Well stuff me, who would have thought the Dragons would be sitting pretty at the top of the NRL ladder?
With his head firmly placed on the the board’s chopping block, Paul (Mary) McGregor has stared in the face of coaching oblivion and performed a minor miracle to not only defy the executioner a day’s pay, but also earn himself talk of a contract extension and a possible top eight berth for his team.
At the start of the season, no coach was more certain to lose his head than Mary McGregor. Even Tigers coach Jason Taylor appeared to have more surplus time on his watch compared to that of the St George coach.
How mistaken the NRL hordes were.
In 2017, the Dragons have kicked off the bland shackles and beige game plans which bogged down their 2016 campaign and replaced them with some kinky backline moves and frontline studs. So far this year, the boys in red and white have engaged in some sexy football.
Gareth Widdop is playing like the bloke they signed from Melbourne a few years ago. Their backline is firing and exuding confidence, and their forward pack’s increased kilo load has added some much needed punch into their offence – added to which, Paul Vaughan is an early shout-out for buy of the season.
But will this thrust of good footy last?
Or could this be another case of a team getting the early jump and winning their premiership in Autumn?
In a somewhat ironic moment for most Red V fans, Mary McGregor can rightly claim some kudos for St George’s good – and unexpected – early season form. And if it weren’t for the Tigers’ detonation of homegrown suicide bombers grabbing all the headlines, McGregor’s potential seeing off of the axe would have surely seized more coverage.
Many a die-hard Dragons supporter had surely used their Christmas money in the off-season to craft their 2017 banners with with clever sayings, puns and hashtags to incite change and make their grievances known to the club’s powers that be?
The tetchy Dragons supporters are a demanding bunch and they were getting jack of the Red V’s mediocre ladder returns since 2011. Consequently, they had singled out McGregor and CEO Peter Doust as the causes for their club’s recent on-field failures and pointed to them as the roadblocks in their club’s future successes.
The upbeat banners which had once blanketed the stands and grassy hills of NRL stadia and suburban grounds had gradually been replaced in recent years by negative fan propaganda such as #McGrexit, Fail Mary and Oust-Doust.
The temporary icing of these types of banners in 2017 is down to the Red V’s stunning early season form.
Sure Dragons’ fans are happy with the cavalier footy from their rugby league team. And they are loving the lofty heights their current ladder position. But many were also ready for a change of coach. In fact, many came into 2017 expecting to have a new coach by mid-season. This prospect looks to be a deader than Caesar right now.
However, although the Red V’s timely resurgence is welcomed by the club’s faithful, a question still remains: Is McGregor’s success welcomed too?
It’s an interesting conundrum many St George fans may find themselves in at the moment. The team’s early on-field triumphs mixed with the unexpected persistence and possible extension of a coach they desperately wanted turfed is probably leaving an awkward feeling which nags at what otherwise should be jubilant footy spirits.
So ready for change were the club’s supporters, that there’s an overall sense of inevitable stock plunge, as people aren’t getting carried away with the comfort of their team’s present ladder location. Instead, scores seem to be holding on mid-breath, waiting for the Dragons of 2016 to show up and crash the party.
But in reality, things are chugging along better than nicely at the moment for the Dragons; they have beaten some of the more fancied teams in 2017 – and beaten them well.
Their early success really has begged the question, are the Dragons finals bound this season?
On current form you’d have to think yes. They have beaten some good opposition in the Sharks and Penrith and squashed pretenders like the Tigers, Manly and Warriors.
In truth, if the squad can stay fit and the forwards can keep flattening their opponents, then the Dragons will feature in the top 8 and, quite unexpectedly, Mary will have performed his second minor miracle.
Mr Brown
Roar Pro
Draw debate aside, at the start of the year were you really expected to beat Penrith or the Sharks? Even Manly would have seemed a safer bet. I see the current form as outstanding regardless of the draw.
saint ryano
Guest
I think as everyone rightly points out its the forward pack paving the way for the backs. However as not many have noticed this draw for the dragons this year is unbelievably good--most years we have a horror draw and are behind from the begining.
KenW
Guest
You're spot on with the Rein - McInnes comments. Stability in the halves is great but the crisp and well-delivered service from dummy half is making the whole team look better.
Charles NSW
Guest
If the Dragons go as well as they did against Manly coach McGregor will be in line for coach of the year award. This team is still developing but the way they are playing they will keep progressing The best part is all the players are improving and that is valuable for further down the track Go the Dragons!
Bezzini
Guest
There is more go forward this year. Second best but other than Paul Vaughn is McInnes. McInnes is getting the red V on the front foot every setbof 6 and making the backlines attack so much more potent.
KenW
Guest
The sad part is that there is a section of Dragons fans that will be slightly dejected with the current run because they are so intent on seeing Doust and Mary gone. Some see it as a matter of principle, Doust has been there a long time and there are favourable admin conditions that make him seemingly unaccountable to ordinary members. But it's kind of rabid the way some place blame for every decision that turned bad in hindsight, Josh Morris being allowed to leave 9 years ago just before Gasnier went to France still gets a run! It's worth noting that those truly rabid ones are a very loud but tiny section of the fans though. It's just when times are bad they get a larger audience
danwain
Guest
Thats true, but that team based their game on defence and didn't score a whole lot of points. This version looks more lethal in attack, and the go forward is impressive, arguably the best forward pack in the comp. Saturday's win was all the more impressive as it was done without Dugan and (largely) Frizell. I always maintained that the team were playing for McGregor last year, they just looked absolutely lost. This year they genuinely look like they are enjoying themselves, and you have to give McGregor credit for that. Don't underestimate how destabilising Marshall was last year. Also, one more thing, your hooker touches the ball more than any other player, if he isn't providing good service a team cannot be expected to flourish. Rein was the biggest issue at the club, his passing was mediocre and he took the wrong option on too many occasions, its no surprise the team is playing more direct now he is gone. McInnes is no world beater, but he doesn't overplay his hand, takes the right option and gives space to his backs, its super simple. Biggest tests await however, but good to see them travelling so well.
KenW
Guest
In 2015, when Benji was fit, the partnership was fine. As peeeko says, they had a run at the top of the table that year, Benji was 2nd in try assists for the comp and runner-up in the Dally Ms. They did fade at the end of the year but got up again by finals time (they lost in a close but spiteful encounter with the Dogs.) It was in 2016, when Benji couldn't string more than a couple of games together at a time, that everything truly came undone. You can't swap Marshall for McCrone week by week and expect the team to play cohesively, they are just chalk and cheese footballers. In any case, the forward pack (hooker included) is far stronger this year and their performances have been remarkably clear and consistent, it feels like they are playing within themselves - they haven't really been going for the kill and throwing caution to the wind even with match-winning leads, a good sign that there's another gear available. Even if they go through a rough patch and lose a few, as tends to happen to all teams at some point, it's seeming less and less likely they'll fall off a form cliff.
Mr Brown
Roar Pro
Marshall's biggest fault was that he hampered Widdop. Gareth was better when Benj wasn't there and he's been better since he left. It turned out to be a terrible pairing.
Mr Brown
Roar Pro
Yep, I did forget that.
Rob
Guest
Spot on peeko, the Dragon were very competitive in the early part of 2015. I think they'll finish higher this year because they have made some very good signings in the off season. No offence but Benji Marshall was not a good signing and he had a terrible affect on their attack because he isn't the player he was 10 years ago but still plays the same.
peeeko
Guest
We were also first in 2015 after 12 rounds before finishing 8th. a lot of people forget that