Coach Griffin

[Eric]

Any coach worth his salt wont buckle to media pressure. I bet he starts both hopefully not to our detriment

I agree with that. One thing I hated about McGregor but in this case, I think its common sense, not media pressure. Mbye is a very poor fullback and Bird is a poor 5/8.

 

[Morgan]

Any coach worth his salt wont buckle to media pressure. I bet he starts both hopefully not to our detriment

Agree with that but sometimes the media is right.

 

[Eric]

ANTHONY GRIFFIN: ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS​

SAFETY RATING: Moderate danger​

Griffin is another coach clearly feeling the heat in respect to results and roster management. Even though he signed an extension before this season, fans are understandably growing sick and tired of their team just making up the numbers year after year.

At least when McGregor was handed his contract extension, it came after the Dragons were beaten by three field goals in the 2018 preliminary final and started 2019 by winning four of the first six. In Griffin’s case, they lost their final eight games last year and the only win in their opening five this year was against the Warriors in round one. Admittedly, they have had a tough run with the Panthers, Sharks, Eels and Rabbitohs in succession.

But in this business, results matter so Griffin must find a way to turn it around in next three games against Knights, Roosters and Tigers. In respect to the criticism around the dumping of youngsters fullback Tyrell Sloan and five-eighth Junior Amone, it is justifiable. On the surface it seems a valid explanation how Griffin is saying this has been done to protect the young players and help their development.

But you’d think if the Dragons had concerns about trusting two inexperienced players in such crucial positions, this should have been addressed when the roster was being put together, not by throwing the kids under the bus after three rounds. What is crystal clear is Moses Mbye is not an NRL fullback and Jack Bird not a five-eighth, and it hasn’t fixed their defence because the Dragons are still conceding the most points (144) of any NRL team.

---

• I didn't know that about Paul McGregor. I knew about the results, of course, but never put it all together because I was already so sick of Baldy and knew he wasn't going to bring positive results.
• There is no excuse at all for Griffin with the draw. In the NRL it won't get any easier. I bet the Rabbits don't even make the top 8.
• I've continually praised Griffin and agreed with others for not bowing to media pressure but I can't get my mind around this thing with Amone and Sloan. Not that he's wrong to drop or demote them for poor games but for Jack Bird and Moses Mbye???? Is it a joke?

 

[GCRV]

ANTHONY GRIFFIN: ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS​

SAFETY RATING: Moderate danger​

Griffin is another coach clearly feeling the heat in respect to results and roster management. Even though he signed an extension before this season, fans are understandably growing sick and tired of their team just making up the numbers year after year.

At least when McGregor was handed his contract extension, it came after the Dragons were beaten by three field goals in the 2018 preliminary final and started 2019 by winning four of the first six. In Griffin’s case, they lost their final eight games last year and the only win in their opening five this year was against the Warriors in round one. Admittedly, they have had a tough run with the Panthers, Sharks, Eels and Rabbitohs in succession.

But in this business, results matter so Griffin must find a way to turn it around in next three games against Knights, Roosters and Tigers. In respect to the criticism around the dumping of youngsters fullback Tyrell Sloan and five-eighth Junior Amone, it is justifiable. On the surface it seems a valid explanation how Griffin is saying this has been done to protect the young players and help their development.

But you’d think if the Dragons had concerns about trusting two inexperienced players in such crucial positions, this should have been addressed when the roster was being put together, not by throwing the kids under the bus after three rounds. What is crystal clear is Moses Mbye is not an NRL fullback and Jack Bird not a five-eighth, and it hasn’t fixed their defence because the Dragons are still conceding the most points (144) of any NRL team.

---

• I didn't know that about Paul McGregor. I knew about the results, of course, but never put it all together because I was already so sick of Baldy and knew he wasn't going to being positive results.
• There is no excuse at all for Griffin with the draw. In the NRL it won't get any easier. I bet the Rabbits don't even make the top 8.
• I've continually praised Griffin and agreed with others for not bowing to media pressure but I can't get my mind around this thing with Amone and Sloan. Not that he's wrong to drop or demote them for poor games but for Jack Bird and Moses Mbye???? Is it a joke?

The last point is absolute no-brainers as far as I'm concerned.
Penrith are a tough team to play early on and Parramatta played well. There is something to be said about only playing as well as the opposition allows.

 

[RedV01]

ANTHONY GRIFFIN: ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS​

SAFETY RATING: Moderate danger​

Griffin is another coach clearly feeling the heat in respect to results and roster management. Even though he signed an extension before this season, fans are understandably growing sick and tired of their team just making up the numbers year after year.

