2025 - DRAGONS WOODEN SPOON

[jodragon40]

Well the 2025 NRL Premiership betting market is in. I have always loved a punt and believe me the bookies usually are driving mercs whilst I drive a Holden and that is because they usually get it right.

However Dragons been made equal favourites for the wooden spoon with the Raiders, well that just is a fallacy.

If I was still coaching I would print that market, enlarge it, and stick it on one of the dressing sheds walls. There are very few more greater incentives than to tell a group of professional players that they are considered the worst team in the competition.

On this occasion those bookies have got the market wrong. I would be extremely surprised if, all being equal, during the season we don't play semi finals football next season, and I will be putting my money where my mouth is.

 

[Chris M]

Well the 2025 NRL Premiership betting market is in. I have always loved a punt and believe me the bookies usually are driving mercs whilst I drive a Holden and that is because they usually get it right.

However Dragons been made equal favourites for the wooden spoon with the Raiders, well that just is a fallacy.

If I was still coaching I would print that market, enlarge it, and stick it on one of the dressing sheds walls. There are very few more greater incentives than to tell a group of professional players that they are considered the worst team in the competition.

On this occasion those bookies have got the market wrong. I would be extremely surprised if, all being equal, during the season we don't play semi finals football next season, and I will be putting my money where my mouth is.

Interesting. I think this team is going to surprise a lot of people.

 

[jodragon40]

Interesting. I think this team is going to surprise a lot of people.

Agree

 

[GCRV]

Well the 2025 NRL Premiership betting market is in. I have always loved a punt and believe me the bookies usually are driving mercs whilst I drive a Holden and that is because they usually get it right.

However Dragons been made equal favourites for the wooden spoon with the Raiders, well that just is a fallacy.

If I was still coaching I would print that market, enlarge it, and stick it on one of the dressing sheds walls. There are very few more greater incentives than to tell a group of professional players that they are considered the worst team in the competition.

On this occasion those bookies have got the market wrong. I would be extremely surprised if, all being equal, during the season we don't play semi finals football next season, and I will be putting my money where my mouth is.

I think the Dragons team is shaping up well but think about other teams as well. I think Tigers are more likely to get the spoon again even if they have a gun half and 5/8. Then Canberra but apart from them it seems to me other teams are also going to very hard to beat.

 

[Chris M]

Like CD’s, the Ben Lexcen skateboard and the Harlem Shake, surely the Dragons long odds don’t last. With the upskill in talent from the arrival of Damien Cook, Lachlan Ilias, Clint Gutherson and Valentine Holmes, it’s impossible to understand how a team that finished one win away from last year’s finals are the longest odds in the entire premiership race. Let’s have this conversation after the Dragons first pre-season trial match when there’s a real chance you won’t see their $67 odds again. The smart punters have spied value in the final 8 market where they’re third best backed, while they’re the fifth best backed team for the top four at $13.

 

[jodragon40]

Like CD’s, the Ben Lexcen skateboard and the Harlem Shake, surely the Dragons long odds don’t last. With the upskill in talent from the arrival of Damien Cook, Lachlan Ilias, Clint Gutherson and Valentine Holmes, it’s impossible to understand how a team that finished one win away from last year’s finals are the longest odds in the entire premiership race. Let’s have this conversation after the Dragons first pre-season trial match when there’s a real chance you won’t see their $67 odds again. The smart punters have spied value in the final 8 market where they’re third best backed, while they’re the fifth best backed team for the top four at $13.

I backed us to make the 8. The experts have missed the mark here

 

[RedV01]

I really hope for a better year next year but I honestly can't say I'm confident. Maybe after a hard first half of the season, things will improve in the second half. I really worry about where the tries will come from. Holmes and Suli will have to play out of their skin. Gutherson is probably a good leader, hard-worker and won't make many mistakes but does anyone seriously think he's going to set up or score a lot of tries? I don't think Illias and Kyle Flanno are as bad as a lot of people are saying but does anyone think they are going to set up or score a lot of tries? The one good thing I'll say about Hunt was that when close to the line, he was very dangerous when running himself. I know as a playmaker he was a complete failure. Cook and Liddle are the wildcard. I think those two will deliver a very dangerous one-two punch. Will it be enough? Both Couchmans near the line might score a few tries. Who are the wingers even going to be? CT and Sloan? I rate them both. CT at the end of a very speedy backline might be good. Sloan needed to up his game in a hurry but looks too late now but he certainly had the talent for fullback but on the wing, good luck getting the team off on the front foot after clearning kicks from the other team.

