Get Fucked everyone, we were outplayed by 2 red hot sides and simply did't have another gear come semi final time. Always next year, maybe we can get to the major semi then.
Another gear is otherwise known as a decent halfback PAWDY. Your list of halfbacks over the past 30 years minus Barrett in 99 is nothing short of disgraceful. Out with Hornby and the ever under-achieving Cooper and you should win it next year. I'm predicting that wont happen though
Im going to go off early. Dragons will win the competition in 2009. Dragons and Parramatta to be the dominant teams.
I watched the press conference after the game and Bennett was unusually upbeat and gave the impression this was only the beginning for this team. I think the old choking tag is gone. The Dragons didnt choke, they were beaten by a red hot Parramatta and Broncos who if Wallace was not injured I would mark as specials to be in the Grand Final.
Again the Dragons were the best team all year, but they didnt play their best football at the right time of the year.
Plenty of other teams are in the same boat. The Titans didnt play their best football in the Finals and also ran into the Broncos and Eels. Knights played their best football at the beginning on the season, Manly played catch ups all season and ran out of gas.
The well timed runs have been Parramatta and the Broncos who this time 6 weeks ago no one would have predicted they would even be in the Finals let along huge chances to take out the Premiership.
I cant agree unless Saints find a decent halfback in the off season. Yes you can get away with having a good player such as Hornby playing out of position all year, but it shows time and time again in finals footy, you really do rely on a good half to steer you around the paddock, particularly when you are behind and up against it as the dragons have been the past 2 weeks. Just about every premiership team for as long as I can remember have had an outstanding halfback to basically win them a comp. Saints havent had this in 3 decades!
As for my mate Darius. 1 try in a dominant minor premiership winning team all season. Hang your head in shame you sideways ambling crab!
Both of you are on the money, I saw bennett after the game and yes he was disappointed but feels that he has plenty to work with and I big offseason together will make them better next year. Hornby and Soward were very poor in the finals but you can't blame Soward as he is in his 1st pressure cooker finals series. Hornby should have led better and we may have performed better. Beau Henry from the under 20's side had to get a shot next year. He was under 20's player of the year and has an excellent running, passing and kicking game. Look what happened to Parra when Mortimer came in, the started playing with more enthuisiasm and direction. Henry is worth a shot for that added x factor.
Yeah sorry 2010 I think they will be alot better for the run. I sense a bit of hatred for Hornby? I was suprised that Bennett persisted with Hornby for as long as he did, I thought Henry would have been the halfback from at least the middle of the season on after watching his performances in Toyota Cup.
Now here is the predicament, it is easy to be critical in the past tense. I was made to look like an idiot when I suggested to mates that Hornby wasnt a halfback and I didnt think he could get the job done. Now if im Wayne Bennett I think he made the correct call to stick with an unchanged line up which had won them the Minor Premiership.
If he rushes Henry into first grade he could damage his confidence and ability to play first grade in the future. Bennett instead invested in building combinations and a good team structure which will only improve in 2010.
In regards to Soward I think it is easy to blame him, yes he deserves to wear some of the criticism but the Dragons were defeated by two forward packs to overpowered, rolled through and dominated them. What were Hornby and Soward expected to do when they had little opportunity to attack with time and space. The demise of the Dragons began when the Raiders bashed them into submission and their results reflected their lack of forward punch and impact in the final 5 rounds and the final series.
Wayne Bennett is a smooth operator and he looked really relaxed and blamed a lack of experience and pressure of expectation to having bought about the downfall. He also praised the Broncos, lets not get caught in the trap of just dumping shit on the Dragons. The Broncos were excellent and deserved to win comfortably. Bennett will have a plan and I really expect the Dragons to play their best football at the back end of last season.
We also need to remember that the Dragons did not have alot of rep players and won the minor premiership due to this fact. Next season I think they will have alot of rep players and will struggle to win the minor premiership but will finish in the top 4 and win the competition. But its also a long way away but I really expect them to be a better team in 2010.
Hopefully next year they can put Henry at half, Hornby back to fullback, Boyd on the wing and Dell will prob retire. Much more balanced team there I think. Yes I wasnt at all suprised to see Saints pull on the handbrake in the semis Deevs.
Honestly im not a massive fan of the Dragons and tend to agree with the line of thinking that they are chokers and pretty boys.
However I think Bennett has changed the culture at the Dragons, I really dont think they choked they were beaten by 2 red hot sides. Its not like they gave up leads and got rolled in the final minutes. Both games were quality and hard fought.
I agree PAWD the changes you have made will give them some real stability in the halves because Soward was forced to go for miracle plays in the final 8 weeks once the Dragons slumped due to Hornby not having the attacking potency and room provided by his forwards.
I would keep Sailor, he has a bit of an X factor about him and comes in to take pressure off his forwards. I would move Morris into the centres, it has worked wonders for his brother and Beau Scott into the forwards and just defend him a little wider. I think its scary to think how many tries Morris could have scored early in the year when he was playing on Scott's side with a quality centre.
Id have: Hornby, Sailor, Morris, Cooper, Boyd, Soward and Henry. Dont forget the Dragons still have Matt Head who im suprised didnt get a bench spot during the Dragons slump to give the Dragons attack some direction.
Named after the original booze fuelled atrocity, this is the blog for the sports fan sick of the drivel in the papers. We'll be putting out some different opinions that you won't read in the Tele because we actually like sports and don't take them too seriously, unlike most sports journos.