At least when McGregor was handed his contract extension, it came after the Dragons were beaten by three field goals in the 2018 preliminary final and started 2019 by winning four of the first six. In Griffin’s case, they lost their final eight games last year and the only win in their opening five this year was against the Warriors in round one. Admittedly, they have had a tough run with the Panthers, Sharks, Eels and Rabbitohs in succession.

But in this business, results matter so Griffin must find a way to turn it around in next three games against Knights, Roosters and Tigers. In respect to the criticism around the dumping of youngsters fullback Tyrell Sloan and five-eighth Junior Amone, it is justifiable. On the surface it seems a valid explanation how Griffin is saying this has been done to protect the young players and help their development.

But you’d think if the Dragons had concerns about trusting two inexperienced players in such crucial positions, this should have been addressed when the roster was being put together, not by throwing the kids under the bus after three rounds. What is crystal clear is Moses Mbye is not an NRL fullback and Jack Bird not a five-eighth, and it hasn’t fixed their defence because the Dragons are still conceding the most points (144) of any NRL team.

---

• I didn't know that about Paul McGregor. I knew about the results, of course, but never put it all together because I was already so sick of Baldy and knew he wasn't going to bring positive results.
• There is no excuse at all for Griffin with the draw. In the NRL it won't get any easier. I bet the Rabbits don't even make the top 8.
• I've continually praised Griffin and agreed with others for not bowing to media pressure but I can't get my mind around this thing with Amone and Sloan. Not that he's wrong to drop or demote them for poor games but for Jack Bird and Moses Mbye???? Is it a joke?

Is there any doubt left? He hates St George Illawarra local juniors. People are making a noise about McCullough and Mbye, rightly so, but what about Suli? Not a bad player, not as good as Morgan Harper according to Des Hasler, but I think we can all see, the Feagai's are ready for first grade now.

 

[Morgan]

Hook is copping it from all over. Where has he gone wrong?

1. Recruiting all his old Broncos favourites.
2. All but 2 of his other recruits.
3. His bizarre team selections. Looks like he might be trying to justify his dud recruiting.
4. His "extreme" loyalty to players just not performing!
5. What else?

St George Illawarra Dragons slammed over decision to extend coach's contract prematurely​

League legend Andrew Johns has put St George Illawarra on blast for the baffling decision to extend coach Anthony Griffin's contract prematurely. The Dragons announced a contract extension for Griffin before a ball had been kicked this year, despite the lack of competition for the coach's signature.

After five rounds they have one win next to their name. The Red V have won one of their last 13 games under Griffin. Speaking on Wide World of Sports' Freddy and The Eighth, Johns questioned why the Dragons felt the need to add a year on to the coach's contract before the season had started. "I have no idea, absolutely no idea why they would extend," Johns said.

"You would have to talk to people on the board, people at the club. But from the outside looking in, you would say was there anyone looking to buy Anthony Griffin? You would say no. "So I have no idea, couldn't give you an answer. "So their decision is purely to stop people publicly speculating who's going to be coach... if that is the reason they extended him, they need their head read."

 

[Eric]

Hook is copping it from all over. Where has he gone wrong?

1. Recruiting all his old Broncos favourites.
2. All but 2 of his other recruits.
3. His bizarre team selections. Looks like he might be trying to justify his dud recruiting.
4. His "extreme" loyalty to players just not performing!
5. What else?

St George Illawarra Dragons slammed over decision to extend coach's contract prematurely​

League legend Andrew Johns has put St George Illawarra on blast for the baffling decision to extend coach Anthony Griffin's contract prematurely. The Dragons announced a contract extension for Griffin before a ball had been kicked this year, despite the lack of competition for the coach's signature.

After five rounds they have one win next to their name. The Red V have won one of their last 13 games under Griffin. Speaking on Wide World of Sports' Freddy and The Eighth, Johns questioned why the Dragons felt the need to add a year on to the coach's contract before the season had started. "I have no idea, absolutely no idea why they would extend," Johns said.

"You would have to talk to people on the board, people at the club. But from the outside looking in, you would say was there anyone looking to buy Anthony Griffin? You would say no. "So I have no idea, couldn't give you an answer. "So their decision is purely to stop people publicly speculating who's going to be coach... if that is the reason they extended him, they need their head read."

