Round 9 v Melbourne

[jodragon40]

Good move by the coach Bird in the pack Amone v Munster and good to see Sullivan off the bench. Unfortunately my man is relegated but I like the mindset of attacking options

 

[Eric]

Well I said if we continue to miss 50 tackles a game we would get carved up. AND we missed 50 tackles, we completed 73% of our sets, Melbourne in contrast missed only 19 and completed at 90%. McGuire was the only forward to run over 100m, every single storm forward ran over 100m even their bench forwards. I said we had to shut Grant down well we didnt he ran for 168m seriously most runs from dummy half. McCullough ran for 24m. You simply cannot compete against any team let alone one of the best with those stats. McCullough was averaging about 48 tackles in 2021 down to 35 this season that's 30% less. Hunt 10 Bird 9 topped the missed tackles count and its progressively getting worse as the season goes on. We have to improve on the basics before we will be considered a competitive top 8 team and unfortunately at the moment based on that performance we are simply failing the basic fundamentals of the game.

Did Bird get a missed tackle for that last Melbourne try? He didn't even try.
What do you think about Sloan or Ramsey at fullback, a hooker rotation of Mbye and Sullivan, Bird the bench utility and you know who in the second row? SUrely Bird can't keep starting in the forwards. He misses too many tackles. It looked like when the game was lost, Amone came to life. He looked the most likely in the second half.

 

[jodragon40]

Did Bird get a missed tackle for that last Melbourne try? He didn't even try.
What do you think about Sloan or Ramsey at fullback, a hooker rotation of Mbye and Sullivan, Bird the bench utility and you know who in the second row? SUrely Bird can't keep starting in the forwards. He misses too many tackles. It looked like when the game was lost, Amone came to life. He looked the most likely in the second half.

Yes it appears based on the statistics so far this season that the recruitment has failed. I think it's getting towards that time of the season where you have to decide how the club is going to become competitive. First its back to basics then decide whether you are going to use your young stars or not. As you can see even the good players look flat because they are being beaten badly by teams who are considered semi final teams, Melbourne and Cronulla are just 2 that come to mind and when you play under those conditions it affects your confidence and enthusiasm. Just my humble views.

 

[Eric]

Yes it appears based on the statistics so far this season that the recruitment has failed. I think it's getting towards that time of the season where you have to decide how the club is going to become competitive. First its back to basics then decide whether you are going to use your young stars or not. As you can see even the good players look flat because they are being beaten badly by teams who are considered semi final teams, Melbourne and Cronulla are just 2 that come to mind and when you play under those conditions it affects your confidence and enthusiasm. Just my humble views.

Makes sense.

 

[jodragon40]

50 missed tackles 73% completion rate. Not up to 1st grade standards in my view

 

[Ryan]

50 missed tackles 73% completion rate. Not up to 1st grade standards in my view

heads need to start rolling.

 

[jodragon40]

heads need to start rolling.

It's just too poor. I was looking for that effort that we all have in us when I played and coached. I knew when I was playing or coaching against a benchmark team I had to be at my best and win lose or draw I left everything I had on the paddock or gave my team the best game plan. It just appeared to me that we never ever reached any heights we went out there knowing we were going to get spanked and thats exactly what happened because we allowed it to happen. It was just too poor an effort

 

[RedV01]

It's just too poor. I was looking for that effort that we all have in us when I played and coached. I knew when I was playing or coaching against a benchmark team I had to be at my best and win lose or draw I left everything I had on the paddock or gave my team the best game plan. It just appeared to me that we never ever reached any heights we went out there knowing we were going to get spanked and thats exactly what happened because we allowed it to happen. It was just too poor an effort

God our forwards are bad.

 

[jodragon40]

God our forwards are bad.

