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If St George Illawarra breaks its premiership drought this weekend will they be remembered as great champions? Boring champions? Or a team that won the title because the Melbourne Storm had been ruled ineligible due to salary cap breaches?
Sometimes a team can pick up a label and that tag sticks to future generations. In this case, unlike the chokers tag they have inherited from their predecessors, the Dragons have no one to blame for being labelled boring but themselves.
I say that the Dragons don’t deserve to be called chokers yet because a large part of this team has only been together for two seasons. Should this trend continue then yes, sledge away.
Fans of the joint venture should be concerned heading into the decider on Sunday afternoon. The Wests Tigers played tough, but they didn’t play well and only lost by a point.
The Tigers numerous mistakes with the ball in hand and the Dragons benefited from the momentum shifts, but the Roosters won’t be so charitable.
The Tigers did nothing more than hang tough in defence and that was enough to shut down the Dragons attack. Can they get away with the same this weekend? Is that type of football better suited to a grand final?
The Roosters will also stay composed in defence, if we go on the evidence of previous weeks, but Mitchell Pearce and Todd Carney won’t be as wasteful with possession.
It’s a simple fact. The Dragons offer little in attack, but benefit from big charges from their forwards and composed completed sets.
Entertainment is not the hallmark of their game and they’ve reduced rugby league to a painfully simple equation. Hold the ball while running low-risk plays, wait for your opposition to succumb to fatigue, then and only then, can you bother the scoreboard attendant.
Dragons five-eighth Jamie Soward slotted the match winning field goal on Saturday night. Following the contest he stood in the dressing room talking to reporters. He said he’d been fairly quiet up until that point where his boot struck the Steeden.
To be honest I couldn’t agree more.
I can’t remember him doing a great deal during the contest, but as previously discussed on this site, I am a big believer in Soward’s ability. He needs to run the ball more and with his immense skill, why we don’t see it more often is baffling.
So there is another question. Can a team win a grand final with a five-eighth who in many peoples opinion doesn’t run at the line enough?
I don’t have any of these concerns when it comes to their opponents.
Pearce, Carney, Braith Anasta and Anthony Minichiello will stretch the Dragons to their limits, while their tough and experienced forward pack should provide the required grunt.
A team coming from wooden spooners to premiers, coached by a veteran who has never won a premiership while playing attractive football would seem like the good news story the NRL desperately needs to end a season that will go down as one of the most farcical in its history, due to the Melbourne Storm salary cap saga.
Can the Dragons provide the same feel good headlines? Does it really matter?
Not really, a premiership is all they crave. But for the neutral you’d like to see the biggest game of the season won in style.
You can follow luke on twitter @luke_doherty and on Sky News Australia.
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