• He walked into a mess.
• McCullough's 3 year deal was ridiculous but apart from that, the club needed depth players on short-term contracts.
• I think Mbye's signing was also a a disaster.
• As you elude to team selections, his dropping of Amone and Sloan was extraordinary. Someone forgot to tell him the most basic thing for any coach to know; Don't drop anyone unless there is someone better ready to replace him.

 

[GCRV]

• He walked into a mess.
• McCullough's 3 year deal was ridiculous but apart from that, the club needed depth players on short-term contracts.
• I think Mbye's signing was also a a disaster.
• As you elude to team selections, his dropping of Amone and Sloan was extraordinary. Someone forgot to tell him the most basic thing for any coach to know; Don't drop anyone unless there is someone better ready to replace him.

• Whatever instructions he's been giving to Sloan and Amone in particular obviously aren't getting the best out of them. Particularly Amone who played enough first grade last year for us to see what he is capable of.

 

[Eric]

St George Illawarra losing games, risk losing talent as they alienate youth​

Dragons are in all sorts, largely thanks to a selection policy which rewards mediocre veterans and ignores talented youngsters.​

The kids have felt the sharp end of the axe but let’s shift the focus for a moment. Remember Jack de Belin. Not the bloke you’re seeing now, who according to statistics used by some clubs in the NRL doesn’t even rank in the top 10 locks in the game. De Belin, according to one club source, is sitting in 12th place, his influence on games well below the standard set by Cameron Murray and Isaah Yeo to name but a few.

Before he spent two years fighting to clear his name and save his career in the courts, de Belin was in that company. Speak to coaches back then, they would happily tell you the game plan for the Dragons started with de Belin and then moved onto others. He set the tone. Five rounds into this season and that version of de Belin is yet to be sighted. Fair chance de Belin doesn’t even feature on the tip sheets any more. If he does, he is far less prominent.

Few knew how de Belin would bounce back from a long stint on the sidelines but given the Dragons handed him a three-year contract - the final year is an option in his favour - it is safe to assume the club hierarchy thought there was still a decent footballer lurking beneath the chiselled exterior. The issue for the Dragons - and there are many at the moment - is that de Belin has been a shadow of the players he once was. He looks run-of-the-mill and the stats back it up.

Granted five games is a small sample size, but the signs aren’t promising. The decision to hand him a lucrative three-year deal is starting to look like a serious misjudgment. At the time, the Warriors were circling with big money and the Dragons had stood by de Belin for two years. Walking away would have been hard to stomach. With the benefit of hindsight, it might have been the best move. Not just for the Dragons, but maybe for De Belin. He could have resumed his career out of the spotlight, free of the suffocating pressure that comes with playing for the Red V.

De Belin’s plight is symptomatic of the Dragons’ woes. He isn’t the only player battling. Those same stats that have him at the lower end of NRL locks suggest Tariq Sims is some way off his best. According to the number crunching, he doesn’t rank anywhere near the top middle or edge forwards in the NRL - he has spent time in both positions this season.

The Dragons are in all sorts heading into Sunday’s game against Newcastle. A loss would heap pressure on a club whose fans hurt more than most during lean times. They want hope, a reason to believe. Which brings us back to the kids. Junior Amone and Tyrell Sloan were meant to be the future. They were part of the reason some were predicting a golden generation.

Yet the Dragons have risked alienating both with the way they have been handled over the opening five weeks of the season. Amone is off contract at the end of next season and can begin talking to rival clubs on November 1. Already, he is reportedly in the sights of the Dolphins. Sloan has another year to run after that but there are rumours he has been unhappy with his treatment. There is rancour in the ranks as two of the club’s brightest stars become the fall guys for a poor start.

The old saying is you don’t win with kids. But you don’t win without them either. Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson used to say that youngsters can inject a fantastic spirit in an organisation. They never forget the person or organisation that gave them their first big chance, he claimed. “For young players, nothing is impossible, and they will try and run through a barbed-wire fence, while older players will try to find the gate,” Ferguson wrote in his book ‘Leading’. Right now, the Dragons have too many blokes looking for the gate. They need a few to start running through fences.

---

I find it astonishing the author is concentrating on JDB. If he start offloading like he did before his "rest, he'll be back top his best. Obviously been given instructions to pass more and run less but still making better metres and of course tackling much better than most or all of the rest of the pack.
The following however.......

