Almost everywhere I turn, someone is tipping St George Illawarra’s Steve Price to be the first coach axed in 2014. Frankly, I don’t get it.
This guy has had to wrestle with two of the toughest tasks in the NRL.
Firstly, he succeeded premiership-winning mentor Wayne Bennett at the Dragons, which was always going to be a tall order for a rookie first grade coach.
Then he had the job of ousting the club’s tried and trusted old guard and signing a new breed to take their place. This was never going to be easy as there were some pretty big names involved.
Price has done all of the above but, as I write this column, the Dragons are being freely touted as wooden spoon candidates.
Ok, the club did precious little in the Auckland Nines but they weren’t the only failures across the Tasman. I will make some allowances for that.
I will also excuse their first half effort against the red-hot Rabbitohs in the Charity Shield. Saints had six or seven newcomers in their team and they certainly played like strangers.
However, there was a lot to like in the second half (even allowing for the fact that Souths replaced some of their heavyweights). The Dragons scored some pretty classy tries.
They are laden with talent in their backline where I think ex-Stormboy Gareth Widdop will come into his own as a top class playmaker.
Up front is where St George Illawarra needs to make an impact and I am looking squarely at the likes of Trent Merrin, Ben Creagh, Jack De Belin, Joel Thompson and Leeson Ah Mau to rip into the tough stuff and lay the platform.
If they can manage a couple of early wins – they play Tigers (ANZ), Warriors (Eden Park), Sharks (Remondis) and Broncos (SCG) in the first month – the red and whites will have a pretty good year.
I cannot, however, go past the Roosters going back-to-back to win this year’s competition.
They have pretty much the same personnel as last season and I really liked the way they went about their business in the World Club Challenge against Wigan.
It was a very impressive hit-out and coach Trent Robinson looks to have his men extremely well prepared.
There are a couple of other things I’d like to mention before closing.
I tipped the Eels to win the Nines tournament a couple of weeks ago and missed out but in my book, a semi-final spot wasn’t too shabby for a 15/1 shot.
While on this subject, what a magnificent event it turned out to be, I really enjoyed the spectacle. The Nines will get better with bigger names and possibly some English Super League clubs added in 2015.
Brisbane could be one of the teams right in the firing line this year but they won’t achieve anything without Justin Hodges fit and firing.
The Broncos have the nucleus of a top class line-up but Hodges is their vital ingredient, they probably cannot win without him.
To me, the 2014 season is a case of now or never for the Cowboys. The club has had a near-faultless pre-season for new coach Paul Green and they should be a top four contender.
I really like the look of young back-rower Jason Taumalolo. He has the size and skills to become one of the best performers in the NRL this year.
The other youngster I’m especially keen to watch is Knights halfback Tyrone Roberts. He was terrific last season for Newcastle and will need to be that good (and better) now that Jarrod Mullen is sidelined for the first few weeks of the season.
Rod
Guest
To be fair on price, the dragons were falling apart under Bennets watch, the second half of his last season, the dragons were playing pretty ordinary football. Price has not managed to turn it around, I'm not certain Bennett would have done a whole lot better, with the cattle they have.
The Koomz
Guest
I think they will have a fair season. I really liked how Ah Mau, Quinlan, Stockwell and Runchiman went in the back end of last season. I still doubt they will make the top 8 though.
Walter Penninger
Roar Guru
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt. Abraham Lincoln
Walter Penninger
Roar Guru
Great comment.
Adam
Guest
A successful first grade career is hardly crucial for a successful coaching career
Charles NSW
Guest
How long do you give him before he has to go. Who would you put in his place
Muzz
Guest
Jeff, It was reported in the news paper that the NRL will loan the Tigers $4 million and the Dragons $2 million to fund their current deficit.
casper
Guest
saints are not that bad if they don't have injuries, just lack quality depth. Roosters look capable of going back to back, but it's a hard tasl. Roger Tuivasa-Schek & Tupou have massive improvement in them so minni's going be just hanging on by his teeth this year. Broncos will struggle & cowboys look to be a bit stronger, i still think they lost a lot last year when Ray Thompson got his jaw broken, he was just starting to grow into the position. Raiders for the spoon, they'll implode.
Walter Penninger
Roar Guru
Charles, I have seen your comments in other articles and they are always well expressed as this one is. Steve Price took over premiership winning team and produced also rans and cellar dwellers. If he thought he could not do better why did he not say so at the time? May be he did not shout loud enough. Two years let alone three years is too much.
Walter Penninger
Roar Guru
I think Wiz just likes to wind us up. I have been writing Articles that the Dragons will struggle this year and maybe end up with the wooden spoon and I virtually get no Dragons supporter arguing against. This must be a bad sign for Dragons support. The Hotel incident cannot be good, but maybe it is just a symptom of frustration building up in the camp.
