Dragons v Dogs Round 1

[Dave03]

I'm shocked CT ran for over 200m, I thought he wasn't as powerful as last season with his carries. He wasn't providing leg drive post contact on most of his carries imo. Surely we have someone better than Guler...

 

[jodragon40]

I'm shocked CT ran for over 200m, I thought he wasn't as powerful as last season with his carries. He wasn't providing leg drive post contact on most of his carries imo. Surely we have someone better than Guler...

He scored our first try and basked in the glory of that for the rest of the game. Played 46 mins 10 runs for 62m. Seriously? 6 m a run from a 1sts prop. Wouldn't be in my team the next week. But that's just me

 

[jodragon40]

Here is the verdict.
Forwards were good baring Kerr. But if they play like that for the whole season, it's going to end up a walking orthopaedic ward. Did the coach tell Couchmans to put the offload away? It looked like they were in position to do it but pulled back a few times.

Exactly as I said about signing Gutherson being a big mistake when I was denounced from pillar to post for it. He gets through a lot of work but offers very little in attack. Would the team be better if he didn't do so much work in the form of runs? Couchmans have huge motors and are more effective taking hit ups.

KF, you gotta laugh or you'll cry. He should step down. He knows he is only in the team because of his dad. How are they gonna look each other in the eye when the dad is sacked and KF is immediately dropped?

Atkinson was as good as can be expected. First game starting as a halfback on a big stage. Partnered with KF.

Holmes had an uncharacteristic bad game. Didn't trouble them with the ball and missed a few tackles.

Wingers were ok. Had to go looking for the ball becsause it very rarely ventured out their way.

Suli was typical. A few good runs to make up for a few bad attempted tackles. Really need more from a centre but it might be on the coach and the #6 today, #7 last year, #6 the year before that doens't do any favours for those outside him.

Coach probably needs to be sacked sooner rather than later unless that game plan was just an abberation for the narrower field.

Got to disagree on some points, the game plan worked perfectly until the last 10 seconds. Playing to our strengths and limiting their opportunities.

Don't forget Atkinson is a 6 playing 7 after 2 seasons of limited 1sts time, he will improve. KF has reached his peak playing performance and is a solid defender. If we had an alternative 6 he would be my 14 until Liddle comes back but we all realise that won't happen.

Suli is still with us till the end of 27, his lack of sideways movement is making him a liability defensively.

Reality is the coach will see out his contract

 

[redv4life]

I had no idea Atko had such a massive boot, regularly landed in great areas with awesome hang time too. Our kick chase needs to be better imo. I'm also not sold on the luch/kyle/suli/ct defensive combo, I think they're all a bit too slow laterally. Early days but wouldn't surprise me if Suli & Holmes switched back.

Good point Atko’s kicks were good but the dogs kick chase was noticeably better

 

[Justadragon]

Didn't see many 6 agains today, unfortunately they were just straight out penalties against us. One thing though us burning our challenge was ridiculous, it could have saved us on numerous occasions, hopefully a lesson learnt.

 

[Dave03]

Didn't see many 6 agains today, unfortunately they were just straight out penalties against us. One thing though us burning our challenge was ridiculous, it could have saved us on numerous occasions, hopefully a lesson learnt.

From memory we were pretty poor with our challenges last season too.

 

[RedV01]

Got to disagree on some points, the game plan worked perfectly until the last 10 seconds. Playing to our strengths and limiting their opportunities.

Don't forget Atkinson is a 6 playing 7 after 2 seasons of limited 1sts time, he will improve. KF has reached his peak playing performance and is a solid defender. If we had an alternative 6 he would be my 14 until Liddle comes back but we all realise that won't happen.

Suli is still with us till the end of 27, his lack of sideways movement is making him a liability defensively.

Reality is the coach will see out his contract

Yes sir. Considering the significant obstacles placed in front of Atkinson he was ok or good.

 

[RufusRex]

Good point Atko’s kicks were good but the dogs kick chase was noticeably better

Not better - faster ...
Tu/Suli/Holmes with a dud hammy/Tui/Kyle/Luc ... that is a suckhole line of slow.
Get some more pace in that kick chase and it is immediately better.

 

[No Surrender]

Very physical game

Great defensive effort overall

Our younger forwards were awesome.

Our lack of speed out wide hindered our ability to score.

Our halves lack creativity so early in the season.

Atkinson is not a 7. He is a running 6.

Kyle lacks the creativity to organise an attack at NRL level.

The club needs to give LKT the opportunity to play 7.

Am unsure whether LKT’s defence has improved.

Val Holmes hasn’t recovered from injury or is not fit.

Suli is Suli. Average NRL centre.

Feagai looks sharper.

Our backline needs a revamp asap.

Reed is the answer. If he handles the physicality of Reserve grade after 4-6 rounds and our attack remains pedestrian, he must be promoted.

