It looks like a long, rocky road to the end of the season for Dragons coach Paul McGregor.
It is true that the Dragons put on a more committed and compressed defensive display on Monday night against the Rabbitohs, but that of course left plenty of gaps out wide for their opposition to score.
At the centre of the problem were Gerard Beale and Josh Dugan, two fullbacks playing in the… centres. It appears that McGregor is expanding on former experiments of his good mate and predecessor, Steve Price.
Price was keen on playing second rowers in the centres and McGregor has just tweaked it a bit by using two fullbacks in that area of the park. This allowed him to bring another fullback, Adam Quinlan, into the team – a shock to everybody.
Now, Beale has played well for the Dragons this year, at least in attack, and he scored a try against Souths, but his defensive grasp of the centre position is not good enough. Souths exposed that weakness on Monday night.
Dugan tried hard but was equally out of place in the centres and the result was that the Dragons’ wingers saw no ball, including Peter Mata’utia – who was originally named in the centre and plays centre in NSW Cup alongside Charly Runciman.
I would suggest that before McGregor experiments with playing his surplus half backs in the centre, the Dragons could experiment with having centres in the centre. Benji Marshall played at half in this game, but he is still a work in progress.
The Dragon’s forwards were also a major problem.
Ben Creagh tried hard all game at prop forward against Souths but he was up against some big Souths forwards. Joel Thompson also played well for the Dragons, but the rest of the Dragons’ forwards were disappointing.
It’s about time McGregor had a closer look at the NSW Cup forwards, including recent import Matt Groat, who has seen no NRL time this year. But what team has McGregor picked for the must win game against the improving Sharks? You guessed it. He’s mirrored Price and stayed with basically the same squad – the good, the bad and the ugly – despite the result against Souths.
Dragons
1 Adam Quinlan
2 Peter Mata’utia
3 Josh Dugan
4 Gerard Beale
5 Jason Nightingale
6 Gareth Widdop
7 Benji Marshall
8 Ben Creagh (c)
9 Mitch Rein
10 Dan Hunt
11 Leeson Ah Mau
12 Joel Thompson
13 Trent Merrin
Interchange:
14 Tyson Frizell
15 Jack de Belin
16 Mike Cooper
17 Bronson Harrison
18 Shane Pumipi
20 Will Matthews
So what does McGregor expect against a Sharks side, have have even more incentive to win? An easy time?
Saint ryno
Guest
Knighting all on other wing
Saint ryno
Guest
Dugan fb, Beale wing. Runic man and matautai centres, benji and widdop. Merrin, creagh frizz ell, cooper rein Obrien. Bench pumipi. Thompson, groat, ailiomi--- give the big boys in cutters a go
Time for change
Guest
BIGGER FORWARDS TO ALLOW THE BACKS TO DO SOME WORK - look at the top 8 teams with burgess boys, SBW, JWH, KASIANO, KLEMMER ..... EVEN EELS and TIGERS are doing well on the back of players like LUSSICK, Pauli-Pauli, and WOODS, TAUPAU, GALLOWAY.
Walter Penninger
Roar Guru
Now, now, I did not know Bulldogs could crow.
Dogs Of War
Roar Guru
It's because it's the only team in the comp with a worse lineup. And that's only due to injuries. If they had there forwards I guarantee even with Holdsworth playing that they would crush the Dragons.
Walter Penninger
Roar Guru
Well the bookies are betting on the Dragons to beat the Sharks, that would be a start at least. Then Panthers, Titans and Storm all tough teams, so the heat will be on.
The eye
Guest
The first thing the Dragons have to do though is get Rooster water boy Craig Fitzgibbon as head coach for next year,great head,respected ( how much improvement has there been in the Rooster pack?) knows the place very well,and recruit magnet.
red "V"ictory of Jerusalem
Guest
dan hunt is rubbish. he should have been dropped from first grade at the beginning of the season. he only got pushed backwards on monday.....but yeah the rest of the names you mentioned are worth keeping
Doug Graves
Guest
500k a year for Benji to bludge in the Holden Cup? No wonder the place is a shambles! He's not even a half decent no7
Tricky Ricky
Guest
Doubt has to shoulder some of the blame for the Dragons capitulation this season and resign! Signing Benji Marshall was an absolute joke of a decision by Doust!
