Round 10: St. George Illawarra v Newcastle

[jodragon40]

It seems that Anzac Day tested everyone’s patience. Hard to imagine it getting much uglier than that.

I hope your right surely that was rock bottom

 

[redv13]

Mate what I saw clearly on Anzac Day was:

1. The lack of go forward by our senior forwards, Guler, Kerr, Lawrie and a heavy reliance on our younger forwards, Couchmans, Stewart.

2. The lack of talk and communication between the players.

3. The lack of leadership on the field.

4. Players arguing with each other.

5. Unforced errors, dropped uncontested balls, misreads and missed tackles in defence.

6. A lack of support for the ball carrier in attack and a lack of attacking options and structures.

7. Poor completion rates whilst in possession, the lowest this season.

8. Lack of commitment and effort.

9. I did like what I saw of Reed in attack and his combination with Atkinson but he is trying to learn his trade in a team that is not competitive and has accepted defeat as being an inevitability.

10.I did not like Reeds defensive ability he is in my view a liability in that area of his game.

Hopefully our defensive coach turned into a head coach realises that he needs a minder on his weak side shoulder.

I certainly acknowledge that the refereeing was poor and certainly the 2nd sin bin was not warranted.

Players that I would select first in this weekend team T Couchman that kid never stopped trying. Closely followed by Stewart. Leilua then R Couchman and Cook tried but can't play 80 min.

There needs to be different attacking structures around our edge forwards Leilua in particular is too predictable.

I would have dropped Kerr, Guler and Lawrie in a heartbeat as punishment for their performances. In the backs Feigai and Sloan banished to ressies.

As a coach, new, interim or not it is your responsibility to make and take hard decisions you cant simply keep repeating what has now not worked for the last 11 games.

The only hindrance to making those decisions would be the quality and availability of the alternative players to fill those positions.

If there is no competition for positions then you will ultimately get the same performances and results.

Rant over time for dinner and a cold one or two.

What’s for dinner??

 

[Justadragon]

I hope your right surely that was rock bottom

I dont know Jo to me rock bottom is not winning a game in 12 outings, and worse would be not winning a game all season. I would have thought the second option would have been impossible at the start of the season, I now think it could be a reality for the Dragons.

 

[jodragon40]

What’s for dinner??

2 x Tooheys

 

[redv13]

2 x Tooheys

Tuck in mate. This club will kill all of us eventually, no doubting that haha. Everyone’s blood pressure is through the roof. Just need 1 bloody win, could snowball into more

 

[Justadragon]

Tuck in mate. This club will kill all of us eventually, no doubting that haha. Everyone’s blood pressure is through the roof. Just need 1 bloody win, could snowball into more

I'm glad there's blokes like you around and others as well. Every bloody year for nearly the last 16, its hope for the best and it ends up a nightmare. It is starting to wear thin, well I've seen juniors come and go, these ones havent really done anything but be part of a losing culture. I'm yet to feel confident about 2027. To start off with our marquee signing could arrive with a blown out knee, what a way to kick off preseason !!!

 

[redv13]

I'm glad there's blokes like you around and others as well. Every bloody year for nearly the last 16, its hope for the best and it ends up a nightmare. It is starting to wear thin, well I've seen juniors come and go, these ones havent really done anything but be part of a losing culture. I'm yet to feel confident about 2027. To start off with our marquee signing could arrive with a blown out knee, what a way to kick off preseason !!!

I’m in for the long haul mate, regardless of how bad the shit stinks. As jo says, I red eye, 1 white. Nothing will ever change that.

 

[Dave03]

what does guler have on our club for his continued selection in 1st grade, hope it stops once leilua and sua return.

 

[puff]

It seems that Anzac Day tested everyone’s patience. Hard to imagine it getting much uglier than that.

It depends what you mean by ugly. It was a horrible result, and a substandard performance, but it was far from our worst performance. Easts were very good and we copped 2 consecutive first half sin bins.
We played far worse, for example, in the Titans game. The only reason that game was close was that the Titans were probably even worse than us that day.

 

[jodragon40]

It depends what you mean by ugly. It was a horrible result, and a substandard performance, but it was far from our worst performance. Easts were very good and we copped 2 consecutive first half sin bins.
We played far worse, for example, in the Titans game. The only reason that game was close was that the Titans were probably even worse than us that day.

Agree was at both games spot on assessment

 

[GCRV]

It depends what you mean by ugly. It was a horrible result, and a substandard performance, but it was far from our worst performance. Easts were very good and we copped 2 consecutive first half sin bins.
We played far worse, for example, in the Titans game. The only reason that game was close was that the Titans were probably even worse than us that day.

Agree was at both games spot on assessment

That Titans game was the worst game I've seen in a long time.

 

[Morgan]

I pray that Dean implements some kind of structural change that not only plays to our strengths, but matches the template Gardiner talks about here. Instead of the sweeping backline movements with Gutho as link man to our slow ponderous outside backs - switch the focus to the middle with our quick halves, our quick hookers, and use our powerful edge forwards as weapons to attack the A & B defenders.