Galvin outplayed our halves and is both young and small. See no reason as to why Reed can’t play.

 

[RufusRex]

neither Kyle/LKT or Atkinson are 7s ...

We either need to promote Reed or have another crack at borrowing Savala for 12 months.

 

[GCRV]

neither Kyle/LKT or Atkinson are 7s ...

We either need to promote Reed or have another crack at borrowing Savala for 12 months.

Give him a few weeks in reserve grade and give Atkinson a few weeks to see what he can do with LKT but we know Flanno won't do that so really no use wondering how well they could work together.

 

[Dave03]

lol lkt at 7, he doesn't have a quality kicking game. Atko was superb considering it was his first game at halfback, it's unrealistic to make definite judgments after 1 game. He'll need time but his kicking game was pretty much spot on with depth, hang time & accuracy. His defence was pretty solid too & for the most part got into good positions to kick the ball.

Thinking he'll run the ball, kick, organise & have great defence from the start is foolish. He needs to nail down his kicking game & defence then build into other aspects of halfback play. Great signs first up.

 

[jodragon40]

lol lkt at 7, he doesn't have a quality kicking game. Atko was superb considering it was his first game at halfback, it's unrealistic to make definite judgments after 1 game. He'll need time but his kicking game was pretty much spot on with depth, hang time & accuracy. His defence was pretty solid too & for the most part got into good positions to kick the ball.

Thinking he'll run the ball, kick, organise & have great defence from the start is foolish. He needs to nail down his kicking game & defence then build into other aspects of halfback play. Great signs first up.

Agree but we really need him to rediscover his running game

 

[Zen]

Here is the verdict.
Forwards were good baring Kerr. But if they play like that for the whole season, it's going to end up a walking orthopaedic ward. Did the coach tell Couchmans to put the offload away? It looked like they were in position to do it but pulled back a few times.

Exactly as I said about signing Gutherson being a big mistake when I was denounced from pillar to post for it. He gets through a lot of work but offers very little in attack. Would the team be better if he didn't do so much work in the form of runs? Couchmans have huge motors and are more effective taking hit ups.

KF, you gotta laugh or you'll cry. He should step down. He knows he is only in the team because of his dad. How are they gonna look each other in the eye when the dad is sacked and KF is immediately dropped?

Atkinson was as good as can be expected. First game starting as a halfback on a big stage. Partnered with KF.

Holmes had an uncharacteristic bad game. Didn't trouble them with the ball and missed a few tackles.

Wingers were ok. Had to go looking for the ball becsause it very rarely ventured out their way.

Suli was typical. A few good runs to make up for a few bad attempted tackles. Really need more from a centre but it might be on the coach and the #6 today, #7 last year, #6 the year before that doens't do any favours for those outside him.

Coach probably needs to be sacked sooner rather than later unless that game plan was just an abberation for the narrower field.

My verdict of this post: shite.

No, I should rephrase: utter, utter shite

In addition to being absolutely kissed on the dick by the officials, the Dogs had 54% possession, and a whopping 72% of field position. Tackled in the opposition 20 stats were 42-9. Yet we still scored the same amount of tries as the Dogs, and Gutherson was quite essential to one of them.

 

[Dragons Chris]

1. Clinton Gutherson 5/10 busy as usual
2. Christian Tuipulotu 5/10 ran for a lot of metres and made some good tackles but do we need wingers with a bit more speed?
3. Moses Suli 4/10 Made metres running but nothing to worry them in attack and a couple of missed tackles.
4. Valentine Holmes 4/10 Bad game from him.
5. Setu Tu 6/10 best of the back 5. Were his cramps really that bad or was Flanno justifying using Feagai as the last interchange rather than LKT?
6. Kyle Flanagan 1/10 He only cares about not making mistakes. Not only offers nothing in attack but messes it up for those outside of him.
7. Daniel Atkinson 6/10 Kicking game was very good. Found the grass a lot of times in clearing kicks.
8. Emre Guler 4/10 I know he scored the try but I have to think LPT is much better now.
9. Damien Cook 7/10 good.
10. Toby Couchman 8/10 Best on field?
11. Luciano Leilua 7/10 Better when he was playing like a middle forward. I guess he was on Kyle's side so not as if he is going to get put into gaps.
12. Jaydn Su’A 7/10 As above
13. Hame Sele 7/10 Was good. Troubled their forwards.
14. Hamish Stewart 7/10 defence was very good and ran as we have come to expect.
15. Josh Kerr 3/10 I don't know why he was signed.
16. Blake Lawrie N/A
17. Ryan Couchman 7/10 Our second best?
18. Lyhkan King-Togia N/A
19. Mathew Feagai 5/10 Typical game for him. Well played by Flanno. He didn't want LKT on in case he did something good with the ball.

 

[RufusRex]

19. wrong

When suli went off HIA flano replaced with Feagai and that was the 4th interchange meaning LKT couldn’t come on