Bad or terrible signings ROS​	Good signings ROS​
Andrew McCullough (Connor Muhleisen is a better option now) Josh McGuire (Even when not suspended, doesn't offer much) Daniel Alvaro (the depth signing to end all depth signings) Moses Mbye (what did the coach see for this guys role?)	Francis Molo Jaydn Su’A
The jury is still out but not looking good ROS​	The jury is still out but looking good ROS​
Aaron Woods (he was dropped for this week so....) George Burgess (Harsh. Lets see him prove me wrong tomorrow.) Moses Suli (Because the Feagai's are already better!) Billy Burns (still 'apparently' injured but didn't do much last year.)	Tyrell Fuimaono (Was pretty good last year when not suspended) Jack Gosiewski (not just to appease jodragon. A smallish, not young backrower who gives 100%, 100% of the time in attack and defence should be a model to the young forwards Griggin should have signed rather than his old Broncos journeymen!)

* ROS = regardless of salary

BTW Anyone else notice the Photoshop fail in the crook of Sloan's elbow?

 

[RedV01]

St George Illawarra losing games, risk losing talent as they alienate youth​

Dragons are in all sorts, largely thanks to a selection policy which rewards mediocre veterans and ignores talented youngsters.​

The kids have felt the sharp end of the axe but let’s shift the focus for a moment. Remember Jack de Belin. Not the bloke you’re seeing now, who according to statistics used by some clubs in the NRL doesn’t even rank in the top 10 locks in the game. De Belin, according to one club source, is sitting in 12th place, his influence on games well below the standard set by Cameron Murray and Isaah Yeo to name but a few.

Before he spent two years fighting to clear his name and save his career in the courts, de Belin was in that company. Speak to coaches back then, they would happily tell you the game plan for the Dragons started with de Belin and then moved onto others. He set the tone. Five rounds into this season and that version of de Belin is yet to be sighted. Fair chance de Belin doesn’t even feature on the tip sheets any more. If he does, he is far less prominent.

Few knew how de Belin would bounce back from a long stint on the sidelines but given the Dragons handed him a three-year contract - the final year is an option in his favour - it is safe to assume the club hierarchy thought there was still a decent footballer lurking beneath the chiselled exterior. The issue for the Dragons - and there are many at the moment - is that de Belin has been a shadow of the players he once was. He looks run-of-the-mill and the stats back it up.

View attachment 41Granted five games is a small sample size, but the signs aren’t promising. The decision to hand him a lucrative three-year deal is starting to look like a serious misjudgment. At the time, the Warriors were circling with big money and the Dragons had stood by de Belin for two years. Walking away would have been hard to stomach. With the benefit of hindsight, it might have been the best move. Not just for the Dragons, but maybe for De Belin. He could have resumed his career out of the spotlight, free of the suffocating pressure that comes with playing for the Red V.

De Belin’s plight is symptomatic of the Dragons’ woes. He isn’t the only player battling. Those same stats that have him at the lower end of NRL locks suggest Tariq Sims is some way off his best. According to the number crunching, he doesn’t rank anywhere near the top middle or edge forwards in the NRL - he has spent time in both positions this season.

The Dragons are in all sorts heading into Sunday’s game against Newcastle. A loss would heap pressure on a club whose fans hurt more than most during lean times. They want hope, a reason to believe. Which brings us back to the kids. Junior Amone and Tyrell Sloan were meant to be the future. They were part of the reason some were predicting a golden generation.

Yet the Dragons have risked alienating both with the way they have been handled over the opening five weeks of the season. Amone is off contract at the end of next season and can begin talking to rival clubs on November 1. Already, he is reportedly in the sights of the Dolphins. Sloan has another year to run after that but there are rumours he has been unhappy with his treatment. There is rancour in the ranks as two of the club’s brightest stars become the fall guys for a poor start.

The old saying is you don’t win with kids. But you don’t win without them either. Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson used to say that youngsters can inject a fantastic spirit in an organisation. They never forget the person or organisation that gave them their first big chance, he claimed. “For young players, nothing is impossible, and they will try and run through a barbed-wire fence, while older players will try to find the gate,” Ferguson wrote in his book ‘Leading’. Right now, the Dragons have too many blokes looking for the gate. They need a few to start running through fences.

---

I find it astonishing the author is concentrating on JDB. If he start offloading like he did before his "rest, he'll be back top his best. Obviously been given instructions to pass more and run less but still making better metres and of course tackling much better than most or all of the rest of the pack.
The following however.......

