Dragons v Dogs Round 1

Dragon David

SGI Jersey Flegg

Interesting interview with Kikau on how the Dogs have been treated so well by the club whilst in LV
More time to acclimatise and get over any jet lag. Good thinking by the Dogs. Laundy most probably footing some of the bill and pokie credits.
 

Justadragon

SGI NSW Cup
There is a lot to unpack within this first Rd, how this game is played just means so much to us. There are now so many unknowns, especially how our spine will operate and exactly how much we miss Liddle. I am just hoping that we can be competitive and not embarrassing. I cant begin to imagine what we will have to endure if we have a bad loss plus the questions and excuses that will be offered up.
So the best thing we must absolutely do is win this game and start the season on a winning note, otherwise we all know what questions will be asked and guess what, we wont have the answers. To say that the club as a whole needs this win on a big stage is an understatement.
 

Dragon David

SGI Jersey Flegg
There is a lot to unpack within this first Rd, how this game is played just means so much to us. There are now so many unknowns, especially how our spine will operate and exactly how much we miss Liddle. I am just hoping that we can be competitive and not embarrassing. I cant begin to imagine what we will have to endure if we have a bad loss plus the questions and excuses that will be offered up.
So the best thing we must absolutely do is win this game and start the season on a winning note, otherwise we all know what questions will be asked and guess what, we wont have the answers. To say that the club as a whole needs this win on a big stage is an understatement.
The last time we beat the Bulldogs was in 2022. A win to us by 34-24 and guess what, Kyle Flanagan played in that beaten Dogs side in May of that year. We did not play them in the second round. Since then we have lost to them 5 times straight. Guess it will be a hard job turning things around and we now have Kyle in our team which he had some bother when he got suspended for biting Crichton's nose in 2024.

Unfortunately I cannot see us winning and in fact the score line won't be good for us. Their line speed will outdo us and they have plenty of good team work built over the past two years.

Sorry guys.
 

Frank Facer

SGI Jersey Flegg
The last time we beat the Bulldogs was in 2022. A win to us by 34-24 and guess what, Kyle Flanagan played in that beaten Dogs side in May of that year. We did not play them in the second round. Since then we have lost to them 5 times straight. Guess it will be a hard job turning things around and we now have Kyle in our team which he had some bother when he got suspended for biting Crichton's nose in 2024.

Unfortunately I cannot see us winning and in fact the score line won't be good for us. Their line speed will outdo us and they have plenty of good team work built over the past two years.

Sorry guys.
And Canterbury's roster has improved dramatically since 2022, while ours hasn't, but hopefully it shows signs of improvement this year and next year. Compare the players Canterbury have bought since 2022 to the ones we have bought and lost as well.
 
Field position is usually vital in games however this is somewhat offset by Burton's boot. At a training session indoors he kicked the footy high enough to hit the bloody roof consistently.

I have been to LV about 4 times, this time of the year its fairly mild about 25C during the day , about 14C at night, very little breeze around and usually dry. So its going to be ideal footy weather especially for big kickers.

Also a fast track if we can't keep the Dogs in their own half you can just envisage those Burton bombs landing inside our 20m zone consistently. Doesn't make for good viewing.

Kick pressure must be one of our highest if not highest priority. Followed closely by defensive line speed. Hold onto the pill if we are going to be competitive. We will know in 3 days time.
 

Dragon David

SGI Jersey Flegg
Field position is usually vital in games however this is somewhat offset by Burton's boot. At a training session indoors he kicked the footy high enough to hit the bloody roof consistently.

I have been to LV about 4 times, this time of the year its fairly mild about 25C during the day , about 14C at night, very little breeze around and usually dry. So its going to be ideal footy weather especially for big kickers.

Also a fast track if we can't keep the Dogs in their own half you can just envisage those Burton bombs landing inside our 20m zone consistently. Doesn't make for good viewing.

Kick pressure must be one of our highest if not highest priority. Followed closely by defensive line speed. Hold onto the pill if we are going to be competitive. We will know in 3 days time.
Yes Burton sure has a big kick in his armory. He looks like he is running freely and his pulled hamstring leg isn't wrapped up so he must be over it, but I wonder if he has had sufficient time to fully recover from that injury? As we know hamstrings are easily pulled again when not given time to heal properly.

A lot of things favoring the Dogs (sorry, my computer does not like favouring - it prefers favoring, same as armoury - it prefer armory). So Flanno and his associates will need to do a lot of hard planning on tactics and moves and make sure that our guys execute according to those plans, minimise mistakes and ensure our possession is in the high 80's without fail - we cannot afford to give the Dogs our share of the possession.
 

Justadragon

SGI NSW Cup
Yes Burton sure has a big kick in his armory. He looks like he is running freely and his pulled hamstring leg isn't wrapped up so he must be over it, but I wonder if he has had sufficient time to fully recover from that injury? As we know hamstrings are easily pulled again when not given time to heal properly.

A lot of things favoring the Dogs (sorry, my computer does not like favouring - it prefers favoring, same as armoury - it prefer armory). So Flanno and his associates will need to do a lot of hard planning on tactics and moves and make sure that our guys execute according to those plans, minimise mistakes and ensure our possession is in the high 80's without fail - we cannot afford to give the Dogs our share of the possession.
If my memory serves me correct Dave, the last time we played these guys we gifted them or should I say Sloan gifted them the win. Our team hopefully is better than last year so we have it in us to compete with these guys, we just have to put it on the park and leave it all out there.
 

