There is no hiding from it now; the Dragons are in trouble and they are no longer the sure things for the NRL Premiership.
I was at ANZ Stadium on Saturday night and like many Dragons supporters around me I was in complete and utter shock – the type that causes you to keep looking at the scoreboard just in case it changes for the better but knowing full well that it won’t.
The mood was summed up perfectly by the sight of the Dragon Army slowly and quietly packing up the huge Red V jumper well before full time.
As the Rabbitohs piled on the points in the second half (inspired by their ‘Master and Commander’ being on deck), all that was going through my head was the potential carnage that may take place at Kogarah on Friday against the Eels.
It felt like I was transported back in time.
It was almost like the last 24 rounds never existed and Wayne Bennett in red and white was still a figment of my imagination.
There were attempts to score off every tackle, feeble defence leaking tries all over the field and an overall distinct lack of discipline.
The Canberra loss was like a blip on the radar and after the Brisbane game, it was almost like the ‘hiccup’ that they had to have prior to the semi finals. However, the capitulation against Souths was time to hit the panic button as the Dragons premiership hopes lay in tatters all over ANZ Stadium.
Two questions remain – what has caused the dramatic drop in form and will they recover in time for the semi finals?
The Dragons looked like a team that had run out of petrol and they just may not have enough fuel in the tank to sustain the high levels that they set for the majority of the competition.
At the start of the season, it would have been a big expectation to have expected the Wayne Bennett coached Dragons to play in the Grand Final, let alone win the Premiership. I maintain (and still do) that 2010 would be the Dragons’ year but their form this year has given hope of a fairytale.
They have played with a discipline and toughness that had been missing in the previous seasons.
Jamie Soward and Ben Hornby seemed to have found a solid working partnership in the halves and key acquisitions such Darius Boyd and Michael Weyman have bolstered the Dragons performance on a weekly basis.
Add to that Wendell Sailor’s on field performances being as impressive as his talking off it and the Dragons were well deserved favourites for the Premiership.
Now, the Big Red V faces their biggest challenge all year. Even before they reach the finals, they have to face the form side in the competition in Parramatta who are coming home with a wet sail.
Wayne Bennett stated during the post-match press conference that if the Dragons can’t turn the ship around on Friday at Kogarah, it could be a very quick exit from the finals.
It will also mean a huge amount of Grand Final tickets going on sale via eBay as well!
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