As a longtime Dragons fan I have had to go through many tough times since my father introduced me to them when I was a young bloke.
The pinnacle was without doubt the 2010 grand final victory under Wayne Bennett. Wind the clock forward three years, however, and the once mighty St George Illawarra have fast become easybeats.
So where has it all gone wrong? I’ve seen a lot of different opinions from avid Dragon fans on social media and all of them carry weight.
Ageing roster, injuries and Peter Doust are a few reasons I often hear, but the majority are pointing the finger at head coach Steve Price.
I agree that Price must carry most, but not all, of the blame. He has been left with a poor roster after injuries and key personnel losses such as Darius Boyd and Beau Scott to other clubs.
Still, he’s been in charge for two full seasons after a being an assistant to Bennett, so I would have expected some slightly better results by now.
There is a definite lack of structure within the Dragons’ attack this season. The attack in 2010 was a boring, grinding style, but it got the results.
Watching them play with seemingly no plan or structure week in, week out this season has left me shaking my head.
Continually selecting the retiring Nathan Fien at halfback has been a disaster. He is a hooker, plain and simple.
Yes, I understand there are not many other options currently, but Josh Drinkwater is a halfback. Maybe not an outstanding halfback, but that’s his position.
Given how badly the attack was going, he should have been given a starting spot for the second half of this season. In the few times I’ve seen him play for the Dragon’s feeder team, the Illawarra Cutters, he has had a decent kicking game – something we’ve lacked this season.
Josh Dugan has been the Dragons’ only shining light with ball in hand this season. The back three of the Dragons are up there with the best in the competition with Dugan, Morris and Nightingale returning the ball.
No direction in the halves has given them minimal opportunities to score tries.
Defence! Where has this disappeared too? Things have desperately fallen apart in this department.
There seems to be no fire and desperation in the defensive line this season whatsoever. Lazy marker defence has given teams an easy path down the field almost all season.
Defence comes down to energy, effort and an instilled fire to not let the other team cross your stripe, as the Roosters have shown for much of the season.
I am not one to throw the coach under the bus, as players must also take some blame, but I see none of this changing under Price.
Letting Steve Folkes go as the assistant coach is a strange decision given he’s tasted success in the past.
Promoting Paul McGregor and Justin Holbrook to assistants is another strange decision. The Cutters and Dragons’ Holden Cup team haven’t set their respective competitions alight in the past two seasons so I’m skeptical of things improving on the coaching front.
After losing out on the bid for Craig Bellamy early this season, the Dragons won three games in a row and Price was prematurely re-signed before the ANZAC Day clash.
Since Price’s reappointment, St George Illawarra have won three games.
I don’t think Price will be replaced before next season by the board. They will give him the first part of next season with new recruits Joel Thompson, Gareth Widdop and Sam Williams among others to prove himself.
He should still be sacked at season’s end and replaced, giving the incoming coach a full pre-season to get some performance, structure and leadership back in the mighty Red V once more.
Ross
Guest
Steve price is purely to young and in experienced.. Yes Bennett said he would do a good job yes he has been a assistant for a long time.. But as a former player.. The coach needs to be a role model.. To be admired .. The dragons have just lost there under 21 Australian captain.. The club has nothing positive going for it.. A few good buys next year but no big names . We have 3 quality hookers.. Not one halfback or 5/8.. That comes to management.. And I think doust hasn't done a very good job aswell.. The dragons are the biggest club in the nrl. And top 8 should be absolute minimum.. This is the second year in a row .. And nothing has improved.. Big changes are required .. Otherwise we will have 20 members not 20,000
Joseph Doueihi
Guest
Hi Doug, Thank you for your reply, I will not be continuing this conversation with you,as the words you used in your reply (Arrogant and obstinate) are obviously are a precise description of the type of person you are,maybe you should consider doing an anger management course. Take care Doug and good luck.
Charles NSW
Guest
There is much frustration when a team ends up near the bottom of the ladder and the first person to sack is the coach. However one has to look at all the factors before deciding if the coach is the problem. I am not so sure if this coach is to blame! Look at the amount of players that have had injuries this year. Is the training up to standard, are they following instructions etc, etc. Steven Price will have another go next year with a new group of players. Let's hope he improves the Dragons much better than they have been.
ted
Guest
dynamitedave you are brilliant.And on the way to the finals Price wakes up one morning with new coaching skills.............it will never happen lol.
dynamitedave
Guest
Well if Asada come good before the finals, hopefully 6 teams will get bounced, that will move the dragons to 9th spot, with a better for and against than the 8th placed tigers, with 2 games to play. A win against the eels, then a tigers loss to the cowboys, or a dragons win at home against the warriors and we are in!