Bad or terrible signings ROS​	Good signings ROS​
Andrew McCullough (Connor Muhleisen is a better option now) Josh McGuire (Even when not suspended, doesn't offer much) Daniel Alvaro (the depth signing to end all depth signings) Moses Mbye (what did the coach see for this guys role?)	Francis Molo Jaydn Su’A
The jury is still out but not looking good ROS​	The jury is still out but looking good ROS​
Aaron Woods (he was dropped for this week so....) George Burgess (Harsh. Lets see him prove me wrong tomorrow.) Moses Suli (Because the Feagai's are already better!) Billy Burns (still 'apparently' injured but didn't do much last year.)	Tyrell Fuimaono (Was pretty good last year when not suspended) Jack Gosiewski (not just to appease jodragon. A smallish, not young backrower who gives 100%, 100% of the time in attack and defence should be a model to the young forwards Griggin should have signed rather than his old Broncos journeymen!)

* ROS = regardless of salary

BTW Anyone else notice the Photoshop fail in the crook of Sloan's elbow?

Yep re the Photoshop fail. Under that as well. Under his forarm.

 

[Chris M]

St George Illawarra losing games, risk losing talent as they alienate youth​

Dragons are in all sorts, largely thanks to a selection policy which rewards mediocre veterans and ignores talented youngsters.​

The kids have felt the sharp end of the axe but let’s shift the focus for a moment. Remember Jack de Belin. Not the bloke you’re seeing now, who according to statistics used by some clubs in the NRL doesn’t even rank in the top 10 locks in the game. De Belin, according to one club source, is sitting in 12th place, his influence on games well below the standard set by Cameron Murray and Isaah Yeo to name but a few.

Before he spent two years fighting to clear his name and save his career in the courts, de Belin was in that company. Speak to coaches back then, they would happily tell you the game plan for the Dragons started with de Belin and then moved onto others. He set the tone. Five rounds into this season and that version of de Belin is yet to be sighted. Fair chance de Belin doesn’t even feature on the tip sheets any more. If he does, he is far less prominent.

Few knew how de Belin would bounce back from a long stint on the sidelines but given the Dragons handed him a three-year contract - the final year is an option in his favour - it is safe to assume the club hierarchy thought there was still a decent footballer lurking beneath the chiselled exterior. The issue for the Dragons - and there are many at the moment - is that de Belin has been a shadow of the players he once was. He looks run-of-the-mill and the stats back it up.

View attachment 41Granted five games is a small sample size, but the signs aren’t promising. The decision to hand him a lucrative three-year deal is starting to look like a serious misjudgment. At the time, the Warriors were circling with big money and the Dragons had stood by de Belin for two years. Walking away would have been hard to stomach. With the benefit of hindsight, it might have been the best move. Not just for the Dragons, but maybe for De Belin. He could have resumed his career out of the spotlight, free of the suffocating pressure that comes with playing for the Red V.

De Belin’s plight is symptomatic of the Dragons’ woes. He isn’t the only player battling. Those same stats that have him at the lower end of NRL locks suggest Tariq Sims is some way off his best. According to the number crunching, he doesn’t rank anywhere near the top middle or edge forwards in the NRL - he has spent time in both positions this season.

The Dragons are in all sorts heading into Sunday’s game against Newcastle. A loss would heap pressure on a club whose fans hurt more than most during lean times. They want hope, a reason to believe. Which brings us back to the kids. Junior Amone and Tyrell Sloan were meant to be the future. They were part of the reason some were predicting a golden generation.

Yet the Dragons have risked alienating both with the way they have been handled over the opening five weeks of the season. Amone is off contract at the end of next season and can begin talking to rival clubs on November 1. Already, he is reportedly in the sights of the Dolphins. Sloan has another year to run after that but there are rumours he has been unhappy with his treatment. There is rancour in the ranks as two of the club’s brightest stars become the fall guys for a poor start.

The old saying is you don’t win with kids. But you don’t win without them either. Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson used to say that youngsters can inject a fantastic spirit in an organisation. They never forget the person or organisation that gave them their first big chance, he claimed. “For young players, nothing is impossible, and they will try and run through a barbed-wire fence, while older players will try to find the gate,” Ferguson wrote in his book ‘Leading’. Right now, the Dragons have too many blokes looking for the gate. They need a few to start running through fences.

---

I find it astonishing the author is concentrating on JDB. If he start offloading like he did before his "rest, he'll be back top his best. Obviously been given instructions to pass more and run less but still making better metres and of course tackling much better than most or all of the rest of the pack.
The following however.......