 

[Edward]

I really hope for a better year next year but I honestly can't say I'm confident. Maybe after a hard first half of the season, things will improve in the second half. I really worry about where the tries will come from. Holmes and Suli will have to play out of their skin. Gutherson is probably a good leader, hard-worker and won't make many mistakes but does anyone seriously think he's going to set up or score a lot of tries? I don't think Illias and Kyle Flanno are as bad as a lot of people are saying but does anyone think they are going to set up or score a lot of tries? The one good thing I'll say about Hunt was that when close to the line, he was very dangerous when running himself. I know as a playmaker he was a complete failure. Cook and Liddle are the wildcard. I think those two will deliver a very dangerous one-two punch. Will it be enough? Both Couchmans near the line might score a few tries. Who are the wingers even going to be? CT and Sloan? I rate them both. CT at the end of a very speedy backline might be good. Sloan needed to up his game in a hurry but looks too late now but he certainly had the talent for fullback but on the wing, good luck getting the team off on the front foot after clearning kicks from the other team.

It's a fair comment but I think without Hunt, we might see improvements in every player.

 

[jodragon40]

I really hope for a better year next year but I honestly can't say I'm confident. Maybe after a hard first half of the season, things will improve in the second half. I really worry about where the tries will come from. Holmes and Suli will have to play out of their skin. Gutherson is probably a good leader, hard-worker and won't make many mistakes but does anyone seriously think he's going to set up or score a lot of tries? I don't think Illias and Kyle Flanno are as bad as a lot of people are saying but does anyone think they are going to set up or score a lot of tries? The one good thing I'll say about Hunt was that when close to the line, he was very dangerous when running himself. I know as a playmaker he was a complete failure. Cook and Liddle are the wildcard. I think those two will deliver a very dangerous one-two punch. Will it be enough? Both Couchmans near the line might score a few tries. Who are the wingers even going to be? CT and Sloan? I rate them both. CT at the end of a very speedy backline might be good. Sloan needed to up his game in a hurry but looks too late now but he certainly had the talent for fullback but on the wing, good luck getting the team off on the front foot after clearning kicks from the other team.

Our Achilles heel is our lack of go forward especially in the 1st 3 hitups. Unless we improve greatly in that area of the game we will again struggle against the competitive top 8 teams.

 

[jodragon40]

It's a fair comment but I think without Hunt, we might see improvements in every player.

Time will tell but he was the leading try assist player in the competition last season

 

[Eric]

I really hope for a better year next year but I honestly can't say I'm confident. Maybe after a hard first half of the season, things will improve in the second half. I really worry about where the tries will come from. Holmes and Suli will have to play out of their skin. Gutherson is probably a good leader, hard-worker and won't make many mistakes but does anyone seriously think he's going to set up or score a lot of tries? I don't think Illias and Kyle Flanno are as bad as a lot of people are saying but does anyone think they are going to set up or score a lot of tries? The one good thing I'll say about Hunt was that when close to the line, he was very dangerous when running himself. I know as a playmaker he was a complete failure. Cook and Liddle are the wildcard. I think those two will deliver a very dangerous one-two punch. Will it be enough? Both Couchmans near the line might score a few tries. Who are the wingers even going to be? CT and Sloan? I rate them both. CT at the end of a very speedy backline might be good. Sloan needed to up his game in a hurry but looks too late now but he certainly had the talent for fullback but on the wing, good luck getting the team off on the front foot after clearning kicks from the other team.

Last season most tries came from slick backline movements. I think the team is better suited to score even more of them next season.