They lack penetration in attack and lack steel and determination in defence. They try but simply cannot compete against the best packs over 80 minutes because they are getting fatigued missing far too many tackles and are left tanked when they manage to attack. Last week we missed 56 tackles against the Tigers but managed to hold on against a team that will not be playing semi finals footy. This week we missed 50 and got flogged against a team who will finish top 4. I can clearly see the issues here and they need addressing or we will not be playing semi finals football this season

 

[Chris M]

They lack penetration in attack and lack steel and determination in defence. They try but simply cannot compete against the best packs over 80 minutes because they are getting fatigued missing far too many tackles and are left tanked when they manage to attack. Last week we missed 56 tackles against the Tigers but managed to hold on against a team that will not be playing semi finals footy. This week we missed 50 and got flogged against a team who will finish top 4. I can clearly see the issues here and they need addressing or we will not be playing semi finals football this season

Need a complete overhaul. Do you remember about 15min before the end, Tyron Wishart ran straight through the middle of the Dragons defence? It was like a black comedy.

 

[Chris M]

They lack penetration in attack and lack steel and determination in defence. They try but simply cannot compete against the best packs over 80 minutes because they are getting fatigued missing far too many tackles and are left tanked when they manage to attack. Last week we missed 56 tackles against the Tigers but managed to hold on against a team that will not be playing semi finals footy. This week we missed 50 and got flogged against a team who will finish top 4. I can clearly see the issues here and they need addressing or we will not be playing semi finals football this season

Woods has a PO option for next year. I can't image he'll get picked up by another NRL club so ESL or he'll be with the NSW Cup team next year. McCullough is ridiculously signed for next year but he'll be in the NSW Cup. Bird, Burns, McGuire, Gosiewski, Ford, Faamausili all forwards off contract this year. If one or two will stay on as depth signings on a minimum wage, that would work. Otherwise get rid of them all. Forgive me for saying it about Gosiewski. I know four of them weren't involved in yesterday's dumpster fire but apparently they aren't good enough to replace the two who were or Woods.

 

[GCRV]

Woods has a PO option for next year. I can't image he'll get picked up by another NRL club so ESL or he'll be with the NSW Cup team next year. McCullough is ridiculously signed for next year but he'll be in the NSW Cup. Bird, Burns, McGuire, Gosiewski, Ford, Faamausili all forwards off contract this year. If one or two will stay on as depth signings on a minimum wage, that would work. Otherwise get rid of them all. Forgive me for saying it about Gosiewski. I know four of them weren't involved in yesterday's dumpster fire but apparently they aren't good enough to replace the two who were or Woods.

Woods talked up a storm during the off season. He had me fooled. Now we know why no other NRL clubs wanted him.

 

[Ryan]

Need a complete overhaul. Do you remember about 15min before the end, Tyron Wishart ran straight through the middle of the Dragons defence? It was like a black comedy.

Made me embarrassed to be a fan.

 

[jodragon40]

Need a complete overhaul. Do you remember about 15min before the end, Tyron Wishart ran straight through the middle of the Dragons defence? It was like a black comedy.

That was tiredness and laziness he threw the dummy 5m before the defensive line which had thrown in the towel by then and still managed to slice through

 

[Eric]

Rate from 1 lowest to 10 highest:

1. Moses Mbye - 3
2. Mathew Feagai - 3
3. Moses Suli - 5
4. Zac Lomax - 4
5. Mikaele Ravalawa - 5
6. Talatau Amone - 4
7. Ben Hunt - 4
8. Francis Molo - 4
9. Andrew McCullough - 2
10. Josh McGuire - 5
11. Tariq Sims - 4
12. Jack Bird - 3
13. Jack de Belin - 5
14. Aaron Woods - 3
15. Blake Lawrie - 3
16. Tyrell Fuimaono - 4
17. Jayden Sullivan - 5

 

[RedV01]