Bad or terrible signings ROS​	Good signings ROS​
Andrew McCullough (Connor Muhleisen is a better option now) Josh McGuire (Even when not suspended, doesn't offer much) Daniel Alvaro (the depth signing to end all depth signings) Moses Mbye (what did the coach see for this guys role?)	Francis Molo Jaydn Su’A
The jury is still out but not looking good ROS​	The jury is still out but looking good ROS​
Aaron Woods (he was dropped for this week so....) George Burgess (Harsh. Lets see him prove me wrong tomorrow.) Moses Suli (Because the Feagai's are already better!) Billy Burns (still 'apparently' injured but didn't do much last year.)	Tyrell Fuimaono (Was pretty good last year when not suspended) Jack Gosiewski (not just to appease jodragon. A smallish, not young backrower who gives 100%, 100% of the time in attack and defence should be a model to the young forwards Griggin should have signed rather than his old Broncos journeymen!)

* ROS = regardless of salary

BTW Anyone else notice the Photoshop fail in the crook of Sloan's elbow?

Bad or terrible:

• Poasa Faamausili

 

[Morgan]

St George Illawarra losing games, risk losing talent as they alienate youth​

Dragons are in all sorts, largely thanks to a selection policy which rewards mediocre veterans and ignores talented youngsters.​

The kids have felt the sharp end of the axe but let’s shift the focus for a moment. Remember Jack de Belin. Not the bloke you’re seeing now, who according to statistics used by some clubs in the NRL doesn’t even rank in the top 10 locks in the game. De Belin, according to one club source, is sitting in 12th place, his influence on games well below the standard set by Cameron Murray and Isaah Yeo to name but a few.

Before he spent two years fighting to clear his name and save his career in the courts, de Belin was in that company. Speak to coaches back then, they would happily tell you the game plan for the Dragons started with de Belin and then moved onto others. He set the tone. Five rounds into this season and that version of de Belin is yet to be sighted. Fair chance de Belin doesn’t even feature on the tip sheets any more. If he does, he is far less prominent.

Few knew how de Belin would bounce back from a long stint on the sidelines but given the Dragons handed him a three-year contract - the final year is an option in his favour - it is safe to assume the club hierarchy thought there was still a decent footballer lurking beneath the chiselled exterior. The issue for the Dragons - and there are many at the moment - is that de Belin has been a shadow of the players he once was. He looks run-of-the-mill and the stats back it up.

View attachment 41Granted five games is a small sample size, but the signs aren’t promising. The decision to hand him a lucrative three-year deal is starting to look like a serious misjudgment. At the time, the Warriors were circling with big money and the Dragons had stood by de Belin for two years. Walking away would have been hard to stomach. With the benefit of hindsight, it might have been the best move. Not just for the Dragons, but maybe for De Belin. He could have resumed his career out of the spotlight, free of the suffocating pressure that comes with playing for the Red V.

De Belin’s plight is symptomatic of the Dragons’ woes. He isn’t the only player battling. Those same stats that have him at the lower end of NRL locks suggest Tariq Sims is some way off his best. According to the number crunching, he doesn’t rank anywhere near the top middle or edge forwards in the NRL - he has spent time in both positions this season.

The Dragons are in all sorts heading into Sunday’s game against Newcastle. A loss would heap pressure on a club whose fans hurt more than most during lean times. They want hope, a reason to believe. Which brings us back to the kids. Junior Amone and Tyrell Sloan were meant to be the future. They were part of the reason some were predicting a golden generation.

Yet the Dragons have risked alienating both with the way they have been handled over the opening five weeks of the season. Amone is off contract at the end of next season and can begin talking to rival clubs on November 1. Already, he is reportedly in the sights of the Dolphins. Sloan has another year to run after that but there are rumours he has been unhappy with his treatment. There is rancour in the ranks as two of the club’s brightest stars become the fall guys for a poor start.

The old saying is you don’t win with kids. But you don’t win without them either. Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson used to say that youngsters can inject a fantastic spirit in an organisation. They never forget the person or organisation that gave them their first big chance, he claimed. “For young players, nothing is impossible, and they will try and run through a barbed-wire fence, while older players will try to find the gate,” Ferguson wrote in his book ‘Leading’. Right now, the Dragons have too many blokes looking for the gate. They need a few to start running through fences.

---

I find it astonishing the author is concentrating on JDB. If he start offloading like he did before his "rest, he'll be back top his best. Obviously been given instructions to pass more and run less but still making better metres and of course tackling much better than most or all of the rest of the pack.
The following however.......