Get Fucked everyone, we were outplayed by 2 red hot sides and simply did't have another gear come semi final time. Always next year, maybe we can get to the major semi then.
ReplyDeleteAnother gear is otherwise known as a decent halfback PAWDY. Your list of halfbacks over the past 30 years minus Barrett in 99 is nothing short of disgraceful. Out with Hornby and the ever under-achieving Cooper and you should win it next year. I'm predicting that wont happen though
ReplyDeleteIm going to go off early. Dragons will win the competition in 2009. Dragons and Parramatta to be the dominant teams.
ReplyDeleteI watched the press conference after the game and Bennett was unusually upbeat and gave the impression this was only the beginning for this team. I think the old choking tag is gone. The Dragons didnt choke, they were beaten by a red hot Parramatta and Broncos who if Wallace was not injured I would mark as specials to be in the Grand Final.
Again the Dragons were the best team all year, but they didnt play their best football at the right time of the year.
Plenty of other teams are in the same boat. The Titans didnt play their best football in the Finals and also ran into the Broncos and Eels. Knights played their best football at the beginning on the season, Manly played catch ups all season and ran out of gas.
The well timed runs have been Parramatta and the Broncos who this time 6 weeks ago no one would have predicted they would even be in the Finals let along huge chances to take out the Premiership.
I presume you mean next year Boxhead??
ReplyDeleteI cant agree unless Saints find a decent halfback in the off season. Yes you can get away with having a good player such as Hornby playing out of position all year, but it shows time and time again in finals footy, you really do rely on a good half to steer you around the paddock, particularly when you are behind and up against it as the dragons have been the past 2 weeks. Just about every premiership team for as long as I can remember have had an outstanding halfback to basically win them a comp. Saints havent had this in 3 decades!
As for my mate Darius. 1 try in a dominant minor premiership winning team all season. Hang your head in shame you sideways ambling crab!
Both of you are on the money, I saw bennett after the game and yes he was disappointed but feels that he has plenty to work with and I big offseason together will make them better next year. Hornby and Soward were very poor in the finals but you can't blame Soward as he is in his 1st pressure cooker finals series. Hornby should have led better and we may have performed better. Beau Henry from the under 20's side had to get a shot next year. He was under 20's player of the year and has an excellent running, passing and kicking game. Look what happened to Parra when Mortimer came in, the started playing with more enthuisiasm and direction. Henry is worth a shot for that added x factor.
ReplyDeleteYeah sorry 2010 I think they will be alot better for the run. I sense a bit of hatred for Hornby? I was suprised that Bennett persisted with Hornby for as long as he did, I thought Henry would have been the halfback from at least the middle of the season on after watching his performances in Toyota Cup.
ReplyDeleteNow here is the predicament, it is easy to be critical in the past tense. I was made to look like an idiot when I suggested to mates that Hornby wasnt a halfback and I didnt think he could get the job done. Now if im Wayne Bennett I think he made the correct call to stick with an unchanged line up which had won them the Minor Premiership.
If he rushes Henry into first grade he could damage his confidence and ability to play first grade in the future. Bennett instead invested in building combinations and a good team structure which will only improve in 2010.
In regards to Soward I think it is easy to blame him, yes he deserves to wear some of the criticism but the Dragons were defeated by two forward packs to overpowered, rolled through and dominated them. What were Hornby and Soward expected to do when they had little opportunity to attack with time and space. The demise of the Dragons began when the Raiders bashed them into submission and their results reflected their lack of forward punch and impact in the final 5 rounds and the final series.
Wayne Bennett is a smooth operator and he looked really relaxed and blamed a lack of experience and pressure of expectation to having bought about the downfall. He also praised the Broncos, lets not get caught in the trap of just dumping shit on the Dragons. The Broncos were excellent and deserved to win comfortably. Bennett will have a plan and I really expect the Dragons to play their best football at the back end of last season.
We also need to remember that the Dragons did not have alot of rep players and won the minor premiership due to this fact. Next season I think they will have alot of rep players and will struggle to win the minor premiership but will finish in the top 4 and win the competition. But its also a long way away but I really expect them to be a better team in 2010.
sometimes life is very predictable......
ReplyDeleteHopefully next year they can put Henry at half, Hornby back to fullback, Boyd on the wing and Dell will prob retire. Much more balanced team there I think.
ReplyDeleteYes I wasnt at all suprised to see Saints pull on the handbrake in the semis Deevs.
Honestly im not a massive fan of the Dragons and tend to agree with the line of thinking that they are chokers and pretty boys.
ReplyDeleteHowever I think Bennett has changed the culture at the Dragons, I really dont think they choked they were beaten by 2 red hot sides. Its not like they gave up leads and got rolled in the final minutes. Both games were quality and hard fought.
I agree PAWD the changes you have made will give them some real stability in the halves because Soward was forced to go for miracle plays in the final 8 weeks once the Dragons slumped due to Hornby not having the attacking potency and room provided by his forwards.
I would keep Sailor, he has a bit of an X factor about him and comes in to take pressure off his forwards. I would move Morris into the centres, it has worked wonders for his brother and Beau Scott into the forwards and just defend him a little wider. I think its scary to think how many tries Morris could have scored early in the year when he was playing on Scott's side with a quality centre.
Id have: Hornby, Sailor, Morris, Cooper, Boyd, Soward and Henry. Dont forget the Dragons still have Matt Head who im suprised didnt get a bench spot during the Dragons slump to give the Dragons attack some direction.