Justadragon

SGI NSW Cup
Not long to go now Ladies and Gents and all shall be revealed, or will it ? Perhaps we will end up with more questions than answers. I know this time the media wont take any prisoners if things go belly up. Well I'm trying to stay positive but I cant remember the first game of the season probably meaning so much to the club in general.
Look the whole off season we looked at the guys training and how fit they were, the young guys looking great our juniors coming to the fore. We have the COE coming online, DA doing his magic and the highlight was the signing of KK for season 2027, wow everyone is pumped up any ready to go.

Then we had the start of our junior reps, things didnt go to plan there, especially for the Steelers side, then we sort of played ok against the Knights with our ressies side mainly, and then the CS happened, Houston we have a problem !!! The old Dragons faithful supporters doubts start to appear, a sad trait that has been evident now for many many years.

Questions like, who the hell did we recruit for 2026 ? Is Atkinson really a 7 or 6 or even a half ? Is KF worthy of being in the side at all ? Is Tu the winger we were after and his mate Fale, are they our prize recruits ? Will our juniors take that next step ? All these issues and we haven't even played the first game yet. Ahh for the average Dragons member an all too familiar feeling, start with hope and promise and end with disgust and desperation. How many times over the last 16 years have we been told to wait for a better season ahead, if its not this year its next year or the year after. We will have better players, better coaches, better facilities and yet here we are.

So what will Sunday bring for me ? Well first of all a sense of excitement that the season has started, and depending on how we play, a sense of validation, and by that I mean will we be competitive and we have improved, or f$#k no here we go again !!! I can only wish the boys well and hope for that big win, but as most of you will know that the numbing feeling of things going well and truly belly up will be in my mind. I don't want to hear stories about next season, we need this season to go well, otherwise getting KK there next season won't mean f$#k all because we know the guys around him won't cut it.

So lets go Dragons, lets compete, show us something !!!
 

Dragon David

SGI Jersey Flegg
Not long to go now Ladies and Gents and all shall be revealed, or will it ? Perhaps we will end up with more questions than answers. I know this time the media wont take any prisoners if things go belly up. Well I'm trying to stay positive but I cant remember the first game of the season probably meaning so much to the club in general.
Look the whole off season we looked at the guys training and how fit they were, the young guys looking great our juniors coming to the fore. We have the COE coming online, DA doing his magic and the highlight was the signing of KK for season 2027, wow everyone is pumped up any ready to go.

Then we had the start of our junior reps, things didnt go to plan there, especially for the Steelers side, then we sort of played ok against the Knights with our ressies side mainly, and then the CS happened, Houston we have a problem !!! The old Dragons faithful supporters doubts start to appear, a sad trait that has been evident now for many many years.

Questions like, who the hell did we recruit for 2026 ? Is Atkinson really a 7 or 6 or even a half ? Is KF worthy of being in the side at all ? Is Tu the winger we were after and his mate Fale, are they our prize recruits ? Will our juniors take that next step ? All these issues and we haven't even played the first game yet. Ahh for the average Dragons member an all too familiar feeling, start with hope and promise and end with disgust and desperation. How many times over the last 16 years have we been told to wait for a better season ahead, if its not this year its next year or the year after. We will have better players, better coaches, better facilities and yet here we are.

So what will Sunday bring for me ? Well first of all a sense of excitement that the season has started, and depending on how we play, a sense of validation, and by that I mean will we be competitive and we have improved, or f$#k no here we go again !!! I can only wish the boys well and hope for that big win, but as most of you will know that the numbing feeling of things going well and truly belly up will be in my mind. I don't want to hear stories about next season, we need this season to go well, otherwise getting KK there next season won't mean f$#k all because we know the guys around him won't cut it.

So lets go Dragons, lets compete, show us something !!!
A very good write up there Justa. What you wrote appears like a journalist's pre-game thoughts of the game.

I can't wait for your post mortem of the game. Will it be one with sad endings or happy ones? Will you say that the Dragons were dispirited and disjointed or will you say it was a game that will be remembered for the good things that happened on the night for the Dragons? Did lady luck in the city of gambling bring good fortune to our beloved Dragons?

Our players will put aside their loss against the Bunnies and rise to the occasion and show us what they really are made of and beat the barking Bulldogs.
 

Justadragon

SGI NSW Cup
A very good write up there Justa. What you wrote appears like a journalist's pre-game thoughts of the game.

I can't wait for your post mortem of the game. Will it be one with sad endings or happy ones? Will you say that the Dragons were dispirited and disjointed or will you say it was a game that will be remembered for the good things that happened on the night for the Dragons? Did lady luck in the city of gambling bring good fortune to our beloved Dragons?

Our players will put aside their loss against the Bunnies and rise to the occasion and show us what they really are made of and beat the barking Bulldogs.
Thanks Dave, but I think anyone of our beloved supporters could have written the same thing. Its not as if we have been anything but ordinary for so many years, and yes expecting things to change this year will take a lot to get your head around. At least mine anyway.
 
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Justadragon

SGI NSW Cup
On paper, objectively we shouldn’t get close to the Dogs, but if they turn up complacent, we will be in with a chance.

Fire up boys, Saints to win by 4.
Agree, our past 2 games against them we were close and in fact we should have won the last round if it wasn't for a Sloan brain explosion. I'm hoping we are a better side now.
 

Justadragon

SGI NSW Cup
For the knowledgeable people on this forum, can someone please explain to me that with the difference in field size if that will have an adverse effect on Burtons kicking game ? As we all know shutting that down will go a long way to us winning the game.
 
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