Bad or terrible signings ROS​	Good signings ROS​
Andrew McCullough (Connor Muhleisen is a better option now) Josh McGuire (Even when not suspended, doesn't offer much) Daniel Alvaro (the depth signing to end all depth signings) Moses Mbye (what did the coach see for this guys role?)	Francis Molo Jaydn Su’A
The jury is still out but not looking good ROS​	The jury is still out but looking good ROS​
Aaron Woods (he was dropped for this week so....) George Burgess (Harsh. Lets see him prove me wrong tomorrow.) Moses Suli (Because the Feagai's are already better!) Billy Burns (still 'apparently' injured but didn't do much last year.)	Tyrell Fuimaono (Was pretty good last year when not suspended) Jack Gosiewski (not just to appease jodragon. A smallish, not young backrower who gives 100%, 100% of the time in attack and defence should be a model to the young forwards Griggin should have signed rather than his old Broncos journeymen!)

* ROS = regardless of salary

BTW Anyone else notice the Photoshop fail in the crook of Sloan's elbow?

Seems to me, there are two common themes to Hook's recruitment:

1. Old Broncos from his U20s premiership from around 15 years ago.
2. He seems to automatically think rejects from clubs which are or were going well at that time are better than our local juniors.

 

[RedV01]

Seems to me, there are two common themes to Hook's recruitment:

1. Old Broncos from his U20s premiership from around 15 years ago.
2. He seems to automatically think rejects from clubs which are or were going well at that time are better than our local juniors.

It's not fair to be so critical of his recruitment without knowing what the salary cap situation was when he came in.

It was certainly in bad condition, it's just a question of how bad. Why recruit so many rejects who other clubs are or were partially paying?

 

[Eric]

Seems to me, there are two common themes to Hook's recruitment:

1. Old Broncos from his U20s premiership from around 15 years ago.
2. He seems to automatically think rejects from clubs which are or were going well at that time are better than our local juniors.

As for #2, the last local junior in the forwards we had come through and play regular first grade (not via another club) was Blake Lawrie. And before him..... Who? JDB?

 

[GCRV]

St George Illawarra losing games, risk losing talent as they alienate youth​

Dragons are in all sorts, largely thanks to a selection policy which rewards mediocre veterans and ignores talented youngsters.​

The kids have felt the sharp end of the axe but let’s shift the focus for a moment. Remember Jack de Belin. Not the bloke you’re seeing now, who according to statistics used by some clubs in the NRL doesn’t even rank in the top 10 locks in the game. De Belin, according to one club source, is sitting in 12th place, his influence on games well below the standard set by Cameron Murray and Isaah Yeo to name but a few.

Before he spent two years fighting to clear his name and save his career in the courts, de Belin was in that company. Speak to coaches back then, they would happily tell you the game plan for the Dragons started with de Belin and then moved onto others. He set the tone. Five rounds into this season and that version of de Belin is yet to be sighted. Fair chance de Belin doesn’t even feature on the tip sheets any more. If he does, he is far less prominent.

Few knew how de Belin would bounce back from a long stint on the sidelines but given the Dragons handed him a three-year contract - the final year is an option in his favour - it is safe to assume the club hierarchy thought there was still a decent footballer lurking beneath the chiselled exterior. The issue for the Dragons - and there are many at the moment - is that de Belin has been a shadow of the players he once was. He looks run-of-the-mill and the stats back it up.

View attachment 41Granted five games is a small sample size, but the signs aren’t promising. The decision to hand him a lucrative three-year deal is starting to look like a serious misjudgment. At the time, the Warriors were circling with big money and the Dragons had stood by de Belin for two years. Walking away would have been hard to stomach. With the benefit of hindsight, it might have been the best move. Not just for the Dragons, but maybe for De Belin. He could have resumed his career out of the spotlight, free of the suffocating pressure that comes with playing for the Red V.

De Belin’s plight is symptomatic of the Dragons’ woes. He isn’t the only player battling. Those same stats that have him at the lower end of NRL locks suggest Tariq Sims is some way off his best. According to the number crunching, he doesn’t rank anywhere near the top middle or edge forwards in the NRL - he has spent time in both positions this season.

The Dragons are in all sorts heading into Sunday’s game against Newcastle. A loss would heap pressure on a club whose fans hurt more than most during lean times. They want hope, a reason to believe. Which brings us back to the kids. Junior Amone and Tyrell Sloan were meant to be the future. They were part of the reason some were predicting a golden generation.

