as Gutho, maybe our more senior players take that role a bit more in helping him out when he is on the field.
I have ridden a rollercoaster with him for the last few years, one minute I think he's fine the next I want him gone, but on the weekend I saw a bit of a difference in him, could it actually be that he has actually started to give a f$#k, does he want to be a part of this club ? Anyway this next game will tell us a lot about where the team is at and in some ways what the coach can do. I believe we played well and forced the Bronco's to play poor, apart from the last 10min, but we also have to learn how to manage a game out, so I hope in some way we experienced that, so lesson learnt.