NRL/AFL/Waratahs Fan
Guest
Dragons definitely need decent forwards. If players aren't performing by this stage of the year then McGregor needs to have the gust to drop them no matter what their name is or how much the club paid for them. He's coached sides before and had results albeit in lower grades. I think the whole problem is everyone is being too loyal to Price. Maybe he is a nice guy but he wasn't ready to coach an NRL first grade team and if McGregor doesn't start showing that he has ideas and plays of his own then he will be in the same boat as Price. Take up the challenge Mary! PS Kyle Stanley has had as many chances as Price did!
Scott Pryde
Expert
Surely there are a few more keepers... Nightingale? Dan Hunt? Leeson Ah Mau? Jack Stockwell? Jack De Belin? Tyson Frizel... etc
Cadfael
Roar Guru
I feel McGregor is going to be in for a lean, hard time until season's end. Normally when a team loses their coach and the deputy takes over, the team excels itself for a match or two picking up much needed wins. The Dragons again looked woeful against Souths and the Bunnies rarely got out of first gear. On team selections, how much is coming from Doust? McGregor's good enough to see where the problems are but can he do anything about them. The board needs to start looking at next year. A good start would be two or three big go forward forwards. Dugan is a better fullback than Beale so either Beale moves to the centre or wing or he goes. Both centres seem to be problem areas so maybe look out for any on the market. Benji shouldn't have been allowed near the first grade team. He should have been into the Steelers (sorry Cutters) team to find his feet in league again. Throwing him into first grade straight away was always asking for trouble.
Harry Easton
Roar Rookie
Dugan needs to stay at fullback, Sure he might play centres for Blues but like Inglis thats not his best position. Marshall should be nowhere near the first grade side. I was at the Monday game v Souths (as a neutral supporter) and he just seemed completely unfocused, kicking poorly and throwing the ball behind players. He is NOT FIRST GRADE FIT simple as that. He was starting on the bench for the Tigers late last year and barely played a game for Auckland in Super Rugby. He needs a good 2 months in reserve grade, like what Sandow did. Maybe then we will see ol' Benji return to his best
Scott Pryde
Expert
Drop him to the Cutters and he will learn
Walter Penninger
Roar Guru
I think I may have been a triffle hard on McGregor after only one match, but I cannot understand how anyone with a problem in the centres can ignore Runciman. Beale is a good player and developing all the time, but still not a centre. His defence is lacking and his passing almost as good as Dugans.
Charles NSW
Guest
Ben Creagh should stay in 2nd row where he is best suited. Benj Marshall is best in the centres where he can concentrate on his timing and speed without pressure. Put Beale in fullback and put Dugan also in the centres. Coach them and over a period of time they will prove a great asset for the Dragons. Especially with Nightingale and Morris outside of them.
tigerdave
Guest
Dead set right. 2014 gone, they will be struggling to fight off the spoon. The recruitment and retention committee need a good kick. They should do a Ricky Stuart, bring the players in and tell the majority of them the cold hard truth. Get into the market early to take opportunities. Most of the players would struggle to make it in any othet NRL team. Dugan, Widdop, Creagh, Merrin, Rein and Morris the only keepers. If they don't do something, they will lose the better players.
tigerdave
Guest
Mate how is Benji going to get match fitness in 3 months, he hasn't boothered in the last three years.
Scott Pryde
Expert
It's a joke. If anyone is named in the centres it should be Quinlan.... But I think Kyle Stanley or Charley Runciman who I saw play for the Cutters a couple of weeks ago against Wentworthville and seems to be in decent form... This would be the Dragons team I would go with: 1. Josh Dugan 2. Peter Mata'Utia (Until B.Moriis gets back) 3. Charley Runciman 4. Gerard Beale 5. Jason Nightingale 6. Gareth Widdop 7. Michael Witt (Let Benji get some match fitness with the cutters) 8. Jack De Belin 9. Mitch Rein 10. Dan Hunt 11. Joel Thompson 12. Ben Creagh (c) 13. Trent Merrin 14. Jack Stockwell 15. Leeson Ah Mau 16. Tyson Frizell 17. Mike Cooper. Then for the Cutters you have: 1. Adam Quinlan 2. Geoff Daniella 3. Nathan Green 4. Kyle Stanley 5. Yaw Kiti Glymin 6. Sam Williams 7. Benji Marshall 8. Matt Groat 9. Craig Garvey 10. Rory O'Brien 11. Will Matthews 12. Bronson Harrison 13. Shannon Wakeman 14. Shane Pumipi 15. Willie Mataka 16 Junior Tia - Kalifa 17. Josh Ailomai