Whether the Dragons are prepared to acknowledge it or not, after the loss to the Broncos, 2016 is now gone. If they have acknowledged it, then now would be the time to blood new players.
I tipped them to do well this year, but I was wrong.
Paul McGregor has been far too reluctant to test the depths of the Dragons’ NSW and Holden Cup sides. ‘Mary’ has been slow to recognise obvious talent and experiment in attack, despite obvious deficiencies which were bad in 2015 but that have now left the team almost entirely without confidence.
Accordingly, although Mary has tried hard, both the defence and attack have gone backwards. Whether it is Mary’s fault or not, the Dragons should be in the hunt for a new coach to revive what has been a terminally boring attack.
Now, I am a Benji Marshall fan, and I am sure he has a lot to give the game in the future as a commentator and coach, but 2016 was a disjointed year with injuries for the former Kiwi captain, and his body is not getting any younger.
If Benji is not on the agenda for 2017, then now is the time to test the club’s depth. But when Benji has been unavailable, McGregor has been stubbornly using Josh McCrone, whose capabilities and limitations should are obvious.
McGregor dropped one of his best performers, Euan Aitken, and persisted too long with his Bulldogs recruit, Tim Lafai, despite ordinary performances.
The beginning of the season also saw McGregor’s failed experiment with Josh Dugan in the centres when there were plenty of experienced centres in the squad.
Taane Milne has been used in the centre with great success, and second rower Luciano Leilua showed great promise in his NRL debut against the Broncos, but this is too little too late.
Testing young players now, with the season gone, is a guide to 2017 and any players requiring medical treatment should be released to have a good start next season.
The Dragons have for the most part been committed, and there is certainly a core group of players to build a team around, but McGregor is not the man to do the building.
Mugs
Guest
Mary's had his chance, not working. The players list to go is Marshall, Rein and Dugan. Too much cap, not near enough points in any of them and excluding Rein, injury prone and nearly enough point. Put some young guns up
steveng
Roar Rookie
So what do the Rabbitohs need? They have been a bigger 'basket case' than the Dragons have ever been. Perhaps 'Walter' you should write an article on the 'Disastrous 2016 Rabbitohs' which would make more sense than the Dragons, at least the Dragons (with all their shortfalls) are having a go not like the Rabbitohs that are a bunch of no hopers and look like doing nothing.
redneck
Guest
I started off agreeing with you but as soon as you came up with support of Marshal I had to disagree. The problem starts at the top and it is that clown Doust who must go plus his lackies and we can start again with our young local lads.
Dragging us down
Guest
Support all the points raised by the above posts. For an insight into the coach's thinking listen to his news conferences on the Dragons website. Same story every time. Mary you will not change the result unless somethings change, continually doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome is ridiculous
Dragons Forever
Guest
Long time no hear Walter. Mary needs to go but there is no hope in hell he will step aside as his NRL coaching career will be forever gone. Both Mary and Price are/were selfish coaches who thought of only themselves and keeping themselves employed by aiming for a measley 50% win loss record. Both coaches kept things simple and boring ( effective ) in their eyes with 1 thing on their mind ( keeping their jobs ). Price with Fein at 7 etc and Mary persisting with Lafai, Benji, Widdop etc. Poor Kurt Mann was made a scapegoat early on but over the last 5-6 weeks has been our best player by far along with Packer, Aitken, Frizzel and Milne. Big problem is PETER DOUST and his muppet mates on the board who keep this clown in a job. So over it, so disappointing. Cronulla will put 40 on us next week and SUPERCOACH will throw someone other than himself under the bus as per usual. Pi$$ off Mary and take Benji, Rein, and a few others with you. The future is with Mann, Milne, Aitken, Frizzel, Packer, Leilua, Host, Dufty, Garrick etc
Paul
Guest
Mary has been stubborn in using McCrone when Benji has been injured but he has been far more stubborn in not dropping Gareth Widdop. Look at approx 34:30 into the first half of last nights game. Benji took the ball to the line with both hands, kept the opposition defence guessing, attracted 2 and got a 3rd interested, passed the ball to Widdop who used the 2 man overlap perfectly by taking a few steps across field and passing to a player outside him who had to then come in to avoid the sideline. This has been going on for 3 years! The "marquee playmaker" has no ball skills!
Walter Penninger
Roar Guru
Price was apalling, as Dragons coach, and McGregor in 2015 did a tremendous job to get to the finals, but 2016 has seen the team go backwards and perhaps worse, boring and predictable. Broncos almost fell alsleep last night to let the Dragons back into the game. The editor has changed the title of this article from a question mark to an all out assualt on McGregor, but having said that I do not disagree with the conclusion that the Dragons need a new and perhaps external coach next season.