1. Moses Mbye - 2
2. Mathew Feagai - 2
3. Moses Suli - 3
4. Zac Lomax - 3
5. Mikaele Ravalawa - 4
6. Talatau Amone - 3
7. Ben Hunt - 3
8. Francis Molo - 4
9. Andrew McCullough - 2
10. Josh McGuire - 4
11. Tariq Sims - 4
12. Jack Bird - 2
13. Jack de Belin - 4
14. Aaron Woods - 2
15. Blake Lawrie - 3
16. Tyrell Fuimaono - 4
17. Jayden Sullivan - 3

 

[jodragon40]

1. Moses Mbye - 4
2. Mathew Feagai - 4
3. Moses Suli - 7
4. Zac Lomax - 6
5. Mikaele Ravalawa - 4
6. Talatau Amone - 4
7. Ben Hunt - 5
8. Francis Molo - 5
9. Andrew McCullough - 4
10. Josh McGuire - 6
11. Tariq Sims - 5
12. Jack Bird - 3
13. Jack de Belin - 5
14. Aaron Woods - 3
15. Blake Lawrie - 3
16. Tyrell Fuimaono - 3
17. Jayden Sullivan - 4 The first half defensive performance should not be forgotten even though the 2nd half was ordinary in my view

 

[Morgan]

1. Moses Mbye - 3 Poor in defence and attack.
2. Mathew Feagai - 4 Quiet but not bad when he decided to get involved.
3. Moses Suli - 6 Made a few half breaks which is more than can be said for anyone else except Amone.
4. Zac Lomax - 3 Quiet and a few poor defensive moments.
5. Mikaele Ravalawa - 6 Kept trying, kept running hard and tackling hard.
6. Talatau Amone - 5 No mistakes that I can remember and made a few half breaks in the second half.
7. Ben Hunt - 3 Did nothing of any note.
8. Francis Molo - 5 One of the few forwards to show any aggression or passion.
9. Andrew McCullough - 2 Slow as a wet week.
10. Josh McGuire - 5 Kept trying but limited impact.
11. Tariq Sims - 5 Should have been on the field at least 20min longer.
12. Jack Bird - 2 Threw in the towel. I think he doesn't like playing in the forwards.
13. Jack de Belin - 6 Kept tackling effectively, running had, passing well.
14. Aaron Woods - 3 Poor, poor, poor. Especially in defence.
15. Blake Lawrie - 3 I remember seeing him on the field 2 or 3 times.
16. Tyrell Fuimaono - 4 Similar to McGuire but played fewer minutes.
17. Jayden Sullivan - 5 Was a dramatic improvement on McCullough. Everything sped up but 70~80% but as jodragon40 mentioned above, defence was quite poor late in the game.

 

[Chris M]

1. Moses Mbye - 2
2. Mathew Feagai - 4
3. Moses Suli - 5
4. Zac Lomax - 4
5. Mikaele Ravalawa - 6
6. Talatau Amone - 5
7. Ben Hunt - 4
8. Francis Molo - 5
9. Andrew McCullough - 2
10. Josh McGuire - 5
11. Tariq Sims - 5
12. Jack Bird - 2
13. Jack de Belin - 5
14. Aaron Woods - 2
15. Blake Lawrie - 3
16. Tyrell Fuimaono - 3
17. Jayden Sullivan - 4

As my ratings I think show, I don't think it's all doom and gloom. With a little more defensive commitment, particularly from #12 and #14 and a little more of everything from #1 and #9, the Dragons were right in this game.

 

[GCRV]

I can't bring myself to given any more than 1 for those who I think gave up in the last 15 or so min. 2 for those I feel may have given up.

1. Moses Mbye - 1
2. Mathew Feagai - 3
3. Moses Suli - 5
4. Zac Lomax - 2
5. Mikaele Ravalawa - 5
6. Talatau Amone - 5
7. Ben Hunt - 4
8. Francis Molo - 4
9. Andrew McCullough - 1
10. Josh McGuire - 5
11. Tariq Sims - 4
12. Jack Bird - 1
13. Jack de Belin - 5
14. Aaron Woods - 1
15. Blake Lawrie - 2
16. Tyrell Fuimaono - 4
17. Jayden Sullivan - 2