St George Illawarra Dragons 2018 season preview

Cooper Cronk is the biggest halfback purchase of this season clearly, and yet he is replacing Mitch Pearce who (at club level at least) is already a top-level halfback. So the true gain is not that large. Ben Hunt is replacing Josh McCrone... this is the reason I'm excited as a Dragons supporter coming into this season. Those maligned backline players might find they've got some more opportunities too. The addition of Graham into an already tough forward pack & the potential of Dufty is just icing on top.

I find the dragons this season as hard to gauge as several other recent seasons to be perfectly honest. Hunt should improve the halves no end, but like other comments on here, I do have concerns with the backline and also with McGregor as a coach - but optimistic they will finish somewhere between 5-8 and improve on last year. if they don't, the only satisfactory answer would be for Mcgregor to get the chop.

I have to agree regarding Mcgregor, if we don’t make the finals this year he should get the chop. The power game thru the middle that they played at the start of last year was awesome, but the loss of Widdop on Anzac Day to play of the back of that was huge. They also lost Packer around the same time which weakened the power game. Hopefully with Hunt coming in this year will be an extra foil, because without Widdop we were pretty ordinary in attack. Their stratagies also need to adapt to their opposition because a lot of teams had worked them out by round 10, and unfortunately they returned to the crap that they put up every week in2016. His use of interchange baffles me. Vaughan and Packer were used almost exclusively together for about 20 mins each half, Frizell was used as a battering ram instead of a strike weapon on the edges and in the back half of the season the defensive line was always hanging back waiting where at the beginning of the year they were up in the face of the opposition. I don’t know if it fitness or a change in game plan but it was ultimately to our detriment. Confidence is key and if we have a good opening to the season, without many injuries we should give it a good run this year. I hope.

Top 4 is too much, top 6 is a big possibly. Graham's combination with De Belin in the middle setting up Sim's and Frizzel's angle running is mouth watering. They have 2 off cuff playmakers so they surly will be one of the most entertaining teams but consistency is a big issue. Paul Vaughn to be a Blues bolter and will top the try scoring list for front rowers at the season's end. Couple of good young forwards in Blake Lawrie, Sele and Leilua. Sele definitely needs a contract extension. This time the Saints will be marching in into September!!!!!

Like all fans, you hope that your team can go l the way against the best their is to offer. However their are many battles along the way to get there and the reason many fail along the way.. The fact is that the Dragons did not have the talent in 2017 to go all the way and it showed in the latter part of the year. Despite all the bagging of Paul McGregor cops from being the coach, he did have the Dragons show some really good stuff to work on for this year. He is our very own and with the service he has given the Dragons we need to give the coach every opportunity to develop as a top lone coach. His main purpose was to try and establish a team with the right players in each position but to some extent it was his downfall. He had players making too many errors and we needed the juniors to be given more or a chance then they had.. In the backs he needs to have Lafai, McDonald and Aitken showing the way or find juniors to take their place and in the forwards he needs have his rotation of his forwards working well. The inclusion of Hunt is a real step forward and it will establish a good spine to go forward with. In regards to Nightingale if need be, their may be an option to move him in the centres as he had worked both the wings and fullback and is a very experienced player. If the Dragons fix up these problems we will be in the top four! .

Don’t get me wrong I’m not tipping them to finish that high...but I think that’s their ceiling if they get everyone performing consistently, have a good run with injuries etc. But my concern is the gap between best and worst a lot of these players have and how regularly that gap is realised. McDonald should be a world beater, he’s big, strong, athletic but he just goes MIA in games. Sims can be the same. Even Widdop. Compare his 2016 and 2017. At the end of 2016 he was a laughing stock and regarded as the most over rated player in the comp. He killed it last year. That’s how Hunt plays too. So Like last year I can see the Dragons smoking good teams but then losing games they shouldn’t...unless McGregor finds the key to consistency. It’s certainly a roller coaster ride for Dragons fans...

Aitken has battled with injury at times - I expect him to be in for a breakout season TB...Still top four baffles me. I don't think I could predict them that high and justify it although I'd love to see it happen.

Nightingale, Lafai, MacDonald and Aitken are all internationals, so that's 4 based on world cup games. Doesn't change my opinion that they are bog average when they play for StGI. Last season Aitken was injured, Lafai was good until his contract was renewed, MacDonald was lazy and Nightingale is slowing down. Apart from Dufty there are no speedsters in that backline, and in the games I watched they were never threatening in attack, and a liability in defence.

Dragons are the biggest enigmas in the comp for mine. 2015 they were battlers but hung tough to make the eight 2016 they were awful in attack 2017 red hot to start the year but died in the backside in the latter half with some embarrassing, inexcusable losses to bottom of the ladder teams. If they get everyone playing at their potential, I could see them being in the mix for the top four. The problem is getting that consistency particularly from their backline. Guys like Aitken, Lafai and McDonald have massive upsides when they’re on but you’re never 100% sure what you’re going to get. At times in the past Widdop has been similar. Hunt is that type of a player too where he can be killing it and then switch off for a few weeks. Dufty looks quality but he’s only a little bloke and this will be his first full season. It will be interesting to see how he’s going by round 12 or so where he’s been carting the ball back, running at the line, getting smashed every now and then. Feels like it’s been a long season already but there’s still no end in sight. I’m not sold on McGregor as a coach. I still don’t think the Dragons have an identifiable attacking structure. Last year they were at their best when Widdop was playing off the cuff and they were off loading like maniacs. It’s an entertaining (at times) but high risk approach.

A bog average backline with 3 international players in it? The same mob also managed the third highest points tally last year, so if they're bog average, it doesn't say much for the other backlines in the comp.

This is an excellent summary Eddie and it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if your prediction came true about their finishing position. On the other hand, if McGregor doesn't get it right from game 1, he's out the door an they're no chance to make the finals.

OK. As a StGI supporter I feel flattered, and yet dubious. A top 4 finish? Yes the forwards can physically dominate, yes they have damaging ball running forwards, and yes they finally have a good halfback. What they don't have is strike power in the backs. The backline of Lafai, Aitken, MacDonald and Nightingale is Bog average with a capital 'B', and while Dufty at fullback looks the goods he is yet to play a full season. Based on last years performance, when they come up against other sides with good forwards, even lower ranked sides like Canterbury or Souths, then they have nothing else. I hope I'm wrong but I don't see this changing. Top 8 is a definite possibility but I think top 4 is a bridge too far.