Yet the Dragons have risked alienating both with the way they have been handled over the opening five weeks of the season. Amone is off contract at the end of next season and can begin talking to rival clubs on November 1. Already, he is reportedly in the sights of the Dolphins. Sloan has another year to run after that but there are rumours he has been unhappy with his treatment. There is rancour in the ranks as two of the club’s brightest stars become the fall guys for a poor start.

The old saying is you don’t win with kids. But you don’t win without them either. Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson used to say that youngsters can inject a fantastic spirit in an organisation. They never forget the person or organisation that gave them their first big chance, he claimed. “For young players, nothing is impossible, and they will try and run through a barbed-wire fence, while older players will try to find the gate,” Ferguson wrote in his book ‘Leading’. Right now, the Dragons have too many blokes looking for the gate. They need a few to start running through fences.

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I find it astonishing the author is concentrating on JDB. If he start offloading like he did before his "rest, he'll be back top his best. Obviously been given instructions to pass more and run less but still making better metres and of course tackling much better than most or all of the rest of the pack.
The following however.......

Bad or terrible signings ROS​	Good signings ROS​
Andrew McCullough (Connor Muhleisen is a better option now) Josh McGuire (Even when not suspended, doesn't offer much) Daniel Alvaro (the depth signing to end all depth signings) Moses Mbye (what did the coach see for this guys role?)	Francis Molo Jaydn Su’A
The jury is still out but not looking good ROS​	The jury is still out but looking good ROS​
Aaron Woods (he was dropped for this week so....) George Burgess (Harsh. Lets see him prove me wrong tomorrow.) Moses Suli (Because the Feagai's are already better!) Billy Burns (still 'apparently' injured but didn't do much last year.)	Tyrell Fuimaono (Was pretty good last year when not suspended) Jack Gosiewski (not just to appease jodragon. A smallish, not young backrower who gives 100%, 100% of the time in attack and defence should be a model to the young forwards Griggin should have signed rather than his old Broncos journeymen!)

* ROS = regardless of salary

BTW Anyone else notice the Photoshop fail in the crook of Sloan's elbow?

I think that's pretty fair but, salary is pretty important.

As for #2, the last local junior in the forwards we had come through and play regular first grade (not via another club) was Blake Lawrie. And before him..... Who? JDB?

No wonder the club has been in such a mess for the last 10 years.

 

[Morgan]

As for #2, the last local junior in the forwards we had come through and play regular first grade (not via another club) was Blake Lawrie. And before him..... Who? JDB?

Euan Aitken is the last after Blake Lawrie.

 

[Chris M]

Euan Aitken is the last after Blake Lawrie.

He's doing well. Before the rule changes last year, I don't think he was big enough to make a go of it in the forwards.

 

[Eric]

Griffin is currently on about $500,000 and so far he has done a decent job without setting the world on fire. Before the weekend’s big loss to the Storm, they’d won three straight. Let’s face it, this is not a roster that is ready to challenge for a premiership, though the Dragons should not be a club ever content on finishing outside the top eight year after year.

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This is according to the Telegraph how much they think he could make on the market, if another club were willing to sign him. It's not great. In the lowest bracket with our old boys Barrett, Brown along with Walters, O'Brien, Maguire and Demetriou. But it probably is accurate.

 

[Chris M]

Griffin is currently on about $500,000 and so far he has done a decent job without setting the world on fire. Before the weekend’s big loss to the Storm, they’d won three straight. Let’s face it, this is not a roster that is ready to challenge for a premiership, though the Dragons should not be a club ever content on finishing outside the top eight year after year.

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This is according to the Telegraph how much they think he could make on the market, if another club were willing to sign him. It's not great. In the lowest bracket with our old boys Barrett, Brown along with Walters, O'Brien, Maguire and Demetriou. But it probably is accurate.

He has this year. Need to see the long term vision taking shape by the end of this year and be firing next season.

 

[RedV01]

He has this year. Need to see the long term vision taking shape by the end of this year and be firing next season.

Unlikely they are going to trouble the top 8 this year let alone challenge for the premiership. But if the team isn't firing from round 1 next year, he should start looking for a new job.

I like him. I'm a supporter but I want to know why Mbye keeps getting picked at fullback and surely McCullough is gone from next round when Muhleisen is available. And Jack Bird should have one more chance before learning how to tackle in the NSW Cup!