SMITHY: Dragons the real deal in 2015

I really enjoyed the Souths versus Dragons match. I thought the Rabbits deserved their win but the game was so close it could have gone the other way.

It was the fierce way both teams went about their business that stood out – and they did so for the full 80.

The Rabbitohs have hit some low points in recent weeks, albeit without much luck and certainly without the full quota of players. They are also finding out about defending premiers syndrome. Sure their opponents are coming at them harder like every other premiership winner, but the real issue is maintaining that desperate desire to do whatever it takes to win. Between the two of those things, the Rabbitohs have slipped a little.

I find it ironic that when the media started on the ‘they don’t know how to lose’ stuff, they then started to lose. You can bet your life none of that talk came from the premiers, but once it’s out there and people start to repeat it in the company of players and staff it creeps in to the minds of the combatants.

Some soon become participants in their matches rather than the raging dominators they were.

Don’t bet on them not getting it back on track though.

My enjoyment of the match was at least equally divided to the scoreboard losers. I don’t believe St George-Illawarra lost the match anywhere else. They should draw a lot from the game as they competed hard, with a low error rate in attack. That is their trademark, along with winning while they are scoring at the lowest rate per match in the NRL.

The defence they have brought to every match for ten rounds is a reflection of consistency in intensity. They don’t have great tacklers in every position but they are all working extremely hard and growing in confidence. Conceding more than 14 points twice in ten matches is good going.

But it’s the Dragons’ attack that I am really interested in. It’s their worry at the moment. Like their defence, only twice in ten matches have they scored more than 14 points in a match.

That makes for a nail-biting season so far for red and white fans.

However, their attack has some real potential, unrealised at present on the scoreboard but effective in some ways that I am really impressed with.

Most recently in the Souths loss they consistently found ways to escape the heavy hitting of Souths forwards desperate to smash them into submission. This is the same Dragons pack as last season but they are finding ways to avoid the gang tackling of opponents by smart plays.

They are not in any way squibbing the tough stuff but they are limiting the number of times they are running one out into the guts of the mad mob in the middle. Some early in the count passing to second rowers and centres takes the burden off grinding down the middle third. Tyson Frizell and Joel Thompson are dynamic and athletic so that’s smart coaching to utilise their talents while easing the pressure on the middle men just a bit.

So is the hit and spin offload of Trent Merrin, who does it so easily. Mike Cooper too is offloading a little more often. Those offloads are going to Benji Marshall and Gareth Widdop on the run, creating a structured but second phase-type of play which is what halves thrive on. And Marshall’s passing to outside support players has been tremendous in those situations.

The Dragons are making much more attacking use of the outside thirds of the field than any other team in the NRL – and in more surprise those situations. And all without turning into the Moree Boomerangs and getting over excited.

Often they are just good escape plays or like the Panthers, using offloads in good ball to move the defence around to achieve a one-on-one tackle, quick play the ball into dummy half raid with lots of support.

Mitch Rein has really developed this season, becoming more alert to those quick play the ball opportunities. This is another thing for Josh Dugan, Marshall and Widdop to react to, improving that attacking record for the team.

The Dragons are also isolating some ‘weak’ defenders well in some matches. This requires smart players making smart plays and I like how the Dragons are improving this method of attack by learning not to go away from that isolated defender just when he is about to cave in.

Other teams are impatient, too often moving away from the plan just as it’s about to reap rewards.

The Dragons are in a terrific spot after ten rounds. Can they maintain that while on the bottom of the ‘for’ column? I think they really need to continue improvement of their attack, or mid-season might be their high point for 2015.

This week against the Raiders they are in for one almighty test. Canberra have way more attacking threats than they have had for nearly a decade. The lumbering forward pack of the past is no longer.

Dragons versus Raiders – two early-season wooden spoon predictions – could be the match of the round.