Charles NSW
Guest
There is many comments here which gives an accurate description of what has happened to the Saints. In fairness to the coach he has had difficulties with his playing roster especially in the halves Some of them are also coming out of injury such as Beale and Stanley and then Dugan off injured again This year he cannot use that as an excuse as he can make a decent team with what he has now Ben Creagh in the forwards maybe a concern and do the fowards have the ticker? Price will still be working out the halves but ideally Stanley at 5/8 and Widdop at 1/2 but it all depends on Stanley being up to that Beale would be best staying at centre and put Quinlan at fulback until Dugan returns Everything really depends on how Price formulates the team and to get the best out of them He can do it, he has to, it is as simple as that!
Ryan McGillivray
Roar Rookie
I was there last night. It was utter mayhem. My mate pointed out Mitch Rein and someone we thought was Craig Gravey but he's hardly a first grader. Fingers crossed it's no one substantial. I thought my club was above this sort of behaviour but apparently not.
Dave
Guest
Brave man Wiz. That prediction would be before the hotel incident that has just hit the headlines. My money is on.....well, lets have a look at the form guide. From the pages of the best bets, it would have to be their new #1. If it is, and he sits out the season, they are gone. It will be wooden spoon time for the mighty Dragons.
NickF
Guest
You forgot to mention the wonderful defence the Dragons had in 2013.
BA Sports
Guest
O'week in Wollongong is always mayhem. Club should have got the players out of town for the week. Or at least told them not to go to the North Gong or 'Killer-warra'!!
Daniel Szabo
Roar Guru
Really Wiz? You don't get why Dragons fans are calling for the head of a man who lead St George Illawarra to their lowest ever finish (14th) last year, and was the first St George Illawarra coach to miss the 8 to years in a row? You don't get why we're calling for the head of a man who refused to give young guys a go in the place of old guys who obviously weren't up to it (Fien) until it was too late. Price's attacking game plan last year was this: give Merrin (and in the latter half of the year Dugan as well) the ball and hope for the best! Forget the fact that we have arguably the best wing pairing in the NRL in Morris and Nightingale. Forget about using set plays to put those two guys into space where they are most dangerous. We don't need to score points. We just need to make meters and the ball will somehow get itself over the try line! That was his game plan. He strangled Jamie Soward, choked him into submission and gave him no freedom to operate, and in the process, ruined his Dragons' career (although Soward wasn't completely innocent in that whole situation either). Didn't allow him to kick from 10-15 meters behind the ruck like Bennett did. Kept him to one side of the field. It's no wonder he stopped trying. And what about the old saying "you don't weaken one position to strengthen another". Why move one of our world class wingers Nightingale out of position to fullback when we had Evander Cummins waiting in the wings. Jason Nightingale is great under the high ball and has a lot of speed and is very illusive. But in the modern game fullbacks need to be playmakers, and Nightingale isn't one. He tried his best but wasn't up to the task that Price gave him. Same goes for Matt Prior. In what universe is he a center???? And in what universe is Ben Creagh a front rower???? In his time at the helm of the Dragons, Steve Price has made some absolutely terrible coaching decisions and should not have been resigned for this season.
Jeff Cook
Guest
Muzz What 2 mil bail out are you talking about please?
Walter Penninger
Roar Guru
Who knows what clause they have in his contract extension. they could have an immediate right to terminate and in any event any claim by Price will be next years court news.
Don
Roar Rookie
I backed the Cowboys to win the nines in Wiz's column and will back them again now to be grand finalists this season against the Roosters. What happens after that, who knows? Won't tip either side until the week before. That said; the Swans and Cowboys Premiership double was $76 a few weeks ago so I jumped on it. It is still $56 and great value. Swans and Roosters is $21 so I put some there as well. The Dragons are stuffed this year. Nathan Brown showed for years that a premiership quality team won't win a comp with a reserve grade standard coach. They have learned nothing from those years when, by adding Bennett and just a few solid players of his choice (Boyd, Jeremy Smith), the team won the comp. Steve Price is not NRL first grade coach standard. Muzz is right. The only thing stopping Price from being sacked early will be the club's finances. That said, keeping him and going through the year as speed bumps will cost them a lot more in corporate support and FTA exposure next year than the cost of Price's payout. Price first coach to go, then Carty and Griffin. Now the Tigers don't get a vote on their board I think Potter may be OK until later in the season. That club needs to publicly look stable up top for a while.
Benedict Arnold
Guest
Well things ARE going to get worse for the dragons this year: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/st-george-illawarra-dragons-players-investigated-over-violent-fight-20140228-33nvc.html