Tony
Guest
The Dragons management board should stand up and say that they made a terrible mistake in resigning Steve Price early in the season on the back of some early wins on the board. Ever since Wayne Bennett left the Dragons in 2011 we have been performing not to the standard of the fans that they want their team to do really well not sh*t house two season in a row. The Dragons should sacked Steve Price at the end of the season so that they can sign a new coach to prepare in the off season so they can rebuild a terrific club again. We have offered Steve Price numerous of chances to show that he is the one for the job and all he has ever done is take us to horrible seasons- 9th in 2012 and 15th in 2013 what does that say about how coach. There have been a number of clubs who have acted immediately of the poor season with Neil Henry sacked from the Cowboys and David Furner sacked. Steve Price wasn't even involved in the recruitment process: Gareth Widdop, Joel Thompson, Dylan Farrell, Sam Williams and so forth was Craig Young and Peter Doust involvement and not Steve Price I thought the coach should be involved in every aspect of the club, at this club it doesn't looked like it
ted
Guest
MR DOUGH GRAVES as you said you are an outsider so really you dont have an idea what you are talking about. So you would not know week in and week out what went on during the year.Why would you bother commenting if you dont follow this club? I think that Mr Graves you really are a dragon supporter.
Doug Graves
Guest
Well I can accept being wrong Joseph, however you haven't really explained to me why I am nor have you explained why Price is such a bad coach have you? Simply telling people they need to have a better understanding of the game is silly and doesn't refute or explain anything and it just makes you come across as arrogant and obstinate. To an outsider (I don't support the Dragons) such as me, it appears just as I said it, Price is the scapegoat (much like Potter at the Tigers) for the problems that run much deeper at the Dragons. If I'm wrong so be it, I have no emotional investment in this like you obviously do.
Joseph Doueihi
Guest
Hi Doug, Please don't take this personally, but after reading your comment which you are entitled to have, I think you need to know what your talking about, constructive criticism is good and acceptable but you need to get a better understanding of the game as comments that come from obvious sour grapes makes the person who makes them look pretty ordinary. Take care Doug
Charles NSW
Guest
Actually I thought Folkes would be the person to get the job when Bennett left! Not sure why he is not coaching first grade somewhere. I thought he showed signs of being a good coach espeially after winning Coach of the Year in 2004.
Daniel Szabo
Roar Guru
"Price was pretty much coaching the last 4 months of Bennetts time in 2011 anyway" I don't know what you base that on. I'm sure if you ask anyone in the Dragons' set up at the time (including Bennett himself) they'd tell you that Wayne was firmly in charge. Be that as it may, I wouldn't say that I'm backing Price. I'm simply saying that we don't need to be paying 2 head coaches (like the Tigers), especially when I see no significantly better replacements on the open market.
ted
Guest
If you look at the coaching structure at the moment who are the outsiders?They are all mates .They got rid of Folks who was outside the club. A bit clicky dont you think?
NickF
Guest
He has been assistant coach for 3 years and then head coach for the last 2. How much more time should he have until he is deemed a success, and by what standard? 2nd last is not very good. If he continues to fail, you run the risk of losing membership and sponsorship. It becomes harder to retain players and it makes it hard to attract players.
Pot Stirrer
Guest
Mates coaching mates just doent work.
ted
Guest
Sorry Charles extra time ....... you are joking ? He has nothing.
Charles NSW
Guest
Price probably learned from Bennett in doing things over and over again. He does the simple things so they all know what they are doing. With so many injuries this may have caused some of the problems in both defence and attack. I know when he first took over I saw some constructive things in attack on both sides of the ruck but it did not last long. I feel with the new players coming in he should be given that extra time to show what he can do. However in saying that he has a lot of work in front of him as some of you have already outlined!
NickF
Guest
Bad defence doesn't help. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jp50CQ6Yv60 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrwyLAEUzIk
NickF
Guest
I was backing Price at the beginning of the year with the same argument, and you can argue that Fein is not the right man and the Dragons have injuries. The problem is the attacking structure has not improved. In fact they play the same moves over and over, with little to no success. I watched the bunnies last week, and i hate a lot of their tactics, ie holding down and slowing the play the ball, but their attacking patterns are very good, quite complex at times, but well worked out, I watched the Melbourne Storm 3 way move where Cameron Smith run from dummy half and passes to Kronk or a forward then an inside pass to Slater and off he goes. Great play. I see none of this from the Dragons, which means Price is not coaching it. I see a lot of sloppy passing and static backline play. It is really dumb football and it is the coaches responsibility. I see no reason to continue with Steve Price as there has been no change or improvement for 2 years. Actually it's been more than 2 years as Price was pretty much coaching the last 4 months of Bennetts time in 2011 anyway, and that's when the Dragons started going backwards.
Charles NSW
Guest
There are a number of issues that a coach has that we may not see. Price must have had a few if you look at his injury roster for a start. Perhaps using Fiend was his only option. Whatever the halves have been a big problem for the Dragons this year. I think the Suffering Dragon made some good points in his comment!
oikee
Guest
Bennett came in to change the structure into robots designed to win a tital and shut the whingers up, job done. Well so it seemed. Mate the Broncos are supposed to win a tital every 6 years, it is now going onto twelve, and you think the Dragons have problems, mate just enjoy our clubs rivalry, at Suncorp where both clubs have a great crowd, win or lose. You have knuklehead Price, we have Knuklehead Griiffith. St George cant play, big deal, nor can the Broncos. I loved the St George grand final, the joy on those fans faces that went to that clash. I was even a bit jealous of them being their, and they won. Pull your heads in, stop ya whinging, it could be worse. You could be a Mnaly fan, hehe